Mistletoe State Park

May 13th – 21st

Friday 13th
It was 71 degrees at Vogel State Park when we packed the trailer and reloaded the truck. (This time it took us about an hour instead of a day and half). We went to the dump station to empty our two gray and one black tank before hitting the road to our next destination. One gray tank is used for the kitchen sink and the other gray tank is used for the bathroom sink and shower. The blank tank is our sewage waste. By 10:00 am we headed southeast to Mistletoe State Park in Appling, Georgia. You may be wondering why south where it is hotter and not north where it is cooler. Well, my niece, Savannah Eckstrom, is graduating from high school in Stuart, Florida and they are having a graduation party with family and friends. We wanted to be there and celebrate with them and  break up the trip to make it easier on our cat and explore a variety of state parks. We made four stops due to Ed’s navigation checks, bathroom and lunch breaks, and a spare tire issue. The trailer spare tire mount is on the rear bumper in a vertical position. The top bolt backed out and the mount fell to a horizontal position. Tracey saw it after we crossed a bumpy bridge and called to tell me what she saw. A few miles down the road I found a place to pull over and check it out. I ended up removing the lower bolt on the mount and put the spare tire in Tracey’s Escape. Before I did that we discovered a bird nest in the wheel under the tire cover. It was probable the Carolina Wren’s nest that was hanging around the rear of our trailer when we were at Barton Springs Campground in Normandy. Poor momma wren, the nest had four eggs in it.

We arrived at the park by 2:30pm. It is about 2 miles to the campground from the entrance of the park.

We used the Friends of Georgia State Parks pass for the park pass and then got 20% off per night by being a senior. We stayed for nine nights. The sites are gravel and 40 feet plus. They do have some pull through sites that are even bigger. We took our time driving around the park to find the site we wanted. We chose a back in site #80 because I wanted the view of the lake from the back of trailer window and no close neighbors. The temperature was 87 when we arrived at the park but it had a nice cool breeze from the lake. To me, it felt like 75 with the breeze.

Site #80

We set-up, cooked dinner and watched the sunset over the lake.

 Mistletoe State Park is located on a branch of the 72,000-acre Clarks Hill Lake near Augusta. The campground is situated on a peninsula in the lake and can view both sunrises and sunsets over the open water. According to the park brochure this lake is considered one of the finest bass fishing spots in the nation. The park has hiking trails, a beach, playgrounds and picnic tables. They offer rentals for canoes and cabins. They have 92 campsites with water and electric hook-ups and three bath houses with laundry facilities. There is a site usage fee of $5 per car to enter the park. The RV and trailer sites are $32 a night and tents are $27 a night. Walk-in tents sites are $15 a night. Senior Citizens 62 or older receive 20% off their campsite cost. Friends of Georgia State Parks members receive 10% off campsite cost.
Saturday
From the state park it takes about 25 minutes to get into Evans to buy groceries at Publix and 45 minutes to get to the North side of Augusta to malls and restaurants. We stopped at Gander Mountain to look at folding recliner chairs. No luck there. We shopped at Ed’s favorite store The Apple Store!

Yep, we did it. We bought a new Macbook Pro laptop to replace Ed’s 10 year old Macbook. We love it so far. Our next stop was at a C.S.R.A. Camperland, Inc in Martinez, Georgia. We looked at used RVs and new Jayco Pinnacle fifth wheels. They are beautiful rigs but to long of a rig for us. We would like to stay in the 36 to 39 feet range. So we are still looking for the right rig for us.

When we came back from our trip into town and were welcomed by some unwanted guests at our site, ANTS! Believe it or not they came into the trailer using the power cord that is plugged into the rear of our trailer. There was a trail of ants around our trash can and living room area. Ed sprayed all over the back of our trailer, power cord, and stabilizer jacks and inside the trailer. We had to put Jessica in our bedroom to keep her away from the spray. Good thing the ants were not in there. So the lesson here is to spray for ants when you first arrived in a campsite especially in Georgia. 🙂

Sunday
The temperature was sunny 71 when we began our morning hike on Cliatt Creek Nature Trail Loop in the Mistletoe State Park. The trail was not marked very well but we hiked about 3½ miles of the loop.

