Fort Mountain - There's a Fungus among us.

Adventure Journal - Entry Date: August 2012We have visited Fort Mountain twice this month, so I guess I can make single journal entry for both weekends. Fort mountain's altitude is especially inviting this time of year because of the oppressive heat and humidity in the valleys. In the south, we call these the "Dog Days" of summer. Fort Mountain State Park is a great escape from Dog Days.

On each of the two weekends we visited Fort Mountain during the month of August, we took a stroll around the lake. The lake path at Fort Mountain State Park is always beautiful, but each visit offers something different to see, hear, and smell. There always seems to be new flowers blooming, or leaves changing, or, in the case of this past weekend, fungus! As we walked along the path this time, we were watching for deer (and bear), reading the informative plaques that identify many of the species of plant, and photographing the picturesque view of the lake. Then one of the kids noticed a colorful mushroom. Then another, and another. Soon, it was a mushroom quest. We saw dozens of sizes, shapes, and colors of the neat little fungi. It was an unexpected surprise that we talked about well into the evening. (see more fungi photos). Note: When visiting a park, please leave all wildlife and vegetation just as you found it so that others may also enjoy its beauty.

When we returned to the campground, we grilled a bunch of peppers (from our garden), tomatoes, garlic, and onions, then combined them into a wonderfully hot batch of salsa that complimented our evening meal of burritos and tacos. The kids really enjoy spicy food, but there were a lot of cold beverages consumed during that meal.

Fort Mountain State Park has a new naturalist, and we had the opportunity to meet him on the latter August visit. He is a retired high school teacher with a lot of energy and knowledge of the mountain and the immediate area. He hosted an evening by the campfire and supplied s'mores for anyone that attended. He has begun a series of weekend activities like knot-tying and orienteering, scavenger hunts, bear talks, and wagon rides. We are excited that Fort Mountain has funded a naturalist again. It's so important to offer fun and educational activities to the park's visitors, especially the younger generation. We still miss Ranger Ruby, Fort Mountain's previous naturalist.

We have mixed emotions about Fort Mountain now. On one hand, we are pleased to see the park is becoming more popular. On the other hand, it's getting more difficult to find a campsite. Both campgrounds were almost full during our recent visits. We met numerous first-time visitors to the park. I'm not sure if it's the economy, or the desire to get back to nature that is attracting these folks, but it's ok. There is plenty of nature to go around. If you're considering Fort Mountain State Park for the fall, you'd better get on the ball. The campgrounds will book-up quickly.

For more details and hundreds of pictures of Fort Mountain State Park (and the fungi within), click here.

Q - Why was the mushroom always invited to parties?
A - Because he was such a fungi!
 

The Richardson Tribe in LA (Lower Alabama)

Florala State Park, Florala, Alabama
As a child (60's and 70's,) and throughout my teenage years, my family visited Florala, Alabama regularly. My mother grew up here. Even now, my mother and father, both in their 80's, attend the annual family reunion here in July. This quaint old town is situated on the Florida/Alabama state line. In fact, the family property was actually located in both Alabama and Florida, which made tax-time very interesting. On this particular extended PB&J Adventure, I thought it would be a good time to introduce my children to this part of their history.

One feature that sets Florala apart from many similar towns is Lake Jackson, the largest natural lake in the state (500 acres). I'm not sure about that claim, seeing as how half the lake is in Florida, but I'm not one to argue. When I was young, there was a municipal park here. A beach and an old pier with a diving board. There were rumors of alligators, but I never saw one.

Since those days, Alabama has made a state park of the property. We love state parks, and we were passing through anyway, so we made it a layover on our Florida Panhandle adventure.

When we arrived at the park, the public areas looked great. As we approached the campground, we were a little worried about the entrance and the appearance around the office and RV storage area. Those worries were quickly tossed aside as we passed the entrance and into the campground. It's small, but very nice. I would have normally selected a lakeside site (which was available), but the Jeep trailer made a pull through more desirable.

After setting up, I took the bikes off the racks so we could explore a little. We discovered a boardwalk that wound through the trees and wetland for a while before becoming a paved path. It was an easy and enjoyable ride. The kids were anxious to reach the playground on the beach, so we went straight there. They played for a while until we started seeing lightning in the far distance. We sprinted back to the campground.

While camping/RVing at Florala State Park, we rode bikes several times, fished, and watched the exotic ducks, geese, and all their babies wander around the campground looking for food. I also have to mention the sunsets. Anyone that knows the Richardson Tribe knows we love sunsets. The combination of peace and quiet, water, sun, and cypress trees with Spanish moss is very relaxing. We will return. Click here for lots more pictures and a park overview.

Chattanooga (and Chester Frost), here we come!

 

We'll be spending the next week or ten days near Chattanooga, Tennessee at Chester Frost, a beautiful county park on the Tennessee River.

Chattanooga has so many things to offer, writing about them will keep me busy for a long while. Besides spending time on the river in the boat and canoes, we'll probably visit Lookout Mountain and the incline, Rock City, Ruby Falls, maybe the Chattanooga Nature Center, certainly the downtown waterfront bike path. We visited the aquarium very recently, so we'll probably try to do some other things downtown. Oh, and there's the zoo! I wonder if there's free music this weekend! I want a Lupi's pizza!

We're so excited!

Chester Frost Park

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