RVing – Page 16 – Wandering Dawgs

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – Georgia

February 4, 2017November 1, 2017Posted in Birds, Georgia, Historic Sites, Lighthouse, RVing, Wandering around America, WildlifeTagged America the Beautiful, Athens, Azaleas, Cockspur Lighthouse, Dogwoods, Savannah, Tybee Island20 Comments

State 8:

Welcome to the next post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I hope you will enjoy coming along for the ride!

I will be featuring the states alphabetically and the next state is my home state!

Georgia

Georgia was one of the original 13 colonies and became the 4th state on January 2, 1788. The capital is Atlanta where the capital dome is covered in gold leaf from the Georgia Gold Rush in Dahlonega during the 1830’s.

I was born in Georgia but did not grow up here. When I was a child, our summer vacations were spent visiting relatives in middle Georgia where my mother grew up. I first moved to Georgia as a freshman at the University of Georgia in Athens and I’ve lived in the state ever since. Even when we are wandering I always have Georgia on my mind.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to do our state justice. How I condense a lifetime of memories into one post?

With the city of Atlanta, the north Georgia mountains, National Wildlife Refuges and National Forests, The Okefenokee Swamp, peach and pecan groves, cotton fields, lakes and streams, the Grand Canyon of Georgia, Athens the Classic City, Stone Mountain, antebellum homes, historical lighthouses, salt marshes, barrier islands, beautiful beaches, friendly small towns, and many historic sites Georgia has much to offer. And did I mention the delicious sweet tea, barbeque, grits, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, low country boil, fresh wild Georgia shrimp and blue crabs, peach cobbler, banana pudding, and all the other amazing food around the state?

Unfortunately I am missing photos from many places around the state. No matter where you go there are interesting things to see and do in the Peach State.

Georgia is the Peach State and Peach County produces many of those peaches. There is nothing in the world that’s better than a fresh Georgia peach plucked right from the tree when it is perfectly ripe in the summer time. You know it’s perfect when you bite into it and the nectar drips down your chin and all over your hands. And fresh peach cobbler is a staple around our house when the peaches are in season.

In Georgia, you can watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean or watch the sunset over one of the Georgia’s many lakes.

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean

Sunset over Lake Seminole at Eastbank Campground

Nothing says springtime in Georgia like azaleas, peach blossoms, and flowering dogwoods.

Peach Blossoms in Georgia

Wild Dogwoods

Georgia Azaleas under Live Oak Tree

With ancient live oak trees dripping with Spanish Moss, squares, a beautiful historic district, museums, historic forts, and one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the United States, Savannah is a popular vacation destination.

Forsyth Park Fountain in Savannah, Georgia

Steam Engine at the Georgia Railroad Museum

Ft. Puaski National Monument is a landmark visible from the highway as you travel east from Savannah to Tybee Island, GA

Historic stone steps leading to River Street

Three lighthouses protecting the Georgia Coast are accessible to the public. The Tybee Island Light Station is the tallest lighthouse in Georgia.

Tybee Island Light Station 4th of July American Flag

A trail at Fort Pulaski National Monument winds through palmettos for a close up view of the Cockspur Island Lighthouse.

Cockspur Lighthouse at Fort Pulaski National Monument

The St. Simons Island Lighthouse was rebuilt after it was destroyed by the Union Army during the War between the States.

Joel Chandler Harris, Alice Walker, and Flannery O’Connor are just a few of the writers from Georgia. The Uncle Remus Museum in Eatonton celebrates the creator of Brer Rabbit, Joel Chandler Harris.

Brer Rabbit stands in front of the Uncle Remus Museum in Eatonton, GA

Georgia also has a close connection with the film industry. Many movies and tv shows have been filmed in Georgia. Oliver Hardy was one of the stars who was born in Georgia.

Laurel and Hardy Museum at Harlem, Georgia

You know your shrimp is fresh when you see the shrimp boats that caught them.

Atlanta is the capital and the home to companies such as Coca Cola, UPS and Delta Airlines. Atlanta also hosted the Centennial Olympic Games in 1996.

