I must admit that I had a deliverance moment while trying to find this cabin. I need to tell my sister that the next time she plans to get away make sure she gets better directions, because the person who wrote out these directions has obviously never talked to city folk. And when I approached the locals (I talked to several) they'd never heard of the place. But I later found out I wasn't describing it right. I was just reading these nonsensical directions.
Our location, Mentone, Alabama, 1868 feet up the side of Lookout Mountain in the northern part of the state near the Georgia and Tennessee borders. . Our cabin was 3 miles above that in DeSoto State Park. We city folk are literally 3 miles up the mountain off a blacktop two lane road called Tutweiler Gap, that turns into gravel and chert, whatever the hell, chert is. Our cabin was aptly named Serenity.
I'm really, really glad that I have one of those gas guzzling high assed SUVs. Cause a gas saving economical four cylinder, something or other couldn't make it over the ruts in the road, where we are.
We both made it...me in my Ascender and my sister in her big assed Expedition. No problem, except there is not enough road and the locals drive like they're on a four lane highway. Just imagine yourself driving a top heavy SUV on a road that tilts nearly 30 degrees from level. Talk about precipitous. I was creeping too because I didn't want to take a deer home as a hood ornament.
The cabin itself is wonderful. It has all the conveniences of home and then some. It has a hot tub on the back porch with a gas grill and a Jacuzzi in the bathroom which is the size of my bedroom back home. Man, I love this place. And it is very very economical, even if there aren't four of us sharing the cost..
Two sets of sisters. Me and mine and Peggy and hers. We are two nurses, a teacher who teaches history to eighth graders and me, the writer and sometimes mail machine operator. They, including my sister are from South Carolina. They are ocean people. I'm the only one landlocked in Ohio, unless you consider the Ohio River a big body of water. The Ohio is only a little less muddy than the mighty Mississippi. On any given day it looks like you could walk across it with all the dirt and silt and not get wet.
Having the straight shot route from Ohio, I got here first and found the campsite, by talking with the locals. I then guided them to our location using what little cell power we had. Make no mistake, we are in the back woods and Verizon hasn't discovered this place yet.
While waiting for them, I spotted what I thought was a lonely little fawn who hadn't yet learned to camouflage effectively. Yet when a Harley Davidson soft tail drove by, the whole herd spooked. I was actually watching at least 8 or 9 deer that I counted before they leapt away up the side of the hill.
Once we got settled, we trekked out to quaint Mentone city or town for something to eat. It was only 7:30 but the sidewalks had been rolled up. We settled on the bbq grill for some ribs, pulled pork and chicken and a grilled cheese.
The food was delicious, the hospitality wonderful. We were exhausted and trekked back up the mountain top to get into the hot tub and or Jacuzzi. A little TV and were ready for bed.
Shopping begins tomorrow....
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