S-T-O-N-E. M-O-U-N-T-A-I-N. (*cues plp crank that roosevelt intro for those that know, lol*) This is home. This is the place that raised me, and the mountain that I have climbed numerous times. I was surprised to discover that this was on the list of Georgia’s 7 natural wonders and located literally 5 minutes from my house. You do not think of the things that are always familiar to you as special. Here I was with one of the natural wonders in my backyard, literally 5 minutes from my house, and I only just now realized that it was one.
For this adventure, I called up my friends to meet me at my house and ride to the park for a nice Saturday morning climb. The mountain is a giant granite rock. Some of the climbing area is shaded by trees, but a lot of it is open to the sun. Climbing during the early mornings is better in the summer time because we are in the South, and the heat is scorching by mid-day.
If you are really from here, you know that you can just park behind the SunTrust bank lot in downtown Stone Mountain and walk through the back gate into the park for free. ( If you’re not from here and want to go to the park, consider yourself put on to some free game). We pulled up to the parking lot, took a nice stroll through the neighborhood leading up to the park, then entered at the base. We did our quick stretches then began our trek up the mountain as we have done so many times before. One of my favorite things about Stone Mountain is all the different people that you will see as you climb. I have seen people walking up shirtless playing the guitar, a firefighter in full gear completing his training by walking up the mountain, kids on field trips, tourists from all over the world, people working out, and everything in between. The first half of the climb is the easiest (and shadiest) portion.
As we walked up, with my friend playing music from his speaker in front of me, I just took in a moment of gratefulness. It is easy to take familiar things for granted but watching my friends who I have known since high school walk ahead of me, I felt appreciative of the genuine relationships in my life and the people that I know will always be there.
We soon got to the halfway point, which is a covering with some tables and benches where you can rest and catch your breath. My great friends have been on fitness journeys of their own and decided to use this time to do a quick workout session. I was a supportive cheerleader and a professional amper for them. (Every friend has their role. Know your part and play it well). Once we were good to keep going, the hardest part was ahead of us. The second half contains this steep incline with a rail for you to hang onto as you walk up or down it, after which is still another portion of the mountain to climb. I have slipped many times going up and down this section, sometimes walking away with scratches or bruises. As I faced this part again, I gave myself a quick pep talk before heading up the incline. It is definitely my least favorite although it is a great work out. (S/o to those who run up this part without hanging onto the rail! One day, I will be at their level.) Once we got up the incline with me still being fully in tact, I had to take another rest because it had been a while since I had been out about; and I was out of shape!
After another 5-minute breather for me, we kept going to the next incline that would bring us to the top of the mountain. This part seems like a forever long journey. You can see the peak, but it feels so far away. One summer, I came to the mountain almost everyday for about 3 weeks and was beasting it up and down in no time. However, that was a different time, and this day found me taking deep breaths every few steps by this point. However, the moment that we made it over the peak to the top, I took a deep breath of relief. This is always my favorite part. It is like you come upon a whole new world. People are hanging out, working out, taking pictures, walking around, eating snacks, and just doing all kinds of things. I made a bee-line towards the snack building that is located at the top to get some water. (There is also a skyline that you can ride up and down which docks here.) After I was rehydrated, we went back outside and just hung out on the top of the mountain for a while.
One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is to climb Stone Mountain then just hang out at the top with friends. The view is beautiful! You can see downtown Atlanta all the way to Kennesaw Mountain, which is about 60 miles away. I love spending quality time with people in general and sitting up there in the fresh air with all the energy of the other visitors working out and enjoying themselves puts me into such a good mood. It had been awhile since I had been here. As I sat at the top, I observed all the visitors and tried to think back to my very first time on the mountain as a child. My mom used to bring my brother and I when we were little, so that was hard to do. However, I appreciated the wonder that I saw in the eyes of the tourists for a place that was so familiar and special to me. I was grateful to have this mountain as the backdrop for so many found memories in my life and to be able to share it with others.
What are some places or things that are familiar and special to you?
When is the last time that you stopped to appreciate these things?
When is the last time that you thought to share these special things/places with someone?
Read more about my challenge to see Georgia’s 7 Natural Wonders: