Wednesday, September 29
After spending the morning doing some last minute housecleaning and packing Taz and the trailer, we left the house and went to Naturally Nails to have Leslie cut our hair for the long trip ahead of us. When Leslie was done, we said our goodbyes and went out to Taz to take off on our long-awaited adventure. While we were trying to take a selfie, one of the ladies came out and offered to take a couple of shots as we were getting ready to leave.
The old saying is that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Our saying is that ANY journey begins with a stop at Sonic for a Diet Coke (with extra ice, please).
The first leg of the journey was to just get us on the road and out of shouting distance of Mineola. We headed east on U.S. 80 to Gladewater, and then cut down to I-20, headed toward somewhere in Louisiana. While I was at the controls, Barbara spent her time taking pictures.
We got to the far side of Bossier City before stopping for a tank of gas and deciding to check in at the first motel we could find and get a meal and a good night's rest.
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Thursday, October 29
After loading the trailer and eating a good breakfast, we headed rode back onto I-20 and headed across Louisiana.
After a couple of hours, we stopped for gas. While we were inside the store, Barbara found just what she wanted for the trip...a new insulated cup to fit in the cup holder we bought a few weeks ago.
We had decided a couple of days ago that we didn't want to ride the interstates for the whole trip. While they are great for Point A to Point B travel, they are no fun on a motorcycle. Besides, we had plenty of time to get to Toccoa, Georgia, and wanted to try a different route than what we've been on before. So, when we got to Jackson, Mississippi, we took on another tank of gas and headed up the Natchez Trace Parkway, a route we've often talked about taking.
A few miles up the parkway, we stopped at the visitors center for a lunch break and a history lesson about the parkway.
The next stop was at the Cypress Swamp, an almost primeval piece of land along the parkway.
We rode a few more miles and pulled off at the Ross Barnett Reservoir outlook. What a beautiful and restful place it was.
An interesting feature of the land along the parkway is a series of fields where the grass is cut and rolled. These "hay" fields were prominent all along the way.
Once we learned that there were no commercial properties (think motels) along the parkway, we pulled out our trusty phones and did a search for lodging nearby. The closest thing we could find was at Starkville (home of Mississippi State University), so we left the parkway and rode up a series of state highways until we found Starkville and our home for the night.
After checking in and unloading the necessary items, we went for a walk around the motel and found a little decorative waterfall that inspired us to do take this photo of "The Mississippi Thinker."
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Friday, October 30
We were up early this morning for another day's ride. Once we had breakfast and loaded Taz and the trailer, we rode off toward the Natchez Trace Parkway, observing the countryside along the way.
Our first parkway stop on the parkway was at the Bynum burial mounds.
Note that we had some four-legged company while we were at the site.
A few miles up from the burial mounds, we found the Witch Dance turn-out (and an important relief facility, one of few along the parkway).
We got a very interesting view of the surrounding countryside at the Black Belt turn-out.
Several years ago, a tornado ripped through here, causing a great deal of damage to the forested areas along the parkway.
We left the parkway at Tupelo to continue our journey across Mississippi. First, we stopped for gas (Taz was really thirsty today), and then drove past the Tupelo National Battlefield.
Our next stop in Tupelo was at the birthplace of Elvis Presley. We didn't know what to expect, but found a very tasteful display of buildings and memorabilia, including Elvis's house and the church where he got his start as a singer.
We did mention "tasteful," didn't we? Well, maybe the large video screen with Elvis singing while you take care of business in the restroom was a bit much.
The rest of the day's ride took us across northern Mississippi and into Alabama...
We stopped for a "butt break" at a convenience store in the little community of Jones Chapel, Alabama. While I was getting coffee, a little boy came in and said, "I really like your motorcycle." Barbara asked him if he would like to sit on it, and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. While they were outside, the boy (Colton) asked if he could hear it. Barbara said that she didn't have a key, but he could come inside and ask me. When he did, I told him I'd be happy to let him hear Taz. When we got outside, I asked him if he wanted a ride, and his eyes lit up again. He asked his mother and she said it was okay, so I gave him a couple of spins around the parking lot. Barbara got several photos of the occasion, so everyone was happy...it was one of our nicer and more fun breaks along the way.
After sending Colton home with his mother and saying goodbye to our new friends in Jones Chapel, we climbed back aboard Taz for the last leg of the day's journey to the Best Western in Cullman, Alabama. We ran into a few sprinkles along the way, but nothing that caused any concern.
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Friday, October 2
Weather was no problem for us this morning as we left Cullman with Georgia on our mind, but we didn't go too many miles before we ran into rain. Our destination for the day was Canton, Georgia, our last stop (hopefully) before reaching the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa.
Our first stop was in Gadsden, Alabama, where we found a bank ATM that we tapped for some travel funds, and walked around looking at some of the sites downtown.
Back on the highway, we picked up U.S. 411 toward Rome, Georgia, and promptly ran into some very soggy weather.
