Burgess and Cummins Falls in Tennessee
Two of the most beautiful waterfalls in Tennessee.
In July of 2015, I went on what I termed a waterfalls hunting trip. The idea was to visit and shoot as many waterfalls as possible. I lived in Texas at the time, and there aren’t very many waterfalls in Texas. A Google search revealed that waterfalls were abundant in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. I planned a two-week trip to eastern Tennessee and northwest Georgia.
I have a friend who lives in the mountains of Georgia, about 30 minutes from Chattanooga, TN. I also wanted to connect with a couple of online nomadic friends who were camping in that area. But the main objective of the trip was to shoot waterfalls, hence the waterfalls hunting trip.
All in all, I visited 18 falls in three weeks. I know I said I had planned a two-week trip, but that is one of the advantages of the Freedom Lifestyle. You can extend your trips without worries.
I am a balloon twister, which means I can find work twisting balloons just about anywhere in the United States. When I arrived in Chattanooga, I did a quick Google search for restaurants and Wal-Mart.
I lived in a Mobile Domicile, which is to say, I had a Kia Sedona van that was converted into a livable environment. I took out the back seats and built a wooden platform. A foam mattress on top made a good bed while several tubs underneath provided held my minimalistic belongings. Most Wal-Marts will allow you to park overnight if you’re traveling. So finding one that did was the first order of business.
Then, I searched for restaurants that are a good fit for twisting balloon work. I found an IHOP and a Texas Roadhouse in the vicinity of the Wal-Mart I had chosen. IHOPs are excellent for weekend mornings, while Texas Roadhouse can provide exceptional work in the evenings.
The IHOP was very accommodating and provided an immediate opportunity, while the Texas Roadhouse wanted me to commit to a long-term agreement. Fortunately, the IHOP was profitable enough for me to be able to travel Monday through Friday and do my photography.
Of the 18 waterfalls, two were in Northeast Alabama, not too far from Chattanooga, and two were in Oklahoma, where I stopped on my way back to Houston. The other 14 were within a couple of hundred miles of Chattanooga.
If you like waterfalls, I would highly recommend you to visit the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee and the Carolinas. I intend to, God-willing, visit the North and South Carolina next summer, after finishing my Toastmasters Commitment at the end of June 2020.
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