I’ve been a bit lazy with posting lately, but we’re on the road with many distractions. Nevertheless, I wanted to catch our readers up on where we are and what’s happened over the last few weeks. Our current road trip began on a three-day outing with a group from our church. In October of every year, we join this group for our annual camping trip in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area on the Cumberland Plateau near Oneida, Tennessee.
Being the oldest by far, Helen and I are the tribal elders for the event. We wouldn’t miss this gathering. It is a great way to meet the young people in our congregation and their beautiful children, and Big South Fork offers splendid scenery in the fall. I’ve posted some pictures below–I took a few, and several were sent to me by Robin and Allison with permission to share them with Easin’ Along Readers. I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed the weekend.
After a Saturday hike, we had a sing-along around the campfire that included a message from Pastor Ben. When the evening activities concluded, Helen and I invited everyone to our campsite to watch the Tennessee Volunteers football game. We attracted a good crowd of Vol fans…and Tennessee won.
On Sunday, Ben led us in an inspiring service in the campground, and then, it was time to say goodbye. We shared hugs with our very good friends, the Blackwells, before packing up and leaving for Edisto Beach, SC.
We departed Big South Fork and drove to Charleston, SC, to spend a few days with our son and his family, then moved on to Edisto Beach for two weeks of camping on the beach. Please join us in the next post for details. Thanks for stopping by, we’re Easin’ Along.
Your adventures are so uplifting!
Don’t you love being the oldest!!
Well…I wouldn’t mind having some of the energy in those children, but that ship has sailed. Thanks for checking in. Love ya’!
Hi Joe, thanks for sharing what you guys have been up to. Beautiful sights, beautiful people, good times. Looks like good weather along the way as well. Take care and enjoy your travels.
Good morning, Suzanne,
The church campout is one of the highlights of every year, and this year we were blessed with perfect weather. Thanks for joining us–loved your blogging post. Joe
Hi, Joe – I absolutely love following your adventures. Your church campout looks fabulous. Being the oldest does come with many advantages! <3
Good morning, Donna,
The church campout is always a highlight and being around all of the young people is so much fun. We always leave the campground with great memories and new, young friends. Great hearing from you. Have a fun-filled weekend! Joe
Joe, it’s heartwarming to see kids involved in both church and camping activities. Even better is seeing you and Helen living life to its fullest. We didn’t cruise through town on our way home a couple of weeks ago, but I have a feeling you wouldn’t have been there anyway!
Hi, Mary,
Well, darn…sorry we missed the opportunity, but we probably were away from town. The next time you are in the area, I would encourage you and Alan to check out Big South Fork, especially in the fall. We had perfect weather and near-perfect leaf color. Watching the kids play from sunup to sundown is always a treat as well. Have a great weekend, and please stay in touch. Joe
Hi Joe, Thank you for sharing what you’ve been up to. Such stunning Fall beauty in the photo at the top of your post. Your church group outing looks like great fun. Enjoy your travels.
Good morning, Natalie,
The church camping trip is always a highlight of our year, and it’s so much fun to be around the children. The beautiful weather made it even better this year. Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a great weekend. Joe