Tuesday, December 16 - We got up about 7:00 AM and started getting ready to leave. We said our goodbyes and were ready to leave at 10:07 and 75 degrees and arrived about noon after driving 61 miles and encountering a traffic jam near the skyway due to an accident. We got set up, had some lunch, and launched the kayaks from the shoreline near our campsite for some late afternoon fishing. We saw a lot of action, but did not even get a hit. John will get a fishing report and we will try again tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 17 – We took our coffee walk around the campground, which is nearly empty now, and then returned for a pancake breakfast. After cleaning up, we launched the kayaks for a day of fishing. John caught three trout and a large ladyfish and fought a very large trout that took our all the fly line to the backing before getting off right at the boat. Oh well, he was going to release it anyway. The season for trout is closed until January. Joan is having trouble casting the heavier flies that John had success on today. We are really enjoying being out on the water with temperatures around 80 degrees and bright sun.
Thursday, December 18 – We decided to take a break from the kayaks, so after breakfast we headed over to the beach for some surf fishing. We wound up on the channel that goes by the beach and fished it for some time. We met a couple, Ray and Loretta, from St. Pete who we talked to and fished with. They caught a few whiting, but we came up empty.
Friday, December 19 - After breakfast and our usual coffee walk, we launched the kayaks near our site for some more fishing. John caught three trout in edges of deeper areas. He rigged Joan with a little heavier Clouser fly that had fairly sparse material. After a few casts, Joan landed a very nice (about 18 inch) trout. It was a beautiful day on the water.
Saturday, December 20 – Not a quiet night. We got new neighbors, a couple of high-schoolers, who talked loudly most of the night. We have decided to avoid this park on the weekends and just come Sunday thru Friday. This morning Bruce and Cheryl came out for some kayaking. Bruce and John fished while Joan and Cheryl paddled and talked. John caught a 2 pound ladyfish that gave him a very good fight and a flounder that was a little too small to keep. It was another beautiful day on the water.
Sunday, December 21 – Today was a down day for us and an opportunity to do a little clean up. The night was a little quieter, but we were awakened by a very noisy cleaning crew working on the restrooms about 6:30 AM. We walked over to meet a couple (Bob and Judy) who let us know on http://rv.net/ that they would be here and to come over for a burger. It was a little early for that, but we enjoyed talking to them. Bob has many innovative ideas to solve various camping problems. We watched a football game in the afternoon and then after dinner, took our fly rods over near the office where there is room to fish. After several minutes, John hooked up with another 2 pound ladyfish with a very appreciative audience of young ones. They were very excited to see someone fight a fish on a fly rod. Just after dark we took a walk along the shoreline and the RV section and talked to a couple who were sitting by their fire. He was a minister for many years and now leads missionary trips into Canada to start churches among the Native Americans there. They were very interesting to talk to.
Monday, December 22 – It was a bit cool and windy here today, with a high in the mid 60’s, but we did fish some. We started out by walking up the road to the boat ramp near the bridge that crosses Bunce Pass. We stopped several times to throw in on the left side of the road, and tried around the boat ramps. John caught a very small trout by the ramps. Other than that it was just an opportunity to get some good exercise walking. We came back and ate early as Joan wanted to get the fridge cleaned out. John cleaned the bed end tops to get some unknown substance off them and we got a few things ready to go tomorrow. We then went back to the sea wall in the pet area where Joan caught a flounder, but it was too small to keep.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/FtDesotoCountyParkStPetersburgFLDec1622?feat=directlink
Oscar Scherer State Park Osprey, FL (Dec 2 - 15, 2008)
Tuesday, December 2 - We left home at 8:20 AM with a temperature of 56 degrees and arrived at Oscar Scherer State Park near Osprey, FL (south of Sarasota) at 10:26 AM after driving 108.6 miles and two hours and six minutes. It was a relaxing trip with light traffic and a nice tail wind. After getting set up (orienting the satellite dish was a real challenge) we had some lunch and took the fly rods down to the lake. John caught a small bass and we saw some nice fish, but with very clear water a bright sun, and a cold front last night, the bite was slow. The temps dropped quickly when the sun set. We then had supper and retreated to the inside. John forgot the Verizon air card, so we have to take our laptops to the nature center to update this blog. It may not get done every day, but it will get updated. He also forgot the cable for the camera. He did remember everything for setting up the satellite dish and that is working well. Thankfully, friends are bringing down the forgotten items next week.
Wednesday, December 3 – We woke up to quite cool temps, but thankfully, stayed nice and toasty all night. After a nice coffee walk down along the South Creek Trail to the picnic area, we had oatmeal for breakfast and went over to the nature center to update this blog. We then drove to Walmart to get some necessities, then to Blackburn Point to fish a little. We tried from shore at a park there with no success, so we crossed the swinging bridge over to the other side of the channel and put on waders to try the adjacent areas. We each caught a needle fish, but other fish did not seem to be active. We returned to camp for dinner and John tied some flies we think will be successful tomorrow. At least that is the hope. It warmed up nicely in the afternoon and predictions are for a warm day tomorrow.
Thursday, December 4 – This morning we took our coffee walk to the nature center where the park volunteers were serving a sausage and pancake breakfast. We enjoyed a nice meal as well as talking with other campers there. Afterwards we showered, and then drove down to North Jetty Park in Venice and launched the kayaks for some fishing. Sadly, the fishing was good, but the catching was not. We enjoyed being out anyway. The park is really great with a nice launch and ample parking. Many use the area to just be out near the water. There is also good beach access there. On the way home we stopped at Pops Restaurant on the Inter-Costal-Waterway and enjoyed hamburgers while watching the boats pass by. There was a night heron and many gulls that wanted to be fed. Even though one diner couldn’t resist, we refused to feed them.
Friday, December 5 – This morning we returned to the nature center to check e-mail and update the blog. We met a couple there (Connie and Dennis from Wisconsin) and talked with them until nearly lunch time. We also got signed up to go on a kayak outing tomorrow with a naturalist. In the afternoon, we launched our kayaks by the park office and actually caught fish. John caught a small snook and Joan caught a mangrove snapper and two snook. They were really fun on the fly rod, but even if the snook would have been big enough, they are out of season now.
Saturday, December 06 – We drove to Bayfront Park on Sarasota Bay early and met a group of kayakers to go on an outing with Dr. Jack Taylor, who is a marine biologist and a wealth of information about the ecology of the area. We took several water samples in the bay and Hudson Bayou which showed there is work to do to return the environment to an acceptable state. After the outing we had a snack and took the kayaks back out and fished in the area around the marina. We saw considerable action, with birds hitting the water after bait and fish crashing the surface, but could not get anything to hit. We put the kayaks back on the truck and walked over to O’Leary’s Tiki Hut for lunch. We both had excellent sandwiches and enjoyed sitting outside to eat. On the way back to camp, we stopped and launched again in the park, but the fish were not as active as yesterday at the same time. Joan managed a mangrove snapper, and had a large snook on, but lost it on the retrieve. John caught a small snook and lost another.
Sunday, December 07 – Back in April we enjoyed a contemporary service at Christ United Methodist Church in Venice so we decided to return there this morning. Again, we really enjoyed the service which featured Christmas music done in a lively, worshipful style. Folks were friendly and welcoming. We went back to camp and watched football while fixing an early dinner. After dinner, we took a walk around the now mostly empty campground, and then headed back to the same church for their annual Christmas concert. The music was very enjoyable with large member participation.
Monday, December 08 – This morning we updated the blog at the visitor’s center and met a couple (Jose and Pam), then drove into South Sarasota to take advantage of our extra discount to buy some more fishing shirts at Beall’s Outlet store and then picked up some needed items at Walmart. After lunch we drove back to Blackburn Point and wade fished until dark. John missed a fish and Joan caught another needle fish.
