2018 Great Lake States Trip - Tennessee & Kentucky

Photo link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Fsw97V1X1yJ9Byyh6

Friday June 1st – Tuesday, June 5th

Fall Creek Falls, Spencer, Tennessee

This beautiful state park sprawls across 26,000 acres on the Cumberland Plateau in south central Tennessee. There are numerous waterfalls within the rugged gorges of the park. Fall Creek Falls, at 256 feet, is one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern US. Besides forested campgrounds, there is a lodge, inn and conference center, cabins, restaurant, swimming pool and amphitheater. There are over 15 miles of mountain biking trails and 56 miles of hiking trails. 

We had a great campsite in the forested campground. We were happy to have great weather; however, it was warm. We took the dogs hiking and visited the main attraction, Fall Creek Falls. There were a lot of locals at the park to witness the unusually powerful falls. Later we hiked the trail to Piney Creek Falls, crossing one of the suspension bridges to get to the other side of the gorge. All of the falls were still raging due to the recent rainfall. Our next hike was to Cane Creek Falls, which we were able to view from an overlook. The next day, we hiked the Woodland Trail, which meandered through the forest and crossed over the brink of Cane Creek Cascades on a suspension bridge.    This bridge was much longer and wobblier. Luca became so freaked out that Kurt had to carry him across the bridge. I have to admit, it was kind of scary crossing for me with Kody on a leash (who was unaffected at all). After crossing the bridge, we were able to hike down to the base of Cane Creek Cascade Falls. This hike also returned to the Fall Creek Falls Overlook,

There were some mountain biking trails within the park. We drove to one trailhead the first day to check out the conditions. As we expected, the trails were wet and not maintained. There were some downed trees, but were easy enough to haul the bikes over. So after about a mile, we turned around and thought we would try the other biking trail. Kurt took his bike the next day to check out the other mountain biking trail and it was in worse condition. No riding here!

So the next day we thought we would ride the paved trail that followed along the north side of the lake. We started off on this trail, only to find major downed trees blocking the pavement and no way to get around it. It’s a shame that this park was not active in cleaning up the trails. It would have been a beautiful ride. 

The last day there we decided to try the Cable Trail, which was described as a rugged hike down to the base of Fall Creek Falls. The beginning of the hike was as expected, but once we got to the “cable” we discovered this was a 25 foot cable over huge, rugged rocks, requiring the hiker to hold onto the cable to get to the bottom. Wow, neither of us wanted to “repel” downward on this hike. So we headed back to camp. 

Overall, we enjoyed this park, the hiking and the beautiful falls. We were ready to move northward to Kentucky and revisit the “Land Between the Lakes”.

Wednesday, June 6th – Sunday, June 10th 

Land Between the Lakes, National Recreation Area, Grand Rivers, Kentucky

We decided to stay at this federal recreation area, which we visited last October on our way back to Florida (where we stayed during the remnants of Irma). We enjoyed this place since there was so much to do. There were hiking and mountain biking trails, the lakes, and various attractions. These include an Elk & Bison Prairie drive-through, a planetarium, historical “Homeplace Working Farm”, multiple beaches and picnic areas. 

This was a convenient stop-over where we could relax and have some fun. We were able to ride the mountain bike trails and hang out at the lake. It did rain a couple of days and was very hot most days. We thought we were escaping the heat of Florida, but so far it’s been almost as hot, humid and rainy as back at home. Next trip northward, we will move quicker toward the northern states. Hopefully, that will make a difference in getting to cooler climates!

Next on the agenda is Indiana at a great state park. Looking forward to some cooler weather and great mountain biking trails.

2018 Great Lake States Trip - Alabama & Georgia

2018 Great Lakes Trip – Alabama & Georgia

Photo link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/lXtWmMqv1LJfGlEF2

Friday, May 18^th – Thursday, May 31^st      

Oak Mountain State Park, Birmingham, Alabama

This was the third time we have stayed at this state park, and we really love it. Even though there were a couple of days of some rain, it was not enough to keep us off of the hiking and biking trails. The mountain biking trails here are excellent and we enjoyed riding them again. We took Kody and Luca on a great hike to the Eagle’s Nest Overlook. This is a 3 mile round trip, steep, moderately strenuous hike up to the top. The weather was great and we all enjoyed the afternoon on the trail. Each time we hike up there we have never seen an eagles nest, but the hike was still great. Another day we hiked the Yellow trail to a point called Maggie’s Glen, then continued around the White trail for a 2.5 mile loop. The dogs always enjoy stopping at the creek crossings to get in the water and get a big drink. 

