Vacation: Blue Ridge

On Wednesday, Kim, Todd, Cindy, and I drove up to Blue Ridge to take the scenic train ride.



We got seats on the open-air car and were excited for our scenic journey through the Appalachians.


As it turns out, the trip isn't really a mountain-pass type - that was just the assumption we made. Most of the view was into the forest or over the river like this.

Or this.

Or this.

Or sometimes back into the car like this.

Once we knew what we were in for, it was a nice, relaxing train ride, except that the wheels screeched on the bends. Since the tracks followed the river, it was mostly bendy.

The train ride stopped at a gift-shop town on the Georgia-Tennessee border, so we did a bit of quick gift-shopping, ate lunch, and hopped back on for the ride back.

Back in Blue Ridge (also a gift-shop town), it was a day for beautiful clouds:




We had a very pleasant drive back to Mom's house, and even stopped at a scenic overlook.



We had a very good dinner with mom at her mountain-top cabin/lodge/house, and I stepped outside for a few more pictures of the clouds and the sunset.