Tuesday, December 09 – Today we drove over to North Jetty Park and met Jose and Pam for a day of kayaking. John fished while Jose observed and Pam took pictures of local flora and fauna. John had one fish on, but lost it. It was beautiful out and we saw many birds including an immature bald eagle. Afterwards we stopped at Buddy’s Pizza for an excellent dinner.
Wednesday, December 10 – We met Cheryl and Bruce at North Jetty Park, but it was too windy there to launch. We drove up Casey Key, million dollar houses on the ocean and checked out Blackburn Point, but it also was too windy. We ended up launching at Oscar Scherer by the office, where there was more protection. John & Bruce fished while the ladies paddled around. Cheryl and Bruce have Hobie Kayaks that are very nice. The kayaks have paddles under them that you peddle with your feet. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the picnic area. Fishing was very slow again today and it wasn’t until the end of the day that John caught a nice sized snook. It gave a good fight and swam all around John’s kayak before submitting to being lipped. This is one of the few saltwater fish that you can actually grab by the lips like a bass.
Thursday, December 11 – A cold front came through early this morning bringing strong winds and heavy rains. We battened down the hatches and drove over to the nature center for the weekly pancake breakfast and waited out the storm. When things quieted down, we went to Beall’s Clearance Store to see if they had any bargains. Joan picked up a tee-shirt and a pair of shorts real cheap. We drove back to North Jetty Park and fished from shore for a while, but nothing was biting. Later in the evening John walked over to the lake in the park and caught a couple of small Largemouth Bass on a popper fly he tied.
Friday, December 12 – Today was very windy and much cooler. It struggled to get into the 60s, but the sun felt great. John tied four flies, two poppers and two Clouser minnows, using synthetic material purchased at the local fly shop yesterday. We took the kayaks out here in the creek and John caught three snook and a mangrove snapper using each kind. We have new neighbors for the weekend and the volume has been turned up some. We will probably find some place to go tomorrow.
Saturday, December 13 - I won't tell you what time we got up this morning but after our coffee walk and breakfast it was getting pretty close to noon!! We checked out a few parks in Venice this afternoon. Started at the boat ramp near the old railroad station along the inland waterway. Not as much action as when we were there in April. Then on to Venice beach and Pier where we cast into the surf for awhile without any hits. Then to Casperson Park which has its own little lake and canoe launch which looks very inviting. Our last stop was Shamrock Park which is also along the inland waterway. We fished from the bank for a bit; thought it would be good for the kayaks till we saw a big boat go thru which would have swamped us!!
Sunday, December 14 – We went back to Christ U.M. Church this morning and enjoyed carols done in a contemporary style. We really like two pastors, but the senior pastor is retiring this year, so we said good bye to him. He gave an excellent message that focused on the shepherds, and why they were picked by God to first receive the Good News. He explained that it was because they “needed it more.” We stopped by Walmart on the way home and after lunch we put the kayaks in at the park and fished for awhile around the Intercostal Waterway. John managed one small snook that hit on a topwater fly that he tied.
Monday, December 15 – After our coffee walk around the lake and breakfast, we drove back to Casperson Park and fished from the bridge, fished the Inter-costal, had a picnic lunch, and then fished the beach. All the fishing produced nothing, but the day was beautiful, despite intermittent showers. In the evening we got a few things ready for our departure to Ft. Desoto tomorrow.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/OscarSchererStateParkOspreyFLDec2152008
Wednesday, December 3 – We woke up to quite cool temps, but thankfully, stayed nice and toasty all night. After a nice coffee walk down along the South Creek Trail to the picnic area, we had oatmeal for breakfast and went over to the nature center to update this blog. We then drove to Walmart to get some necessities, then to Blackburn Point to fish a little. We tried from shore at a park there with no success, so we crossed the swinging bridge over to the other side of the channel and put on waders to try the adjacent areas. We each caught a needle fish, but other fish did not seem to be active. We returned to camp for dinner and John tied some flies we think will be successful tomorrow. At least that is the hope. It warmed up nicely in the afternoon and predictions are for a warm day tomorrow.
Thursday, December 4 – This morning we took our coffee walk to the nature center where the park volunteers were serving a sausage and pancake breakfast. We enjoyed a nice meal as well as talking with other campers there. Afterwards we showered, and then drove down to North Jetty Park in Venice and launched the kayaks for some fishing. Sadly, the fishing was good, but the catching was not. We enjoyed being out anyway. The park is really great with a nice launch and ample parking. Many use the area to just be out near the water. There is also good beach access there. On the way home we stopped at Pops Restaurant on the Inter-Costal-Waterway and enjoyed hamburgers while watching the boats pass by. There was a night heron and many gulls that wanted to be fed. Even though one diner couldn’t resist, we refused to feed them.
Friday, December 5 – This morning we returned to the nature center to check e-mail and update the blog. We met a couple there (Connie and Dennis from Wisconsin) and talked with them until nearly lunch time. We also got signed up to go on a kayak outing tomorrow with a naturalist. In the afternoon, we launched our kayaks by the park office and actually caught fish. John caught a small snook and Joan caught a mangrove snapper and two snook. They were really fun on the fly rod, but even if the snook would have been big enough, they are out of season now.
Saturday, December 06 – We drove to Bayfront Park on Sarasota Bay early and met a group of kayakers to go on an outing with Dr. Jack Taylor, who is a marine biologist and a wealth of information about the ecology of the area. We took several water samples in the bay and Hudson Bayou which showed there is work to do to return the environment to an acceptable state. After the outing we had a snack and took the kayaks back out and fished in the area around the marina. We saw considerable action, with birds hitting the water after bait and fish crashing the surface, but could not get anything to hit. We put the kayaks back on the truck and walked over to O’Leary’s Tiki Hut for lunch. We both had excellent sandwiches and enjoyed sitting outside to eat. On the way back to camp, we stopped and launched again in the park, but the fish were not as active as yesterday at the same time. Joan managed a mangrove snapper, and had a large snook on, but lost it on the retrieve. John caught a small snook and lost another.
Sunday, December 07 – Back in April we enjoyed a contemporary service at Christ United Methodist Church in Venice so we decided to return there this morning. Again, we really enjoyed the service which featured Christmas music done in a lively, worshipful style. Folks were friendly and welcoming. We went back to camp and watched football while fixing an early dinner. After dinner, we took a walk around the now mostly empty campground, and then headed back to the same church for their annual Christmas concert. The music was very enjoyable with large member participation.
Monday, December 08 – This morning we updated the blog at the visitor’s center and met a couple (Jose and Pam), then drove into South Sarasota to take advantage of our extra discount to buy some more fishing shirts at Beall’s Outlet store and then picked up some needed items at Walmart. After lunch we drove back to Blackburn Point and wade fished until dark. John missed a fish and Joan caught another needle fish.
Tuesday, December 09 – Today we drove over to North Jetty Park and met Jose and Pam for a day of kayaking. John fished while Jose observed and Pam took pictures of local flora and fauna. John had one fish on, but lost it. It was beautiful out and we saw many birds including an immature bald eagle. Afterwards we stopped at Buddy’s Pizza for an excellent dinner.
Wednesday, December 10 – We met Cheryl and Bruce at North Jetty Park, but it was too windy there to launch. We drove up Casey Key, million dollar houses on the ocean and checked out Blackburn Point, but it also was too windy. We ended up launching at Oscar Scherer by the office, where there was more protection. John & Bruce fished while the ladies paddled around. Cheryl and Bruce have Hobie Kayaks that are very nice. The kayaks have paddles under them that you peddle with your feet. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the picnic area. Fishing was very slow again today and it wasn’t until the end of the day that John caught a nice sized snook. It gave a good fight and swam all around John’s kayak before submitting to being lipped. This is one of the few saltwater fish that you can actually grab by the lips like a bass.
Thursday, December 11 – A cold front came through early this morning bringing strong winds and heavy rains. We battened down the hatches and drove over to the nature center for the weekly pancake breakfast and waited out the storm. When things quieted down, we went to Beall’s Clearance Store to see if they had any bargains. Joan picked up a tee-shirt and a pair of shorts real cheap. We drove back to North Jetty Park and fished from shore for a while, but nothing was biting. Later in the evening John walked over to the lake in the park and caught a couple of small Largemouth Bass on a popper fly he tied.
