Wood storks, egrets, and herons build their nests every spring in the trees of Woody Pond at the Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge. Located in Georgia just a few miles from I 95 in between Savannah and Brunswick, it is a great day trip from our home.
Woody Pond at Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Wood storks were placed on the Endangered Species list in 1984. After almost 30 years of conservation efforts to increase the wood stork population, their status was upgraded to Threatened in June, 2014.
A path along the dike beside Woody Pond provides a great place to view the birds. The wood storks and egrets shared the trees.
Wood Storks and Great EgretsNesting Wood Storks and Great Egrets at Woody Pond
Many of the wood storks were working on their nests. None of their eggs had hatched yet.
Wood Storks building a nestWood Stork on nest
As I took photos, Henry used the spotting scope and pointed out a mother egret with chicks that I would have never seen. The nests were a long way from where we were so the picture isn’t the best but it gives you an idea of the size of the baby egret.
Great Egret with chicks
In the shallow water at the edge of the pond a tri-colored heron entertained us as he searched for food.
Tri colored heron
Tri Colored Heron gets his catch
After leaving the refuge we stopped at the Smallest Church in America to take a look and do a little geocaching.
Smallest Church in America
An arsonist burned this church in November, 2015. The church is being rebuilt through the efforts of volunteers and the work is almost complete.
Smallest Church in America, Townsend, Georgia
Smallest Church in America
Smallest Church in America
Smallest Church in America
After finding the geocache hidden near the church we headed for home.
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.
Our latest RV journey took us past many pecan orchards in south Georgia before we arrived at our first destination, Eastbank Campground on the banks of Lake Seminole. Although located in Georgia, the closest town is Chattahoochee, Florida. From our campsite we were treated to a beautiful sunset our first night.
Sunset over Lake Seminole at Eastbank Campground
The campsites are large and many are waterfront. It was a great place to wind down from the hustle and bustle of being at home.
Eastbank COE Site A01Loop A at Eastbank COE CampgroundFoggy morning on Lake Seminole at Eastbank
We tried geocaching in nearby Chattahoochee, Florida. Our first two attempts were a bust but we enjoyed looking around the train car at the Heritage Park.
Heritage Park in Chattahoochee, FloridaHeritage Park in Chattahoochee, Florida
We ended the day watching another beautiful sunset.
Another beautiful sunset over Lake SeminoleHenry checking the GPS
Our second geocaching excursion took us to part of the Chattachoochee Nature Trail along the Apalachicola River.
No amount of looking over, under, and around the boardwalk helped us find the geocache but I found something better. A baby alligator was sunning himself beside the boardwalk.
Palmettos beside the boardwalk on the nature trailI spotted this baby alligatorBridge over Apalachiacola River
We were determined to find the geocache at the train car so we returned there and Henry found it!
Henry with his first geocache find
Later we drove to the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam to take a look. The dam and locks were constructed for navigation, hydro- power and recreation purposes on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint River systems.
Wandering Dawgs 
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