I’m on Top of the World!!!! (Well, the Top of Georgia)

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Check off another bucket list item for me. (And you’ll probably tell me I should get more adventurous items for it! ) At 4,784 feet above sea level, Brasstown Bald is the highest point in the state of Georgia. I used to love watching their live cams until they died because the Flash video program went away. (The shuttle driver said they are back and functioning.) It’s in the Chattahoochie National Forest, and my drive took me through it and the Oconee National Forest as well. OOOOOH, was that drive along the Oconee River scenic and wonderful. After showing my America the Beautiful National Park card (which provides free admission) I went to the gift shop and got my discount shuttle ticket to the top. It’s only half a mile on foot; however, that takes about a 600-foot elevation gain to accomplish. I’ll pay the three bucks. In a perfect world, I would have been there in a couple of weeks when the leaves were changing. Given that we have politicians who like to hold things like our national parks and forests hostage so they can play their stupid partisan games I didn’t want to run the risk of going in October to find it closed because of a government shutdown. So I compromised for the incredible view from the top of Georgia. According to the signs you can see across to the highest point in the Smoky Mountains, Clingman’s Dome. (Unfortunately, Mount Mitchell, North Carolina, which is the highest point east of the Mississippi River, is too far away to be in view.) The views were simply amazing on a gorgeous, comfortable day. The temperature was about 10 degrees (F) cooler at the top than it was in the parking lot, indicative of the elevation gain. (According to the website, it’s never been above 84 degrees F on top of the mountain.) It was 68 according to the thermometer that was mounted on the wall. I wish I could show the photos. But I can post the website where you can have a look at that amazing view for yourself! Brasstown Bald live camera: