Camping: Justify-ed

When the opportunity presents itself, accept it.  So we did.  A fire science conference in Alabama for Jamie lured us to Auburn's Chewacla State Park.  He set up camp on Thursday evening in the densely wooded campground, just a few miles off the interstate, attended his conference in Tallassee on Friday, and had steaks on the grill when I arrived Friday evening.  Perfect!

A little research indicated great photo opps at this state park, so of course, we had to make a weekend of it! So glad we did.

A few rays of the evening sunset gave just enough light to enjoy our dinner outdoors before the mosquitos came to dine.

View of the forest from our chairs under the SolAire's awning

We awoke in the pre-dawn hour for the short hike down to the lake for the sunrise, where I captured a few images of the morning stillness.  An hour or so later, we returned to camp for coffee and breakfast, before heading to the falls trail.

Can't resist a rickety bridge over mossy water in the early morning hours 

Love the line of these volunteers and the reflection of rope on the water 

Just a tiny bit of morning pink over the lake

This funny family at the Flamingo Rescue greeted us at the entrance to our campground.

Our timing was just right!  We hiked deep down into the forest, camera & tripod in tow, to capture the  silky water flowing over the rocky dam created by the CCC under Roosevelt's direction. As we climbed our way back to the car, we met several other couples and families.  So glad we got an early start.

Following the trail to the waterfall

Large rocks along the trail

Across the creek 

Patience while the photographer fiddles with her dials and takes "just one more" a dozen more times. 

Worth the hike down and the climb back up! 

From there, we headed west; Jamie wanted to show me the quaintness of Tallassee and the lake there where he had been the previous day.  We then circled north through Wind Creek State Park on Lake Martin, scoping out future campsites, and on to Alexander City, where we found a bustling Mexican restaurant for lunch.  Appropriate for Cinco de Mayo.

A lonely blossom in the forest

A wrong turn required a u-turn, but not before capturing this roadside beauty.

Upon return to camp, we tuned in to the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby.  The favored Justify claimed the roses.

A sunset walk through the campground ended our day.

We couldn't resist a second hike to the waterfall on Sunday morning.  After all, I needed to test a couple of new filters on my camera.  We also walked down to the creek and captured this arched stone bridge.

Arched stone bridge at Chewacla State Park

Sunday morning at the waterfall

A business conference, three morning hikes and a leisurely evening walk, many miles of midday sightseeing, and some fabulous photo opportunities justified our weekend away in Alabama.

I couldn't resist these train cars resting indefinitely in Sasser:

A line of train cars rests indefinitely in Sasser, Georgia

Because sometimes, I just like the way the sun hits something

Fall Finale

Tailgating Camp-Style
The Georgia-Auburn game has become one of our fall highlights.  We look forward to this gathering of friends and family each year, alternating between the hayfields in Auburn and the campground behind Big Dog Tire in Athens.

Nighttime in the hayfields

This year was no exception. Our menfolk headed out of town on Thursday, campers in tow, to set up camp in the land of the War Eagle or the Tigers or whatever those Orange and Blue fans call themselves.  They snagged an ideal spot plenty large enough for five rigs and a roaring campfire. Buddy camping at its best.

Plenty of firewood ready to keep us warm; Game Day playing on the TV

A tent full of food at all times

Lots of food, warmth by the campfire and fun-filled team spirit occupied our time in Auburn.

Some of our group attended the game; others of us kept the campfire burning.  Afterwards, we watched the Georgia bus convoy leaving town; Coach Richt drove separately - we wondered why - the news Sunday morning answered: he flew to Washington state to recruit.  It wouldn't be but a few weeks more before we'd learn of Richt's departure from UGA.


Thanksgiving at Hannahatchee
After enjoying a scrumptious Thanksgiving Dinner at the lake with family, we headed over to Louvale to Hannahatchee for a couple nights of camping with John & Becky in their new camper.

We learned that we can survive a few days with a generator and a full water tank in place of electric and water hookups.

Boondocking at Hannahatchee with Becky & John

Thanks to the Gator at the farm, we ventured into the badlands under cover of darkness - oh, it's creepy! Remember when we visited last spring?

On Friday, our foursome toured the Infantry Museum at Fort Benning.  We were especially intrigued by a tiny exhibit on the 1983 invasion of Grenada as we have a cousin who was involved in this operation.  No Black Friday shopping for us!

New Year's at Mike's Place
We rounded out the year with a final trip to St. Joe Beach.  We arrived at the campsite to find the neighbors had celebrated the season with lots of lights.

Signs of the season lit up the neighborhood

We met our friend Mike and his companion there, endured a cool and breezy boat ride up the canal, and watched fireworks on the beach.

The sun came out for a few minutes - seemed like a good idea to put the boat in the water and take a ride.

The rain is about to start. Again.  Can you tell by the photo that it was cold?

We included the traditional New Year menu items to ensure our luck for the coming year: black eyed peas and greens with cornbread.

Always keeping warm with a campfire. Christmas lights remind us the season's not quite over.

We watched movies and television shows while it rained.  With friends around and adequate indoor space in the SolAire, we rang in the New Year just fine.

And, we marked our 50th night in the SolAire: January 1, 2016.