Fall Back

We visited the Varnells' wonderful cabin again this past weekend and took in the gorgeous colors of autumn along the river. We both had Friday off so we drove over Friday afternoon and got settled in. We cooked burgers on the grill, did some light reading and just relaxed, enjoying each other's company. On Saturday we walked up the road to the combination dam/ bridge. The dam is still functional but the remnants of the old bridge have not been used in years except by the adventurous or graffiti painting type. During the rainy months water pours over the dam and under the bridge remnants from lake lahousage into the river. Riley enjoyed exploring the rocky terrain and surrounding woods like the chi explorer she is ;) That night we snuggled in to watch 'The Goonies' and snacked on popcorn while a spooky fog settled over the river behind us. It was perfect.

Sunday afternoon on our way home we took a scenic drive along AL Highway 176 following the Little River Canyon and saw some amazing views of the gorge. You can download a map and more information about the drive here. The fall colors were very pretty with bright reds and yellows that you don't see every day. It's difficult to capture the beauty but Mary definitely tried to get a few good pics of our drive. Canyon View Overlook and Wolf Creek Overlook were probably two of the best stopping points. Wolf Creek has some pretty cool undercut cliffs that can make your stomach queazy if you are the least bit squeamish about heights (just ask Mary ;)). We made it to Eberhart Point Overlook late in the afternoon (4:30ish) and had the picnic we packed for the drive. That left just enough time to drive the same route back out during the "golden hour" with the low fall sun shining through the trees.

We would recommend this drive for a day trip if you are within a few hours drive from the canyon. We didn't check out any of the hiking trails but there were plenty to choose from if you have the time and stamina to see where they lead. Shorter days with cool crisp temperatures are definitely here for a little bit but I'm sure we could have some wacky days back in the 80's sprinkled in there without too much surprise. I guess that is just part of living in the south.