HEMLOCK HOLLOW INN & PAINT CREEK CAFE VISIT JULY, 2017

Our destination was 645 Chandler Circle, Greeneville, TN ... as that is the place our son Russ and daughter-in-law Dianna purchased back in January, 2016 and we had never seen it yet!  It was about a 700 mile trip each way and we took two days, one night going up and three days, two nights returning to Florida!  The Class B purred along just fine and took us to the long awaited for visit with Dianna at Hemlock Hollow Inn & Paint Creek Cafe and Russ was there the next day for a long weekend...what a wonderful visit!

This property is a hiker hostel (where hiker's rent bunks)...two cabins have bunks and two cabins have Queen beds and are more private!  Hemlock Hollow is located about 18 miles east of Greeneville, TN in the mountains along Paint Creek and about 1/2 mile off the Appalachian Trail,  In the spring of each year thousands of hikers take off from Springer Mountain, GA heading north...many of which aim for the entire 2,190 mile trek clear to Mount Katahdin.ME (they are referred to as "thru-hikers")...many other hikers just go out hiking on the AT for a few miles, a few days or do sections at a time!  Hemlock Hollow is conveniently located for hikers to take a break for a cold drink, resupplies (snacks, foods hikers can easily fix on the trail, etc.) or to spend a night or two! During our week long visit we encountered hikers from various places such as NJ/PA, AR, IN, IL, KY, MI, NC just to name a few!  Everyone we talked with found Hemlock Hollow to be a beautiful, peaceful place and here are a few of Denny's photos!

This is the building that has the store and office and long front porch looking out over Paint Creek. It has all those tables on that porch and what a wonderful place to sit and drink your coffee or eat a meal.  Russ and Dianna have not been able to move here yet because of properties they still own in Florida...so Dianna's son, James and his girlfriend, Hailey came out from Iowa to be there to accommodate hikers best they could and be a presence to discourage vandalism!  Dianna went up at the end of February to get the store stocked and help with the spring hiker "bubble" as they were on the way north.  They will not be attempting to open the cafe until they move there full time!  Right now Russ is back and forth every few weeks.

           

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The long front porch overlooking Paint Creek. It doesn't get any better than sitting there and listening to the little falls and the creek flowing by.

          

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This little falls added to the peace and tranquility of the long porch. It was a beautiful sound as the water cascaded.

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 A partial look at the store. That coffee pot got used a lot as anyone who stayed there got complimentary coffee first thing in the morning.

A glimpse at "Hiker foods and snacks" at the Hemlock Hollow Store.  

           

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Going across the footbridge to the cabins and restroom/shower area. To the right is a fairly large pavilion also.

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#1 Cabin is called "Trout Run" and has a Queen Bed.  This is one of the private cabins with a Queen bed, table & chairs, tv to watch videos, and microwave

           

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#2 Cabin is another private cabin named Bear Den and also has a Queen Bed, table & chairs as well as microwave.

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This is the Restrooms with Hot Showers centrally located between the 4 cabins.  Also there is a separate driveway on this side of Paint Creek in case guests drive to Hemlock Hollow rather than hike!

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#3 Cabin is called "Timber Wolf" and has a Queen Bed and 4 Bunks.

             

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#4 Cabin is the Hostel - The Bunk House. It has 10 Bunks and a beautiful front porch overlooking Paint Creek. All the Cabins are right along Paint Creek and the rippling water in the creek is fantastic.

            

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Our host and hostess...Russ and Dianna fixed up a wonderful meal of Ribs, Corn-on-the-cob, and Broccoli. Linda was kind enough to stop eating and take the picture and we got to eat out on this beautiful porch!

Our son Russ and daughter-in-law Dianna with their dog Sadie. That long front porch was out of this world.

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This is James, our grandson, with Hailey (his girl friend) and Charlie (their dog) and Sadie (Russ and Dianna's dog). James decided he'd be a Mountain Man!!!!!!  Sadie and Charlie waiting patiently for someone to come in or out of the door!  Below are the dogs playing in Paint Creek...Sadie took a swim about every afternoon!

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Linda is standing on the Appalachian Trail at the Log Cabin Road Trail Head. This was about a half mile from the Hemlock Hollow Inn and Paint Creek Cafe. Apparently there was water drops all over the camera lens at the time.

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Dianna graciously tempting fate by eating one of my dehydrated meals re-hydrated. It was dehydrated wide noddles, venison and mixed veg in a brown gravy sauce. She lived through it as did we all and the truth of the matter is that it was good - So sayeth everyone that has tried it.

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Hemlock Hollow all lit up with party lights at night!!!




