Road Trip – September-October 2020

The Plan

We haven’t seen our family in Michigan since Sue’s Mom passed away in 2007, so it’s about time. Along the way, we hope to pass through three of the four states Brian has never visited, and see some interesting stuff along the way.

Day 1 – Thursday September 24, 2020 – 295 Lakeside Dr. Mountain Rest, SC to Pickwick Landing State Park, TN

The first day was pretty much a wash (literally). The morning was very foggy, and gave way to heavy drizzle and moderate rain all day long. These were the remnants of tropical storm Beta which had made landfall the day before along the Texas/Louisiana coast. We didn’t take any pictures all day. The plan had been to visit the Chickamauga Battlefield, and then Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, ending the day near the Shiloh Battlefield. We did those things, but didn’t get out of the car at Chickamauga. We took the auto tour of the battlefield, and listened to the accompanying audio descriptions. From Chickamauga, we climbed up the Georgia face of Lookout Mountain, but when we got to the top, it was so foggy, we got completely lost, and ended up just driving back down the Tennessee side. It was just after dark by the time we got to Pickwick Landing State Park, TN. The rain was just ending as we pulled into the park. That campground was the highlight of the day. Without intending any offense to the excellent South Carolina parks, this campground was the best camping experience I have ever had in a state park. The park was in excellent condition – particularly the latrine and shower facilities. It was so quiet, I didn’t even know there were any other campers near us. The price after the senior discount was only $18, and the park staff was friendly and helpful despite our late arrival.