One afternoon when the weather was beautiful, so we took snacks, drinks, and the dogs to the smaller lake (Beaver Lake) to just relax and hang out. At this lake is a watersports park called “Flip Side”, with cable tow lines for wake boarding. There are obstacles in the water to maneuver. They teach wake boarding and host competitions. It was very interesting and unique to see.

Oak Mountain State Park is one of our “go backs” and we always stop there when traveling through Alabama. After eight days of fun, we were ready to move north to NW Georgia.

Cloudland Canyon State Park, Rising Fawn, Georgia

After spending a night at a Walmart along the way (Saturday night on Memorial Day weekend there were no campsites available anywhere), we arrived at this state park and got settled in our site. This is a park where you can pick your site of any that are available. We found a great one where we were even able to get a satellite signal though the trees! This park is on the Cumberland Plateau on Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia.

One of our main interests in this park was mountain biking trails, we were so excited to try some new trails. The first day there was great, we drove around and did some small hikes along the canyon rim to overlooks. The next day we took the dogs hiking down to the lower falls. Half way through the hike it began raining and we encountered stairs down to the canyon that were open metal grates. The dogs were not able to walk on them because their feet would get caught in the grate. Oh well, we then headed back to the campground after we were all soaking wet!  The next day, Kurt went on his own to hike down to the two waterfalls in the canyon floor. Despite the rain, he made it through the hike and got some decent pictures of the falls.

So with the rainy weather, we were not able to ride the mountain bike trails. We drove to the trail head and walked back into the trails and found they were too wet and slippery to ride. We were so disappointed to not be able to ride these trails as they were highly rated.

During the five days that we were there, Alberto storms rained on us for four days. We were all getting cabin (RV) fever and were not able to get out and be active. What a bummer. So we just decided we will have to come back here another time when it’s not hurricane season. We did have fun watching the hummingbirds at our feeder, despite the rain they were still visiting!

So on to our next adventure in Tennessee at a great state park.

2018 Great Lake States Trip - Florida

2018 Great Lakes Trip – Florida

Photo link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rHGRBC5H8oaD1NhR2

Sunday, April 29^th – Friday, May 25^th     

Alafia River State Park, Lithia, Florida

Our first stop was at one of our favorite State Parks with amazing mountain biking and a great campground. This park is located near Lithia, Florida, just 10 miles southeast of Tampa. Alafia River SP has some of the best mountain bike trails in the state, which are built on a naturally reclaimed phosphate mine, with radical elevation changes. After the mining was completed, the land was donated to the state by the mining company decades ago. The trails are highly rated by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) and draws mountain bikers from around the world. We also love the campground with natural, spacious sites. The land within the park is dotted with small lakes and creeks, thus allowing for all types of wildlife. We have even seen alligators on the trails! We spent six days there, mostly riding the trails. We took the dogs on a couple of hikes, which they just love. While there, we were visited by some longtime friends from Kansas. Rusty and Debbie were staying in Tampa on a job and were able to take a day off work and come over for some special time reconnecting. As always, we truly enjoyed our time there with terrific weather.

Santos Campground State Park, Belleview, Florida

This is another of our favorite parks in Florida, located just south of Ocala. We love the trail system here, with mountain biking for all skill levels. The trails are mostly in the forest, with great elevation changes and technical challenges. This park is where we really learned to mountain bike. These trails lie within the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, which traverses the whole state, east-west. This land was set aside for recreational use for the people. Recently, a paved trail was completed for road bikers. There are 80+ miles of trails that are maintained by the Ocala Mountain Bikers Association (OMBA), which includes trails for all skill levels. This is a place that I particularly love, as it has allowed me to improve all my riding skills. I’m proud to say that I have ridden all the trails, except for the black and red trails. They are so much fun and provide such great exercise. The Florida Trail also traverses through this park, which allows us to hike there with our dogs. A few miles away is another mountain bike trail system at park Balm Boyette. These trails are more technical, which Kurt loves to ride. We stayed here for six days and again enjoyed our time on the trails.

