Chattanooga was just a stopping off point between Asheville and Nashville, and just happened to be near to Lynchburg - home of the famous Jack Daniel. We spent the morning at Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, the tallest and deepest underground waterfall open to the public. The falls are 1120 feet underground and are reached via a 260 foot elevator ride. The approach to the cavern where the falls are found is lined with unique geological structures such as the Leanin...

Leaving Boone on Monday morning we headed back out towards the Blue Ridge Parkway, hoping to get some hiking in before the forecasted rain moved in. With most of the leaves gone now, the Parkway looks desolate and barren - almost post-apocalyptic. We managed a short self guided nature walk to Flat Rock and a longer 1.5 mile hike to the Linville Falls before the cloud started to move in. After a short stop for a picnic lunch, we had just got back in the car when t...

Temperatures dropped to freezing in Raleigh overnight so we had to scrape the ice from the car before leaving - reminiscent of home!!! Travelling north and west into Virginia, we hit the Blue Ridge Parkway - a 469 mile long scenic drive linking the national parks of Virginia's Shenandoah and the Great Smokies of North Carolina and Tennessee. Luckily, the weather warmed up and we were able to stop at various points along the way to take photos and hike. We stoppe...

Well it's been some time since the last update - we have had some long days travelling and patchy internet connection. Hopefully normal service can now be resumed. Tuesday was our one full day in Myrtle Beach - we had hoped to hire bikes and cycle along the new boardwalk. Unfortunately, we were unable to find a bike shop that was open as it was out of season - even though it was 72 degrees!!!! We did find an adventure golf course that was open and after a coup...

Wow - Ant and I can't believe we have never been to South Carolina before - it is a beautiful state. We were reluctant to leave Hilton Head Island with it's low key low rise buildings and beautiful beaches; and I was apprehensive about visiting Charleston after my disappointment in Savannah. All our fears were unfounded. Charleston is a charming old city (named after King Charles II) situated at the junction of the Cooper and Ashley rivers. We took a 1 hour c...