Raccoon Mt. TVA Pumped Storage

This facility with 4 turbines produces 11% of TVA power. They were currently pumping out upland reservoir to inspect pipes so lake was low. The standpipe is 32' in diameter. The ball valves feeding each turbine are 17' in diameter. The dike on the lake is 8500' long and 200-300' high. The turbines are also reversed to pump water into the upland when the river floods.

DeSoto SP Alabama

70 degrees and sunny.Today we invaded Alabama 496 years after DeSoto. Didn't find gold (neither did he) but did find some nice waterfalls including the 1st Alabama hydro plant built in 1925. Bratwurst on the grill finished a great day.

Rainy day in Georgia

We are actually about 5 mile inside Tennessee. Rained all day so took the day off. Cloud cover is at 1000' so can not see the top of Raccoon or Lookout Mountain ridges. They have a reservoir power plant 1100' inside Raccoon Mt. where they pump water for hydroelectric generation when needed. Still learning the ins and outs of RV life. We have now used the convection microwave, gas oven, range top, and outside grill. Camping is a rough life. Here is our living room.

10/26/09 Visited Fort Mountain SP Georgia. Discovered Indian and Welsh legends indicating a Welsh group settled here in the 12th century. Leaves are at a peak.

10/25/09 Visited Falls Creek State Park TN. 256' falls is tallest east of the Rockies.

Russell Cave National Monument

Oct 24,2009 Housing for the last 12,000 years. Right hole is a BIG Hocking Ash Cave. Left is a 7 mile river cavern.

Grandma and Ella collecting leaves

Sears Woods Oct 2009

Ella walked the 3/4 mile trail at Sears Woods. Picture is Ella & Grandpa being Paw Paws in the Paw Paw Patch