Middle Georgia

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. ~~Carol Bishop Hipps

Our state has so many things to do and within an easy driving distance which makes RVing an easy thing to do for weekend trips.

Our niece, Mary Grace, traveled with us on this trip. We did make reservations at High Falls State Park for the weekend but they could not find our reservation when we arrived to check in. We found out after we got home on Sunday that the dates were entered incorrectly with a check-in date for Saturday instead of Friday and that's why they couldn't find us. You would think they would've noticed that we had a reservation for Saturday but they didn't find it at all. We were fortunate that we found a privately owned campground (Buck Creek Campground) about 1 mile from the park so we were still in a convenient location and we did not have to return home. The owners were very friendly (although they did smoke in the check out area) and the park was clean; just not much to look at. All of the sites had a 50 amp connection and full hookups. The negatives were that the lots had a lot of slope to them, they were very close together, and absolutely no trees. But, we were grateful to have a place to park and stay so I wasn't going to complain.

Saturday was a very busy day. The first thing we did was drive to Juliette, GA. Juliette is the town where the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed. And, the Whistlestop Cafe is still open for business.

We browsed the shops for a little while and the girls tried on a red hat at one store. I don't know if everyone has read the poem from Jenny Joseph titled "When I am an Old Woman" so I thought I'd share it so you can appreciate the photo below.

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other peoples gardens
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.~~Jenny Joseph

I think I may start wearing more purple and I may have to go back to Juliette and buy me a red hat too.

We had lunch at the Whistestop Cafe. We allowed the girls to watch Fried Green Tomatoes as we drove to High Falls on Friday. I skipped through certain parts to avoid some of the foul language and other scenes that we didn't think were pertinent to get the gist of the movie. The girls saw enough of it to appreciate it nonetheless and Mary Grace just could not believe she was eating lunch at the real Whistlestop Cafe. Of course we had some fried green tomatoes as well as some bar-b-que; the secret is in the sauce. :-) I was surprised that Anna actually tried a fried green tomato. I highly recommend their fresh squeezed lemonade if you stop at the cafe for a meal. The trains still run on the track next to the cafe and the girls had a blast watching it go by. It's been a while since we visited Juliette; Rachel was maybe six months old when we visited Juliette previously. The last time that we visited, the old grist mill was an antique shop. Now, it's a motorcycle museum of some sort. Juliette is definitely worth a visit for those who enjoy this type of thing.

After lunch we drove to the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, the gate to enter the refuge was closed. We don't know why. We've never been there before so we were unsure what to expect. However, we did find a trail that you can drive on so we explored it. It gave Jeff a chance to put the jeep into 4-wheel drive and we took the windows off of the jeep soft top to allow the girls to view wildlife a bit easier. We did not spot any animals but it was a nice drive in the woods nonetheless.

We continued our trip by visiting Jarrell Plantation. It was our first visit here as well. This cotton plantation was owned by a single family for more than 140 years and they donated it to the state a while back. The plantation survived Gen. Sherman's "March to the Sea," typhoid fever, Emancipation, Reconstruction, the cotton boll weevil, the advent of steam power and a transition from farming to forestry. This plantation holds several interesting events throughout the year that we'd like to try some time. On November 3rd, they are having a syrup making and storytelling event. They also provide candlelight tours around Christmas time. It was definitely worth the visit. For those who don't camp, there is a Bed & Breakfast on site at the Jarrell Plantation as well.

Our next stop for the day was the Dauset Trails Nature Center. This is a great place to visit, to walk, and see the animals or ride a bike. And, they do not charge any fees to visit. We all enjoyed it. One lesson we learned is that they feed the animals around 3:30 and that's a great time to be there since the animals are more active.

We drove through nearby Indian Springs State Park before returning back to High Falls. We have now made reservations in November to stay at Indian Springs as well.

By far, the girls favorite thing to do was the Towaliga River Falls Trail at High Falls State Park. The girls loved climbing on the rocks and playing in the water. Of course, my heart skipped a few beats watching them but I was so glad to see them enjoying nature. I think we have learned that they enjoy hiking when the weather is cooler. I guess we all do. But, the girls really do not have the tolerance for the summer time bugs and the heat. This weekend, they could not get enough of walking on the trail. Anna can't wait to go back! This coming from a child that doesn't like to walk at Disney World!

We had dinner at the Falls View Restaurant in High Falls Saturday night. The food was mediocre at best. Their specialty was "catfish and seafood." But, I've had better elsewhere. There isn't a whole lot of restaurants to pick from in the immediate area. You may fare better just grilling out at your campsite than to waste money here.
On Sunday morning, we went back to High Falls State Park to hike a little while longer. This time we let the girls take off their shoes and splash in the water. They had a blast and were so disappointed when we told them it was time to pack up and go home.

We'll definitely visit this area again. It is an easy drive from our home town and there is so much to do at very little cost and all within an easy driving distance of one another. Mary Grace had a great time as well. It was her first trip to visit a state park and enjoy hiking trails. We invited her to travel again with us next weekend too.