It's like trying to describe what you feel when you're standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon or remembering your first love or the birth of your child. You have to be there to really know what it's like. ~~Jack Schmitt
We camped at Florence Marina State Park, GA, this weekend. And, once again, we enjoyed absolutely beautiful fall weather. Our niece, Mary Grace, joined us for this trip as well.
Check-in went much more smoothly than it did at High Falls State Park last weekend. And, we had a very nice campsite. A few bonuses about camping at Florence Marina is that they do have cable TV and they have full hook-ups. This is not typical for most of the state parks. And, several of the campsites have 50-Amp service. For those who do not care for camping but enjoy visiting state parks, Florence Marina appeared to have some nice cottages to stay in.
We arrived around 6 pm on Friday night so we had dinner at the camper. Jeff built a campfire and we roasted some marshmallows and Mary Grace enjoyed her first s'more.
Providence Canyon State Park
Our first stop on Saturday was Providence Canyon State Park. It is located within 10 miles east of Florence Marina. This was our second visit to this park and it was just as beautiful as it was when we visited last year. We were so proud of all three of the girls. They did their first 3-mile hike here. We hiked to the canyon floor and back up and completed the loop around the canyon rim. They did such an awesome job with no complaining.
After a long hike, we were all ready for a bite to eat. We packed lunch and brought it with us. We enjoyed a quiet meal at one of the picnic tables in the park near the playground before packing up and driving to our next stop for the day.
Westville, GA
Westville is a living history museum which depicts an 1850 west Georgia village. It was only about a 20-minute drive from Providence Canyon. We were fortunate that our visit coincided with the time period that they host their 1850 Fall Harvest event. Westville takes visitors back to harvest time during the pre-industrial South. Activities include special musical performances and craft demonstrations such as pottery making, candle dipping, woodworking, weaving, quilting and hearth-side cooking. Special highlights include the grinding of sugar cane for syrup, available for purchase, and the viewing of Westville's animal powered cotton gin at scheduled times. The girls actually got the opportunity to make a pin cushion from a quilt block. It was definitely worth the visit and we picked a perfect time to go...no heat and no bugs! We all tried some sugar cane juice. It tasted a bit like sweetened ice tea. We also enjoyed some key lime pie and ginger bread while there.
The first picture below shows Rachel making a candle. It would take 100 dips just like this to make a full-sized candle.
Anna, Rachel and Mary Grace showing their pin cushion.George T. Bagby State Park, GA
Our final stop before going back to Florence Marina was George T. Bagby State Park. Our purpose for going there was to participate in their Halloween carnival. While the staff was very friendly and there was no cost to attend the event, the trip to the park wasn't worthwhile for this event. However, the park itself was beautiful and it is one we'd like to stay at some time as well. It had a beautiful lodge there as well for those who do not camp.
Our trip there was interesting as Jill led us astray. Have I introduced Jill before? She is Jeff's other woman; also known as the voice of our Garmin Nuvi GPS. The location that she directed us to for the state park wasn't exactly correct. And, it's not the first time this has happened. The lesson I'm sharing with you is that while traveling, always keep a paper map with you as well. You never know when your GPS may let you down.
Sunday Morning at Florence Marina State Park
After breakfast we visited the Interpretive Center at Florence Marina. We met some of the workers at the campground on Saturday night and they invited us to visit the Interpretive Center Sunday morning and they offered to let the girls hold the snakes that they kept on display. All of the girls held the snakes but Rachel was the only one who really enjoyed it. Above is a picture of Rachel holding "China." China is a female albino corn snake. She also got to hold several other snakes as well.
After our visit to the Interpretive Center, we walked along the waters edge, ate lunch in our RV, and then headed home.
I think Jack Schmitt's quote at the opening of this post says it all regarding the trips we have taken. While we share pictures and stories about our trips, it's nothing compared to experiencing it first hand. There is so much beauty in this great country and many of us never experience even a quarter of it. We haven't even experienced a quarter of it but we are making the most of each weekend and hope to at least see much of our beautiful home state. If you don't do it now, start visiting your local state and national parks. They offer so many interesting opportunities to you at minimal to no cost. Our children learn so much with each trip (and so do we!). And, it's always great exercise just walking around outside. This time of the year is the perfect time to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the great outdoors! If you live in the state of Georgia, there is so much to see and do within a reasonable driving distance. We have beautiful state parks all over the state. I encourage everyone to get out there and enjoy them. For those who do visit our state parks regularly, you may want to invest in the Friends of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites membership. We chose the Family Membership which was $60 and it included two annual park passes (you won't have to pay the $3 entry fee for each park you visit), 10% off all state park lodging/camping, two free nights of camping, 10% of any items purchased in the state parks, two Sam Shortline train tickets, and free admission for up to 6 people to any state historic sites. Plus, you can designate a portion of the membership fee to be donated to your favorite state park. It's definitely worth it if you enjoy visiting the state parks often. And, the greatest thing about the membership is the money does go towards helping keep our state parks maintained and beautiful and as you can see from the pictures I have shared; it is very much worth it.
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