Pictures should enlarge if you click on them or use control click. Where's Wally? Check out the Azalea...April 17 to 19/09 Gordonia Alatamaha State Park, Reidsville Georgia
We drove 160 miles northwest and inland from Jekyll to arrive at this small and peaceful State Park in central Georgia. It is new to us. 
Of course this park is typical of the Georgia State Parks and we knew there would be a standard met. The sites are stone dust with lumber edges, a fire pit and a steel charcoal bbq. The park is small and clean with a little man-made lake, a swimming pool (not open until Memorial Day), lots of huge trees and azalea bushes. Our site had a sewer as well as water hook up and local TV was available.
Gordonia-Alatamaha (say that as fast as you can 3 times!) has an 18-hole golf course called Brazell’s Creek and it was a challenge!
It had been a nine hole but last year they opened up another 9 and the layout is interesting. The first 8 holes are typical of other State Park courses we have played; carved through a pine and hard wood forest with cement paths. To get to the next 8 holes there is a ¾ of a mile drive through the bush and swamp out to the open; links style with lots of waste bunkers. It was difficult to decide where to hit even with a description of each hole provided. Some of the sand bunkers had snow fences in them: a reminder of home! Then back through the bush to finish off 17 and 18 in the woods again. It was an adventure and a course that you really need to play more than once to get a better score. (Okay, that’s my excuse!)
We went into Reidsville to stock up on groceries before heading out tomorrow to Richard B. Russell State Park and the boonies. Of course we are in the boonies here as well but maybe not quite so off the beaten path. This park entrance is within the limits of the town. Groceries were expensive and some things I wanted were not available but I signed up for a Harvey’s card to get the discounts. I now have discount cards for pretty well every southern grocery store!
Evidence of torrential rains still linger here in the ditches and creeks. The leaves and new growth look clean and bright as a result and spring is very much under way. It is odd driving north and going backwards with the season. Wonderful to be experiencing spring for so long and hopefully it will be happening at home as well.
Leaving Jekyll was like leaving home since we have become so familiar with it and we even know people there now! However, staying at a new place makes me appreciate another aspect of this wonderful RV life style. I can’t describe how comforting it is to set up a familiar home in totally different environment. Love it!
Of course this park is typical of the Georgia State Parks and we knew there would be a standard met. The sites are stone dust with lumber edges, a fire pit and a steel charcoal bbq. The park is small and clean with a little man-made lake, a swimming pool (not open until Memorial Day), lots of huge trees and azalea bushes. Our site had a sewer as well as water hook up and local TV was available.Gordonia-Alatamaha (say that as fast as you can 3 times!) has an 18-hole golf course called Brazell’s Creek and it was a challenge!
It had been a nine hole but last year they opened up another 9 and the layout is interesting. The first 8 holes are typical of other State Park courses we have played; carved through a pine and hard wood forest with cement paths. To get to the next 8 holes there is a ¾ of a mile drive through the bush and swamp out to the open; links style with lots of waste bunkers. It was difficult to decide where to hit even with a description of each hole provided. Some of the sand bunkers had snow fences in them: a reminder of home! Then back through the bush to finish off 17 and 18 in the woods again. It was an adventure and a course that you really need to play more than once to get a better score. (Okay, that’s my excuse!)We went into Reidsville to stock up on groceries before heading out tomorrow to Richard B. Russell State Park and the boonies. Of course we are in the boonies here as well but maybe not quite so off the beaten path. This park entrance is within the limits of the town. Groceries were expensive and some things I wanted were not available but I signed up for a Harvey’s card to get the discounts. I now have discount cards for pretty well every southern grocery store!
Evidence of torrential rains still linger here in the ditches and creeks. The leaves and new growth look clean and bright as a result and spring is very much under way. It is odd driving north and going backwards with the season. Wonderful to be experiencing spring for so long and hopefully it will be happening at home as well.
Leaving Jekyll was like leaving home since we have become so familiar with it and we even know people there now! However, staying at a new place makes me appreciate another aspect of this wonderful RV life style. I can’t describe how comforting it is to set up a familiar home in totally different environment. Love it!
April 19 - 24, 2009. Richard B. Russell State Park, Elberton, Georgia
Hello again Richard B! We discovered this place on our first major trip to Georgia 3 years ago. Richard B. Russell was a Georgia Senator at one time; which time I am not sure but I think it was not recently. Anyway, this is a small State Park with a BIG golf course! It is one of the most picturesque courses I have ever played. The back nine works its way out onto a peninsula so you are eventually surrounded by water, red shoreline and trees. It reminds me a bit of northern Ontario with a different hue. Now the pink hue you see is not what I mean! The camera is experiencing technical difficulties. More on that later. It’s a challenging course and one of the top rated public courses. The campground only has 28 sites and first time there I thought we wouldn’t get the rig in! But we did, even with the big Cedar Creek and most sites are near the water. You would be impressed with John’s skills in maneuvering us into impossible looking spots. Very nice! We didn’t bike much there this time, it is quite hilly, but we hiked and golfed.
