Alabama
We have just arrived in Louisiana, the last of the lower 48 states that we had not seen. From Georgia, we went down to Alabama with the intention of spending a day on the Tallapoosa River with a brother of a mate of ours. Chuck Brown, brother of Jamey Brown, drummer and singer of our favorite band , the Lazybirds, runs a kayak guiding business, Off the Beaten Path. There was a heavy duty storm forecast for that day so we decided to postpone it until the following day. Chuck offered to show us around the towns of Auburn and Opelika with the help of two great young women, Cat and Brooke, who work for the local tourism organization.
What a day it turned out to be. We started by eating amazing Southern food in a local favorite place we would never have found for ourselves. Fried chicken, green beans, stir fried squash and friend green tomatoes - unreal, heart attack inducing (well worth the risk) food . We went to the university arboretum, and got a packed scenic tour around the area finishing up with a stop a distillery where we were able to see the process in action even though they were not open at that time.
What a day it turned out to be. We started by eating amazing Southern food in a local favorite place we would never have found for ourselves. Fried chicken, green beans, stir fried squash and friend green tomatoes - unreal, heart attack inducing (well worth the risk) food . We went to the university arboretum, and got a packed scenic tour around the area finishing up with a stop a distillery where we were able to see the process in action even though they were not open at that time.
Paddle on the Tallapoosa River
We avoided the enormous thunderstorm, and headed out to meet Chuck and Charles the next morning on the river. They had had heavy rain and the river was moving along . Normally we only paddle flat water, but with Charles in the lead we ran shoal after shoal. It was not a dry trip by any stretch, pulling out three times to empty the kayaks. This was our first experience in sit on top kayaks and while they were not dry, they were basically unsinkable. This was fortunate because we went through some very fast moving water. I had never been on a paddle like it. Several times we went over drops of 1-2 feet. Several times the boat was totally awash, but despite this, it kept on floating and moving. Without Charles leading the way it would have completely freaked me out, but we just followed his boat and seeing him come out the other side of each whitewater section gave me the confident to just keep paddling.
The river was wide with forest on either side. We did a little less sight seeing than usual, as for a fair chunk of the time we were focused on paddling. That said, we would not have missed it for quids. It was terrific.
We were due in New Orleans that night, so we had a 6-7 our drive. By the time we arrived, our shoes were almost dry!
The river was wide with forest on either side. We did a little less sight seeing than usual, as for a fair chunk of the time we were focused on paddling. That said, we would not have missed it for quids. It was terrific.
We were due in New Orleans that night, so we had a 6-7 our drive. By the time we arrived, our shoes were almost dry!
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