Coe Landing County Campground, Tallahassee Florida

As we traveled west across the state, we stopped near Tallahassee at a county campground that is on Lake Talquin. We had never been here before and were pleasantly surprised at the nice campground and the lake front sites. We spent three nights there, just relaxing, driving around to check out the area. Kurt did get his kayak in the water to fish and hang out with the gators! It was a nice stopover along our way.

Blackwater River State Park, Milton, Florida

Our last stop in Florida was Blackwater River SP. We have stayed here twice before and just love the campground, the river, hiking trails and biking nearby. We were only able to get four nights reserved, so it was a brief stop. While there we were able to ride the mountain biking trails nearby, Red Rock Trails. These are simply fun trail riding, nothing technical. We also took the dogs down to the river to run and play on the sandbars. Again, we enjoyed our time there.

On to Alabama!

2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Tennessee & Alabama

Photo link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Kv6Ylll4YAqMuOGc2

Thursday, September 14^th – Sunday, September 17^th  

Pickwick Dam Tennessee River RV Park, Savannah, Tennessee

We headed south towards Tennessee, taking the back roads again. Upon leaving Kentucky, we have now RV’ed in all states; except for Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. We plan to do the Great Lake states next summer.

This stop in Savannah, Tennessee is at another riverfront RV park. The campground is managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, (TVA), which runs the Pickwick Dam. The campground was very nice, shady and spacious sites. The managers were very friendly and helpful. There were not a lot of activities in this area, mostly driving around and visiting local sights. Kurt sat on the riverbank for many hours watching the barges go up and down with their cargo. We also met some really nice RVers that had two pure bred basenjis. They were so adorable, but such different personalities than our mixed basenjis.

We visited the Pickwick Dam up close and were amazed at the size of this dam. This dam facilitated a major electric generation plant on the Tennessee River. Kurt rode his bike across the dam and watched barges go through the locks.

After four nights there we were anxious to head to Alabama, where there are some great mountain biking trails.

 

Monday, September 18^th – Sunday, September 24^th

Camping World/Good Sam RV Campground, Oxford, Alabama

We drove south to Anniston, Alabama. There were mountain biking trails that we had researched and they looked great. We camped in the town of Oxford, just south of Anniston. The campground was actually owned and managed by Camping World, which was right next door. The RV park was very nice and well managed. We are finding that Camping World has begun buying campgrounds adjacent to their retail/service stores. How smart!

The city of Anniston is a very historic area. We drove into town and viewed the historic section and the old brick buildings. It is a very quaint town with lots of industrial areas. Oxford seemed to be a newer area, with all the shopping that anyone would need.

Over the last couple of years, other mountain bikers had recommended Coldwater Mountain biking trails and they were right! We biked there for 5 days and truly enjoyed the great, well designed and managed trails. So much fun! And we met some very nice local people on the trails.

One day we took a break from biking and drove 25 miles south to Cheaha State Park in the Talladega National Forest. Wow, what a beautiful drive up into the mountains! We learned that this forest is called the “exclamation point” on the most southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. The highest peak in the Park is also the highest point in Alabama. We took the dogs and a picnic with us. We hiked on two different trails which went out to amazing overlooks. It kind of reminded me of some trails in the Smoky Mountains. This is such a different state park; they have cabins, hotel rooms with a pool and view from the mountain top, full hook up campsites, primitive camping, group and banquet facilities, swimming and fishing lake, two museums and picnic areas. We really enjoyed our day in the park and so did the dogs.

Anniston is another one of our “go back” places. The mountain biking trails make this a great place to stay and play!

