In Praise of Unicoi

This summer we spent a pleasant weekend at Unicoi State Park in the North Georgia Mountains. Unicoi is a few miles outside of Helen, GA, a re-created alpine village and popular tourist attraction, particularly during the annual Oktoberfest celebrations.

On our first morning we enjoyed a great breakfast at a German bakery. Later in the weekend we had a lovely dinner at Edelweiss just outside of town.

We rented a barrel cabin overlooking the lake. While modest on the outside, the inside was comfortable and clean with more conveniences than you might expect to find in a state park cabin. The inside was all pine, with a modern kitchen, fire place and a nice loft bedroom with a queen size bed. There was nice little deck, overlooking the lake, with two chairs and table. After some spider removal we enjoyed sitting out there in the canopy watching breeze move the leaves.

The first morning we hiked the 2.5 mile lake trail. The trails was well maintained and easy walk. We encountered a few other people on the loop, jogging and dog-walking, as we passed the beach, canoe rental and picnic areas. There were small docks dotted around the lake for taking in the views. After a rain the night before, the air was fresh and earthy. Mushrooms and wildflowers fringed the trail. For such a pristine and natural setting, there was a strange absence of bird life.

We didn't fish, but were informed by the ranger that the lake and streams were stocked with trout. We stopped at the visitor center at Anna Ruby Falls, above the park,and bought some fish food to toss into the creek. Their were monster trout lurking in the shadows under boulders and in the deeper holes that rose to devour the pellets. The trail to the falls was fairly steep, but was paved and easy to navigate. Families with strollers and old folks with walking sticks were making their way to the observation deck below the falls. It was a warm day but the steepness of the gorge, the dense canopy and the cool water of the stream and falls made the hike very pleasant.










I highly recommend this weekend getaway destination, and will undoubtedly visit again soon.

Recommended Reading

Afghanistan and Pakistan are in the minds of many Americans recently, especially the President and The Joint Chiefs as they grapple with the lose-lose decision about whether to send more troops, and how many, to push back insurgent Taliban fighters and Al Qaeda sympathizers. The notion of getting out seems to be off the table and so Afghanistan is being called the "good war" or words to that effect. There is nothing good about it. It's a boondoggle of the nth degree.

The huge mistake undertaken during the Bush administration was to pursue this as an under-manned military operation. Essentially what we have is a security issue best left to law enforcement. Now that we've put a stick in the hornet's nest, we must swat the angry hornets as they attack from all sides. The venom from the stinging is building to point where we will eventually have to flee. Ultimately we'll have no viable prescence and the cycle will begin anew.

The 9/11 hijackers, who were provided a training camp in the mountainous border region, were neither Afghani or Pakistani. 15 of the 19 were Saudi's.

So we did what any country would do. Attacked the host country, Afghanistan, and declared war on Iraq. WTF!

Politics and military strategy aside, conflicts always provide personal tales of misery, fear, terror and courage. The series of articles "Held By The Taliban" by David Rohde, in the New York Times this week is absolutely incredible, compelling reading. I've been reading the print version each day this week. It's difficult to imagine how I might fare, faced with the notion of my imminent decapitation.

Podcasts

I have a pretty long commute to the salt mines every day. Assorted podcasts and XM radio makes the white-knuckled rush of the lemmings bearable each day. In the runup to the '08 election I became an obsessed political junkie. I found it making me too tense so I've diversified my listening habits to maintain some semblance of sanity and balance.

Recent podcast favorites include:

WTF with Marc Maron is my latest podcast obsession. I first heard Marc on the Morning Sedition show on Air America and have rediscovered his angst-filled comic genius.

Harry Shearer's brilliant weekly podcast, Le Show is a must listen.

Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Say no more. The best interview show on the air today. I go for the podcast because I usually miss the oddly timed broadcasts on our local public radio affiliate.

This American Life is radio storytelling at it's best. The recent casts on the financial meltdown and health care debate are well worth a listen.

Slate Magazine's Culture Gabfest and the sports cast Hang Up And Listen are a great way to get in depth news and discussion.

Music podcasts include KEXP's Song of the Day, Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto Podcast and the Roots Rock Radio Show.