Seven States in Seven Seconds

View of 7 States from Atop Tennessee's Lookout Mountain

After a trek inside Lookout Mountain, our next stop was the summit.  From a vantage point near Rock City's Lover's Leap,  a sign advised us that seven states were visible in the distance.  Though that would have saved us some time and money, we still decided to visit several of the states a little more up close and personal.  After taking in the attractions on and inside Lookout Mountain, we stopped by the Ooltewah, Tn. home of former Jefferson City residents Tim & Laura Parker.  One source I checked said locals tell tourists that "Ooltewah" is an old indian word for "See Rock City".  It actually an old indian word for "owl's nest".

 

 

As fate would have it, we encountered another bird later that same day.  It is nearly impossible to travel through Georgia without going through Atlanta.  Our journey took us through the heart of Atlanta on I-75 on a day when Atlanta Falcon's fans were doing the "dirty bird" in preparation for the NFC championship game vs. the San Francisco Forty-niners the next day.   The "Dirty Bird" is a dance that combines rap and a simulated wing-flapping love for the home team Falcon's.   The South may or may not rise again, but the Falcon's motto is "Rise up!"  Unfortunately, the Falcon's never got off the ground and the Forty-niners represented the NFC in the Super Bowl.  Traffic was not week day heavy but driving through the city is always a bit of a white knuckle experience for me.  Our goal was to find a place to stay SOUTH of Atlanta and not have to deal with game day traffic.

 

 

After making it safely through Atlanta we began to ponder where to spend the night.   Aided by a cell phone, a GPS and Trip Advisor, we began to search for accommodations in our price range that had the best reviews.  We found our match in Forsyth, Ga,  twenty miles north of Macon.  With about 30 minutes of daylight still available we found a nice room for seventy-five bucks a night, including a hot breakfast.  As our wives waited in the car, Bill & I walked into the motel lobby to seal the deal. 

 

 

The front desk was vacant.

 

 

After a few minutes, a seasoned citizen entered the lobby and took her position behind the desk.  "I was looking for my car" she said.  "I loaned it to a guest to go get some wine and I wasn't sure where they parked it when they came back".  "Well", I said, "you know loaning your car to a stranger to go get wine may not be the best idea".  "I've found that if you try to do the right thing the Lord takes care of you!" she said, before adding "usually".  The desk clerk's name was Dee, probably short for "Dee-Lightful".  After checking us in she gave us the rules.  "Breakfast is served from 6-9, checkout by noon, you can use the inside pool tonight until 10, 11 if you don't have a boom box.  Show this ticket at the Shoney's next door and you get 10% off your ticket.  I just baked some cookies and you can get yourself some right over there".  I felt like I had just checked in to Grandma's house. 

 

Shoney's was a buffet line.  With the norovirus at epidemic levels around the country, we carry germ-x, wipe down all motel rooms with germ-killing tissues and avoid eating at buffets.  We skipped Shoney's buffet line and ate at a Captain D's where the odds of picking up a bug were reduced but definitely not eliminated.  Facebook status updates from friends were telling dire tales of kids and spouses afflicted by a "devil" ailment from Missouri to Virginia.

 

As near as I can tell, Forsyth, Georgia's only claim to fame is being the county seat of Monroe county.  The town motto is "What you need, when you need it".   Worked for us.  Guess it worked for the stranger who borrowed Dee's car to go get wine too.