Ken (John’s brother) and Ann arrived on Sunday and stayed until Wednesday morning. I think they will vouch for the fact that we had the camp hosts with the most-est! That’s all I can say about that. Ken and Ann were on their way to Savannah and then to Jekyll to spend a week with friends. It was wonderful to have family with us and to share a bit of our “trailer life” with them. 
Unfortunately our camera was
not working properly and I could not get the photos I wanted. I have included a couple with the “rosy” glow. (Am I really looking at the world through rose coloured glasses?) The scenery in the area is spectacular. The pictures that are not rosy are from last year but believe me the scenery doesn’t change except with the seasons. Also, we got a taste of the local culture and I sorely regret not having the camera in working order for that. 
Hello again Richard B! We discovered this place on our first major trip to Georgia 3 years ago. Richard B. Russell was a Georgia Senator at one time; which time I am not sure but I think it was not recently. Anyway, this is a small State Park with a BIG golf course! It is one of the most picturesque courses I have ever played. The back nine works its way out onto a peninsula so you are eventually surrounded by water, red shoreline and trees. It reminds me a bit of northern Ontario with a different hue. Now the pink hue you see is not what I mean! The camera is experiencing technical difficulties. More on that later. It’s a challenging course and one of the top rated public courses. The campground only has 28 sites and first time there I thought we wouldn’t get the rig in! But we did, even with the big Cedar Creek and most sites are near the water. You would be impressed with John’s skills in maneuvering us into impossible looking spots. Very nice! We didn’t bike much there this time, it is quite hilly, but we hiked and golfed.
Ken (John’s brother) and Ann arrived on Sunday and stayed until Wednesday morning. I think they will vouch for the fact that we had the camp hosts with the most-est! That’s all I can say about that. Ken and Ann were on their way to Savannah and then to Jekyll to spend a week with friends. It was wonderful to have family with us and to share a bit of our “trailer life” with them. 
Unfortunately our camera was
not working properly and I could not get the photos I wanted. I have included a couple with the “rosy” glow. (Am I really looking at the world through rose coloured glasses?) The scenery in the area is spectacular. The pictures that are not rosy are from last year but believe me the scenery doesn’t change except with the seasons. Also, we got a taste of the local culture and I sorely regret not having the camera in working order for that. 
Above are some pictures of the golf course from last year. I realize now that things were a bit greener this year even though we were there the same week. I regret not having pictures of some of our escapades this year. This particular visit was a “oner” and you will just have to take my word on it.
The 4 of us drove into Elberton one day to replenish supplies and noticed the Granite Museum. Elberton claims to be the “granite capital of the world” and apparently there are 200 granite businesses in the area. We drive past 2 or 3 quarries on the way to the campground but I guess that is just the tip of the ice-burg. Anyway, the Granite Museum called to us (okay, to them) and we went in: John and Ken being a little more enthusiastic than Ann and I. But I am glad we went. Ann and I got to see the “Bobsy Twins” in top form watching a video on how the granite is quarried and we learned all about “Dutchy” the so-called Confederate Soldier Statue that was attacked by a lynch mob. Startling! The displays reminded me of Science Fair in public school and the building was damp and needing airing.
But I think the high-light of our museum visit was the discovery of the Georgia “Guidestones.” The volunteer at the museum was a retired Quarry Worker (he was lucky, he worked in the office) and he had a sense of humour along with extensive knowledge of the granite business and history. He pointed out the Guidestone exhibit and said we could go see the real thing since they were less than 7 miles away. The directions he gave us were not quite clear or our interpretation was not clear.
It was a “blind drive” (you see this sign periodically along the route and I think it actually means hidden driveway?) and we never would have found it if we didn’t stop to ask a farmer on his tractor. We had taken a wrong turn miles back. However, we felt invested in the Guidestones (sometimes called Guideposts) by now; our curiosity peaked by what we had read and seen of them at the museum. So we persevered. At this point I would insert photos but since the camera wasn’t working I have to resort to a website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones And even this was a challenge! When I googled the Georgia Guidestones I was stunned to see over 62,000 sites and many of them controversial. So I have included Wikipedia which I thought was fairly neutral on the subject. So check it out. Just let me say it was amazing to find something like this near Elberton Georgia! Ann says next time we need to get centered we should take a picnic.
