I’m sure traveling through South Carolina at any other time of the year would have been fine, but I think we happened to pick the hottest and most humid time of the whole year. If you missed part one of my adventures through the heart of the U.S. click here! If you’re ready for part two, let’s get right into it!
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Traveling Through South Carolina And Tennessee
It was the morning we woke up in South Carolina, that we decided to get hotel rooms for the next few days. For some reason, we had been able to avoid the humidity until this, sticky, day. So with that, we to head for Chattanooga, TN which, for some strange reason took us through Atlanta, Georgia where we were greeted with rain almost as often as we dodged infuriated drivers swerving through the lanes. Thankfully though, we made it to Chattanooga and spent our first night in a hotel room.
Chattanooga was really a pleasant surprise. Especially when we made it to Ruby Falls. A beautifully displayed underground waterfall that’s been showering the cave walls for thousands of years. It turns out too, that you can drink the water, however it would have the same effect as taking a handful of laxatives, so we decided not to try this forbidden water.
After Ruby Falls, my mom wanted to take a trip down memory lane. So, we scooted over to the incline. This little car pulls you to the top of a mountain, but not before making you feel like you’re gonna fall out of your seat in two different directions. The incline was so steep, both my dad and I thought we’d fall our of chairs but thankfully we made it to the top fully seated. My mom was really excited to see this place after having been there 30 years prior.
The Incline 
Ruby Falls
The Last Of Tennessee
On our last day in Tennessee, we stopped by the Parthenon. This building was originally a temporary replica for an international expo, but it fit so well in Nashville, that they decided to make it a permanent feature in their city. Inside they display some truly incredible works of art. Not to mention the life size replicas of ancient Greek sculptures. I honestly never thought of myself as an art fan until I made it here. It’s definitely piqued my interest into a world I’m looking forward to learning more about!
After the Parthenon, we headed to the Opry Mills mall, where I may or may not have gone a little past my budget on a Lego typewriter. Seriously though, it was practically begging to come home with me! Anyways, we made it into Memphis and drove past Elvis’s house before saying goodbye to Tennessee, and hello to Arkansas.
Traveling Through Arkansas And Straight Home
Now, I was expecting a quick ride home after this, but, thankfully, I was wrong. My mom suggested looking into some spots in Arkansas. My eyes immediately fell on the city of Hot Springs, and a small crystal mine nearby. So, having spent the night in Lonoak, Arkansas, we made our way to the Wegner Quartz Crystal Mines.
I had never mined for my own gems before, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. What I certainly didn’t expect, was to be trucked out to the middle of nowhere, and told to dig in numerous mounds of red dirt. I had a blast! It might sound like a day of torture to some, but those two hours digging and chipping away at the dirt made the list of my top five favorite things we did on this trip. Sadly though, it did have to end. So, with aching bodies and a bag full of rocks, I happily went back to the hotel room to clean my treasures as mom and dad went on the search for dinner. The next day, we wandered around the time locked city of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
First, we went into the national park with a beautiful lookout that lets you gaze over the entire city, but the real surprise was the city itself. Now, when I was told this city was based around geographic hot springs, I wasn’t expecting it to be straight out of the nineteenth century. Between the buildings and the the picturesque landscaping, this place could have been the set for a post world war drama. We then stumbled into a decommissioned bathhouse that truly looked archaic. Straps hung from the sealing over bath tubs holding boards meant to lower guests into their healing waters. Metal boxes with holes on the top were meant to be sweat boxes that helped your ailments. I’m sure it was ahead of its time when it was brand new, however, I’m glad this isn’t a common thing in my time period.
Wegner Quartz Crystal Mines 
Hot Springs Arkansas
That’s It!
After our tour of the city and the bathhouse, we made our way to Albuquerque, New Mexico. There, we shopped around a bit, and spent one final night in our little house on wheels before heading home. Ending our amazing adventure with 21 states and 6,000 miles in 13 days.
Thank you for reading this post on the Welcome To My Shoes blog! If you’re interested in reading some of my other travel adventures and my adventures through adulthood click here! I also write an online fiction series called, The Adventures Of Comet And Steve. Click here to start your addiction to my series! Again, thank you for reading this post! Do you have any suggestions for another post? What was your favorite part of this post? Let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing!