Spring Break Getaway to Crooked River

Our early departure plans for this Wednesday morning were slightly delayed by a fire call; unattended food on a hot stove will start a house fire, and a house without working smoke detectors is asking for disaster. Make sure you have smoke detectors with fresh batteries, and turn off the stove before you leave the kitchen.  This PSA brought to you by the chief & his sidekick.

After a quick shower to wash away the smoky odor we absorbed on the scene, we headed for the Georgia coast. Fortunately, we had spent the previous weekend spring cleaning the SolAire, purging the unneeded collection of various doo-dads, replacing out-of-date items, replenishing our food supply, and updating our wardrobe.  An outside scrubbing left her shining and ready for a spring break jaunt.

We arrived at Crooked River State Park near St. Mary's, Georgia, just before 3:00 PM, checked in at the office, and pulled our rig to the campground to discover a nearly perfect site.  Nearly - because our view of the water was obstructed.  Perfect - because the site was level.  Not a single leveling block needed.  Easy setup!

Crooked River State Park, St. Mary's, Georgia

Wouldn't it be courteous if every camper would remove his site tag upon departing the campground? The perfect campsite, the one with a gorgeous water view, was empty, but tagged.  Our gut told us they had left the camp a day early, but our southern manners wouldn't allow us to replace their tag with ours and take the site.

The campground is spacious, with easy back-in sites and some pull-thru spaces, plenty of room to maneuver big rigs without fear of taking out a pine tree or a site post.  Even so, the neighbors placed bets on Jamie's ability to back into the site with me directing (yes, they admitted this later).  Our radios come in handy at times like these - no shouting back & forth for the neighbors to hear.

The park sits atop a cliff - a sand hill is more like it - in a sharp bend of the river.  Fencing with warning signage prevents you from stepping too close to the edge and potentially dislodging a hunk of earth and landing in the swift current.

We explored the park by truck and by bicycle: a marina with bait shop and boat dock hosted pelicans and seagulls and a few afternoon fishermen; several group shelters, including one lovely enough for a wedding venue; mini-golf for those so-inclined; cabins; a nature center where schoolchildren on a field trip oohed & ahhed over petting a snake - I quickly departed the building; several trails through the palmetto forest; and a path down to the river's edge where we found a couple of grandfathers and their grandsons had filled a cooler with a day's catch.

Our hybrids took a beating, and so did we, when we went off-road onto the trails, first bumping along the boardwalk, then over tree roots and finally onto the sandy floor of the forest.  Thanks to a layer of pine straw, we managed to pedal through the sand.

We climbed up the stairs to a bird viewing stand to gain a bird's-eye view of the forest, only to find we were viewing a solar farm on the grounds of the Kings Bay Naval base.

We found better bird-watching at our campsite.  A pair of cardinals visited each morning, and another soon-to-be mother tried to build a nest next to our outdoor fridge.  She selected the softest of materials and was persistent in her attempts to start her nest in our camper until we finally closed the door, shutting her out entirely.  I wonder where she found to start anew.

A squirrel and his buddies enjoyed Jamie's can of Planters peanuts.  That plastic blue lid was no barrier. He chewed his way into the goodies.  We didn't intentionally feed the wildlife; they are thieves, scampering about, up and down the pines, climbing onto our tables and chairs, not afraid of humans.

Our sightseeing trip into the city of St. Mary's quickly turned into a trip to Fernandina Beach. St. Mary's was sleepy, with just a few businesses open downtown.  We had visited here one evening on a previous trip to find the park bustling with activity, but on this midday trip we found little to hold our interest.

In Fernandina, we visited the historic district, browsed in a few shops, and found a local spot for dinner, The Crab Trap.  Food was good!

What a small world - we failed to recognize until we had returned home - that some college friends of ours were in Fernandina with their son playing baseball at the same time!  Missed opportunity to reconnect.  We'll plan better next time.

Jamie had high hopes of kayaking and fishing along the river and in the marsh, but the wind was too brisk and the air a bit cool to venture out on the kayak this trip.

We'll definitely revisit Crooked River State Park, but only when we know we can arrive early. This park stays full, so late arrival will yield few, if any, choices of sites.  It's a quick trip from the Jacksonville area; those Florida tags were all over this campground.

Mountain View So Close to Home

F.D. Roosevelt State Park sits high atop a ridge in Pine Mountain, Georgia.  Driving up Highway 190 into the park, dormant trees allowed me to see off into the distance in both directions. The views are incredible!

I arrived to find that Jamie had already set up camp for us and had the campfire burning.  He really must be an expert trailer backer; the Minnesota neighbors complimented him on backing into the site on the first try; apparently, they'd had some good laughs in recent days at the expense of some less-apt backers who gave up trying to situate their rig in that site.  Good for us!  Jamie claimed the site with ease, and I wasn't even there to assist.

The temperature dropped significantly during the night; we woke up to a reading of 29 degrees. I'm appreciative of the electric fireplace in the SolAire; it sure does come in handy occasionally. Fortunately, the sun came out and it warmed up outside so we could enjoy the day.

We took in a short hike at Dowdell's Knob, the overlook where President Roosevelt often picnicked. We traversed the rocky, root-covered path to a memorial for a 1950's era plane crash. The season is perfect for a hike; no jacket needed and no perspiration, either; and with the leaves gone, we could see through the trees for miles.

We explored the region: first, Manchester. Of course, we checked out the trains!  Then we drove into Pine Mountain, found a barbecue shack and a few gift shops to browse, before heading over to West Point, taking a look at West Point Lake and circling the Kia manufacturing plant, just to see what's there.

We returned to camp in time for an afternoon siesta, and then completely skipped dinner; we were engrossed in playing Rummikub with the Minnesotans.  A little logic workout for the weekend.

