Category: States

Are you ready for some football?

Posted in Missouri, RV Parks, Sporting EventsTagged , , , 8 Comments

Our next destination in Missouri was Columbia for the SEC East showdown between the Georgia Bulldogs and Missouri Tigers. Rain poured down on us most of the day Thursday as we drove on back roads through the middle of the state. I was happy to see some early fall colors as we drove along.

Fall Colors in central Missouri
Go Dawgs!

As we pulled into Cottonwoods RV Park just north of I-70 we saw a few Georgia fans scattered among the Missouri fans. Many sites were decorated with the red and black of Georgia or the black and gold of Missouri.

The rain continued on Friday but didn’t stop us from exploring Columbia and meeting friends for dinner at the Stadium Grill next to their hotel.

With the rain letting up on Saturday it was a beautiful day for college football. We left early to be sure to find a parking place before the 11:00 am kickoff. The Stadium Grill had plenty of space and it was a perfect place to meet our friends and walk to the stadium. Black and gold tents were set up all around the stadium for tailgating before the game. There were quite a few Georgia fans dressed in red and black.

The Missouri fans were friendly and thanked us for coming. Some even went out of their way to tell us how much they appreciated us being there and to please come back. People were  amazed that we drove all the way from Georgia.

With apologizes to Missouri fans everywhere, it was a great day to be a Georgia Bulldog! The Dawgs won 34-0.

In the stadium cheering on the Dawgs
The Georgia fans in red stood out among the gold and black of Mizzou
Faurot Field at the University of Missouri
Final score: Georgia 34 – Mizzou 0

 

Good Friends, Full Moon and the Mississippi River

Posted in Missouri, State Parks, Sunrise, SunsetTagged , , 14 Comments

Our journey continued on I-24 West through Nashville, Kentucky, and Illinois before we crossed the Mississippi River into Cape Giradeau, Missouri.  Our home for the next 2 nights was about 15 miles north of Cape Giradeau in Trail of Tears State Park in Jackson, Missouri and our campsite was right on the Mississippi River.

The state park is a certified site on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail and commemorates the tragic relocation of five Native American tribes from the southeastern United States to Oklahoma. The visitor’s center in the park features exhibits that interpret the forced relocation.

We enjoyed watching barges going up and down the river and the trains which passed by on the tracks along the river.

Crossing the Mississippi River into Missouri at Cape Giradeau
Monarch Butterfly
Blondie and the Butterfly
We enjoyed watching the barges going down the Mississippi River
Sunset over the Mississippi River from at Trail of Tears State Park in Jackson, Missouri
Moon rising over the Mississippi River
The state park is part of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Trains went by behind our campsite all day and night
Sunrise over the Mississippi River
Sunrise over the Mississippi River at Trail of Tears State Park in Jackson, MO

The highlight of our stay was visiting with one of my best friends from elementary school. She and her husband drove down from St. Louis to spend the day. We had a lot of catching up to do – the last time we saw each other was in the 6th grade about 50 years ago! She looks just like she did back then! We drove down to Cape Giradeau for lunch at Port Cape Giradeau and a little sight seeing along the river. After lunch we enjoyed the murals on the flood wall beside the river.

With Jean in Cape Giradeau
Mississippi River high water marks at Cape Giradeau
There are 24 different Mississippi River Tales Murals on the floodwall in Cape Giradeau
With my friend Jean beside the Mississippi River

After emotional good byes my friend and her husband returned home and we returned to the campground. We enjoyed watching the trains and barges and had front row seats for the Blood Moon rising over the river.

Blood Moon over the Mississippi River
Blood Moon

 

Smooth as Tennessee Whiskey

Posted in Birds, Road Trip, RVing, Sunrise, Sunset, Tennessee, Tourist Attractions, WildlifeTagged , , , , , 14 Comments

There is a line from the George Jones song “Tennessee Whiskey” that has been going through my head ever since we crossed the Tennessee State Line. It goes “You’re as smooth as Tennessee Whiskey”. There. Now it’s in your head, too.

Our first stop of our  fall trip was Barton Springs Campground, a TVA park in Normandy, Tennessee. We love waterfront camping so of course when I found this campground I made reservations for a site right on the water. The lake is down now during the off season but comes right in front of the campsite in spring and summer. This is a federal campground so you can use your Senior Pass to get a discount on your camping fee.

Sitting outside watching the lake was a great way to end the day after a 300 mile driving day which included going through Atlanta and Chattanooga. A doe and a fawn were across the lake grazing. A great blue heron stood on a point out in the lake. A couple launched their canoe and went for a paddle. And we were able to watch a pretty sunset.

Just before sunset at Barton Springs
Almost a Full Moon over the campground
Blondie enjoying our site Barton Springs
Old canoe on the beach
Sunset over Normandy Lake from Barton Springs Campground

Monday morning saw thunderstorms coming through the area. After breakfast we waited a little while for the rain to let up and then hopped in the truck to visit the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Jack Daniel was 13 years old when he bought his first still for $25. He developed the formula for his famous whiskey and the whiskey is still produced using the same formula and method. All the water used comes from an underground spring on the property, the barrels are still made by hand out of white oak, and the charcoal used for filtering the whiskey is made there from Sugar Maple wood. Jack was only 5 foot 2 and never married.