Friday, December 12 – Today was very windy and much cooler. It struggled to get into the 60s, but the sun felt great. John tied four flies, two poppers and two Clouser minnows, using synthetic material purchased at the local fly shop yesterday. We took the kayaks out here in the creek and John caught three snook and a mangrove snapper using each kind. We have new neighbors for the weekend and the volume has been turned up some. We will probably find some place to go tomorrow.
Saturday, December 13 - I won't tell you what time we got up this morning but after our coffee walk and breakfast it was getting pretty close to noon!! We checked out a few parks in Venice this afternoon. Started at the boat ramp near the old railroad station along the inland waterway. Not as much action as when we were there in April. Then on to Venice beach and Pier where we cast into the surf for awhile without any hits. Then to Casperson Park which has its own little lake and canoe launch which looks very inviting. Our last stop was Shamrock Park which is also along the inland waterway. We fished from the bank for a bit; thought it would be good for the kayaks till we saw a big boat go thru which would have swamped us!!
Sunday, December 14 – We went back to Christ U.M. Church this morning and enjoyed carols done in a contemporary style. We really like two pastors, but the senior pastor is retiring this year, so we said good bye to him. He gave an excellent message that focused on the shepherds, and why they were picked by God to first receive the Good News. He explained that it was because they “needed it more.” We stopped by Walmart on the way home and after lunch we put the kayaks in at the park and fished for awhile around the Intercostal Waterway. John managed one small snook that hit on a topwater fly that he tied.
Monday, December 15 – After our coffee walk around the lake and breakfast, we drove back to Casperson Park and fished from the bridge, fished the Inter-costal, had a picnic lunch, and then fished the beach. All the fishing produced nothing, but the day was beautiful, despite intermittent showers. In the evening we got a few things ready for our departure to Ft. Desoto tomorrow.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/OscarSchererStateParkOspreyFLDec2152008
East Bank COE Campground - Chattahoochee, FL (October 27 - 31)
Monday, October 27 – We left Cotton Hill at 9:53 AM at 60 degrees and arrived at East Bank at 12:50 at 66 degrees after driving 120.8 miles. We were going to stay until next Monday, but are disappointed in the campground and lake. It is very open, with no vegetation between sites. We are surrounded by big rigs and the fishing is difficult due to heavy weed cover. The lake lacks character with no coves, and is very large. Instead we are planning on leaving on Friday and our next stop will be home. It is going to be cold the next few days.
Tuesday, October 28 – We finally got up enough nerve to get out of bed about 9AM and had pancakes for breakfast. We then drove down to check out the tailwater of the dam and see if fishing there would be a possibility. There were several people fishing there and some fish were caught. You have to get down on the bottom, which requires considerable weight. Not easy with fly rods. We moved further down river and found a park and boat launch. This will be doable in the kayaks when they are not generating and the wind finally dies down. It was quite cool today due to the wind. We fished there from shore for a short time and John caught a sardine sized bass. For supper, we enjoyed pork chops on the grill. (11 pictures added)
Wednesday, October 29 - We had breakfast, took a walk, then headed to Bainbridge to meet friends at Golden Corral for lunch. Pete and Sybil live nearby and Joan worked with Sybil at Walmart for several years. Friends of theirs also joined us and we had a nice time with them over lunch. Afterwards, we stopped at a few places on the way back and fished with zero results. When we got back to camp, we fished again and caught a few bluegills, one being nice sized. John tied a few flies, then took one behind our camper about dusk and caught three more nice bluegills.
Thursday, October 30 – We had breakfast and afterwards John noticed puddles under the truck. He checked it out and discovered that it was oil. Checking further determined that it was leaking around the oil filter and that it was loose. We got a loan of a quart of oil from the host and John was able to tighten the filter with a large pair of channel lock pliers. We drove into Chattahoochee and got a couple quarts of oil and put them in. We checked for further dripping and there was none. We felt it was safe to go check out Three Rivers State Park about 10 miles away. It is much more wooded and the shore line more interesting. We will most likely stop there next year in the spring on the way up. We enjoyed talking to the host (Ron) there and getting first-hand information. This is the final night of our seven month trip. We have totally enjoyed it and Lord willing will repeat beginning in March next year.
Friday, October 31 – We got up early this morning and packed up. We were on the road at 8:52, drove 280 miles, and arrive home at 3:45. The time includes about an hour and a half lunch in Homosassa Springs, where we met our friends Paul and Janet. During the trip, John looked down at the speedometer which was registering 75 mph and cars were passing us like we were going the other way. Well we found out that when we stopped at a stoplight, it was still reading 30 mph, so it looks like we need a new speedometer. It feels strange to be home and even thought the place made it through our absence in good shape, we still have a lot of work to do before we leave on a 3 week trip in December. This will be the last entry on the blog until then. So long and God Bless. It has been good reconnecting with friends here.
View Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/EastBankCOECampgroundChattahoocheeFLOctober2731
Tuesday, October 28 – We finally got up enough nerve to get out of bed about 9AM and had pancakes for breakfast. We then drove down to check out the tailwater of the dam and see if fishing there would be a possibility. There were several people fishing there and some fish were caught. You have to get down on the bottom, which requires considerable weight. Not easy with fly rods. We moved further down river and found a park and boat launch. This will be doable in the kayaks when they are not generating and the wind finally dies down. It was quite cool today due to the wind. We fished there from shore for a short time and John caught a sardine sized bass. For supper, we enjoyed pork chops on the grill. (11 pictures added)
Wednesday, October 29 - We had breakfast, took a walk, then headed to Bainbridge to meet friends at Golden Corral for lunch. Pete and Sybil live nearby and Joan worked with Sybil at Walmart for several years. Friends of theirs also joined us and we had a nice time with them over lunch. Afterwards, we stopped at a few places on the way back and fished with zero results. When we got back to camp, we fished again and caught a few bluegills, one being nice sized. John tied a few flies, then took one behind our camper about dusk and caught three more nice bluegills.
Thursday, October 30 – We had breakfast and afterwards John noticed puddles under the truck. He checked it out and discovered that it was oil. Checking further determined that it was leaking around the oil filter and that it was loose. We got a loan of a quart of oil from the host and John was able to tighten the filter with a large pair of channel lock pliers. We drove into Chattahoochee and got a couple quarts of oil and put them in. We checked for further dripping and there was none. We felt it was safe to go check out Three Rivers State Park about 10 miles away. It is much more wooded and the shore line more interesting. We will most likely stop there next year in the spring on the way up. We enjoyed talking to the host (Ron) there and getting first-hand information. This is the final night of our seven month trip. We have totally enjoyed it and Lord willing will repeat beginning in March next year.
Friday, October 31 – We got up early this morning and packed up. We were on the road at 8:52, drove 280 miles, and arrive home at 3:45. The time includes about an hour and a half lunch in Homosassa Springs, where we met our friends Paul and Janet. During the trip, John looked down at the speedometer which was registering 75 mph and cars were passing us like we were going the other way. Well we found out that when we stopped at a stoplight, it was still reading 30 mph, so it looks like we need a new speedometer. It feels strange to be home and even thought the place made it through our absence in good shape, we still have a lot of work to do before we leave on a 3 week trip in December. This will be the last entry on the blog until then. So long and God Bless. It has been good reconnecting with friends here.
View Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/EastBankCOECampgroundChattahoocheeFLOctober2731
Cotton Hill Corps of Engineers Campground Ft. Gaines, FL (October 20-27, 2008)
Monday, October 20 - We left Whitetail Ridge at 9:53 AM and arrived at Cotton Hill at 12:41 after driving 141.5 miles. We got the same site we had in June and got set up in beautiful, sunny, cool weather. We fly fished for awhile and caught a few bluegills. After dinner we got our showers, then fished for awhile until dark. John had one on that he lost and Joan had one take a good swipe at the mouse patterns that John tied.