We saw a hawk, gnatcatcher, chickadee and titmouse on the trail. Sorry guys no picture. I didn’t bring my Cannon Camera on this hike and my iPhone doesn’t take long distance pictures very well.

Does anyone know what this flower is called?

It warmed up to 79 degrees and sunny. I rested and played on my iPad and Ed played on his new laptop for the rest of the afternoon. At dinnertime, Ed saw a gray fox trotting down the road by our site. It was a cool and funny sight to see an animal running on the road instead of in the woods.

Tuesday
It rained most of the day with the temperature around 73. I typed up my blog and cleaned the trailer. Ed relocated the trailer again by placing one block instead two blocks under the tires. I seem to be a little sensitive to the leveling issue with our trailer. It is not perfect but it is closer to level. lol

We went out to dinner at Rhinehart’s Oyster Bar with Ed’s batfish buddy Chirs Johnson and his wife Frances. The restaurant is very well known for its seafood and celebrities, especially around spring during the Masters golf tournament. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was very laidback and relaxed. Rhinehart’s motto is “beyond casual.” It was nice catching up with them and having some great laughs.

Chris and Frances Johnson with Ed and I at Rhinehart’s Oyster Bar

Wednesday
Today we had unwanted company again, ANTS! I guess the rain had washed the ant spray out. This time the ants came into our kitchen window and got into our honey. Ed found more of them outside all along the water hose, slide outs and trailer hitch that is still attach to the truck. Ed sprayed all around the outside of the trailer and some of the area inside. Georgia ants are small and smart. They find many different ways to get into the trailer. One guy told us that he had one little branch touching the top of his trailer and the ants got in his trailer after he sprayed all around his trailer. Geez, those little boogers!

For the rest of the humid day we did laundry and Ed dumped our waste into the blue boy and walked up hill about 4/10 of mile to the dump station. He didn’t feel like unhitching the trailer so he could use his truck to pull the blue boy on his trailer ball.

Friday

We drove about 2½ hours to Camping World in Spartanburg, SC to see some RVs. We saw some used Bighorns and new Montanas. We still haven’t found the one we like yet but it was worth the long drive to see a different floor plans.

 

 

 

Saturday
We went to Express Oil Change in Evans, GA for an oil and filter change on our Ford Escape. Wow, I was impressed with their service. We stayed in our car while they did the oil change in the garage. They had Motorcraft oil but did not have Motorcraft filters so we settled for a Purolator filter. They checked our engine, hoses, tires, transmission fluid, front and rear lights and blinkers. They added windshield wiper fluid and lubricated our door hinges. All of this service for only $48! The best oil change experience I ever had. lol

Well, that all folks!
See ya’ll later!

Our First Trip out of Tullahoma

May 9th – 12th

Monday
We left Barton Springs Campground around 10:30am central time. It was sunny and in the upper 70’s. We made two stops along the way and arrive at Vogel State Park by 4:30pm eastern time.

 

Our cat did very well on the road considering it was her first long road trip in the cat carriage. Ed said she didn’t like I-75 highway heading to Knoxville due to feeling every bump on the road while pulling the trailer. Other than that she did great.

 

We paid our camping fee, drove around the campground and picked a site that we wanted. We chose site #49 due to it being long and level. The site was gravel pad and had no close neighbors. We are the kind of people that likes privacy and space as much as possible.

Site #49

All of my items stayed put and didn’t break during the ride. Yay! I am pretty proud of myself. lol I know I will come up with more creative ideas to pack and store stuff along the way. Stay tuned for that later. lol

It is a very wooded and shaded here but nice and cool at night around 55. There were not many campers here the day we arrived but by Thursday afternoon it was almost full.

Vogel State Park, at an elevation of 2,280 feet, is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the base of Blood Mountain. The park lies in the middle of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The park covers 233 acres and features 22-acres Lake Trahlyta which was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and named after the Indian Princess Trahlyta.

The park provides 103 tent and trailer campsites most with water and electrical hook-ups. There are 60 RV sites that are 40 feet long level and gravel. Most of the tents and pop up campers use (23) 25-foot sites that are located away from the RVers. Many of the back packers use the (18) walk-in primitive sites. They have two handicap sites. The park has 35 cottages fully equipped and many of them are located along the creek and lake.