Centennial Olympic Stadium 1996 - Reconstructed after Paralympics to become Turner Field — Centennial Olympic Stadium 1996 – Reconstructed after Paralympics to become Turner Field

The birds and other wildlife are abundant all over the state.

Great Egret with chicks

Wood Storks building a nest

Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin near Tybee Island, Georgia

Turtle in the Okefenokee Swamp

Baby Gator on Lilly Pad

Butterflies and Blooms Tiger Swallowtail

White Tail Deer

The Iron Horse was originally placed on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens and later moved to the middle of a field near Greensboro.

The Iron Horse stands tall in the middle of a cornfield

We Georgians love our sports teams! When we travel in our fifth wheel, there is no doubt which college team we support! How bout them Dawgs!

As I put the finishing touches on this post the Atlanta Falcons are preparing to take on the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl in Houston. Go Falcons!

To read previous posts about the states featured in this series just click on the state name: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Florida

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – Florida

January 26, 2017June 20, 2017Posted in Birds, Florida, Historic Sites, Lighthouse, National Parks, RVing, Wandering around America, WildlifeTagged Big Cypress Preserve, Dry Tortugas National Park, Everglades National Park, Florida Keys, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Key West, Perky Bat Tower15 Comments

State 7:

Welcome to the next post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I hope you will enjoy coming along for the ride!

I will be featuring the states we have visited alphabetically. If you are looking for Connecticut or Delaware, we’ve never been to either of those states (except to drive through the Delmarva Peninsula without stopping) so the next state is

Florida

Florida became the 27th state on March 3, 1845. The capital is Tallahassee.

We started vacationing in Florida back in the 70’s and have traveled all around the state both before and after our RV travels began. For many years we traveled to the Florida Keys at least once a year. We’ve traveled all along the Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast, to small towns and big cities, gone scuba diving and snorkeling in the beautiful coral reefs, caught many fish, boated to remote islands, visited museums and lighthouses, attended sporting events, tasted amazing seafood and key lime pie, explored two national parks and a national seashore, observed graceful birds and other wildlife, kayaked and canoed in the rivers, swam in the springs, watched many sunsets, and walked on some of America’s most beautiful beaches.

Florida is famous for it’s beautiful beaches and theme parks.

Micky welcomes us to the Magic Kingdom — Mickey welcomes everyone to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World

There’s so much more to the Sunshine State than it’s beaches and theme parks.

With it’s many birds, wildlife, and beautiful landscapes, Everglades National Park is one of my favorite national parks.

Pa-Hay-Otee Overlook in Everglades National Park

The only way to get to Dry Tortugas National Park is to take a boat ride or seaplane trip from Key West.

Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park

Explore Fort Pickens and walk on miles of sugar white sand beaches in Gulf Islands National Seashore .

There are many small islands accessible only by boat. Picnic Island in the lower keys was one of our favorites.

Popular boating destination in the lower Florida Keys

Cedar Key is one of the small waterfront towns we love to visit.

I loved the Art Deco buildings in South Beach Miami.

It’s always fun to stroll along the waterfronts.

Shrimp boats on the Appalachacola Waterfront

There are interesting structures to discover. The Perky Bat Tower on Sugarloaf Key was built in 1929 to house bats to help control the mosquito population. Unfortunately, the bats flew away and never returned.

The Bat Tower, Sugarloaf Key — The Perky Bat Tower, Sugarloaf Key was built in 1929

The Spring House in White Springs on the Suwanee River was a huge tourist destination in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

There’s a famous headstone in the Key West Cemetery.

U.S. Highway 1 goes from Fort Kent, Maine to Key West and we’ve been to both ends. The Southernmost Point in the continental United States is also in Key West.

The variety of birds never ceases to amaze me.

White Pelicans and Cormorants around Cedar Key

Green Heron with fish in mouth Everglades National Park

Red Shouldered Hawg Big Cypress Preserve — Red Shouldered Hawk Big Cypress Preserve

Tiny key deer, endangered gopher tortoise, manatees, and of course alligators are some of the wildlife to be found.