Tuesday, October 21 – It was another cool one last night, probably the coolest yet, but we stayed nice and warm, even without the heater. We got up early and Joan took laundry over to the laundry room while John made coffee. After pancake breakfast, we took a nice bike ride around the campground and sat over by the beach for awhile. We enjoyed the warm sunshine there. After our crock-pot, BBQ pork dinner (yum!) we took the kayaks out and fished for awhile before dark. John caught a 2 pound catfish on a fucia-tailed fly he tied. It took a long time to land it on the 4wt fly rod. After our experience with the muddy catfish back in June, we decided to let him go. (4 pictures added)
Wednesday, October 22 – Joan brought the camera and John brought the fly rod on our coffee walk down to the far end of the campground along the water. No catches. After breakfast, we packed up our fly rods and bags in back packs and biked over to the beach area by Pine Island and fished there. Nothing hitting. After dinner, we drove over to Sandy Branch Day Use Area and fished for awhile. Nothing. We came back to our area and fished along the bank and Joan caught two nice bluegills. John got a good hit on a topwater, but didn’t connect.
Thursday, October 23 – We did a lot of walking today around the campground and enjoyed the cool fall air. We talked to a couple of locals and got fishing tips. John needs to tie cricket flies. We fished a little and caught very little. We had a visitor a few feet from our camper. John looked him up and thinks it was a juvenile red-shouldered hawk that was digging in the pine straw litter looking for insects. Joan tried to take his picture, but the beeping of the camera alerted him and he flew off. It began raining about 4PM and is supposed to rain all night and all day tomorrow. (updated)
Friday, October 24 – We got rain all through the night that amounted to about two inches. However, we stayed nice and dry inside. It is supposed to end this afternoon and clear up overnight. (5 pictures added) (update) We drove into Ft. Gaines to gas up and fill up our tummies too. We had hamburgers at the Big Bad Wolf Saloon – hamburgers were great, fries not so good. We stopped at the East Bank Recreation Area and fished for awhile and each caught a nice bluegill. Not much action otherwise. It started to rain again about 5PM, which was not predicted. Hopefully, it will still clear off tomorrow.
Saturday, October 25 – We woke up this morning to sunshine, so we hung up rain jackets and tarps that covered the kayaks and firewood to get them dry. We cleaned the camper then took a coffee walk. We didn’t get very far, because we found people to talk to. She was fishing, but not doing much catching. After dinner, we launched the kayaks for a little fishing ourselves. We used our heavier rods and put on Clouser Minnow flies that John tied. About sundown, John connected with a couple of small bass. One was really small, but the other respectable, but not keeper sized (14”). While we were fishing we saw a shape against the bank that looked like a gator, but the head seemed way too big. John’s curiosity got the better of him, so he got a little closer (about 300 yards) to see, and the head disappeared beneath the water. This is one big gator. Discretion took over and we decided to fish somewhere else.
Sunday, October 26 – We went to church service here at the campground which was conducted by Ft. Gaines Baptist Church again. There were two other couples there as well as the two men from the church. It was a nice service with a good message about patience. We got things ready to leave tomorrow including taking everything out of the truck because we had a slight leak from the sun roof that got things damp. John cleaned the tracks on the roof so it would seal better (we hope.) We fished in the early evening, but not even a hit. We are hoping for better fishing at Lake Seminole.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/CottonHillCorpsOfEngineersCampgroundFtGainesFLOctober20272008
Tuesday, October 21 – It was another cool one last night, probably the coolest yet, but we stayed nice and warm, even without the heater. We got up early and Joan took laundry over to the laundry room while John made coffee. After pancake breakfast, we took a nice bike ride around the campground and sat over by the beach for awhile. We enjoyed the warm sunshine there. After our crock-pot, BBQ pork dinner (yum!) we took the kayaks out and fished for awhile before dark. John caught a 2 pound catfish on a fucia-tailed fly he tied. It took a long time to land it on the 4wt fly rod. After our experience with the muddy catfish back in June, we decided to let him go. (4 pictures added)
Wednesday, October 22 – Joan brought the camera and John brought the fly rod on our coffee walk down to the far end of the campground along the water. No catches. After breakfast, we packed up our fly rods and bags in back packs and biked over to the beach area by Pine Island and fished there. Nothing hitting. After dinner, we drove over to Sandy Branch Day Use Area and fished for awhile. Nothing. We came back to our area and fished along the bank and Joan caught two nice bluegills. John got a good hit on a topwater, but didn’t connect.
Thursday, October 23 – We did a lot of walking today around the campground and enjoyed the cool fall air. We talked to a couple of locals and got fishing tips. John needs to tie cricket flies. We fished a little and caught very little. We had a visitor a few feet from our camper. John looked him up and thinks it was a juvenile red-shouldered hawk that was digging in the pine straw litter looking for insects. Joan tried to take his picture, but the beeping of the camera alerted him and he flew off. It began raining about 4PM and is supposed to rain all night and all day tomorrow. (updated)
Friday, October 24 – We got rain all through the night that amounted to about two inches. However, we stayed nice and dry inside. It is supposed to end this afternoon and clear up overnight. (5 pictures added) (update) We drove into Ft. Gaines to gas up and fill up our tummies too. We had hamburgers at the Big Bad Wolf Saloon – hamburgers were great, fries not so good. We stopped at the East Bank Recreation Area and fished for awhile and each caught a nice bluegill. Not much action otherwise. It started to rain again about 5PM, which was not predicted. Hopefully, it will still clear off tomorrow.
Saturday, October 25 – We woke up this morning to sunshine, so we hung up rain jackets and tarps that covered the kayaks and firewood to get them dry. We cleaned the camper then took a coffee walk. We didn’t get very far, because we found people to talk to. She was fishing, but not doing much catching. After dinner, we launched the kayaks for a little fishing ourselves. We used our heavier rods and put on Clouser Minnow flies that John tied. About sundown, John connected with a couple of small bass. One was really small, but the other respectable, but not keeper sized (14”). While we were fishing we saw a shape against the bank that looked like a gator, but the head seemed way too big. John’s curiosity got the better of him, so he got a little closer (about 300 yards) to see, and the head disappeared beneath the water. This is one big gator. Discretion took over and we decided to fish somewhere else.
Sunday, October 26 – We went to church service here at the campground which was conducted by Ft. Gaines Baptist Church again. There were two other couples there as well as the two men from the church. It was a nice service with a good message about patience. We got things ready to leave tomorrow including taking everything out of the truck because we had a slight leak from the sun roof that got things damp. John cleaned the tracks on the roof so it would seal better (we hope.) We fished in the early evening, but not even a hit. We are hoping for better fishing at Lake Seminole.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/CottonHillCorpsOfEngineersCampgroundFtGainesFLOctober20272008
Whitetail Ridge COE Campground Lagrange, Ga (October 13 - 20, 2008)
Monday, October 13 - It rained this morning, so we slept in and got started packing up at 8:30 AM. The tarp really saved the camper from a lot of dirt from the trees that the rain loosened up. We were on the road at 11:11 AM and arrived at Whitetail Ridge Campground at 12:30 after driving 60 miles. The reservable sites were mostly taken for the weekend, but we got a nice walk-in site (#54) on the water. It is very large and has nice access for the kayaks. There is a good distance to the neighbor sites and is one that we had marked as a preferred one. We got set up, had dinner, and then fished for awhile from shore. We both caught a few small bluegill, but were unable to connect with any bass.