Below is a short video I took from one end of the porch and just turned slowly around to give you a panaramic view of what I could enjoy from the Hemlock Hollow porch...including the sound of the creek in the background...so turn on your sound...ENJOY...we sure did!!

Mini-Vacation Along Florida's Upper West Coast in our Coach House Class B Motorhome

DAY ONE:  September 13th...we were off on a "new adventure" headed northwest along Florida's upper West Coast. Our route took us "down memory lane" as we drove through Zephyrhills and Dade City (where we had lived for the first 15 years after we moved to Florida)!  We followed Hwy 98 which we picked up right here in Bartow and followed to Otter Creek, FL...where we turned off on CR 24 to Cedar Key!  We had been to Cedar Key years ago and this time were mainly headed to a particular RV destination that was right on the bay...LOW-KEY HIDEAWAY RV & MOTEL was a real jewel...there were three (3) RV spots and we got the last one!

The Gulf Breeze greeted us as we stepped out of the camper!   We had full-hookups complete with cable TV and Wi-Fi...but most of all we got to enjoy the beautiful evening right on the waterfront...it was a beautiful evening with a breeze!  We enjoyed "wine time" at the Tiki Bar with host, Pat and his wife Cindy...they were the ultimate hosts...making us feel welcome and comfortable...even tho they were "short-timers" as they had sold the business and looking forward to a sale closing on the upcoming Tuesday!  Cindy was busy packing...but she took time to stop into the Tiki Bar a couple of times to visit!! 

Pat and Cindy had welcomed folks who were traveling & visiting as well as residents of the island over the last five plus years and those customers were sad to see them leave...but seemed to know them well enough to wish them the best in whatever they decided to do next in life!  There were numerous "locals" who dropped by the Tiki Bar during our time there...many to say "Good Bye" or to check the sale status of the establishment!  Yes...Pat and Cindy were hoping to close the sale on the coming Tuesday and move on to new adventures!

Low-Key Hideaway consists of FIVE (5) motel rooms and THREE (3) RV slots as well as the Tiki Bar which they built themselves from odds and ends they found around the island and that folks brought to them!  Impressively unique during the daytime hours...night lights bring a whole new aspect!!!

While sitting in the Tiki Bar enjoying a leisurely drink you can not help but gaze around in amazement at the various items used as parts of walls and then the inside is adorned with license plates from all over the country!


One of the first things Pat asked us about was our dog (Kiotie) and we told him Kiotie is a mix of Chihuahua and Yorkie and was only supposed to grow to about 5 lbs...but is now full grown at 12-13 lbs!  Pat then showed us a picture of their little rescue dog...a little girl "Chorkie" but she looks like a miniature Kiotie...Pat shared that she only weighed about 2 lbs.We did not get to meet her in person but could not get over how much she looked like Kiotie...only SMALL!!!  Kiotie loved visiting the Tiki Bar with us and hated to go back to the camper while we continued to enjoy the local cuisine!!!  Soon another couple along with their dog came into the Tiki Bar and it was quickly evident that this little fella was a "regular" as Pat got him a dish of water and sat on the bar and the little guy was very much at home...enjoying his water while sitting on a bar stool between his owners!

As you can see us relaxing in the photos...it truly was a "Low-Key" destination!!!
The sunset was not quite as impressive as we had hoped as there had been a storm front that passed through that left clouds on the horizon!
 It was beautiful tho and the stars came out brightly...giving us a good view of the "Milky Way"...unfortunately our cameras could not capture the beautiful stars...but we enjoyed the view!!!  Pat shared that Cedar Key is excellent for star-gazing as it sits out away from the land mass away from pollution, etc.! Check out some of Pat's photos at www.lowkeyhideaway.com -- they are beautiful!











DAY TWO:  We hated leaving our little newly found "Hideaway" but cooked breakfast and ate out at a nearby table as the sun was coming up

...packed up and were on our way northward to Chiefland, FL and Manatee Springs State Park...which was a leisurely drive away (less than an hour)!!! We had camped at Manatee Springs State Park W-A-Y back...1968 when Randy was only two and we were tent camping...driving a SIMCA car!

WOW...nothing looked even vaguely familiar...even the Springs and Suwannee River looked different than I remembered!!!  We had a cozy little campsite where we had to watch out for the tree roots running across our site...but it was nice and shaded and pleasant!

Thanks to Denny's mobility scooter we were both able to see the springs as well as the Suwannee River via a beautiful boardwalk and sidewalks which were all very accessible!

The park was not busy at all but there were several folks who were enjoying swimming and snorkeling in the Springs...water temperature year-round of 72 degrees...B-U-R-R...that is way too cold for me even on a hot day!!!

