After enjoying a relaxing summer at home, we are once again on a fall road trip to watch the Georgia Bulldogs play an away football game. This year we are on our way to Oxford, Mississippi to see the Dawgs play the Ole Miss Rebels. But in true Wandering Dawgs fashion, we are not taking a direct route to get there.
We started the trip in Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama, a few miles south of Birmingham. This is Alabama’s largest state park and it has something for everyone – mountain bike trails, golf course, lake with a beach, hiking trails, a scenic drive, a beautiful campground and more.
Wandering Dawgs in Oak Mountain State Park Site A28
Every day Blondie and I walked on the trails around our campground loop.
Early Morning at Tranquility LakeMoccasin Nature Trail behind our campsiteEarly morning walk in the woodsSpotted this Heron on our last morning
One day we drove to the dead end of Peavine Falls Road on Double Oak Mountain. As we wound our way up the narrow road I was reminded of some of the drives we have made in the Great Smoky Mountains.
This sign was at the parking lot at the dead end at the top of the roadWe had a picnic at the Peavine Falls OverlookView from Peavine Falls Road Overlook
We enjoyed our stay and were even able to do a little shopping in nearby Pelham and Birmingham before continuing our journey west to our next destination.
What an amazing ten years! Each marker on this map represents a place where we camped in our RV.
Ten years ago, on July 1, 2006, we spent our first night in an RV park in Tampa, Florida. Two weeks later we left Georgia with no reservations anywhere and a bucket list of what we wanted to see. You can see highlights of that trip at Looking Back on our First RV Trip. Last year I posted a few of our most memorable experiences from our first nine years at Celebrating Nine Years of RVing.
Many of our trips revolved around either visiting family or attending a special event such as a wedding or Titanium Rally. Sometimes we traveled just for the fun of seeing new places. No matter where we were going, we always took the long way around to get there.
We discovered beauty in every state and province we visited. Sometimes the everyday things were the best.
I love watching the changing landscape and seeing the many farms and ranches.
I love seeing the farms as we drive alongWe always enjoy seeing lighthouses.
Split Rock Lighthouse on Minnesota’s North ShoreSeeing wildlife is always a treat.
Black Bear beside the road in British ColumbiaAnd of course we loved visiting many of our National Parks.
Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View OverlookSometimes we enjoyed watching the sunset from our campsite.
Mount Redoubt sunset in Ninilchik, AlaskaWe did a few amazing hikes.
At the Summit of Enchanted Rock in TexasChilling by a camp fire is always fun.
Enjoying the campfireNow that we have ten years of RV’ing under our belt, our priorities have changed. Of course, we are ten years older and it is more difficult to make long trips. When we started our wandering, we only had two grandchildren. Now we have four and we want to spend as much time with them as we can. Going on long trips takes us away from them for too long.
Our wandering days are not over. There are still many places we haven’t seen in and near our home state of Georgia so from now on we will travel a little closer to home.
We enjoyed walking around the marina and going on the nature trail at Stephen C. Foster State Park in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge but we wanted to be in a boat to really experience the swamp. On one of our visits a few years ago we rented a canoe to paddle into the swamp and another time we rented a boat to venture even farther into the swamp. On our most recent trip in early spring we decided to take a ranger guided boat tour.
As we glided through the man made canal our guide pointed out the baby alligators and their mother Sophie who was keeping a close watch on her babies. Her mate Zeke was no where to be found.
” Sophie the Mama Gator
As the boat exited the canal we entered the big water of Billy’s Lake where we were about six miles from the headwaters of the Suwanee River. The water here gets up to six feet deep, much deeper than the average depth of two feet.
It was a beautiful day to be on the water and we saw a few other people out on the water.
It was a beautiful day for kayakingA kayaker goes around the bend deeper into the swampWhich way do we go?
Our guide took us through the narrow waterway toward Minnie’s Lake. In some places the water was barely wide enough for the 24 foot Carolina Skiff. As we ventured farther into the swamp it was as if we had stepped back in time to a prehistoric age. We were miles from civilization in this incredibly wild place.
Boats had to navigate around this cypress tree
It is estimated that the alligator population in the swamp is about 20,000. We saw quite a few as we went along. It was mating season and I wondered if this gator was trying to attract a mate.
Huge alligator showing us his teeth
Another gator was behind a huge cypress tree.
Do you see the alligator behind the Cypress tree?
And there were young ones sunning on a log.
Young gators enjoying the sunshine
There are many species of wildlife besides alligators. While we didn’t see any raccoons, opossums, turtles, or bears, we did see a few birds out searching for food.
Egret in the OkefenokeeSnowy Egret in the Okefenokee
After our incredible few days in the Okefenokee it was time to return back to civilization and the real world.
