CategoryRoad Trip

All Aboard with Amtrak

 

All Aboard Train Ride Small Town USA with Amtrak

In a last minute decision I decided to take an Amtrak train from my parents house in Joliet, IL to St. Louis. I had already planned on going to St. Louis this weekend for the Chicago Blackhawks game on Saturday night and the Chicago Bears game on Sunday. One of my best friends lives in St. Louis so I decided to take the train down a day early so I could hang out with her. I can’t remember the last time I was on a train like this. I have to say that I am actually impressed. My ticket was only $27.00 for an unreserved Coach seat.

All Aboard Train Ride Small Town USA Free WIFI with Amtrak

They have free WIFI while on-board and also power outlets in every seat. These are things that I would like to have when I fly somewhere and usually you are paying for the WIFI and the power outlets are only in First Class. All of the seats are large and plush, what you could typically once again find in First Class on an airplane. The Café Car is also a very convenient option since I will be on here for about 4.5 hours. If you look up the travel time it’s about the same time and I am able to relax, write a blog, read a book and have a Bloody Mary …. Shhhhh don’t tell anyone it was before 12!

All Aboard Train Selfie with Amtrak

As I watch the small farm towns pass by I just want to drift off into a nice relaxing sleep until we make it to our destination. This experience will be even better once they have a whole fleet of high speed trains and the commute will be even shorter than driving.

Mystic Falls

The Vampire Diaries - Mystic Grill - Fall Leaves - Mystic Falls - Covington, GA - Atlanta

I have been a fan of The Vampire Diaries since the beginning of the series.  Mystic Falls, / Covington Georgia  has been on my list to visit for quite some time!

I stopped by the town once before on a road trip and thought it was delightful.  I knew I needed to spend more time there so when I decided to move from Key West to Chicago with a route that took me past Atlanta it was a no brainer.  Covington, Georgia was where I needed to make my first stop.

After driving all day I checked into my hotel, got a good nights sleep and woke up bright and early ready to explore. Before going to the town square I went to the local Waffle House to grab a quick bite to eat. To my surprise this really is a wonderful small town. Almost everyone who walked in was greeted by name. If I were looking for a quaint small town to visit or spend the rest of my life in this could be it. They have the best of both worlds. Small and friendly and close to Atlanta for any big city needs.

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To my surprise as I drove into the town square I started to see a lot of film equipment and signs saying that they were filming in the area today.  BONUS!  YEA!   I asked the first person I saw and they confirmed that they were in fact filming scenes for The Vampire Diaries, Season 7!

The Vampire Diaries - Mystic Grill - Fall Leaves - Mystic Falls - Covington, GA - Atlanta .jpg

I had already signed up to take the Vampire Stalkers tour around town to various filming locations. We met at the local visitors center and got some info and instructions for our tour. I wish they would have told me that’s where we were meeting for the tour. I didn’t know this when I was trying to park my car.  Had I known I would not have spent so much time with the early morning parking. I understand they have some limitations when it comes to crowd size but I wish they had a bigger van – bus so that more people could travel together. It would cut down on travel time and also give the people on the tour more face time with the guide. With that said Angie was wonderful and was always asking if we had any other questions. The tour was $55 and lasted a little over 3 hours. If you want more information about the tour please visit their website here. www.mysticfallstours.com

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One of the coolest things was that we were able to visit the Lockwood Mansion which is a privately owned property and this tour is the only one that has access. The grounds and house are one of a kind. The owner was there and happy to answer any questions we had about the property. The house was built back in the 1840’s and still has that old world charm.

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Along with the old world charm they have a wonderful property. The owners bought the property at 1.5 acres and now have over 5 acres. The small old stable house overlooking the backyard was my favorite place.

03 - Fall Leaves - Mystic Falls - Covington, GA - Atlanta - Lockwood Mansion

The visitors center is a great place to stop even without the tour. Did you know that the Dukes of Hazzard and Sweet Home Alabama were also filmed in Covington and the surrounding Newton County. It was very interesting to see how this city promotes the use of the town and the surrounding areas for filming.

My Idaho Adventure – On the water

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While on my Idaho adventure I spent a lot of time in the water. I think the most fun was floating down the river with a beer in my hand. We found this cute little natural beach a few miles up the river and spent quite a bit of time there. This is also where I spotted the bald eagle nest across the water. I couldn’t wait to get back to the house and pick up my longer telephoto lens. The photos are amazing!

05 Bald Eagle Clark Fork Idaho

But going back to the water … I loved this little spot that we found.

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Scott and I did have a little fun while we were there. I was happy to see that I could get a photo of him smiling. Might be the only good ones I have! He doesn’t know how to smile for a photo!

Me and Scott Scott Smile Idaho Trip 2015