2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, Grand Rivers, KY

Photo link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sb79V7CfV7lp3DtV2

Tuesday, September 5^th – Wednesday, September 13^th   

Hillman Ferry Campground, Grand Rivers, Kentucky

We headed south from Shelbyville towards western Kentucky. Again we drove the back roads as opposed to the interstates. In this part of the state the back roads were not so great, in some areas they were very narrow farm roads with very uneven surfaces. Along the way Kurt was checking the odometer as we turned over the 100,000 miles on our 2008 F-250 truck. We knew it was coming soon. So now we're out of our extended warranty, ugh. 

On the last leg of the trip we passed through the city of Paducah Kentucky and then entered the Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL). This is a huge inland peninsula of 170,000 acres of forest, wetlands and open lands. It lies between the Tennessee River on the west and the Cumberland River on the east. The recreation area is about 35 miles long from north to south and extends south into Tennessee. This amazing place is filled with so many things to do; everything from RV/tent camping to Backcountry camping, marinas and boat launches, golf courses, beaches and picnic areas. There were various attractions, such as the Woodland Nature Station, a drive-thru Elk & Bison Prairie, and a Visitor Center with a Planetarium and Observatory. Also, the Homeplace 1850s Farm, over 100 miles of mountain biking trails, 261 miles of hiking trails, and historic areas. This area was in the Totality Eclipse in August. We were told there were close to 100,000 people in the LBL to view the eclipse! And the area will also be in totality for the April, 2024 solar eclipse.

We camped at Hillman Ferry Campground, which was on the Tennessee River side of the recreation area. We were able to find a nice waterfront campsite. We also found a great day use area with a beach called Moss Creek. There we were able to watch the barges go up the river and watch sunset. The dogs really enjoyed running leash free around the beach. 

On two different days we visited the dams. The Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River side and went into a really nice Visitor Center there. Then another day we visited the Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River side. It had limited access for visitors, but was nice to see the dams and the power generation systems up close.

One day we decided to go to the South Visitor Center and spend some time there, viewing the historical information and then to a planetarium show. The show was very interesting, although the videography was a little outdated, we still enjoyed it.  

While camping there we began watching the progress of Hurricane Irma and was worried about where it was going to strike in Florida. As our next plans were to move south into Tennessee, we started looking at the path, which projected the remnants heading right up into the Tennessee Valley where we were. So we decided rather than driving into the storm, we would stay put in our campsite for an extra two days. So we just hunkered down, stayed in the camper or under the awning for a couple of days. We were all pretty bored and ready for this storm to be over. The next day the weather was beautiful, which made the drive south a lot easier. We were also very happy with the path that the hurricane did go, as the east coast of Florida was not impacted as they had projected. We continued to check on our family and friends and make sure everyone was safe and were okay after the storm. 

We truly enjoyed the Land Between The Lakes and have decided that we will come back here someday. As we only have four more states to visit: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, this will be a great stop over area. (For Steve & Celia, we will definitely visit you on this trip, hopefully next summer).

Now on to Tennessee, where we will stay by another dam, this one on the Tennessee River. Kurt has more barges to watch!

2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Shelbyville, Illinois

Photo link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/esEq7e7t86artHvZ2

Tuesday, August 2^th – Monday, September 4th 

Lithia Springs Army Corps Campground, Lake Shelbyville, Illinois

Leaving Dubuque, we headed south through the back-road highways until we reached the Illinois state line.  At that point, we ended up taking interstates heading southeast down to Lake Shelbyville. At one point we did continue on back road highways through many agricultural areas. The small town of Shelbyville is in south central Illinois and in a huge farming area. Just 7 miles from town is Lake Shelbyville Recreation Area, which is run by the Army Corps of Engineers. The lake is huge with many campgrounds, resorts & marinas available to so many locals and people traveling through the area. Since we were arriving on a Tuesday after Labor Day weekend we were able to find a great first-come first-serve campsite that has full hookups. So we planned on staying a full week there.

We stopped at the very extensive Visitor Center for Lake Shelbyville Army Corps. There were many displays explaining the local flora and fauna, local wildlife, the history of the building of the dam and some history of the town of Shelbyville. Very interesting to learn more about this area.