Tuesday, October 14 – We took our coffee walk around a few of the loops and checked out who was here. After a pancake breakfast, we took the kayaks out and fished for awhile. We each caught several bluegill, but all were too small to keep. We had dinner and went out again, this time using flies more suited for bass, but did not get a hit. The mosquitoes drove us off the lake at dusk. We need a fishing report for this lake to see what we need to do differently. (8 pictures added)
Wednesday, October 15 – We saw several turkeys along the road while taking our coffee walk. Fishing in the morning and evening brought limited results with only bluegill to the boats. Fishing reports online told of very slow bass fishing. The kayaking is awesome, however with gorgeous weather and leaves beginning to turn. We visited with our neighbors, Manning and Faye, for awhile this afternoon. They live about 160 miles from here. (3 pictures added)
Thursday, October 16 – We took our coffee walk around the campground and saw deer that crossed the roads in front of us. We also saw hundreds of spider webs that showed up because of the heavy fog and dew that came during the night. (pictures tomorrow) We had breakfast and then biked over to Holiday Campground, which is also an Army Corps of Engineers Campground, and is just down the road. It is closed now and is about three times as large as this one. It was wonderful to have it all to ourselves to bike through. We made note of campsites that we could stay in next year. We fished after dinner from the boat launch and Joan caught a small, but nice 9” bass on a fly that John tied from chenille yarn. It was a good fish to catch on the new 4wt fly rod. We forgot to mention yesterday that we saw a bald eagle that was flying through the area.
Friday, October 17 – It began raining early in the morning and continued all day. We slept in and took our coffee and umbrellas around the main loop. Our neighbors, Manning and Fay, invited us to join them as they drove into Alabama for a buffet lunch. It was real basic, but good southern cooking. We enjoyed their company and appreciate being asked. John tied some flies when we returned and were glad we had some TV stations that worked.
Saturday, October 18 – The rain stopped during the night and we woke up to sunshine and cooler/drier weather. The lakes around the camper soon dried out. We drove into LaGrange to Walmart to do our last major shopping before being home. When we got back to camp, we cooked up the 5 pounds of chicken legs we bought. After skinning and separating the legs from thighs, John cooked 16 pieces on the grill while Joan did the rest in the crock pot for use in an apple salad. We had a fire in the late afternoon and evening and Manning and Faye joined us for awhile. The temps will drop tonight.
Sunday, October 19 – No frost, but it was cool last night. We stayed warm, however. We got up, got showered, and headed to Cracker Barrel for a nice breakfast before church. We went to First United Methodist of LaGrange where we went in June. Again, they had a good contemporary service and folks were welcoming and friendly. We stopped at a campground and recreation area to check them out for future kayaking, fishing, etc. They are beautiful and will make great alternative places to launch the kayaks and fish. When we got back to camp we got some things ready to leave in the morning. After dinner, we took fly rods loaded with two new fly creations that John tied and we wore the bluegill out. Most were small, but a few were respectable.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/WhitetailRidgeCOECampgroundLagrangeGaOctober13202008
Tuesday, October 14 – We took our coffee walk around a few of the loops and checked out who was here. After a pancake breakfast, we took the kayaks out and fished for awhile. We each caught several bluegill, but all were too small to keep. We had dinner and went out again, this time using flies more suited for bass, but did not get a hit. The mosquitoes drove us off the lake at dusk. We need a fishing report for this lake to see what we need to do differently. (8 pictures added)
Wednesday, October 15 – We saw several turkeys along the road while taking our coffee walk. Fishing in the morning and evening brought limited results with only bluegill to the boats. Fishing reports online told of very slow bass fishing. The kayaking is awesome, however with gorgeous weather and leaves beginning to turn. We visited with our neighbors, Manning and Faye, for awhile this afternoon. They live about 160 miles from here. (3 pictures added)
Thursday, October 16 – We took our coffee walk around the campground and saw deer that crossed the roads in front of us. We also saw hundreds of spider webs that showed up because of the heavy fog and dew that came during the night. (pictures tomorrow) We had breakfast and then biked over to Holiday Campground, which is also an Army Corps of Engineers Campground, and is just down the road. It is closed now and is about three times as large as this one. It was wonderful to have it all to ourselves to bike through. We made note of campsites that we could stay in next year. We fished after dinner from the boat launch and Joan caught a small, but nice 9” bass on a fly that John tied from chenille yarn. It was a good fish to catch on the new 4wt fly rod. We forgot to mention yesterday that we saw a bald eagle that was flying through the area.
Friday, October 17 – It began raining early in the morning and continued all day. We slept in and took our coffee and umbrellas around the main loop. Our neighbors, Manning and Fay, invited us to join them as they drove into Alabama for a buffet lunch. It was real basic, but good southern cooking. We enjoyed their company and appreciate being asked. John tied some flies when we returned and were glad we had some TV stations that worked.
Saturday, October 18 – The rain stopped during the night and we woke up to sunshine and cooler/drier weather. The lakes around the camper soon dried out. We drove into LaGrange to Walmart to do our last major shopping before being home. When we got back to camp, we cooked up the 5 pounds of chicken legs we bought. After skinning and separating the legs from thighs, John cooked 16 pieces on the grill while Joan did the rest in the crock pot for use in an apple salad. We had a fire in the late afternoon and evening and Manning and Faye joined us for awhile. The temps will drop tonight.
Sunday, October 19 – No frost, but it was cool last night. We stayed warm, however. We got up, got showered, and headed to Cracker Barrel for a nice breakfast before church. We went to First United Methodist of LaGrange where we went in June. Again, they had a good contemporary service and folks were welcoming and friendly. We stopped at a campground and recreation area to check them out for future kayaking, fishing, etc. They are beautiful and will make great alternative places to launch the kayaks and fish. When we got back to camp we got some things ready to leave in the morning. After dinner, we took fly rods loaded with two new fly creations that John tied and we wore the bluegill out. Most were small, but a few were respectable.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/WhitetailRidgeCOECampgroundLagrangeGaOctober13202008
John Tanner State Park - Carrollton, Ga (October 06-13)
Monday, October 06 - We got up at 6:30 and broke camp and were on the road at 8:52. We traveled 179 miles, stopped at Walmart for an hour in Rome, Ga and arrived at John Tanner at 1:55. We got set up on site 28 (which is nice, large, and not to close to neighbors) had dinner, then fished for a little while until dark. Joan caught the only fish, two bluegills on the fly rod. We have cable here, so tv reception is good, but we seem to have no cell phone reception. (Pictures soon)
Tuesday, October 07 - We took our coffee walk to the office and talked to our neighbor (Dave and Debbie), had breakfast, and did wash. We hiked around the lower lake and planned where we would take the kayaks. There is good access from shore on the upper lake, but not much on the lower. We unloaded the kayaks and had every intention on taking them out, but after having supper, we realized that we would only have about 45 minutes to fish before it would be dark. We took plan B and fished from shore on the upper lake, however, other than Joan getting some hits on a topwater grasshopper she was using, we caught nothing. Also, we encountered mosquitoes, which have not been a concern since we left the Everglades last April. Also, we are missing the mountains. (Added 10 Pictures)
Wednesday, October 08 – Rain, rain, rain. It rained all day, which folks around here welcomed. It has been over a month since the last rain here. We took our coffee walk in the morning down to one of the shelters overlooking the lake and enjoyed the rain and view. John tied some flies and Joan was online getting caught up on e-mails and checking for open sites in Florida for February. The rain finally let up in the evening so we fished, starting on the lower lake. Joan caught a nice bluegill on a tan foam hopper than John had tied earlier. John had bass follow a Clouser Minnow that he had tied, but they would not take it. It was nice to be able to get out after the rain.
Thursday, October 09 – It was cloudy in the morning and rained a little. We went down to the lake when it looked like the rain would wait and fished for awhile. Joan caught a small bass and John caught a very nice bluegill. The campground is getting more campers, including a family with a unit like ours. We talked to them for awhile. They are a busy family and struggle to find time to camp. John tied a few more flies and is getting proficient at tying Clousers. They work well in saltwater as well as fresh. We fished again in the evening and Joan did all the catching with three bluegill on an elk hair popper. John had to settle for a few good hits.
Friday, October 10 – We got the kayaks out after breakfast for a few hours, and put them in on the lower lake. We caught (Joan 3, John 2) nice bluegills on John tied flies and really enjoyed our outing. After dinner, we took a coffee walk around the lake and then walked around the campground and checked out all the rigs that have just pulled in. There are still sites available, but because of school days off, the place is hopping.
