​Penny’s from Heaven!

 
We’d been mostly awake for 2 days. The Atlanta Ragnar Race was over and we’d already packed up Thor (the Adventure Van) when Penny asked, “Where are you going after this?”  I was thoroughly unprepared for this question. We'd been working  nonstop getting the first Ragnar event settled, and it hadn't even occurred to me to book a hotel.
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“Why don’t you come to my house, I have a spare feather bed.”
 
Standing in a grass field, exhausted, I suddenly knew what it was like to hear angels singing. For the next 3 days we slept, ate, and hiked all over Atlanta. 

Penny is the type of person who will cover up random poop on the trail so that the next person doesn’t step in it! ​

Stone Mountain

If you’ve always wanted to see Mount Rushmore, but don’t have the time, then go to Stone Mountain in Atlanta. It’s the next best thing. According to our self-appointed tour guide, John, there’s a table in the horse’s mouth where the stone carvers would eat lunch. I declared, “I want to do that!” but despite hiking up-and-down, and up-and-down again, and driving around…we could find no way in.  We did however get to explore some of the most fantastic park grounds in the US.  Go there. Period.

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I want to eat lunch in that Horse's Mouth!

On top of Stone Mountain, there are weird holes in the rock, where shrimp evolved into a unique species. 

​​It must have been lonely for those shrimp, living in mud-puddles at the top of a giant rock, but they sure had a great view every night!

De po' shrimp's ho dried up!

There’s also a unique species of pine tree that evolved up there. Can you pick it out?

The view from the top.

Mysterious Maze!

One morning we dragged ourselves out into the woods and discovered a labyrinth in the ground. It took a solid 10 minutes to walk the entire labyrinth and there was only one way in, or out.  Good thing I left a trail of popcorn, or we’d still be there today. ​​​