Chattahoochee Bend State Park - Georgia's Newest!

Chattahoochee Bend State Park is located in west/central Georgia near Newnan. Georgia's newest state park covers almost 3,000 acres and protects about 7 miles of Chattahoochee River shoreline.

Chattahoochee Bend has several features that make it appealing to a variety of outdoor lovers. If you enjoy canoeing, kayaking, boating, and fishing, the park has a boat ramp and lots of river to explore. There are several miles of trails for hiking.

Amenities include two RV friendly campgrounds, platform camping, and several screened Adirondack shelters. There is a playground in the one open RV campground and another playground near the boat ramp. There are also two very nice pavilions, a large grill, and various other picnic tables and grills scattered on the river bank in the same area.

The park is relatively isolated. The closest store is about six mile away, and it's a small gas station. There isn't a lot to do in the area. McIntosh Reserve, a really neat Carroll County park, is located almost directly across the river from Chattahoochee Bend, but it's about a 35 minute drive. Banning Mills is also about a 30 minute drive.

 
Now, for the negatives...
Read more about the park, including a detailed account of our visit and lots more pictures!

Cloudland Canyon State Park

A Southern Winter Wonderland - Read the full story

Adventure Journal - Entry Date: January 2011
The first morning of this adventure to Cloudland Canyon State Park welcomed us with a chilly 20-degree air temperature, and a frozen water source. I thought I'd conquered the frozen-hose problem with heated tape (cable), but this time, the spigot was the victim. A minute or two with the blow-dryer solved the problem. 

After the kids indulged in a couple of lazy hours in the warm camper, everyone finally emerged with layers of clothing: long-johns, jeans, sweats, gloves, trapper hats, and walking sticks. We were prepared!

The air was cool, but we were blessed with warm sunshine. We first wanted to show the kids the canyon from above. It had been a long time since our last visit, so the twins didn't remember it very well. We walked a short distance North from the campground to the "Point", an overlook that provides an awe-inspiring view of Sitton's Gulch, Daniel's Creek, and many miles Northward to Tennessee. Note: Parents and owners of small pets BEWARE! There are a couple of places at this overlook where it would be very easy to fall. Keep an eye on young ones at all times.

Next, we hiked down the massive steel and wooden staircases leading into the Southeastern end of the canyon. The descent was easy and safe, even with fresh snow on the surface of the boards. The steel steps are slip-free, and the boardwalks were easily navigable. The icicles clinging to the cliffs resembled glass organ pipes on cold gray walls of stone. Very surreal. I took dozens of pictures on the "trip" down (pardon the pun). The sights were something Rebecca and I will remember forever, and I think the kids will too.

The scene at the first set of waterfalls was magical. The mist from the crashing water had crystallized on everything surrounding the pool at the base. These images don't begin to capture the sunlight and the colors of the canyon. The rocks, the trees, the logs, everything had a sheet of ice. The kids would have been happy to stay there playing and exploring all day. But it was cold in the shadows of the canyon, and we had more to see. From here, we doubled back to the point to go right to exit, or to go left to seet the second set of falls. Decision time...

After staring down the seemingly endless sets of stairways descending to the second waterfall, some of the Tribe decided to take a rest before heading out of the canyon. Others, myself included, decided to bite the bullet and trek the additional distance to see the sites at the bottom. I have mixed emotions about the choice I made. It was just 3/10 of a mile, but it was mostly steps. Whew! Climbing out was going to be a job. I photographed the second waterfall as well as the footbridge crossing Daniel's creek before heading out of the canyon. More pictures and the full story...

Georgia Veterans State Park - Another Tribe Adventure

PB&J Adventure Journal - Read the full article for lots more pictures.

Entry Date: February, 2010

This adventure turned out to be just that, an adventure. The expected became the unexpected, and the unexpected became the expected... rather unexpectedly.

Ok, so the plan was to head South with some friends last February. South to a warmer climate. What better time to visit hot sweaty South Georgia than in the Winter. As the departure day neared, the forecast became very unusual for the region. Snow! Snow in Cordele, Georgia! This was a rare event indeed. We bought some tubes and took off work early to get ahead of the weather. We were stoked! Snow in South Georgia!

It snowed hard on us most of the way to Cordele, but the roads were pretty warm and stayed clear right up until we arrived at Georgia Veterans State Park. We found our site and began setting-up. Flakes were the size of golf balls, and splatted when they hit the ground. It was a wet snow, and it was stacking-up fast.

By the time I'd finished hooking us up it was snowing very hard, it was really cold, and the sun was gone. I had the unpopular task of sending the kids inside, assuring them that the snow would be piled-up good in the morning ready for play. Tubing, snowmen, and snowball fights would fill our day. They were excited, I was optimistic, I was sadly mistaken.

When we got up Saturday morning, all the snow was gone. The white precipitation had turned to rain sometime during the night and washed the snow away. It was cold outside as well as inside. Daddy was not the most popular resident at the campsite, at least for a while. All was soon forgiven though, it was, after all, my Birthday.

We spent the remainder of time at the park fishing and exploring the museum. It was a very cold weekend, so we kept a fire roaring all the time. We celebrated valentines day and Lee Thomas' Birthday while on this trip as well.

On President's day, we hopped on the Sam's Shortline Train to Plains, home of former President Jimmy Carter. It leaves from the park. There was an actor on the train impersonating Teddy Roosevelt. He spoke at an auditorium in Plains, and was entertaining although he probably should have rehearsed a little more. We had previously visited the childhood home of President Carter, so this was more about the train ride than anything. One thing of note regarding Plains, there is no ATM. Yes, that's right, as of the time of our last visit, Plains has no ATM, anywhere, not even the bank. Be prepared.

In Summary, Georgia Veterans State Park is an awesome destination with a good many nearby attractions. In warmer weather, I would think getting a lakeside site might be a bit more difficult because fishing and water sports are what this place is made for. The weather's usually pretty nice this time of year. We just happened upon an unusual weather event. On the bright side, we didn't see a single gator.
                          The Richardson Tribe