Fall Creek Falls

After returning from Portland, Heather and I decided to go spend a few days camping in Fall Creek Falls State Park. A travel guide she found calls the park "one of the best camping places in the Southeast", and I agree! Impressive and beautiful scenery abounds, and we were lucky enough to be there after some good Spring rains. There are multiple waterfalls and cascades in the park, and all were near peak flow. This park has tons to do - we played some tennis, went for a couple bike rides, and generally spent lots more time getting to know each other. An especially neat thing in the park is the suspension bridges set up over several stream crossings. Wooden plank floors on steel cables and field fence "railings" make for a safe, but very wobbly bridge. We had great fun stomping, running, and jumping across these bridges (don't try this at home, kids...). It's been quite a different camping experience for me - a cooler with ice in it, showers every day, usually a nap in the afternoon, and we even crashed the heated pool at the park Inn one evening - talk about luxury!

Heather and I are getting along fabulously! Though coming from very different backgrounds and professions, we have a lot in common, not the least of which is a playfulness that keeps the other on their toes. On one bike ride in particular, a "Beware of Hikers" sign on the bike path spawned an ongoing joke about the mutant zombie hikers, their "hive" at the Inn, and different reasons why we weren't getting eaten. Definitely, this will be a lasting friendship.