Gopher Tortoise at our campsite Silver River State Park

Aligators along the Anhinga Trial, Everglades National Park 2012 — Alligators along the Anhinga Trial, Everglades National Park 2012

Manatee in Homossassa Springs — Manatee eating a carrot in Homossassa Springs Wildlife State Park

Florida is home to beautiful springs and rivers.

Don’t forget the lighthouses.

Nothing better than freshly caught fish for dinner! We cooked up this grouper after one of our most memorable fishing trips many years ago.

Henry with the biggest catch of the day!

Many Major League Baseball teams play their spring training games in Florida.

Atlanta Braves Spring Training at Disney's Wide World of Sports — Atlanta Braves Spring Training at Disney’s Wide World of Sports

The historic Fort Gates Ferry carries people and vehicles across the St. Johns River.

Waiting to cross the St. John's River on the Fort Gates Ferry — Waiting to cross the St. John’s River on the Fort Gates Ferry

To read previous posts about the states featured in this series just click on the state name: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – Colorado

January 18, 2017June 24, 2017Posted in Colorado, Historic Sites, National Parks, RVing, Wandering around America, WildlifeTagged Garden of the Gods, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde National Park, Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, San Juan Skyway, Sangre de Cristo Mountains20 Comments

State 6:

Welcome to the next post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I hope you will enjoy coming along for the ride!

I will be featuring the states alphabetically and the next state is

Colorado

Colorado became the 38th state on August 1, 1876. Denver is the capital.

It’s easy to see why Colorado is such a popular destination. With it’s spectacular mountain scenery, ancient ruins to explore, breathtaking scenic drives, picturesque small towns, Pikes Peak, and wildlife there was beauty every where we went.

As we visited the ancient cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park I couldn’t help but wonder about the people that lived there so long ago.

The San Juan Skyway through the San Juan mountains was one of the most beautiful scenic drives we’ve ever taken. Starting from Cortez, we took our time to enjoy the views from overlooks, stopped to stroll along the dog-friendly streets of Teluride and enjoyed lunch in Ouray before going by old mining camps around Silverton.

Another spectacular view along the San Juan Skyway — Spectacular views along the San Juan Skyway

Our campsite at San Luis Lakes State Park had spectacular views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains and was a good home base to explore Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains from our camp site at San Luis Lakes State Park were amazing. — View of the Sangre de Cristo mountains from our camp site at San Luis Lakes State Park.

The people look tiny on the Great Sand Dunes

On the trail to Zapata Falls near the Great Sand Dunes

In the Colorado Springs area we visited Garden of the Gods and drove as far as we could go on the Pikes Peak Highway.

Garden of the Gods with Pikes Peak in the background

At elevation 11,424 feet, we were as far as we could go on the Pikes Peak Highway

The closest we could get to Pike's Peak was six miles away but the view was still amazing — The closest we could get to Pike’s Peak was six miles away but the view was still amazing

One of our favorite national parks is Rocky Mountain National Park. We love it so much we have been there twice. Our first visit was in the spring and even though there was a lot of snow we saw plenty of wildlife.

Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park

Young Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park

Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park

That's a lot of snow! — That’s a lot of snow!

At Rainbow Curve on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, about 11,000 feet

A hike to Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Our second visit was in August when the weather was perfect and again there was plenty of wildlife. We were finally able to drive to the Alpine Visitor’s Center on Trail Ridge Road.

The Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park

Alpine Visitor's Center View in Rocky Mountain National Park — Alpine Visitor’s Center View in Rocky Mountain National Park

To read previous posts about the states featured in this series just click on the state name: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – California

January 12, 2017July 7, 2017Posted in California, Historic Sites, Lighthouse, National Parks, Nature, RVing, Wandering around AmericaTagged Cabrillo National Monument, Joshua Tree National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Redwoods National Park, Sequoia National Park, USS Midway, Yosemite National Park14 Comments

State 5:

Welcome to the next post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I hope you will enjoy coming along for the ride! I will be featuring the states alphabetically and next up is

California

California became the 31st state on September 9, 1850. The capital is Sacramento. California is the most populous state and the third largest in area.

In 2007 we spent three weeks exploring California. It wasn’t nearly enough time to see the whole state but the Pacific Ocean, giant trees, five national parks, San Diego and everything else were all spectacular.