Saturday, October 11 – We took our coffee walk around the lake, had breakfast, and then headed into Carrollton to their flea market. John got a gooseneck lamp to use while fly tying in the camper and a tote bag to replace one that is wearing out for holding the cords, bungies, and stakes. We then went to Walmart to pick up a few food items. In the evening, after dinner, we had a fire and were joined by our neighbors, Ted and Mary.
Sunday, October 12 – We looked up a restaurant on the internet to go to for breakfast, but it turned out to be fast food. Actually, not too bad, but not what we were after. We got to First United Methodist early and sat in on a Sunday School Class. The group was very welcoming and friendly. One of the leaders talked about a recent trip to Africa, where we took well drilling equipment and drilled wells for a boy’s home in Kenya. We were quite impressed with the efforts going on there to help out folks who have so little. The contemporary service was excellent as was the message. We got some things ready to go in the morning and watched the Bears lose a heartbreaker to Atlanta. John had to remember where he was and not get too loud when the Bears nearly won it. We sat by a fire in the evening and enjoyed our last evening here. It has been quite windy and spitted a few drops of rain.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/JohnTannerStateParkCarrolltonGaOctober0613
Tuesday, October 07 - We took our coffee walk to the office and talked to our neighbor (Dave and Debbie), had breakfast, and did wash. We hiked around the lower lake and planned where we would take the kayaks. There is good access from shore on the upper lake, but not much on the lower. We unloaded the kayaks and had every intention on taking them out, but after having supper, we realized that we would only have about 45 minutes to fish before it would be dark. We took plan B and fished from shore on the upper lake, however, other than Joan getting some hits on a topwater grasshopper she was using, we caught nothing. Also, we encountered mosquitoes, which have not been a concern since we left the Everglades last April. Also, we are missing the mountains. (Added 10 Pictures)
Wednesday, October 08 – Rain, rain, rain. It rained all day, which folks around here welcomed. It has been over a month since the last rain here. We took our coffee walk in the morning down to one of the shelters overlooking the lake and enjoyed the rain and view. John tied some flies and Joan was online getting caught up on e-mails and checking for open sites in Florida for February. The rain finally let up in the evening so we fished, starting on the lower lake. Joan caught a nice bluegill on a tan foam hopper than John had tied earlier. John had bass follow a Clouser Minnow that he had tied, but they would not take it. It was nice to be able to get out after the rain.
Thursday, October 09 – It was cloudy in the morning and rained a little. We went down to the lake when it looked like the rain would wait and fished for awhile. Joan caught a small bass and John caught a very nice bluegill. The campground is getting more campers, including a family with a unit like ours. We talked to them for awhile. They are a busy family and struggle to find time to camp. John tied a few more flies and is getting proficient at tying Clousers. They work well in saltwater as well as fresh. We fished again in the evening and Joan did all the catching with three bluegill on an elk hair popper. John had to settle for a few good hits.
Friday, October 10 – We got the kayaks out after breakfast for a few hours, and put them in on the lower lake. We caught (Joan 3, John 2) nice bluegills on John tied flies and really enjoyed our outing. After dinner, we took a coffee walk around the lake and then walked around the campground and checked out all the rigs that have just pulled in. There are still sites available, but because of school days off, the place is hopping.
Saturday, October 11 – We took our coffee walk around the lake, had breakfast, and then headed into Carrollton to their flea market. John got a gooseneck lamp to use while fly tying in the camper and a tote bag to replace one that is wearing out for holding the cords, bungies, and stakes. We then went to Walmart to pick up a few food items. In the evening, after dinner, we had a fire and were joined by our neighbors, Ted and Mary.
Sunday, October 12 – We looked up a restaurant on the internet to go to for breakfast, but it turned out to be fast food. Actually, not too bad, but not what we were after. We got to First United Methodist early and sat in on a Sunday School Class. The group was very welcoming and friendly. One of the leaders talked about a recent trip to Africa, where we took well drilling equipment and drilled wells for a boy’s home in Kenya. We were quite impressed with the efforts going on there to help out folks who have so little. The contemporary service was excellent as was the message. We got some things ready to go in the morning and watched the Bears lose a heartbreaker to Atlanta. John had to remember where he was and not get too loud when the Bears nearly won it. We sat by a fire in the evening and enjoyed our last evening here. It has been quite windy and spitted a few drops of rain.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/JohnTannerStateParkCarrolltonGaOctober0613
Track Rock Campground - Blairesville, Ga (Sept. 08 - Oct 06)
Monday, September 08 - We left Moccasin Creek SP at the usual time, 9:36 am, and arrived here at 10:35 am after driving 34.2 miles. It was a very pretty, although short, drive. If we didn't know we were at a private campground we would think this was in a national forest. Actually, there is national forest on three sides of this 300 acre property. It is really beautiful and the sites are well separated and private. It is very hilly and the sites are very shady. The staff is very nice and the facilities are immaculate. There is a riding stable on the property as well. After getting set up, walking around, and having dinner, we took the fly rods down to the lake and fished. After a couple of casts a thunderstorm came in and chased us back to the campsite. John had a small something on, but it got off. We'll try again in the morning. We are trying to figure out how to come back here again this fall before we head back to Florida.
Tuesday, September 09 – It rained off and on all night and has looked like rain all day. We snuck down to the lake a couple of times today between rains and fished, and John caught a very large bream. Two like him would have been dinner. We let him go, however. We have seen big bass, but they are not eating. John used a woolly bugger he tied, which we thought looked quite good in the water, but the bass did not agree. At least he didn’t lose this one. We talked to Debbie, one of the managers here about staying on, and she thought they could figure something out. There is so much to see and do in this area, we are thinking about staying three more weeks. Also, we really like the campground and are very comfortable here. Their website is:
http://www.trackrock.com/
Wednesday, September 10 – We could hear drops on the top of the camper all night, but it began clearing in the morning and our barometer moved upwards. We decided to make this a tour day and headed towards Helen. On the way we stopped at Unicoi State Park and checked out the campground and lake. The campground looked very nice with some very good sites that were spacious and set apart. They also have a nice beach and access for our kayaks by the dam. The fishing seems to be pretty good also. We stopped at the trading post and bought books on hiking waterfalls and trout fishing. We talked to the lady in the store (Virginia) and she said she was from the Tampa area. Upon further inquiry, we found out, she and her husband live two blocks from us in Florida. We then went into Helen and had lunch on the river at International Café. Very nice! We then stopped at the Visitors Center in Helen and picked up many brochures about the area. Finally, we stopped at Unicoi Outfitters and picked up some fly tying materials and some information about fishing in the area. He was not very positive about fishing the creeks (as we have experienced), due to the three-year drought that has taken its toll. He recommended Lake Unicoi and Lake Nottley.
Thursday, September 11 – We took a nice hike this morning after breakfast on a trail that climbs a ridge on the edge of the campground. This was a moderately difficult trail of about 1.5 miles and climbed about 700 feet in elevation. We saw turkeys and signs of bear (poop). After that, Joan began talking to the bears telling them to go away and that we were coming. Later in the afternoon, John tied two black woolly buggers with the materials we bought yesterday. Joan’s had an extra long tail and when we went down to fish, she casted a few times and landed a nice L.M. Bass. John was thrilled to have a fish caught on one of his flies. He will tie all of them with a 3 ½ inch tail in the future.
Friday, September 12 – After John called his daughter to wish her a happy birthday, we drove into Blairsville and stopped at the Historical Society where the concert would be in the evening and enjoyed the museum there. We then stopped at the Chamber of Commerce and got information about the area, then drove to Lake Nottley and Poteete Creek Campground to check them out. We were not very impressed with the campground. It is a county park that appears to have many permanent sites and would be hard to get a good one. The lake is nice and would be accessible to kayak at launches closer to Blairsville. We drove back into Blairsville and found Meets Community Park and hiked around along the Nottley River and then had lunch at Cook’s Restaurant. The burgers there were excellent, as was the service. We stopped at a five and dime store in town and John found materials to add to his fly tying collection including a bag of feathers, much cheaper than at a fly shop. In the evening, we went back to the Historical Society building for a gospel concert featuring Ken and Elaine Young. Ken has written many gospel songs and they were very enjoyable.
