Looking Back

Suwannee River

Many years ago, we went camping near the Suwannee River. My mother owned property down there and we were checking it out. There was nothing but a lot for camping, undeveloped, and no utilities. I do not know what will happen to the property because it was not left to me.

When Mother passed away many arguments over certain properties. I had offered to buy the two camping lots. There was resentment over who was left what, whether or not they deserved anything at all. I have never been close to my sister, it is not my fault. One of my brothers has always been close.

The roads were sand and dirt. Not something that you would drive a 35- foot Winnebego down! The place has a certain beauty, the shade from the trees, and the silence all around. My only hope is that someday, somebody appreciates this property and uses it like it was intended. Have a permanent campsite and one for guests.

We did not stop to get out to actually check out the property. There was a fallen tree so it was impossible to get to the site. I was not happy about not stopping at the time, he was afraid of getting stuck in the mud. I just wanted a closer view. Many years later, I still have not returned to the area. I no longer care what happens to the property, It is no longer my concern.

The State Park or the Suwannee River where we stayed. It was lovely. I do not think I wrote about this place, but if I have I apologize. I’m returning to this because my friend says he’s never seen my photos. Time has passed and my anger over issues has also faded away.

Carabelle Camping Resort

Carabelle Camping Resort was our second destination.  Usually January is the month that everyone goes camping in Florida.  I wrote a review in TripAdvisor a few years ago.  Everything is on their website for information about pets and laundry facilities. We do not travel with pets, but we have observed when other campers have had pets.

Click on the photo above to check out their website!

This place rents out the small houses for visitors to stay.  The small houses are also for sale.  I am not sure if they can be moved around or not, I did not really listen to the sales pitch.  the little houses are very nice and although they are small have lots of functional space.  They are large enough for two adults to live in comfortably.

Across the street is access to the beach, Carabelle Beach, Florida.  It is a very lovely beach located inside of the Panama Gulf area.  This trip took place before I began keeping a scrap book of all of our trips, so I am re-writing this story from memory alone!  Bear with me.

I love the beaches!  Every beach has it’s own personality.  Even during the winter month of January.  There is not much around the campsite as you can see.  If we had a separate car, I could tell you about all of the attractions further away.  It is a beautiful place regardless.

There is a driftwood beach!  January was very beautiful.  I have never seen a driftwood beach before and was not sure what to expect when we got here.

Having no car traveling with a RV has many challenges and many rewards.  If there is no restaurants or tourist attractions within walking distance, the trip is very limited to where you can walk.

This is the Carabelle Lighthouse or the Crooked River Lighthouse.  There is a museum and a gift shop on the premises.  The walk to the lighthouse is rather pleasant from the resort.

Click on the photo to take you to their website!

The website has much information about this lighthouse!  It was once located somewhere else.  It was moved after many hurricanes hit the area.  It was rebuilt after finding a suitable relocation place.

The trip was only for a few days to see how we liked camping in a resort.  I had work to return to at the time, I had my hours cut so we took advantage of the extra time off instead of whining about it!  It was cold even for Florida!  It was a nice trip and we learned so much about camping from this trip.

Question:  If you had a RV and all the time in the world, where would like to go camping first?  You can answer on Facebook or TravelingTrailerTrash@gmail.com.

Our Visit With Family

I am currently in Hiawassee, Georgia.  It is really lovely up here.  The heat has not been so bad, almost pleasant.  Lake Chatuge is located halfway between Georgia and North Carolina.   This is the place to live.

Close to Helen, Georgia, the place of Oktoberfest!  This is the Chattahoochee River way before it reaches Atlanta!  The water is so clear you can see the trout swimming around where a mill was located.

The dam that separates the states.  I love lakes.  Everything is so pretty up here.  It is hard to imagine what life could be like living on a lake.  Taking the boat out and exploring the area.  There needs to be a restaurant like on Tybee Island where you can pull your boat into their dock and have dinner or lunch whenever you want.

 

I can see living up here, I would try to open a restaurant.  I think there would be plenty of people driving their boats for a good meal. Possibly even get local fish and vegetables from local farms.  I got big ideas, but no capital!

The family dog is having fun!  He is obsessed with playing fetch with a tennis ball.  This is a nice visit and a excellent mini-vacation!

