I’m going to be late! Today of all days.
Margaret the makeup lady had gotten lost on the way to the house and then applied my makeup with an achingly slow hand. When she finished, I checked to make sure my face was on straight, grabbed my dress, overnight bag, and keys, and flew out the door right behind her.
Turning onto the highway, I called one of my closest friends, Donna, who had just moved away to Texas. “Hi?” Donna answered, surprised to hear from me.
“Hi,” I said, breathlessly. “So…I’m on my way to my wedding.”
She laughed. “I thought so. Are you all right?”
“Yes, but I’m late! I’m going to be late!” She could hear the panic in my voice and talked me through it, with some soothing words and a prayer.
After driving assertively (ahem), I pulled into the parking lot of the venue downtown. I took just enough time for some deep breaths before running inside to join my little girl, my family, and my groom.
Despite a rocky start, our wedding day unfolded into a day of beauty, joy, and gratitude.
It seems like just yesterday, but it was twenty years ago.
Last winter, Mart and I talked about ways to celebrate our big anniversary this year. But how? Between various projects, a family wedding, a retreat that I was co-planning and speaking at, plus Tartan Week travel to DC and NY, the month of March was already bursting at the seams.
Still, we wanted to mark the occasion in a special way.
I’d recently come across a Facebook ad about The McLemore, a resort in the North Georgia Mountains on Lookout Mountain near Cloudland Canyon. With all the traveling we’ve done in our marriage, we haven’t yet visited some treasures in our own back yard. So Mart made a reservation at the McLemore. (And I was pleased that we got a good deal because it was off-season.)
sunrise at the McLemore
Only about a year old, the resort itself is absolutely gorgeous, the people friendly, and the food top-notch. Plus, the view of the area is stunning.
the view from the back of the McLemore
The next morning, we ate a hearty breakfast and headed to Cloudland Canyon, only about five miles away. Though the air was cool, the sun would warm it up soon.
I spy a waterfall (to the left of the yellow rock)
At almost 3500 acres, the park is “one of the largest and most scenic parks in the state.” Its beauties include “thousand-foot deep canyons, sandstone cliffs, wild caves, waterfalls, cascading creeks, dense woodland and abundant wildlife.”
You can enjoy activities like hiking (over 60 miles of trails), biking (over 30 miles of trails), disc golf, geocaching, fishing, horseback riding, and of course camping.
Mart and I walked the easy loop trail and did a short hike down one of the trails to the creek. It was noonish by then and we were hot and hungry so we started back. Mart surprised me by pulling out his phone and playing the music we used for the processional at the wedding. (Click here to hear Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations: Nimrod).
That music always makes me sigh. It takes me back to that moment of walking down the aisle with my dad, passing family and friends, stopping to kiss the cheeks of my mother and my daughter, and joining Mart and the pastor on the stage.
The empty trail and dappled sunlight made for a beautiful moment.
Cloudland Canyon park doesn’t have dining facilities and it’s also located in the middle of nowhere so visitors should plan to take their own food. However, we opted to check out the recommendation of a resort staff member. She told us we could find the best hamburgers for miles around at a gas station called “The Canyon Quick Stop.”
When we drove up to the little building, we weren’t sure we were in the right place until we went inside and saw the small dining area. We ordered burgers all-the-way and tater tots and sat at a table surrounded by beverage coolers and electronic slot machines.
I thought back to the wedding. “Who’d have thought 20 years ago we’d be here today eating hamburgers in a gas station?”
We laughed and ate every bite. But I did give Mart my last tater tot to show just how much I love him.
Whether it’s experiencing the beauty around us, walking our dog, watching a movie, or sitting on our front porch, there’s no one I’d rather be with than Mart Martin.
Are you receiving my blog posts by email? Here at Glimsen, I share glimpses of the beauty around us in nature, the arts, and the unexpected. If you would like to see more, click here to sign up to receive my posts and updates by email, and you'll also get a free printable gift of beauty (below) in your inbox. I look forward to connecting with you!