On St. Patrick’s Day we left Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center in White Springs, Florida and drove about 50 miles to another park named after the famous composer. At the end of the road 17 miles from the nearest highway, Stephen C. Foster State Park in Fargo, Georgia is located in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge .
This is one of our favorite Georgia state parks and one we have returned to over and over through the years. There is just something I love about being surrounded by nature miles away from civilization.
The Okefenokee Swamp is one of North America’s most unspoiled natural wilderness areas. According to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge web page, “the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has 353,981 acres of National Wilderness Area within the refuge boundaries. In addition, the refuge is a Wetland of International Importance (RAMSAR Convention – 1971) because it is one of the world’s largest intact freshwater ecosystems.”
Indians who once lived in the area called it Okefenokee which roughly translated means “Land of Trembling Water.” The headwaters of the Suwanee River is located in the Okefenokee Swamp.
Going out in a boat is a great way to see the swamp but there is also plenty to see from land. All the photos in this post were taken as we walked around the campground, marina and on the Trembling Earth Nature Trail which starts at the marina. One section of the trail is a boardwalk through the swamp. This huge gator was sunning on a log beside the boardwalk.
Giant gator beside the boardwalk trail
The only man made waterway in the park is this canal which leads to the open water of the Okefenokee Swamp.
Canal leading into the Okefenokee Swamp
The canal runs beside the road and alligators are frequently seen sunning themselves on the bank or chilling in the water.
Alligator among the lily pads
One of the other campers told me about baby alligators beside the road so off we went in search of baby gators.
Baby gator in the canal beside the road. Do you see the one in the water?Baby Gator on Lilly Pad
Besides alligators, many other animals make their home in the Okefenokee.
White Tail Deer at duskWild TurkeyIbis in the swampEgret in the swampButterfly beside the trailTurtle swimming in the marina
Coming up in my next post – a ranger guided boat tour into the Okefenokee.
Way down upon de Swanee Ribber, Far, far away, Dere’s wha my heart is turning ebber, Dere’s wha de old folks stay
Florida State Song, “Old Folks at Home” by Stephen Foster, 1851
Carillon at Stephen Foster Folk Cultural Center
One our favorite Florida State Parks, we have camped here numerous times through the years. Located on the banks of the Suwanee River, the park is named for American compser Stephen Foster and features a museum with exhibits about some of his most famous songs, a 97-bell carillon, a craft square with demonstrations and a gift shop, and a historic Spring House which once brought many tourists into the town of White Springs.
The Stephen Foster Museum houses many exhibits including several dioramas representing some of his most famous songs. Two of his songs have been adapted as state songs – “Old Folks at Home” is the state song of Florida, and “My Old Kentucky Home” is the state song of Kentucky. You may recognize some of his other songs such as “Oh! Susanna”, “Beautiful Dreamer” and “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair.”
According to The Center for American Music at the University of Pittsburgh, “Old Folks at Home” was written for a minstrel show and became the most popular song ever published at that time. Stephen Foster was never in Florida and never saw the Suwanee River. In his original draft of the song he used the name Pedee River but later changed it to Suwanee.
Diorama of “Old Folks at Home”
The road through the state park winds around the museum and carillon with ancient Live Oak trees covered with Spanish Moss all through the park. The campground is surrounded by pine forest with miles of hiking and biking trails. We love hearing the bells of the Carillon as it chimes on the quarter hour and plays Stephen Foster’s music throughout the day.
Live Oaks with Spanish Moss
On the banks of the Suwanee River sits a Spring House which brought many tourists into the town of White Springs in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. An interpretive sign at the spring house calls it “Florida’s Original Tourist Destination”. The waters from the sulphur springs were thought to have healing powers and people flocked to the town of White Springs for the cure.
Spring House at White Springs, FloridaFlorida’s Original Tourist DestinationSwimming Pool at the Spring HouseSpring House at White Springs, FloridaCypress Trees on the banks of the Suwanee RiverAzaleas blooming in White Springs, Florida
Spring flowers were blooming all around the park and in the town of White Springs.
Flowering Dogwood in White Springs, Florida
We drove to nearby Big Shoals State Park do a little geocaching and to hike along the Suwanee River. Our destination was an overlook on a bluff high above the Suwanee River to see Florida’s only Class III White Water Rapids.
Big Shoals Trail along the Suwanee RiverBig Shoals on the Suwanee River
Henry found the geocache and when he opened the container he found this little critter inside.
A surprise visitor in the geocache
Several years ago during one of our stays at the park we had a delightful lunch at the historic Telford Hotel in White Springs. In one room of the hotel were old hotel registers with signatures of some of the famous visitors to the hotel including Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft in 1913. I dug out this photo of the register I took that day and you can see their signatures are the last ones on the page.
Telford Hotel Register from 1913
Sadly, the hotel is now closed and the building for sale.
Wandering Dawgs 