After last week's camping and biking tour through Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland, it was difficult to come home and face the reality of work. Fortunately, the work week was short and we got a jump start on setting up camp at Lake George for the long holiday weekend.
The SolAire's patriotic display
As is tradition, we joined family and friends for our annual Fourth of July celebration at the lake. It was convenient for us to have the SolAire so the lake house bedrooms could be assigned to others.
We celebrated our first overnight guest in the SolAire on this outing; Sara found mints on her pillow when she turned in for the night.
Funny how a deployed awning, a few lawn chairs and a grill draw a crowd.
As everyone gathered Friday evening, Tom grilled burgers and hotdogs, and David started the butt boiling in preparation for his acclaimed Brunswick stew, which we all savored on Saturday afternoon, along with the chicken Chuck grilled on his "small" cooker. The aroma wafted through the air, tantalizing our taste buds.
We had breakfast responsibility for the group - Jamie cooked bacon and our favorite breakfast burritos.
Clouds and scattered rain showers throughout the weekend kept the south Georgia temperature bearable.
Rain crossing the lake
Just about the time to board the boats for the ride toward the dam for fireworks viewing, the sky grew ominous and the wind pushed a rain storm through. Oh well, there's always next year.
Perhaps Jamie had the last laugh; since he had to return to work on Saturday afternoon to handle chief's duty for Camilla's fireworks display, he did get to see fireworks.
We traveled an alternate route home so we could use the dump station at Kolomoki; federal campgrounds like nearby Cotton Hill forbid non-resident dumping and Bagby State Park doesn't have a campground.
Sweeping the pine straw off the roof
Our friends are catching the camping fever; we pit-stopped to help David & Marie hitch up to their new purchase.
David & Marie caught the camping fever and lucked out with this deal.
Can't wait to circle the campers with our growing group of camping buddies.
A few weekends without a campsite had us itching to hitch up and go. We had planned a visit to an historic site, but at the last minute - last minute as in, pulling out of the driveway - decided to make it a lakeside weekend, instead.
So we headed to Fort Gaines, GA, to the Corps of Engineer's Cotton Hill Campground. Fortunately, we got away earlier on this Friday and pulled into the campground at just the right time. The gatekeeper assigned us a perfectly peaceful site at the far end of the beach overlooking Lake Walter F. George.
The view of Lake Walter F. George from site #73 Cotton Hill Campground, Fort Gaines, GA
Camping close to home has its advantages. Sara and her friends, as well as Jamie's parents, shared some lake time with us; they lodged around the cove at my brother's lake house.
Campsite set up; having plenty of extra chairs makes having visitors easy.
We loaded the bikes onto the truck and drove over to the Lodge at George T. Bagby State Park where the newly paved bicycle trailhead is located. From there, we cycled through the forest, along the highway, and across the Georgia side of the dam, logging about ten miles.
Ever the good citizen, Jamie cleared a fallen limb from the bike path.
We can never see too many sunsets. So here's another one, with a golden glow gleaming across the lake.
Can you believe my camera phone captured these rich colors? No editing!
An added bonus, we were invited to campground church, so Sunday morning we biked over to the pavilion in the marina view section of the campground and joined a small group for worship. Two brothers have hosted the quaint service for the past twenty years. We met some "regulars" and swapped stories of travel plans.