John and I stayed an extra day after Ken and Ann left and went to town again for some reason. We noticed a sign saying “Factory Outlet” claiming you could get granite stones for as little as $10! In hind-sight I am not sure what we were thinking but we went in. Did you guess it? We were in a tombstone factory outlet! They were making tombstones. I have to admit the prices were amazing compared to what we would pay up here for a granite gravestone. But what would it cost to ship? We were taken on a tour by a true southern gentleman (even though we admitted we wouldn’t be buying) and were surprised to see granite of all colours imported from around the world. The granite that is locally quarried near Elberton is mainly grey. It is quite a granite world, similar to marble, in its colouring and texture and when it is being shown to you by an expert you have to be impressed!
This is the end of our Southern adventures for this year. We headed north spending a night in Kentucky and then Michigan before arriving home Sunday afternoon on April 26th. We had a bit of an adventure in Michigan while trying to find a place to park so we could visit Patty and Dave but that is another tale for another day. It is great to be home!
The 4 of us drove into Elberton one day to replenish supplies and noticed the Granite Museum. Elberton claims to be the “granite capital of the world” and apparently there are 200 granite businesses in the area. We drive past 2 or 3 quarries on the way to the campground but I guess that is just the tip of the ice-burg. Anyway, the Granite Museum called to us (okay, to them) and we went in: John and Ken being a little more enthusiastic than Ann and I. But I am glad we went. Ann and I got to see the “Bobsy Twins” in top form watching a video on how the granite is quarried and we learned all about “Dutchy” the so-called Confederate Soldier Statue that was attacked by a lynch mob. Startling! The displays reminded me of Science Fair in public school and the building was damp and needing airing.
But I think the high-light of our museum visit was the discovery of the Georgia “Guidestones.” The volunteer at the museum was a retired Quarry Worker (he was lucky, he worked in the office) and he had a sense of humour along with extensive knowledge of the granite business and history. He pointed out the Guidestone exhibit and said we could go see the real thing since they were less than 7 miles away. The directions he gave us were not quite clear or our interpretation was not clear.
It was a “blind drive” (you see this sign periodically along the route and I think it actually means hidden driveway?) and we never would have found it if we didn’t stop to ask a farmer on his tractor. We had taken a wrong turn miles back. However, we felt invested in the Guidestones (sometimes called Guideposts) by now; our curiosity peaked by what we had read and seen of them at the museum. So we persevered. At this point I would insert photos but since the camera wasn’t working I have to resort to a website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones And even this was a challenge! When I googled the Georgia Guidestones I was stunned to see over 62,000 sites and many of them controversial. So I have included Wikipedia which I thought was fairly neutral on the subject. So check it out. Just let me say it was amazing to find something like this near Elberton Georgia! Ann says next time we need to get centered we should take a picnic.
John and I stayed an extra day after Ken and Ann left and went to town again for some reason. We noticed a sign saying “Factory Outlet” claiming you could get granite stones for as little as $10! In hind-sight I am not sure what we were thinking but we went in. Did you guess it? We were in a tombstone factory outlet! They were making tombstones. I have to admit the prices were amazing compared to what we would pay up here for a granite gravestone. But what would it cost to ship? We were taken on a tour by a true southern gentleman (even though we admitted we wouldn’t be buying) and were surprised to see granite of all colours imported from around the world. The granite that is locally quarried near Elberton is mainly grey. It is quite a granite world, similar to marble, in its colouring and texture and when it is being shown to you by an expert you have to be impressed!
This is the end of our Southern adventures for this year. We headed north spending a night in Kentucky and then Michigan before arriving home Sunday afternoon on April 26th. We had a bit of an adventure in Michigan while trying to find a place to park so we could visit Patty and Dave but that is another tale for another day. It is great to be home!
p.s. After a couple of doctor visits, shots and pills, we have been rash free for nearly a week but the mystery may never be solved.
p.s.s. John called Canon and they say they will fix the camera for free since it is a flaw they have discovered with this particular camera. So if you have a Canon Sure Shot or Power Shot and it goes pink give them a call.
I kept looking out the window and monitoring the size of the puddles. The thunder and lightning wasn’t as close as Tuesday but the rain was torrential and lasted for hours. Cabin fever drove us to gear up and walk the campground when the rain let up slightly. In the morning the sight was amazing. Check out where John had put the kayak in 2 days earlier! 
Apparently 8 inches fell in those rainstorms. Thank goodness Friday morning was sunny and calm and we were not in the lake. 