We were blessed with deer walking thru our campsite or right next door...just as if we were not there...I never tire of seeing them up close and personal!!!




DAY THREE:  After cooking breakfast and again eating out at the picnic table...we picked up and were off northward toward Florida's Panhandle via U.S. 98...destination that night...HO-HUM RV park near Carrabelle, FL...again right on the waterfront...it was a bay with the Gulf of Mexico in the distance!

 Stiff Gulf breezes greeted us as we got out of the camper...WOW...we were parked right up front...a little tiny camper amongst huge luxury "Coaches"!!!  We still had everything we needed...just in a smaller, simpler package!!!












The wind was blowing pretty stiff when we first arrived...but I enjoyed a nice stroll out onto the dock...no one was fishing as the wind was too strong at that time!  Later, toward evening we watched as several folks took their fishing gear to the end of the dock and fished!




We were thankful for the breeze but the sun was brutal until we began to get in the shade of the huge coach that was parked to the west of us!

We dragged our picnic table and chairs over to the shade and enjoyed the Gulf breezes!  All of these three days we were hearing about weather conditions for most of Florida...RAIN, RAIN, RAIN...but we managed to stay a little north and west of the front!

This was Kiotie's first time to see such a large body of water...with waves and all...he enjoyed walking on the beach...but did not want to get too close to those waves slapping water in on shore!!!

No sunset here...we were facing directly SOUTH rather than west...the water calmed as the wind subsided and it was a beautiful evening!

DAY FOUR:  It would have been fun to have headed further WEST...but not this time...we were off to our new destination...SOPCHOPPY, FL (yes...that is REALLY the name of a Florida town located a little south of Tallahhassee!!!)  and a nearby State park of Ochlockonee River State Park!

This park was very accessible for us...wow...just a few years ago I would not have been all that concerned about whether or not a place was accessible!!!  Here at Ochlockonee River State Park they gave us a nice paved campsite (it is a lot cleaner that way and we did not have to worry about tripping over tree roots!!!)

There was a paved walkway to the restrooms as well as a nice paved access to the day use areas and river!  We could ride the Go-Go Scooter along the River Trail even tho it was not paved!  The Ochlockonee River and Dead River merged at the day-use part of the park...very scenic!

Walkway to the River

WHITE SQUIRRELS were common at this park and they seemed to like to hang around pretty close to our campsite!  They really stood out scampering along a tree branch or scurrying across the lawn area! They were quite busy working on green pine cones and trying to steal from each other!!!  Then...there was this poor little gray squirrel without a tail...I thought it was a bunny rabbit at first because he hopped like a bunny!  They would gang up on him and take his pine cone away...but he would soon find another!

 Look carefully at this White Squirrel and you will see a LONG TOOTH coming from his mouth growing up toward his eye!

Our little gray squirrel with NO TAIL!

Deer visiting the lawn near our campsite!!!

DAY FIVE:  A beautiful morning arrived and it was time to move on...this time moving eastward toward Live Oak and Suwannee River State Park...where the Withlachochee River merged with the Suwannee River!

Sadly, this park was a dissappointment to us...the area was scenic, but the park itself did not offer us much!  Things seemed to be in ill repair and our campsite lacked a cozy feeling!  The grounds were not accessible at all...IF there was a ramp there would be a BIG drop off or BUMP UP to access it...even to and from the restrooms!  SO...we spent the night and did not even see a squirrel while we were there!  The next morning was a little drizzly so we packed up early and headed Southeast to Live Oak in search of a local diner for breakfast (this was the only meal we ate "out")!  We were in luck there and had a delightful breakfast...very reasonable prices and more than we should have eaten!!!  Misty rain continued on and off on our way to our next destination...a little south of Gainesville!!!

We arrived in a drizzly rain but accepted the site recommended by the Ranger and set up camp!  Within a few minutes the rain came HARDER and HARDER and we had a lake to the back part of our campsite...so glad we were not in a tent!!!

We were hopeful that the next day would be sunny and DRY!

DAY SIX:  Everything was VERY WET from the rain the day before and the mosquitoes were plentiful looking for fresh blood!!!  Denny rode the scooter the two miles out to the Visitor's Center (which was closed for repairs)

There were many paved walkways where he could ride the scooter and he checked most of them out to some extent!  There was a beautiful tower but we opted not to climb it!

 I am sure the view would have been wonderful of the "Prairie" and possibly we could have caught a glimpse of the wild Spanish Horses or Buffalo that reside in the park!  As it was Denny saw a deer as well as a raccoon family but that was it!  It would be a great park to return to someday when it is drier to explore further!

That ENDS another of our adventures...over 700 miles all within the State of Florida...and it was a very small sampling of Florida...stay tuned for more to come!!!