You can picnic, fish, paddle boat, bicycle, swim, hike, or sit on the swing by the lake. They offer boat and bicycle rentals, miniature golf, naturalist programs and a large pavilion. They have four bathhouse that are kept very well and cleaned. They have two sanitary disposal stations. This is a very well maintained and versatile park. We love it here!

There is a Park Pass required (costs $5) and the RV sites cost $30 per night.  Tents sites are less. We purchased ($60) a Friends of Georgia State Parks Senior family membership that gave us two free nights of camping, 10% discount on future camping and park store purchases and, most importantly, an annual Park Pass to all of the Georgia state parks. We join the Georgia State Parks RV Club for free. They offer a free night stay after you stayed 9 nights in any one of the Georgia State Parks. We are planning to stay in many of the Georgia state park this month and maybe in June. We used the senior discount of 20% off our per night camping fee instead of the 10% offered by Friends of Georgia State Park. We received the park stamps for our 4 nights of camping for the RV club. Only 5 more nights is a GA state park and we get a free night of camping.

Most state parks limit you to 14 nights stay at a campsite. We wish we could of stayed longer but they were booked up due to a marathon this weekend. I think next time will we do that and take more time to explore the area. Anyway, we would definitely be back here.
Tuesday
We did a lot of hiking today. Oh it was beautiful day to hike in the park. It was 75, sunny and light breeze. Our first hike was 0.8 mile loop on Bryon Herbert Reece Nature Trail. The trail had small up and down hill slopes but an easy hiking trail.  The walk to the trail and back to the trailer was an additional 1.2 miles.

It had many wild flowers in the forest. Here are some of them.

Pink Lady Slippers and Foam Flowers

An hour later we walked around the Trahlyta Lake. The trail is one-mile long and very easy and relaxing trail with plenty of wild flowers to see.

The trail crosses an earthen dam constructed by the CCC in 1935. A spur trail off the dam leads to an observation deck below the dam’s spillway. We didn’t hike down to the bottom of the fall.

In the background is Blood and Slaughter Mountains taken from the bridge over the dam spillway. The park created cute signs for kids and adult to do fitness routines that are related to animals So cute!

 

I tried to get Ed to do the frog routine but he didn’t what his picture taken.

Before dinnertime we walked around the campground. There were plenty of empty sites that we didn’t see before we parked on site #49. We liked site #57 that was located on a creek. We will try to get that site next time we come back in the area. Actually many of the sites here are really nice.

For the rest of the evening we relaxed by the fire and drank some beer and wine.

Ed sitting by the fire at site #49

Wednesday
We got up early and drove an hour southwest to Amicalola Falls State Park. Amicalola Falls entered the Georgia State Park system in 1940 and played a key role in the Appalachian Trail club rerouting the start of the trail to Springer Mountain in 1957. Springer Mountain is the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and is just over 8 miles from Amicalola Falls. With over 800 acres, the park is one of the larger parks in the Georgia system.

At 729 feet, Amicalola Falls is the tallest cascading waterfall in the southeast. Visitors have choices on how to best view the falls, ranging from an accessible pathway to a challenging trail with staircases. We chose the accessible pathway to the falls. I was not in any mood to climb 425 stairs to the upper falls. lol

We saw the top and bottom of the Falls and what a beautiful view.

We left there and stopped at Chick-fil-A for lunch then headed to DeSota Falls just south Vogel State Park. We hiked the 1.5 mile trail to the falls. It was quiet and an easy climb to the falls. The weather was beautiful with 79 degrees and cloudy.

The we went back to the campsite and ate a grilled 30 oz T-Bone steak and baked potatoes for dinner. Yumo! After dinner it was getting way to buggy for me. We went inside and watch an old Superman movie with Chris Reeves in it. There is nothing like watching an old movie to just chill and relax.

Thursday
Today, we hung around the camper most of the day except for lunch. We went into town for lunch at GG’s Bakery for sandwiches. It was one of the favorite restaurants that the locales recommended. The bread and sandwiches are outstanding! I spent the day writing on my blog and Ed went hiking in the woods.