Saturday, September 13 – In keeping with tradition, today was stick around day. We have really needed to do some cleaning on the camper. Joan found some mildew above us on the bed ends from our three days of solid rain in the forest at Rock Creek. She was able with Clorox Cleanup and a lot of scrubbing to get rid of it. Meanwhile, John scrubbed the front and back where road stuff gets on the outside, and applied a coat of wax. There are a lot of barking dogs here this weekend. Folks left their dog in their camper for a few hours while they went into town for groceries and it barked the whole time they were gone. It seems as though places that have liberal dog policies get all the obnoxious dogs. We will be moving on Monday to another site further up on the hill. Hopefully, it will be quieter.
Sunday, September 14 – This morning we headed into Hiawassee and attended Hiawassee United Methodist Church. We went here last year when we camped at Jackrabbit Campground on Lake Chatuge. We stopped for breakfast on the way at Shoney’s, then attended Sunday School. The first person we encountered, Irene, remembered us from last year. She made us feel right at home. The SS class was wonderful, with meaningful sharing on the lesson. The service included both praise songs and hymns and was very appropriate to the pastor’s lesson. It was great to see Hope again, who is the lady who came down to our Florida church to do a concert. She has a wonderful testimony about how God intervened in her life through an abusive situation.
Monday, September 15 – This was moving day, despite a little rain in the night. We could have put it off, but decided to make the switch to site 26, which is further up the hill. There is a reunion group coming in this weekend and they have all of the pop-up/tent sites reserved. This is a full hookup site, so we have sewer too. We are enjoying the change of view, even though we didn’t change campgrounds. We have been fishing every day, but it turns into casting practice. We have the only two fish caught from this lake all week, however. We talked to a nice couple this morning (Wilbur and Rebecca) who have three children, who were very nice. They were here all weekend and left today. They live in Cleveland, which is not far from here. They were very interested in pop-up campers, so we showed them ours. They left us their unused firewood, which we really appreciate.
Tuesday, September 16 – It rained during the night and the morning was damp and rather dreary. We made a fire and sat by it most of the day and caught up with our reading, mostly area information that we have been collecting. We got a couple of drops of rain during the day, but never enough to make us give up our fireside seating. Even though the weather was less than ideal, it turned out to be a very enjoyable day.
Wednesday, September 17 – We got up late this morning and took our coffee walk around the campground, and then went down to the office and chatted with folks there until almost noon. Joan did some cleaning inside the camper while John brought back some more firewood that he found in another site. John then built a fire and Joan read by the fire while John tied a few flies. Late afternoon we took veggies we cooked on the RVQ down to a campground potluck. There was a good turnout there with excellent food. We especially liked the homemade pecan pie that a couple brought. John said that it was the best he has ever tasted. We had another evening of “casting practice” down by the lake. Even though we are not catching fish, we are both improving greatly. John measured his cast at 75 feet, and figured Joan must be casting about 60 feet.
Thursday, September 18 – Today was another stay close to camp day. We are trying to conserve gas, especially while the prices are up again. We will be doing some running around over the weekend, going to various local festivals and church, so we decided to enjoy the campfire and read about the area. Joan jotted down various activities while John read about trout streams in the area. John made up a fly consisting entirely of yarn that we purchased in Blairsville. He carefully separated the fibers and combed it out to be real fluffy and used that for the tail. It looked really good swimming in the water, but no bass did more than look at it. But then, they have treated store-bought flies the same way.
Friday, September 19 – We took our coffee down by the lake and practiced fly casting for awhile. We could see bass near shore on the far side, so John cast towards them, but they just swam away. Later John had one follow his yarn fly for about ten feet, but then was so close to shore that he swam away. Another bass came right up to the fly and gave it a good look-see, but he wouldn’t take it. We went to the office and talked to the host for a while. We got ourselves penciled in for next May and September here on the site we have now. After a late breakfast, we drove towards Blairsville and checked out a boat ramp on Lake Nottley. It looked real nice there, but was very windy. We will come back there and launch the kayaks when we have more time and its not so windy. We again practiced fly casting there, and can say we are steadily improving. We drove into Blairsville and had pizza for lunch (about 3:30) and then went to the old courthouse for the bluegrass concert. We stayed for a couple of hours and really enjoyed listening to three groups perform. When we got back to our campsite, we had been surrounded by other campers in for the weekend.
Saturday, September 20 – After breakfast, we drove over to Blue Ridge, Ga for their annual fall festival, which included an art show and fly fishing demonstrations, guides, and outfitters. We stopped at a store that sold everything “Bear” and found some decorative pillows to use on our dining slide when we are watching TV. We have been looking for these for a long time. The store is awesome with a definitely Christian message. We then got some pointers at the fly fishing demo and had the guides critique our form. They had only a few minor suggestions for improvement. We then went over to the outfitters and bought new Sage 4-piece, 7.5 ft. 4 weight fly rods that we have been looking for. These are excellent rods that were being sold at 40% off retail. We stopped and had ice cream before leaving and heading for a cookout at Hiawassee U.M. Church. We had a great time there and got a chance to talk with folks we had met there on Sunday. We are feeling more connected here all the time.
Sunday, September 21 – We got up early this morning (7:00AM) to beat the rush for showers. It was still quite dark. We headed into Hiawassee and stopped for buffet breakfast before going to church. Again, we enjoyed the service and are getting to know more people. After church we had lunch at Crossroads Restaurant with Irene and Bob. It was wonderful to get to know them better and share a meal with them. We practiced fly casting for about an hour when we got back to camp, and sat and read some of the information we got yesterday at the Blue Ridge Fair.
Monday, September 22 – Today was shopping day. We drove up into Murphy, NC to Walmart to stock up on much needed supplies. While we were there John picked up materials, like high density foam and feathers, from the craft department for fly tying. We also got a reel for one of the new rods (they only had one), line for both and backing. While we were there, Unicoi Outfitters called and told John that he won the free raffle for a half day of fishing for two on the Trout Trophy Waters that they manage on the Chattahoochee River just south of Helen, Ga. This will give us at least a chance at a trophy sized trout.
Tuesday, September 23 – We needed to find a reel for the other fly rod and a case that Walmart in Murphy didn’t have and John wanted to pick up fly tying materials that we also couldn’t get at Walmart, and we needed to pick up the other rod and the certificate for the trophy water fishing at Unicoi in Helen, so we made it a major outing. We started by heading into Hiawassee and stopping at Buckhead House. They had fly tying materials at 50% off and a fly rod case for 30% off. Next, we drove to Helen and stopped at Unicoi Outfitters. They had our certificate waiting for us and gave us hearty congratulations. They told us jokingly that they had fixed the drawing so we would win and we suspect that they very well may have, since we spent $$$$ at their booth. With tourism being down so much, we suspect that these places are hurting financially. Locals for the most part do not fly fish. They are putting fresh trout in the freezer. We then returned to the International Café in Helen and had lunch on the river again. We still had not found a reel (we didn’t want to pay the price that the outfitters were asking) so we drove into Dahlonega to the Walmart there and found one more in our price range. We then drove back towards Blairsville looking for a gas station that did not have bags over the pump handles, filled up at $3.99, and stopped for an ice cream cone. We got our Moose Tracks fix, and then returned home.
Wednesday, September 24 – Laundry day today. We then practiced with our new fly rods and had some trouble getting used to them. Again, we suspect this will take time. We helped set up for a luncheon reception because of the recent death of the man who originally started the campground here. In the evening we practiced again with our new rods with a little better success. No fish, however.