In spite of the rain, folks along 411 were enjoying the annual 411 Yard Sale, a miles and miles long conglomeration of flea market exhibits.
The rain continued as we rolled out of Alabama and into Georgia...
As we approached Rome, Georgia, we noticed these signs marking portions of the original Trail of Tears...
In Rome, we took advantage of a break in the weather to stop at the local Hardee's restaurant for some lunch. Taz and the trailer rested outside in the parking lot.
The rain was pouring down when we saddled up again, and we hit a few more showers along the way, but for the most part, the trip to Canton, Georgia, was smooth and without incident. We got to the Best Western and checked in. When we came back downstairs to move Taz to a parking spot, the husband and small son of one of the desk crew were admiring Taz, so Barbara took the young one's photo (can't get them started too early).
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Saturday, October 3
We woke up to a driving rainstorm, and it didn't get much better the rest of the day. We got dressed, put on our rain gear, and made up our minds to get through the day the best we could.
Sights along the way included this patch of kudzu, an imported plant that tends to take over everything in the southern states.
And, of course, more rain...
We were totally soaked by the time we got to Clarksville, Georgia, where we went into a McDonald's to get something eat and get out of the rain for a bit.
After several hours of soggy, rainy riding, we reached our destination, The Georgia Baptist Conference Center at Toccoa, one of our favorite places in the world!
We checked in at the King Hotel, unloaded Taz and the trailer (in another downpour, of course), and then set about greeting our Toccoa volunteer family..
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Sunday, October 4
It rained off and on all night (mostly on), so we woke up to a soggy morning and electricity that was off and on (mostly off). We had planned to go to church with Ken and Ruth Hogan this morning, but with the electricity off, Barbara and Ruth weren't able to fix their hair, so they stayed back (Barbara in the room and Ruth in their fifth-wheel in the campground) and Ken and I went to the service at Ebeneezer Baptist Church.
When church was over, Ken and I went to Captain D's for some take out food, then returned to the conference center for the afternoon.
When the sun finally came out for a while, we decided we'd take Taz and make a Walmart run (after all, it's never an official day until we've been to Walmart). As I negotiated the wet roads, Barbara took pictures of the beautiful scenery between the conference center and town.
When we finished our shopping and came back to Taz, we found yet another admirer who was more than pleased to be able to try it on for size.
Returning to the conference center, we met our friends Gary and Rhonda Keve from Cairo, Georgia, as they were out for an afternoon walk.
Have we mentioned the beauty of the conference center grounds? Even the mushrooms on the soccer field were smiling today.
Once back in place at the King Hotel at the conference center, we greeted volunteers as they arrived, and caught up with some of the weekend staff members.
We even had time to go to the chapel area for a little trumpet practice time before guests started arriving.
The evening took a very interesting turn when the guests arrived for the beginning of their conference and we didn't have electricity anywhere on the grounds. But, we all made do, as volunteers assisted the guests in finding their rooms. In what was obviously a "God moment," one of the vendors for the conference "just happened" to have a bag full of miniature flashlights, so he handed them out to guests and volunteers so we could see what we were doing.
Later, the dining hall staff sponsored a candlelight dessert social.
Once the social was over and everyone was done for the day, we returned to our room to get ready for bed and list our prayers and praises on the new prayer board we found at Walmart this afternoon.
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Monday, October 5
Today began our first full day of volunteer work at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center. Our assignment was in the dining hall kitchen, where Barbara worked in the bakery/pastry room, and I worked in food preparation.
Other volunteers worked in the dining hall and laundry room, assisted with registering guests, set up and served treats at scheduled breaks for the guests, and worked on general maintenance projects around the conference center. Additionally, we had devotional and planning times for the volunteer team. There was never a dull moment!
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Tuesday, October 6
When working in the kitchen, all days are pretty much the same...only the food changes. There are always desserts to be prepared, and there is always bacon to be cooked (30-45 pounds each morning). And, everything we do is a learning experience!
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Wednesday, October 7
It takes a lot of different foods to feed over three hundred people three meals a day!
We took turns getting out to take pictures of other volunteer activities today...the laundry room is always a hotbed of activity.
I was more interested in taking shots of the scenery around the conference center. There is never a bad place from which to take photos of Lake Louise...
And the rest of the campus isn't too shabby...
The afternoon just screamed for some Taz Therapy. After a short ride for ourselves, we shared the Taz experience with some of our friends...
Kate, the daughter of Head Chef Eric, and Eric's wife, Ruth, also got in on the act; a little reluctantly at first, but they got over that pretty quickly...
Today seemed like a good day for taking photos of others at their volunteer activities...
We had our evening devotional before dinner...
And a little clowning around after we ate...
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Thursday, October 8
Another busy day at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa as we began to wind down the week and make preparations for the Fall Senior Homecoming Week. So much to do and so little time...
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Friday, October 9
As we wrapped up the official work week, we felt like we were reliving each day over and over, but we learned something new each day, and besides, with friends like these working along with us, what did it matter which day it was?!
