abg shanks: Silver Comet and Amicalola Falls 30 July

We left Alabama in search of the Silver Comet Rails-to-Trails bike path to get in some riding before meeting up with the Peace Corps Gabon friends in northern Georgia.

The Silver Comet Trail is a 61.5-mile paved trail that starts 13 miles NW of Atlanta in Smyrna, GA and ends on the GA/AL state line outside of Cedartown. From there the trail connects with the Chief Ladiga trail for an additional 33-miles in Alabama which ends in Anniston.

We camped in the only campground off the trail, outside of Rockmart, GA and rode the trail 2 different days, day 1 riding 20 miles heading west/rt and day 2 riding 30 miles heading east/rt. Not only was the cycling fabulous but the scenery was gorgeous, the weather was perfect and the campground was accessible, quiet and convenient and a perfect place to leave Gravy while we rode.

in search of the campground in Georgia

while biking

along the Silver Comet

one of the tunnels we passed through

exiting the tunnel

along the trail

a watchman below the trail

the sun setting

posing with an old timer in 'The Rock' campground

After two days of cycling we chose to use other muscles and hike to the Amicalola water falls in the State Park of the same name (the name itself comes from the Cherokee word meaning 'tumbling waters'). The park is home to this lovely water fall, a well kept campground where we stayed for one night and the 'unofficial' southern end of the Appalachian Trail which is a continuous north/south hiking trail covering nearly 2,200 miles through 14 eastern states.