New Scenery Rosman, NC Oct 20 -22 2020

 Bob was tired of watching the grass grow in the yard and wanted to get a change of scenery.  Because of covid concerns, we didn't want to go too far or stay too long.  I checked out some possibilities, and we decided on the Lazy J Campground in Rosman, NC.  It was one of the RV parks in Passport America's association, just about 60 miles away, and only $12.50 per night with our P.A. membership.

The rustic bridge entrance to the camp looked inviting. 

And the Halloween decorations at the office made us smile instead of spooking us.

Behind the office was a horse pasture.  The owner said the small horse was fully grown.

Chickens and roosters were pecking for food and taking cover in the bushes

These were truly free range fowl.  And fat and fluffy!

The park was described as being on the French Broad River.  I had asked for a river site, and wasn't disappointed.    There were no other campers on either side of us, so we had a very secluded location with just the murmuring of the river as background music.

This is a view of the river and that  log by our site as seen from the bridge. 

And this is a view from the other side of the bridge.  The headwaters of the French Broad are at Rosman, and the river flows 218 miles to Tennessee.

There was a small pavilion for group gatherings and a path that led down to the river and under the bridge.

The next day, we rode into the town of Sapphire and to Gorges State Park, eleven miles from camp.  Gorges is North Carolina's newest and most western state park with over 7700 acres and noted for its trails and waterfalls.

Unfortunately, all the trails are rated as moderate to strenuous, so the only water feature easily accessible to us was this one at the visitor center...a water wall versus water fall.

And with warnings like this, it is unlikely Valerie will be hiking here either.

Outside the visitor center was a .2 mile boardwalk that was more to our hiking liking....

...with a magnificent view of fall colors and the border of the park at  Lake Jocassee in South Carolina in the distance.

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day....or should I say gorgeous at the Gorges.  And as you might be able to see, Bob's truck was the only vehicle in the overlook parking area.

There was only one glitch to our pleasant trip.  We had power issues which resulted in limited lighting and refrigeration in the camper the night before.  Bob bought a small battery charger in Sapphire on our way to the state park, and back at the camp, he managed to get the power back up to full strength.

So, after a wonderful day enjoying the beauty in the mountains and knowing the camper was in good working order again, we relaxed with a fire each in our own way...

...Roscoe watching for the chickens to return....

 ...me by the river...

...and Bob taking a well deserved break from all his hard work and efforts to get us here.

 

 

Black Rock Mountain Oct 6, 2020

Time for a picnic.  Today it will be at Black Rock Mountain State Park in Mountain City, Georgia.  I've said it before...one of the great things about living here in Seneca is that there are so many beautiful places within a short distance.  Black Rock is less than an hour's ride away.  We've gone to the top of the mountain before, but never really stopped to see what the park had to offer.  Today we did.

The elevation of Black Rock is 3640 feet, making it Georgia's highest  state park.  Here at the overlook, the elevation is 3388 feet. The

park, located on the Eastern continental divide is 1743 acres.  The mountain is named for its dark colored cliffs. 

Five mountain ridges, each over 3000 feet and four states can be seen from here.

...except when fog settles in the mountain valleys.

At the campground office, it is obvious that there is a master woodcarver nearby.

...and one with skills that can turn a tree stump into a work of art.

Behind the trading post is a small outdoor amphitheater.

                                                  

Oh, look who's making her debut on stage here today....

We worked up an appetite after that thrilling show, so we went to find a place for our picnic.  Bob found a sign for the lake, so we headed there.  The road was unpaved and extremely bumpy in parts where the rain had made potholes, but it was worth the bouncing around.

There is a trail and boardwalk around the lake.

and we were very lucky to be the only ones there.

All of a sudden, a flock of mallards flew in and landed.  I wasn't able to get to my camera quickly enough to catch their flight in, but it was a pretty sight to see.

With the crystal clarity of the water, it's easy to understand why the ducks would want to visit here, too.

Visit to Gumlog Friday Oct 2, 2020

 

We took a ride to Bobby and Valerie's today to drop off a present for Owen.  His 9th birthday is tomorrow, and he will be visiting his grand dad and Nana V then.  Bobby has also been working on a new walkway to their dock, and he wanted us to see it.

It took a lot of effort to get the materials down from the front of the house.  Even with the help of a golf cart, he could only go so far

and then he had to bring everything down the steps

He had to resist the temptation to visit the secret fishing hole instead of working.

  .   He still has more work to so, such as putting floating tires at the end of the dock, but it will be a safer and easier way to get to the boat once he's done.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's Try Again Sept 2020

Yesterday we traveled about 50 miles to Moccasin Creek State Park in Clarksville, GA.  Our goal again was have a picnic lunch and see if it would be a good place to overnight a day or two. 

The park is on Lake Burton, a 2775 acre reservoir with 62 miles of shoreline.  Not much shoreline was allotted to the park.

Nor much picnic space.  The park is mostly an RV campground.  It was surprisingly full, and we did not see anyone wearing a mask.

 

So, we turned around to find another picnic spot.  It looked as though this would be a fun place to party, but no one here was wearing a mask or social distancing.  I guess they were too "plastered" to be concerned about the virus.  Maybe that's why Georgia is one of the hottest covid spots.

Bob suggested we stop at Chau Ram, a county park near home.

It was as beautiful as ever, and free with our senior Oconee County pass.

Plus, with reminders like this, it felt like a safe place.

We had our choice of picnic spots, but this one was a bit too difficult for us to access.



So we chose to sit under one of the covered pavilions.  We enjoyed our lunch and were still home by noon!



 

 

 

 



Change of Scenery Sept 2020

Although the view is very pretty from our kitchen window, Bob and I decided a change of scenery and a break in our everyday routine would be good for our mental health.  So, after Labor Day, I packed a picnic lunch, and we set out for Hartwell, Georgia...destination The Georgia River Recreation Area sponsored by the Army Corps of Engineers. There is a primitive campground along the river that we wanted to check out before deciding if we would take the camper there for an overnight or two. 

The park is less than 40 miles from us, so it didn't take us long to get there.  The website indicated the nightly fee was $6, not $10.

Nor was there an update that the facility was closed due to covid.  So much for our tax dollars at work.

Day use picnic sites were available.  They are set up nicely with table, grill, and a personal fishing pier.

When we pulled into the park, we realized we had been there when Bobby and Valerie were visiting Jennifer for Christmas before they had moved from Florida.  We hadn't gone past the first parking lot that time, so we didn't see the picnic sites or campground.   The river level was a lot lower then, too.

I don't know why the park is called the Georgia River because the dam is actually on the Savannah River, creating Lake Hartwell on the northern side of the dam.

It was too hot to sit at the picnic tables, so we headed back up the road, stopping at a scenic overlook of Lake Hartwell.  Then we went home and had our picnic lunch there. But as you can tell, it was a gorgeous day and a very nice change of scenery.