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Saturday, October 10
Even though it was our "day off," some extra help was needed in the kitchen, and since the morning weather wasn't all that great, we pitched in with some cooking chores for a couple of hours.
Later, we had some personal time with Taz, just exploring the area and getting some wind in our faces.
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Sunday, October 11
Sunday morning at Toccoa means attending morning services at Ebeneezer Baptist Church, the unofficial church home of our volunteer group.
Before we left for church, Barbara and our good friend Barbara Payne posed in the dining hall after breakfast. We first met Barbara several years ago when she and her husband, Jimmy, were parked next to us in the campground.
The weather was a little iffy after church, but we had planned a Taz trip to Helen, a little alpine village in northeastern Georgia, so we just geared up and left from the church on our new adventure.
Although we'd made the drive to Helen numerous times over the years, the scenery along the way is still beautiful and exciting, no matter whether in fall or spring.
Helen is very much a tourist destination, and the residents play heavily on the alpine theme. Still, it doesn't have the "cheesy" feel of many tourist towns.
We stopped for lunch at a restaurant along the Appalachicola River and had a wonderful meal while sitting outside enjoying the sights.
It clouded up as if to start raining on our trip back to Toccoa, but the only moisture we hit was an occasional sprinkle.
One of our favorite stops along the way (actually out-of-the-way, but worth the few extra miles) is an establishment called Goats on the Roof. It's touristy, but always a fun stop.
When we returned to the conference center, we decided that it was time to teach Eric how to drive Taz. With just a few minutes of lessons, Eric was wheeling around the parking lot, and then topped off the adventure by giving Ruth and Kate rides. We think there may be a Taz in Eric's future, especially if Ruth has anything to say about it!
Later in the evening, our new volunteer team had its organizational meeting. We met some new volunteers, caught up with some veteran volunteers, and got our marching orders for the rest of the week.
After a busy, busy day, we headed to our room for a good night's sleep in preparation for hitting the ground running tomorrow morning.
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Monday, October 12
Nothing begins a day better than an early morning view of Lake Louise, the crown jewel of the Georgia Baptist Conference Center.
With 300 guests arriving today for the first of two senior homecoming conferences, there was plenty of work to be done by conference center staff and the 30 volunteers. We began the morning with our devotional time, and then hit the ground running...
After working almost non-stop for nearly six hours, Eric told Barbara and me that we needed to take off a couple of hours a ride that he recommended for its scenery. He didn't have to tell us twice...
As we returned to the parking lot, we met Ruth walking from their house to the dining hall. Barbara wanted more pictures, so she got off with the camera and captured Ruth during her Taz moment...
After dinner and the evening program, the dining hall staff and volunteers hosted an ice cream social for the conference attendees. If anyone went away hungry, it was their own fault!
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Tuesday, October 13
Day two of the first senior homecoming conference began much the same as yesterday...morning team meeting and devotional, and then back to our assignments, making sure that everything was ready for our guests. Barbara and I were pretty much locked into kitchen/bakery duties, so if folks weren't in that area, they didn't get their pictures made this morning.
Although we never get "caught up" in the kitchen, we did take a few minutes off to make a run up to the laundry room in the campground to wash some seriously dirty clothes.
The guests enjoy many different activities during the day, but we're pretty sure their two favorites are meals (all you can eat buffets) and the evening socials. Tonight's social featured pies, cobblers, cookies, cakes, and ice cream...a cardiologist's nightmare!!!
The downside to all this good eating is the cleanup afterward, but as the old saying goes, "many hands make light work."
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Wednesday, October 14
Today was the last day for our first conference attendees, but by noon, we had another 300 registering and ready for meals. We were so busy getting things prepared that photo opportunities were in short supply.
As always, the ice cream social tonight was the hit of the day!
When we finally cleared the dining hall tonight, we decided it was time for our "class picture." Volunteers this week came from Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Texas
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Thursday, October 16
We didn't have a coffeepot in our hotel room, so my first act each morning was to walk over to the dining hall to get a bag of ice for our ice chest and a cup of coffee for me. The morning view of Lake Louise from the dining hall was the chief perk.
Since all of our jobs and activities are essentially the same each day, we decided that today's entry should focus on our volunteer team members, His Witnesses As Volunteers.
And along with photos of these wonderful friends, is a last look at Lake Louise from the dining hall windows...
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Friday, October 16
Today was a day of major multi-tasking. We had kitchen duties to attend, but it was also a packing day, as it was our last day at Toccoa.
While Barbara finished up her duties in the bakery, I borrowed Barbara Payne's car and took some boxes of clothing to the post office to mail back to Mineola. Most of it was our work clothing, things that we didn't anticipate using on the rest of the trip, along with goodies that we bought for later distribution.
When our work was completed and Taz and the trailer were packed and readied for the next part of our adventure, we went back to the dining hall to say our goodbyes to Eric and the rest of our Toccoa family.
And then...We were off on Part Two of our Our Little Fall Adventure on Taz.
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Saying goodbye to our Toccoa family,
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsie
