Last week was Spring Break for metro-Atlanta schools including Fayette County. So Becki and both boys had the week off. While I had taken Jordan on his Boy Scout camp out in the Apalachacola National Forest, we had promised to take the boys camping, or should I say ’streamin, for the rest of Spring Break.
We headed up to the north Georgia mountains on Wednesday afternoon to stay at the Georgia Power operated campground that is kind of a joint venture with the Georgia State Park System. The good: The campground is extremely well maintained. The host that was on duty was a retired Georgia Power security officer and had spent his honeymoon with his second wife in that very campground 30 years ago (on campsite #1) so he has a special interest in the campground. The campground is located immediately adjacent to the trails that circle the upper rim of the gorge so you have hiking access to the gorge from the campground. All for $18 per night.
The bad: Bear in mind that these campsites are water and electric only (dump station conveniently located at the entrance) and you have to be careful about the site you get. Some are strictly tent sites only as they are very steep and very unlevel. We experienced this and wound up trying out three sites before we got one that was serviceable for our 30 foot Airstream. The first site was so steep backing in that the rear bumper nearly dragged and Becki was concerned that the plumbing might get drug off. Not to mention that it slopped from side to side that we didn’t have enough Lynx leveler blocks with us to get any where near level. The second site was much more level, but…these campsites have the water and electric located between every other site. Our connections would have been in front of the Airstream and because the tables are concrete and can’t be moved, we would not have been able to get the Airstream close enough for the electric cord or the water hose to reach. So we asked once again to be reassigned. Now I felt really bad because the camp ground was booked solid for the weekend that was coming up and it was nearly full when we checked in. But the campground hosts were really nice and accommodating in helping us get a suitable site. Third time is a charm and, like Goldie Locks, it was just right. In fact, it was a really nice site. Two layers of Lynx blocks on one side and we were level. Easy access for the blue tote and a nice view. The sites were stair stepped and this one didn’t have a site directly in front of it so we had a nice view. Many of the sites do have nice views.
We really had a great time. As we were backing in, Becki heard a guy from Florida a couple of sites over say, “They’re moving again?” Becki called over and said we couldn’t reach the electrical on the other site. He called back, “If you want electricity, go home.” When Becki told me this she said, “Wait ’till he sees us set up the satellite dish!” and I did as soon as I got the awnings deployed and set up the grill, side table, and the awning lights. 
Then, I grilled two fillet mingnons that were to die for. The boys had chocolate milk with their dinner, Becki and I had a very nice Bordeaux.
That’s what I call Camping the Good Life.
We had the bad fortune of the worst thunderstorm I’ve ever experienced in our Airstream on Friday of that week. There was a family that came in and set up their tent on the site next to us early in the day. They had two cars on the site. By lunch they had taken the tent down and left in one of the cars and didn’t return until the next day. I was glad we had plenty of new DVD’s Becki had bought the week before so the boys had movies to watch that they hadn’t seen before. I took an incredibly long nap that afternoon. Rain on aluminum is like a lullaby.
One of the falls in Tallulah Gorge
We had the good fortune in that Georgia Power released extra water on Saturday so kayakers could go over the falls. That is probably why the campground was full for the weekend. This is an annual event. Little did we know. We hiked the trails again to watch the kayakers go over the falls. Jonathan was so excited that all the way back to the Airstream he asked all kinds of questions about how old he would have to be to do that, how old would he have to be to start learning, how do you learn how, etc. Lots of genuine interest in the sport. Jordan on the other hand more or less yawned.
Saturday afternoon, we went to Wal-Mart and picked up a few items for the camping season and when we returned, we went straight to the visitor’s center and toured the museum and viewed a little 15 minute movie that was made about Talullah Gorge. In that movie, they showed close-ups of kayakers going over some of the falls. At the bottom of the falls they went completely under and stayed for what seemed like several seconds (slow motion I’m sure). I leaned over to Jonathan and asked if he still wanted to go kayaking over the falls and he replied, “Yeeeessss.” Well, when he is old enough and strong enough to right one when it capsizes, I’ll probably get him one. And of course that means one for me, too!
Mid-70's Palm Beach GMC Motor Home
One cool thing about the weekend was that a couple came in in a mid-1970’s Palm Beach edition of the GMC motor home. I didn’t get a chance to meet them or ask to see the motor home or anything like that because I didn’t want to intrude, but I thought it was cool to have them as neighbors.
Tags: Streamin