A really nice park!  We'll return here.

Stargazing in the Swamp

These unseasonably warm February days are teasing us.  Spr-inter, spring before winter, has given rise to camping fever, so off we went on our first weekend jaunt of 2017.

Stephen Foster State Park, 18 miles east of Fargo, Georgia, in the heart of the Okefenokee Swamp became our weekend destination. 

 A morning guided tour boat ride through the swamp gave us up-close views of native wildlife – gators galore, cormorants & egrets, and turtles, along with lots of lily pads nearing bloom in this blacker-than-black water.

Gator Nursery

Turtle

 We hiked along a boardwalk that dead ends where the 2011 fire ravaged the swamp and claimed a portion of the walk.  Downed trees and plant life rot, adding to the peat floor.

We were amazed by the exquisite display of astronomical awe after dark.  In this designated “dark sky park”, minimal light pollution gives way to incredible views of the night sky.  Enthusiasts with high powered telescopes invited campers to gaze through lenses, bringing the heavens into focus:  Venus, in its crescent phase; the green glow of Orion’s nebulous visible through magnification.   The sheer number of stars visible with the naked eye and with binoculars was amazing, and so worth the trip to this southeastern wonder of Georgia.

And our bicycles made a comeback!  A spin was long past due.  Perfect weather. 

Jamie grilled dinner both evenings on the Campmaid.  What a neat contraption to create a mini-grill! Charcoal makes dinner tastier.

Sunday morning coffee was made more enjoyable by the presence of two deer, hanging out in the campground.  

Covered Bridge & Autumn Colors

Watson Mill Bridge State Park

A quick getaway to Watson Mill Bridge State Park, east of Athens, just before Thanksgiving yielded crisp autumn air and a gorgeous display of orange, red and yellow leaves, and a pleasant afternoon visit with one of Jamie’s former State Trooper co-workers.

A flowing waterfall

 The preserved covered bridge is the highlight of this tiny state park.  A park so tiny, and so tight, that making the hairpin turn on the campground driveway required precision with our 35’ trailer; otherwise, we’d have taken a tree trunk with us, or worse, left a side of the camper at the campground.  Just a word of warning:  if you’ve got a long rig, enter this campground during daylight.

A genuinely photogenic weekend . . . historic covered bridge, flowing water, autumn leaves.  A wonderful way to begin Thanksgiving break and to bring our 2016 camping adventures to an end.

Food + Fellowship = Fun

Friends, family and a grill - a quick and easy camping outing.  Just a mile or so from the house, we set up a campsite where soybeans are juxtaposed to pecans.

John & Becky, and Jerry & Angie joined us with their campers.  Little did we know, we would be in for some booming surprises.

Three campers set up

Just after we had gotten the electrical cords situated and put the potatoes in the Dutch Oven to bake, something exploded.  Was it the potatoes?  Jerry checked.  Was it a breaker?  John checked.  We ladies sniffed around, seeking the source.  A battery.  Yikes!

John & Becky headed into town to get a replacement. Then, noises.  Did that battery explode again? Nope.  Truck trouble!  What a way to start a Saturday afternoon camping trip!

But all's well that ends well.  The battery got replaced and the truck got repaired, and the camping continued.

The warm afternoon sun and light breeze created flawless Fall weather.  The gentlemen grilled some Coca-Cola chicken on the Weber and baked potatoes in the Dutch Oven.

Those birds will be delicious in a little while.

The temperature dipped after nightfall, so we gathered close to the campfire, grateful for the warmth on this first cold experience of the season.  The clear night sky allowed for some stargazing.

Sunset

We toasted the arrival of Fall with marshmallows, graham crackers and Hershey bars.

Camping close to home has its benefits.  The pianist among us made it to church on time to fulfill her responsibilities.  Gipper, Huck and Sara came for breakfast.

Jamie & I lingered late into the afternoon enjoying the outdoors, wishing we could have this kind of weather year-round.

Autumn at Hannahatchee

At the end of a dark, dusty, two mile trail, our headlights illuminated the locked gate.  Jamie retrieved the hidden key, located exactly where the caretaker told us it would be.

We continued along the half mile drive, moonlight making us aware that much of the treescape had changed from our previous visit here.

The time was just after 11:00 PM as we arrived at our weekend campsite.  Deserted. Alone in the wilderness. Far from civilization. So it seems.

Hannahatchee is our ideal, last minute getaway spot after a Blazer football game against Stewart County. No reservations needed. No neighbors to disturb.

Friday night sunset from the football field

A couple extra hours of sleep - no Saturday agenda to rush us.  I awoke to find he had set up our campsite with table and chairs, brewed the Maxwell House Original Roast, and started breakfast. I am blessed.

We set out after breakfast to explore: a walk around the square in Lumpkin, a desolate ride to Eufala for BBQ at Phil's, a brewery tour & tasting in Omaha, and gator rides across the rugged terrain of this Georgia gem.

In the woods at Hannahatchee

A view of the distance at Hannahatchee

This fella never cared that we were in his space.

Rugged terrain with some logging roads and comfortable autumn temperatures made for an adventurous afternoon

The tasting room at Omaha Brewing Company

Spent leaves in shades of gold and rust fluttered like Monarchs falling to the forest floor ahead of us.  This, along with the low humidity and light breeze, sang "autumn is here" at last. Music to our soul.

Speaking of butterflies, they were plentiful, but flittering hither and yon, they eluded my camera lens.

While our steaks grilled on the Weber, we marveled at the yellow, orange, and pink hues of this October sunset from what appears to be the highest elevation in this area.

The Weber and Kingsford in a bucket - prepping for a steak dinner

I love the colors of a sunset.

A weekend in the SolAire is always a welcome respite from the hustle of our weekday responsibilities.

Until next time . . .