Day 2 of US Road Trip

The view in front of a McDonald's somewhere in the middle of South Carolina

AUGUST 24, 2018

South Carolina

After heading out of North Carolina, I followed the interstate right through South Carolina, stopping only for a brief nap, and lunch to go from a McDonald's. Without planning a specific stop that was on the way through SC, there weren't any places I found to take some good captures. The interstate itself was pretty, with greenery on both sides, by tall trees and shrubs, but really nothing else, until I crossed over to Georgia.




Georgia

My original plan was to make it near downtown Georgia so I can meet up with Cam Muskelly, who offered to show me around the Fernbank Museum. However, as I stopped for gas in Thomson, GA, I found my gas cap missing! So I had to take some time to buy a replacement cap, which ate up too much time from my original plan. That unfortunately meant I had to forego my meeting with Cam until he ends up at Salt Lake City.

Cheaha State Park

After passing the rest of Georgia, I crossed over to Alabama, which is probably one of the prettiest states I've been through. On the way to Birmingham, I drove through the Talladega Forest up to Cheaha State Park, which contained the highest point in Alabama, giving breathtaking views of the Appalachian Mountains.

Scenic view on the way to Cheaha State Park

 

Birmingham, AL
On the way out of Cheaha State Park, I had to drive through a decently-long stretch of Talladega Forest, which was terrifying because of the slopes and skinny (sometimes single-lane) roads. I especially didn't like the other cars that were following me at the same time. It was beautiful, though, and I eventually made it to downtown Birmingham. My host, Don McFall, was couch-surfing host, and my first experience using CouchSurfing.com. I made sure to check their credentials and experience, and Don helped make it a painless experience to get in contact and become acquainted. He and I shared a local meal that night, and definitely made me consider coming back to Alabama someday.