Our first views of California were along the Pacific Coast Highway as we drove south from Oregon. Gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, Redwood National Park, and the beautiful vineyards were a few of the things we enjoyed in northern California.

Along the Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California

Lighthouse near Crescent City, California

Pacific Ocean in Northern California

Pacific Ocean in Northern Califoronia

Redwoods National Park

We were tiny beside the Big Tree, Redwoods National Park, California

Redwood National Park, California

Elk Meadow in Redwoods National Park

Redwood National Park, California

One of the many vineyards in the California wine country

Our home base for exploring Yosemite National Park was the Wawona Campground inside the national park. We drove through Yosemite Valley, took a few short hikes, made the the drive to Glacier Point, had a delicious lunch at the Ahwahnee Hotel, and felt small as we walked through the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias.

Yosemite Falls

We took the trail to Lower Yosemite Falls

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View Overlook

Overhanging Rock with Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park

El Capitan

Dining Room at the Ahwahnee Hotel

Mariposa Grove of Sequoias in Yosemite National Park

There were many more of the magnificent giant trees in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We even spotted a bear in one of the meadows.

Sequoia National Park, California

General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park

Bear in Sequoia National Park

Kings Canyon National Park, California

After all that sightseeing we decided to take a couple of days to relax in a resort near Palm Springs and spent a day wandering through Joshua Tree National Park.

In the Mojave Desert

Joshua Tree National Park

Scull Rock in Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

An oasis in the middle of the desert in Joshua Tree National Park

Our final stop was San Diego where we toured Cabrillo National Monument and the USS Midway. Our Labrador Retriever Blondie was in heaven when we took her to the dog beach near Coronado. As we drove east from San Diego we passed by the Imperial Sand Dunes and the Chocolate Mountains.

Cabrillo National Monument, California.

Point-Loma in Cabrillo National Monument, CA

Point-Loma in Cabrillo National Monument

Point Loma

USS Midway in San Diego

Dog Beach in Coronado

Imperial Sand Dunes

Chocolate Mountains and Saguaro Cactus

To read previous posts about the states featured in this series just click on the state name: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – Arkansas

January 10, 2017July 11, 2017Posted in Arkansas, Historic Sites, National Parks, RVing, Wandering around AmericaTagged America the Beautiful, Fort Smith, Hot Springs National Park, Lake Chicot, Little Rock, Maumelle Campground, Mississippi River, Mississippi River State Park, Tom Sawyer RV Park13 Comments

State 4:

Arkansas

Arkansas became the 28th state on June 15, 1836. The capital is Little Rock.

When I was in elementary school my family lived on an Air Force base in northeastern Arkansas for four years. I remember there were cotton fields as far as the eye could see outside of the base.

Henry and I have traveled through Arkansas on several of our cross country trips and we have have made it a destination more than once. The Ozark Mountains, Hot Springs National Park, Little Rock, and several places on or near the Mississippi River were some of the places we enjoyed visiting.

We strolled along Bath House Row and the Grand Promenade at Hot Springs National Park. A relaxing day in one of the original bath houses was a real treat for me.

Hot Springs

The Grand Promenade in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Fordyce Bath House on Bath House Row in Hot Springs

Quapaw Baths on Bath House Row in Hot Springs

The magnolias were blooming in Hot Springs

At Fort Smith National Historic Site we toured the federal courthouse used by Judge Isaac C. Parker in the late 1800’s.

Fort Smith National Historic Site

Federal Courthousue at Fort Smith National Historic Site

The Gallows at Fort Smith National Historic Site

We loved watching the barges going by on the Mississippi River from our campsite at Tom Sawyer RV Park in West Memphis, Arkansas.

Sunrise over the Mississippi River at Tom Sawyer RV Park

We watched the barges go down the Mississippi River from our site at Tom Sawyer RV Park

Some of the barges were small

Another small barge on the Mississippi

Maumelle Campground on the Arkansas River was a great home base for attending a Georgia – Arkansas football game in Little Rock and for taking a day trip to Petit Jean Sate Park.