Moto Mountain ATV Park - Fairmount, Georgia

Moto Mountain ATV Park is located near Fairmount in North Georgia. It's very convenient to Atlanta and Chattanooga, just about 20 minutes off Interstate 75 from Calhoun. It is also near some of our other favorite destinations like Fort Mountain State Park and Carters Lake. 

Check-in is at Motorcycle Bob's, a local icon situated on Highway 53 east of Fairmount. This little shop sells gas, rents motorcycles, ATVs, and helmets, serves food, and sells various other supplies and trinkets. The ladies behind the counter are very nice and eager to make your visit pleasant. Once you sign the release forms and pay-up, it's a short jaunt to Moto Mountain. As you enter the park, you will begin to see the many trails to your left. Pretty cool!
 

The area has obviously been logged, and I would assume many of the tracks are remnants of old logging trails. The large property is covered with snaking one-way trails that resemble motocross tracks in some places. There are mud bogs, jumps, and numerous play areas all for the powersports enthusiast. There are some places you may want to avoid with novice riders, but for the most part, the trails are in pretty good shape and not incredibly challenging. Don't get me wrong, when we first arrived for our visit, I was a little apprehensive about whether the kids could handle the mud and hill climbs, but they all came through wonderfully. It was actually a great learning experience for them. Additionally, all trails are one-way making riding much safer for everyone.

The environment itself is made for motorcycle and ATV lovers. There is a culture there that, if you are not familiar, could be a little scary at first. There is a lot of dirt and mud, and lots of machines running around, but it's all pretty safe. In fact, we camped at the back of the property near the Pee Wee Play Area and had a couple of nice long trails virtually to ourselves. Note: If you are a citified yuppy that doesn't like to get your fingernails dirty, STAY AWAY! 

The folks that run Moto Mountain are down to earth good-old southern country folk (and I mean that as a compliment) that bend over backward to make sure you visit is the best it can be. If you are camping, they'll come by and check on you, even dropping-off some firewood if you wish. Thanks guys! You made our visit to Moto Mountain feel safe and comfortable.

Moto Mountain is a purpose-made retreat that is designed for one thing: riding. Yes, there are other amenities they offer like a zip line, but off road riding is what it's all about. If that's what you seek, then you won't be disappointed. In summary., we can't wait to go back (but we'll need to save-up a little). We suggest a family plan.

For lots more pictures, a video, a review, and a journal entry about Moto Mountain, click here.

Twelve Days of a Dixie Christmas #1

A Countdown to our Favorite Christmas Destination
The Christmas season is taken pretty seriously in the southeastern US, and the Richardson Tribe has a dozen suggested destinations to make your holidays more adventurous. Over the next 12 days, we will reveal each of our favorite RV camping and recreation spots until we reach our #1 Christmas Holiday Destination. Come back each day to see the places this southern family has grown to love.

---

1 - Home Sweet Home

We hope our #1 favorite Christmas destination doesn't disappoint our readers. But the fact is, as much as we enjoy travel, camping, and adventure, sharing Christmas day at home with our extended family is most important.

As a rule, the entire Richardson family comes together at Granny and Paw Paw Richardson's home for a Christmas day brunch each year, exchanging gifts, and visiting with brothers. sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles. It's a lot of fun, and it's a family tradition. We live next door to Granny and Paw Paw, so it's really easy to have our traditional early Christmas morning at home, then walk (or ride) up the hill for our late morning meal.

We are fortunate to live in a rural north Georgia setting surrounded by family where we can run and play to our heart's content. Many of the outdoor things we like to do on the road are also available right here at home. We can shoot our bows and arrows, ride Herbie (our golf cart), fish, and play with our animals (we have four goats, three bunnies, two cats, and eight chickens). 

This year, we decided to add some new outdoor goodies to our stable. Santa brought two motorcycles and two ATVs, perfect for our little family. I suspect these new toys may lead to a whole new set of adventures.

So, there you have it. The Richardson Tribe's absolute favorite place in the whole wide world to spend Christmas day is home sweet home. Now, the day after Christmas, that's another story. We'll be heading for the Smoky Mountains and some snow skiing at Cataloochee ski area, maybe Dollywood, and maybe the Biltmore Estate. We are excited to be staying at a new place in Maggie Valley this year. Who knows what other adventures we might discover.