Our guide Janine told us the story of how Jack died. One morning Jack came to work early and tried to open the safe in his office. He was too impatient to wait for his nephew to arrive to open it so he kicked the safe and broke is big toe. He was too embarrassed to go to a doctor right away and when he finally saw one he had developed an infection which led to gangrene. He died as a result of this. It just goes to show you should never go to work early!

He left everything to his nephew shortly before prohibition shut all the distilleries down. His nephew opened a hardware store in town and made enough money to pay the property taxes every year. The distillery opened back up when prohibition was repealed.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After our full day of sightseeing Blondie took a swim in the lake and we ended the day with a Single Barrel Jack on the rocks.

Before we left the next day I took Blondie for one last walk along the lake and enjoyed watching a Great Blue Heron and 2 Egrets. A great ending to our enjoyable stay at Barton Springs.

Great Blue Heron
Egret at Barton Springs
Egrets flying over the lake
Early morning on the Lake

We Love Waterfront Camping

Posted in Arkansas, Birds, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, RVing, Sunrise, Sunset, Tennessee, WildlifeTagged , , , , , , , 18 Comments

Our favorite places to camp are the campgrounds with a view. There’s nothing like waking up with a view outside the RV or sitting outside in the evening enjoying the scenery around us. We’ve enjoyed campgrounds with views of spectacular mountains, glaciers, forests, and all kinds of water.

For us, the best camping is beside a river, mountain stream, lake, or any body of water for that matter.

We enjoy watching the different water craft go by.

Moon rising at Ortona COE in Labelle, FL
We watched boats going through the lock at Ortona
We sat in our campsite and watched barges on the Mississippi River at Tom Sawyer RV Park in West Memphis, Arkansas
Coal barge going down the Mississippi River from our campsite at Tom Sawyer RV Park

Sometimes we see wildlife.

White Pelicans behind Sunset Isle RV Park in Cedar Key, FL
Egret on the deck behind our campsite at Sunset Isle RV Park in Cedar Key, FL
Pair of Bald Eagles across the canal at Ortona

Blondie loves it when she gets a chance to go swimming.

Blondie swimming behind our campsite at Petersburg COE
Blondie swimming in Lake Ontario at Golden Hill State Park, NY

We love watching the sun rise and set over the water.

Sunrise over the Mississippi River at Tom Sawyer RV Park
Sunrise over Lake Barkley, Kentucky from Canal COE
Sunset at Petersburg COE on J. Strom Thurmond Lake, Appling, GA
Sunset over J. Percy Priest Lake from Seven Points Campground
Sunset at Sunset Isle RV Park in Cedar Key, FL

 

A Few of our Favorite State Park Campgrounds

Posted in Florida, Georgia, South Dakota, State Parks, Sunset, Washington, WildlifeTagged , , , , , , , , 12 Comments

We love camping in state parks. Most state parks we have found have big sites, beautiful surroundings, and wildlife.

We didn’t discover state park camping until the only place we could find to stay in Arkansas on our way home on our first RV trip was Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russellville, Arkansas.  Our site was big, we weren’t lined up like sardines next to our neighbors, and we had a nice lake near our site. From that night on, we have looked for state parks whenever we travel.

Here are just a few state parks we love.

Custer State Park, Custer, South Dakota – the Black Hills, scenic drives and wildlife.

Mama bison with baby on Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road in June, 2011
Custer State Park Game Lodge Campground Site 12
Mount Rushmore as seen from Iron Mountain Road in Custer State Park
Along the Needle Highway in Custer State Park
Needle’s Eye on Needles Highway in Custer State Park

Cape Disappointment State Park, Ilwaco, Washington – 2 lighthouses, a path to the beach behind our full hook up campsite, a dog friendly beach on the Pacific Ocean, and  a Lewis and Clark museum. What’s not to love?

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, WA
North Head Lighthouse seen from beach at Cape Disappointment State Park, Washington
Blondie enjoyed the beach at Cape Disappointment
A path to the beach was behind our site at Cape Disappointment State Park
Henry enjoying a beautiful sunset at Cape Disappointment

St. Joseph Peninsula, Port St. Joe, Florida in Florida’s Forgotten Coast – beautiful uncrowded white sandy beaches, nature trails, and sunsets.

Enjoying a January day at St. Joseph Peninsula
We could hear the waves from our campsite
We had the beach almost to ourselve
Deer at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
We watched the sunset every night

Stephen C. Foster State Park, Fargo, Georgia – Huge sites in the middle of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Boat ride through the Okefenokee Swamp
Big Pull through site at Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia
Alligator in the Okefenokee Swamp
Alligator in the Okefenokee Swamp

Other state parks that stand out are Itasca State Park in Minnesota, Claytor Lake State Park in Virginia, Beverly Beach and Humbug Mountain State Parks in Oregon, Kentucky Horse Park in Kentucky, and Cattail Cove State Park in Arizona. We’ve also camped in many Florida and Georgia state parks and love them all.

If you are an RV’er or tent camper and never stayed in a state park, give one a try on your next trip. And if you don’t camp, many state parks have cabins for rent and a few even have lodges.