After we got back from shopping in Blairsville I decided to hike the Bear Hair Gap Trail. It is described as a 4.1 mile partial loop trail with a 800 foot elevation gain. It uses part of the Coosa Backcountry Trail to complete the loop. The 800 foot climb is in the first 1.2 miles of the hike and it is pretty much a continuous climb. After that you meander down and up over a few of the lower ridges of Blood Mountain which at it’s peak is 4458 feet. About a mile into the hike I began to hear thunder and could feel the rain coming. I did not see too many wild flowers until I reached the feeder streams that converge into Wolf Creek. About 1.25 mile in there is a spur trail that makes a loop to an overlook where you can get a view of Lake Trahlyta. The foliage blocked most of the view but you could still make out the lake and the pavilion at the lake. Just after the spur trail there were a few close (1/4 mile) lightning strikes and the rain started again only a little harder, typical Appalachian mountain weather. About half way around the loop I came across a rock outcropping that had a colony of salamanders living in it.

I came across a tree stump where some “rock pilers” were very active.

A little farther down the trail I came across a Jack in the Pulpit, some Squaw Root and a few pink Lady Slippers.

I completed the loop just as some more rain started falling.

Well that is it for now until next time.
See ya’ll later!

Our last week in Tullahoma

May 1st – 8th, 2016

Sunday

It was 82 degrees and cloudy and a real nice day to walk in the woods. Ed and I went to Short Springs Natural Area in Tullahoma. Short Springs is a 420-acre natural area and is manage jointly by TVA, TN Department of Conservation, and the City of Tullahoma.

One of the signs at Short Springs

They have four hiking trails; Machine Falls Loop, Adams Falls Loop, Busby Falls and Laurel Bluff trail. We took a short hike on Busby Falls trail to Bobo creek. There were some wild flowers that Ed spotted along the trails and creek.

Friday
Ed ordered a new fifth wheel hitch on Monday and had it installed at Line-X in Tullahoma on Friday. The hitch is a B&W Companion that installs into the Ford OEM pucks. It is rated at 20,000 pounds with a 5000 pound pin weight. That is the only size B&W makes for the Ford OEM system. I wish it was a 24,000 pound hitch so I would have plenty of margin. We are looking for a trailer that has a GVWR less than 18,000 pounds.

In case you noticed, Ed traded in his Red F150 and got a new Bronze Fire F350 Diesel with dual wheels in April. I think he likes his new toy. Yeah I like it. It rides nice and stable and I can’t wait to pull our SolAire trailer with it to see how big a difference it will be from the F150.

Ed’s new F350 Diesel Dually

The reason we have a new truck and hitch is that we are looking for a used fifth wheel that is designed for full-time use. Our trailer is not designed for full-time use plus I need more storage and closet space. So what makes a full-time rig? Well, we need 50 amps, thicker insulation, dual pane window, two A/C units, stronger frame, and larger closets, refrigerator and storage area. We will post our new fifth wheel when we find the one we like. To me, it is like shopping for a new home, we will know it is the right one for us when we see it. I am hoping we will find one soon though.

Mother’s Day
I hope all of the mothers had a wonderful Mother’s Day. Trevor, Stephanie, Zooey and River came by the campground around 5:00pm. We had dinner, played around the campground and relaxed on the couch. The kids were worn out but had fun! I sure love having them around.

Trevor, Zooey, Stephanie and River

Saturday and Sunday
We cleaned and packed up our trailer to get ready for our first trip out of Tullahoma as full timers. We are heading to Vogel State Park in Blairsville, GA on the 9th. It took us a day and half to pack everything away securely. The reason it took so long was that we stayed in one spot for one month and we didn’t put stuff away securely. When pulling the trailer lots of things get moved and shaken around during the ride. It took a little creative thinking to make things not roll around in the cabinet and refrigerator during the trip. Here are some things I did to make things stay put in one place during the ride.
Used a roll of paper towel, pasta boxes, and Gatorade bottles between glass jars and cans in the cabinets
Used a large sock to insert wine bottles, alcohol bottles and glasses
Used dish drainer to put cold food inside it and placed it in the refrigerator
Placed the towel and broom racks on the bed
Put the wall clock and skillet glass lid in the silverware drawer
Storage glass jars in a basket

I am keeping my fingers cross that they don’t break or fall out of the cabinets during the trip to Vigel State Park.

The rest of the week we did more errands, grocery, laundry, and relaxing by the fire.

See ya’ll later!