 

The After Affects, Travel Hangover

Two weeks have passed since our return from Savannah.  (Soon all will know that we go there often.)  The 2018 Savannah Literary Love Convention was held at the Mariot Hotel along Riverstreet.  Many wonderful authors and readers were attending this event!  We all had a blast!

Every day was busy morning to midnight.  I loved every minute of the event.  Talking to the authors and asking questions was everything that I could hope for.  Lunches, dinners, a movie and a ball offered us a different author joining us at every event.

My lovely daughter, sporting her new corset, had a great time networking with all of the attendees.  Her sister was all over the place meeting new people.  I was so proud of my girls for putting aside their shyness and getting to know fellow book nerds like us.

A foggy morning along Riverstreet gave my day a great beginning.  I was so excited to be at this event in Savannah that I really did not take many photos.  My phone decided it hated me and deleted everything that I had taken with my phone all weekend long.

A stunning hotel that all of the attendees stayed for the weekend.  Room service, a bar, a swimming pool, and access to Riverstreet.  The showers were awesome!  I think two people could fit into the showers.

Getting prettied up for the Welcome event the first night of the event.

Harry Potter Day brought all of the inner nerds out into the open!  We are Ravenclaws!  We represent!  It was fun dressing up and going around to the panels and getting to know the authors in a more quiet setting.

We have some serious reading ahead of us!  (Two of us has read Hoodwinked by Beth Hendrix already, Goodreads and Amazon have my reviews)  Swag and books, what can make a girl more happy?

All of these ladies are terrific authors.  We were able to have long conversations with most of the ladies.  I never saw myself as someone who could just talk to wonderful, beautiful and talented ladies.  My daughters made me feel more comfortable and more confident.  If they could do it, then so could I!

 

I did not get this one, but I did like the way a corset feels!  I am not sure how I will get the thing tied up on my own,but there are video tutorials for that.

My daughter and her new favorite author, Carrie Pack. (There’s not favorites!  Just like children, we love them all equally!) .  They are adorable!  These girls have the entire world to look forward to.  I am going to read through her books like a demon!  My new found review talent will be following every book that I read.

A couple more awesome ladies at the ball graced us with their magnificent presence!  What a delightful night with Lannie Sheridan and H. Gorlitz Scott(Dragonmun).  All these talented ladies in one place?  We were honored to meet them all, getting acquainted with them was an extra bonus!

I want to thank Willow Star Serenity for allowing me to use her photos, since my phone ate mine!  We had such a wonderful time at our first Con, that we are looking forward to going again next near.  It will be so awesome!  This was the first time we got to dress up and free our inner book nerds to the public.

Cloudland Canyon

The very first trip was to Cloudland Canyon in the north-western part of Georgia.  It was in October and the weather was still very mild.  The perfect temperatures for hiking and sitting around the campfire telling stories with each other.

We spent a few days here wandering along the many trails.  Our first trip taught us that we did not know what we were doing.  We have gotten better and have modified the camper for what we need.  We know that temperatures may vary, so bring warmer weather and cold weather clothing.  We also have more cooking choices.

It was a scenic view from everywhere we went.  It is the largest canyon in Georgia, or so we have heard.  Every season holds a different perspective that I am anxious to experience.  I took many pictures, but this is before I got the film camera.

Three levels of hiking experience trails are at the park.  This one leads to the waterfalls, which we did not go to because of the drought.  I think summer would be better to get to see the waterfalls.  All along the path were super shots of nature that I could not pass up!  My camera battery died!  At least I had my phone with me.

There are more photos on my Facebook page, TravelingTrailerTrash.   I love taking photos of absolutely everything!  Everything is very beautiful and should be cherished by all.

When there is no drought, there might be a small waterfall here running over this small cave.  It was a small climb to get into, but I managed just fine.  I loved it!  It was slightly damp.  I find caves really cool.  I suppose it is from my vast reading.  From Lord of the Rings to Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, which have tales of mishaps that occur in caves.

This was our first day!  It began getting dark at this point and my camera had died!  Very pretty and rather gives you a feeling of secret history.  I can imagine what life was like for the Native Americans living in this area many hundred years ago.

We have become better campers since I originally posted this.  I felt compelled to add more photos and tell more about our story.  I now have began a travel journal that I’m making myself.  I wish that I had begun this earlier, but I can only move forward from here on out.  I also have a DianaF+ camera from Lomography.  I’ll have all of these cool tools with me the next time we revisit Cloudland Canyon State Park.