Merry Christmas everyone. Now, go somewhere and do something!

Twelve Days of a Dixie Christmas #7

A Countdown to our Favorite Christmas Destination
The Christmas season is taken pretty seriously in the southeastern US, and the Richardson Tribe has a dozen suggested destinations to make your holidays more adventurous. Over the next 12 days, we will reveal each of our favorite RV camping and recreation spots until we reach our #1 Christmas Holiday Destination. Come back each day to see the places this southern family has grown to love.

---

#7 - James Island Park - Charleston, South Carolina

James Island Park consists of thick forests, lush green lowlands, and thriving tidal marshes crisscrossed with smooth winding bike paths, one of which leads to a creek and fishing dock. This area is a natural host to alligators, crabs, birds, kayaks, outdoorsy types, and fishing.

Every year during the Christmas season, James Island hosts a festival of lights. This event features a three-mile driving tour displaying hundreds of decorations and millions of lights. Santa's in attendance for photos and special Christmas requests. There is a carousel, a rock climbing wall, concerts, arts and crafts, train rides, carnival rides, food, hot cocoa, and so much more, all climaxing with a fireworks extravaganza on New Years Eve!

The campground at James Island has slightly rustic full hookup sites surrounded by tropical vegetation. Everything in the park is within walking or biking distance from the
campsites. In warmer weather, the water park, a five minute walk, is a very popular in-park destination.

Of course, being this near Charleston means there are literally hundreds of great places to go and things to do. Fresh seafood abounds year round here, so finding a delicious meal is a pretty simple task. We also enjoy riding downtown to the market to browse the hand-made goods and admire the old buildings. Imagine all that gingerbread architecture decorated for Christmas. It's absolutely beautiful!

So there you have it. Our #7 favorite Christmas Holiday Destination is James Island Park in Charleston, South Carolina. Click here If you would like to see more pictures and details about this awesome destination. Come back tomorrow to discover #6.

Note: James Island offers up to 40% off on RV sites during January and February. 

Twelve Days of a Dixie Christmas - #9

A Countdown to our Favorite Christmas Destination The Christmas season is taken pretty seriously in the southeastern US, and the Richardson Tribe has a dozen suggested destinations to make your holidays more adventurous. Over the next 12 days, we will reveal each of our favorite RV camping and recreation spots until we reach our #1 Christmas Holiday Destination. Come back each day to see the places this southern family has grown to love. #9 - Noccalula Falls Park: Gadsden, Alabama For today's destination, we head north to Gadsden, Alabama. With a full-hookup campground, an open air passenger train, a village of century-old buildings, a vintage covered bridge, lots of cool animals, a killer playground, and some rather spectacular waterfalls, Noccalula Falls is already an awesome destination. Add thousands of Christmas lights, holiday decorations, and Santa, and this quaint small-town park becomes a magical Christmas holiday destination. The legend of the waterfall and the Native American (Creek) princess Noccalula are the central theme of this popular little park. Actually, it's not just one little park, it's several smaller parks that, when combined, make for one awesome destination. . While the legend is tragic, and the falls can be spectacular, the city has made this place much more. I believe the falls could dry-up, and the park would still draw visitors. It is a historic and beautiful place that we'd recommend to anyone.   If you read about just a few of our adventures, you may begin notice a common thread:ANIMALS. We really love animals! Noccalula Falls has an unusual collection of species, mostly farm animals, but some a bit more exotic. A stand-out memory in all our minds is the encounter we had with a young buck in the petting zoo. He was such a beautiful creature, and he licked the kids hands. He was no reindeer, but he was cuddly.   So there you have it, our 9th favorite Christmas Holiday Destination. For lots more pictures and details about Noccalula Falls, click here. Come back tomorrow to see our 8th favorite Christmas holiday destination.

Twelve Days of a Dixie Christmas - #10

A Countdown of our Favorite Southeastern Christmas Destinations

The Christmas season is taken pretty seriously in the southeastern US, and the Richardson Tribe has a dozen suggested destinations to make your holidays more adventurous. Over the next 12 days, we will publish a new destination each day until we reveal our #1 Christmas holiday destination.