Prior to arriving, we were aware of some mountain biking trails that were on the lake side peninsulas and just north of the town of Shelbyville. Before we went to the trails we were thinking, "How good could trails be in a little local agricultural town?". We were quite surprised once we got on the trails and found that they were very well designed, a lot of fun and not too technical. We actually rode the trails on three different days and truly enjoyed them. Just adjacent to the trails was a really nice city park called Forest Park. There was plenty of parking and connector trails back to the mountain bike trails. We were very impressed with such a nice city park for a small town. It has a swimming pool, picnic areas, tennis courts, soccer fields, baseball fields, an old Carousel Building that looked like it was being renovated and a beautiful gardens area called the Sunken Gardens. There were a lot of locals visiting and enjoying this park.

We also met some very nice local people. One of our RV camping neighbors are from Shelbyville. Very nice people, just good country people that love the area and love hanging out at the lake. We hope that someday they'll come to Florida for a visit. 

This campground was just such a nice place to chill out with fellow campers, relax a little bit and have some fun with the mountain biking nearby. Every time we stay at an Army Corps campground, we really enjoy the facilities and the surrounding activities. We also enjoy the 50% Senior Discounts that we get for camping.

Next we will be heading south towards a campground in southwestern Tennessee, on the Tennessee River.

 

2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Dubuque, Iowa

Photo link:

https://goo.gl/photos/1raWKD2JDGJF4PvJ6

Friday, August 25^th – Monday, August 28^th 

Miller Riverview RV Park, Dubuque, Iowa

We packed up and headed south out of the Saint Paul Minnesota area towards Dubuque Iowa. Our goal was to stay on the Mississippi River and experience more of the river and its history. As we drove south out of Minnesota and through Iowa we saw more massive farms along the way. As we got closer to Dubuque and the Mississippi River we noticed that the farming process was different, Kurt called it contour farming. We later found out that there are farming regulations for any watershed from farms that drain into the Mississippi River. Crop row ridges of varying crop types are built by tilling and planting on the contour of the land to create hundreds of small dams. These ridges or dams slow the water flow and increase filtration, which reduces erosion and sediments. It was really quite beautiful to see, especially looking at satellite views of the farms and the amazing designs in the crops. He just loves this stuff and looking at the farmlands.

As we drove along the Great River Road southward, there were a couple of overlooks where we were able to view the Mississippi River and learn more history about the river. We finally arrived in Dubuque Iowa. It was really exciting to arrive at the Riverview RV Park right down at the river level. It was quite beautiful and we were able to watch barges and other boats heading up and down the river. 

We decided on the first full day there to drive around area, particularly in the City and check out the variety of interesting places to visit. The city is a river port, very industrial and with so many original brick buildings throughout downtown. We found a beautiful riverside park that was dedicated to the founder of Dubuque, Julien Dubuque, from Quebec Canada. His grave site is at this park named the Mines of Spain, on a lovely overlook. This park is near the location of his lead mines where he made his fortune, along with fur trading with the Indians. Another day we found downtown along the Riverside was an enormous museum, The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. At this wonderful Museum we learned more history of Dubuque, how Julien Dubuque founded the city and was an important person in the life of the people. There was a lot of information in the museum regarding Mark Twain. We learned how paddle/steam boat building was a major industry in Dubuque for many decades. We were also able to tour a historical river boat that was a dredging ship and built in Dubuque. The museum has a 3D movie theater and we were able to watch a National Geographic movie called Extreme Weather. It was really cool as it was in 4D, which along with the 3D, provided special effects of wind, smells and moisture that coordinated with the scenes you were viewing. It was pretty awesome.

Another day we drove up to Eagle Point Park, where we were able to see some beautiful long-distance views of the river and the Mississippi River Lock and Dam # 11. On another day, Kurt was also able to paddle from the campground up to the dam and then paddle back. He was really excited to again get his kayak on the Mississippi River. From our campground we were able to see a major bridge that crossed the river over into Wisconsin. That highway is along the border between Wisconsin and Illinois, they call this the Tri-State area.

We truly enjoyed our visit to Dubuque. There is so much history there that we learned about. We met a lot of really nice local people. This would probably be the last time we would be crossing or be near the Mississippi River on this trip, it was a fun journey. Next, we will head south into Illinois