SEVEN SPRINGS LODGE

Sept. 6 – 9
Seven Springs Lodge is a very romantic name for this barren campground located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Tuscumbia, Alabama. There really isn’t a lodge (it’s the owner’s home) and there is not a tree in the campground! The stalls are 8x8 (very small) but our horses were lucky! There was only one other couple camping, so the horses could use the paddock next to the stalls – whew! Although the campground is not the most picturesque, the trails were hilly, scenic, rocky, interesting and challenging (Seven Springs Lodge’s redeeming amenity). The first day we took the trails to a bald that offered a 360 degree view of mountain ridges. It was beautiful. The second day, we rode the other side of the mountain that had two Indian shelters to explore and the rock was spectacular! Riding along the rock walls was a new experience and we had a great time. We decided with all the rock and much more of it to come, we should have shoes put on the back hoofs of each horse. I had them shod, fronts only, before we left Naples, but all-fours are a must in these mountains. So, with my fingers crossed and a few prayers, the owner of Seven Springs arranged for the local farrier to come to the campground and shoe them. He was actually pretty good and nice guy. This was a first time experience for Guinness, and he did rather well. Much to my chagrin, Walmart Supercenters are now an oasis. I have learned that when on the road in these very small and remote towns, a Walmart Supercenter is a real find. Pete is gloating about the fact that I have finally been converted! Ugh! Another, not such a great thing to brag about is my craving for a pizza; I had to resort to a “Hot Stuff” pizza from the corner Shell Oil station! And, I loved every bite of it!!! Pete thought if we had not died by midnight, we were going to be okay. – The Girls

I learned that you’ve got to have a team (football, of course) to be able to talk to other men in Alabama. You don’t necessarily have to root for Auburn or ‘Bama, but you’ve got to have A team. Luckily. I remembered that my Alma Mater Wake Forest had a legendary season last year so I redeemed myself slightly or I’d of had to resort to a chorus of “Free Bird”. The grocery stores in the rural South are amazing. They’ll have less in them than a small 7-11, and none of it looks particularly edible. At one stop, Kim suggested that they might not have rice milk, which I like in my coffee. I looked around quickly to make sure no one heard, and I admonished her and said “We don’t want any trouble here”. Don’t even ask Kim about the time, she asked for “polenta”. We’ve got the whole trailer set-up and breakdown going well and the best part of packing up is you never really unpack, so it’s almost impossible to leave anything. Just look in your rearview mirror when you’re pulling out and if there’s nothing there, you’re good to go! Later, Pete

Saddled up and ready to go


A beautiful view from a bald along the trail