#10 - Silver Springs, Nature's Theme Park: Silver Springs, Florida

Now we continue the theme of non-traditional winter vacation spots with Silver Springs park in central Florida. By late December, the Richardson Tribe is ready for a few days of balmy weather. Warmth makes for a nice break in the dreary wet cold days just a little further north.

Silver Springs, located near Ocala, Florida, is an ancient source of relatively warm water that proliferates lush vegetation and abundant wildlife including birds, gators, snakes, and monkeys. Yes, monkeys. They're everywhere, as are the Christmas lights.

Silver Springs is a natural paradise that has been retrofitted (emphasis on retro) for the 20th..... uhhh, 21st century. I say this because many of us southerners visited Silver Springs as kids about long long ago. Silver Springs is a legendary southern destinations that dates back to the 1870s when an early entrepreneur built the first glass bottom boat. The water here is crystal clear, and the view of the aquatic life and vegetation is spectacular. Today, the famous Silver Springs glass bottom boats still take tourists on scenic and educational tours of the river fed by the ancient spring.

When the sun sets during the Christmas season, Silver Springs becomes a winter wonderland. There are thousands (maybe millions) of lights that illuminate the park's many natural features. It's a truly spectacular sight.

While visiting Silver Springs, we recommend RV camping at Salt Springs Recreation Area. It's located in the Ocala National Forest, and features a pristine warm spring with a family of manatee residing just beneath the glassy warm water.

So, there you have it, our 10th favorite Christmas destination. Visit us tomorrow to discover the vacation spot we consider #9.

On The Air:

The Richardson Tribe will be guests on "Road Rebelles" talk radio Sunday night, November 25 at 10pm. Tune in to hear about how the big adventure began. If you have a specific topic you'd like to hear about, please visit our Facebook page and make a suggestion. I'm sure we can work it in. New Affiliate: We've been big fans of Fulltime Families for quite a long time, and now we are an affiliate publisher. Check out their website to see all the great benefits they provide for traveling families. They have several books with titles like How to Hit the Road 2012, Everything You Wanted To Know About Homeschooling, Perfect Games For Travel, and more. Additionally, they publish a magazine that will keep you updated on the latest family travel news.

Life on the PB&J Micro-Farm - June 1, 2012

Life on the PB&J Micro-Farm - June 1, 2012A lot has happened since our last PB&J Micro-Farm update. The vegetables in the raised bed garden have progressed quite nicely, and we have already been enjoying our own home-grown food. The first treats from the garden were radishes. They came up quickly, and matured just as fast. Soon afterward, the lettuce began to produce... BIG TIME!. We are pulling the lettuce leaves from around the outside of the plant, and they keep producing. We are having a lot of salads, and giving the excess to the bunnies and other family members. The jalapeño and various other peppers are coming in like mad. To celebrate our first pepper harvest, the children decided to have a salsa recipe contest. The kids worked and worked on their own concoctions, and Rebecca and I were the judges. I really must learn to suppress my facial expressions when tasting the food product of my chef-like children. Hey! It was GREAT! From the Three Sisters Bed, we have begun to harvest yellow squash, corn, and zucchini. There are dozens of new fruit on the plants, and they are growing to picking size quicker than we expected. Cucumbers, especially the pickling kind, are abundant, and the salad cucumbers are just starting to come of age. The string-trellis tomato vines are covered with over 100 tomatoes of various sizes that will be mature, red, and ripe for the picking within a week or so. With the radishes all harvested, we used the newly freed-up space to plant pumpkins. Hopefully, they will be ready right around mid-October. Also, I'm not sure if it was because of the unusually early heat this year or what, but we had very little success with our spinach. We harvested and ate some, but it just wasn't hardy. We pulled the last of the spinach out of the raised bed and planted purple hull peas in its place. Purple hull peas are a southern delight, and they just love heat, something of which we have plenty. The children have slowly become more an more attracted to the garden since everything is blooming and producing food. They're amazed at how fast the zucchinis and yellow squash grow (but we still can't get them to eat either). They have all participated in the planting and harvest, and one or two have helped with the weeding. It has certainly been a learning experience for all of us. Here are a few pictures of the garden. Click to zoom.