Thursday, September 25 – Brother, did we sleep in today. It got down to 42 degrees, and felt so good to stay under the covers. We had a fire today and Joan read information that we picked up in Murphy, NC while John tied some flies. We discovered that the flies we were using yesterday were to big for those lighter rods, so John tied a few smaller ones. It was nice staying around camp and enjoying a fire. We practiced fly casting again in the evening and the smaller flies worked great, except the material John used didn’t hold up well. Back to the drawing board.
Friday, September 26 – We had every intention of taking the kayaks out this morning, but the weatherman had other ideas by having it rain. Instead, we took a coffee walk and hung around until afternoon. We then went back to the Buckhead House so John could pick up some hooks that he figures he will need to tie smaller flies. Later, we went to the theater to watch a movie that the church helped sponsor. The name of it is “Fireproof,” which is a Christian movie about a couple who are contemplating divorce and how they work through it. It is really very well done and we highly recommend it even if your marriage is not in trouble. For more information, click: http://www.fireproofyourmarriage.com/ . Finally, we stopped and fly fished from shore on Lake Chatuge and (mostly Joan) caught many fairly small blue gill.
Saturday, September 27 – This morning we met a couple, Joy and Brian, from Chipley, Florida and talked to them for some time. They have camped in many of the same places we have and know of others for us to try. Today we drove back to Unicoi State Park for their Great Outdoor Days. They had opportunities for folks to canoe, try fly casting, and learn about snakes, falconry, police canine training, fly tying, and stream fishing for stocked trout. We really enjoyed it all, but John especially enjoyed talking to the fly tier, from Trout Unlimited. He also gets much of his supplies from Walmart Craft Department and other places. Joan especially enjoyed the K9 demonstration and the hawks, but not the snakes, so much. Later, we fly fished from the piers on Unicoi Lake and caught several bluegills each. John caught a few on small poppers he tied. That was fun. Before heading home, we had dinner at the Unicoi State Park Restaurant. They have a nice buffet there and of course we ate too much.
Sunday, September 28 – We enjoyed another great day at Hiawassee UMC this morning and went out for lunch afterwards with Hope (the music director who came to Florida to give a concert at our church), her husband John, her mother, and her sister, Dawn. The conversation was quite lively and fun. We then stopped and fished from shore on Lake Chatuge and caught several bluegill on the fly rods, then picked up a few groceries before heading home. We enjoyed a fire until well after dark, then went inside to catch up on computer stuff.
Monday, September 29 – We took a long coffee walk and then Joan put some chicken parts in the crock pot with BBQ sauce. Yum! We called our new friends Joy and Brian, who are now at Vogel State Park to see if they wanted to try the kayaks, but could not reach them. We decided to drive over and put the kayaks in anyway. We got there and found their campsite, but they were not there. When we went down to launch, we could not find the key that is supposed to be on the extra key ring that we keep in the truck, so we fished from shore. They must have had a major bug hatch there, as there were thousands of dead bugs floating on the water. Well, this really killed the bluegill fishing, so we rigged for bass. We saw some and got a few to follow the lure, but none hit. A storm came up, so we headed home. We drove through rain on the way back, but it only sprinkled lightly here at the campground. We fished again in the evening for a little while, but nothing. The popper that John was using was made with “permanent” glue, but sadly “permanent” did not mean “waterproof,” so it came apart.
Tuesday, September 30 – We took our coffee walk up on the hill to the campsites there and talked for quite a while with John and Jean who were sitting by their campfire. We compared notes on campgrounds we have visited and enjoyed our chat with them. We had breakfast, then sat by our fire and read and John tied a few more flies. We drove into Hiawassee and fished on the Chatuge from a town park and beach area. We caught several bluegills on flies that John tied and saw a few bass, but could not interest them. We then drove to Ken’s and Carol’s house for a chili dinner with several others from church. We had a very nice time visiting with them.
Wednesday, October 1 – Joan put a pork roast on the crock pot, and then came back to bed. When we finally got up, we took a very brisk coffee walk and returned to build a campfire. We enjoyed the warmth it offered today. We picked up a mess of chestnuts that were scattered around an empty campsite and John roasted them by the fire. He tried a couple, which were very good, but then noticed one that he opened was full of worms. Checking the rest of them revealed worms in nearly all. We decided to pass on “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” We read today and John tied a few more flies in preparation for fishing the “Unicoi Outfitter’s Trophy Trout Waters” near Helen, Ga. on Friday. For dinner, we took the pork roast down to the weekly potluck supper. It was a big hit and made a good addition to the excellent offerings for the evening. We sat with John and Jan and enjoyed their company. John has a rather bizarre sense of humor which is fun.
Thursday, October 02 – It got quite frosty last night. It was in the low 40s when we finally extricated ourselves from bed. We were thankful for our little electric heater. We took our coffee walk, tightly holding onto the mugs for warmth and were able to talk to Bob (of Bob and Carolyn) who are the other hosts. We have talked to Carolyn, but had not had the chance to talk to Bob, except to say hi. They will be heading south in early November. Today was outside camper cleaning day. We also needed to get the fly rods ready for tomorrow’s trip to Unicoi. John tied a couple of popper flies to take the place of the ones that fell apart due to using non-waterproof glue. This time he used Gorilla Glue, which says 100% waterproof right on the bottle. You can’t beat that! We practiced fly casting down by the pond again. We’re continuing to improve.
Friday, October 03 – We got up early this morning (6:00 am) and 42 degrees, which this time of year seems like the middle of the night, to head over to Helen to take our opportunity to fish the “Trophy Waters.” It was still quite chilly when we started fishing at 8:30 and we became somewhat concerned when we were able to see fish, but not get them to eat anything. This pattern became the theme for the day and changing flies and techniques proved futile. We cannot begin to tell you how frustrating it can be to see hundreds of 2, 3, and 4 pound fish totally ignore anything we put in front of them. The high point of the day was seeing deer come to the water to get a drink. They obviously did not expect us to be there as they spooked and quickly ran away. Finally, John tied on a fly he tied as a joke that consisted of a gumball sized chartreuse pom-pom. The trout immediately stormed towards it and would just for an instant take it in their mouths, but spit it out before John had a chance to set the hook. After a few minutes, they quickly tired of this game, and our time on the water was over. We had fun, but must say that it was very disappointing not to catch anything. The only consolation was that it did not cost us anything except the gas to get there. It shows also that we have a lot to learn. To console ourselves, we stopped at International Café in Helen for a sandwich.
Saturday, October 04 – Today was a stick around day so we had a fire most of the day and enjoyed its warmth. John got some things ready to leave Monday like checking tires and fixing travel mirrors on the truck while Joan cleaned the inside of the screens. We had Bob and Carolyn (the other hosts) over for peach cobbler that John fixed on the RVQ. He thinks it was fairly good.
Sunday, October 05 – We got up early and got our showers before the other campers got a chance. We stopped for breakfast before church and had a great one at Mary’s Southern Grill. It was difficult to say good bye to all the wonderful people we got to know at Hiawassee UMC. It was nice to know, however, that we will be back in the spring. We came back to camp and did some more cleaning. The awning had not been done in a long time and really needed it. We had dinner, and then took one last hike around the campground. Surprisingly, although the tenting area was empty, the area on top of the hill was still full. Everything is just about ready to head out in the morning.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/TrackRockCampgroundBlairesvilleGaSept0815#
Tuesday, September 09 – It rained off and on all night and has looked like rain all day. We snuck down to the lake a couple of times today between rains and fished, and John caught a very large bream. Two like him would have been dinner. We let him go, however. We have seen big bass, but they are not eating. John used a woolly bugger he tied, which we thought looked quite good in the water, but the bass did not agree. At least he didn’t lose this one. We talked to Debbie, one of the managers here about staying on, and she thought they could figure something out. There is so much to see and do in this area, we are thinking about staying three more weeks. Also, we really like the campground and are very comfortable here. Their website is:
http://www.trackrock.com/
Wednesday, September 10 – We could hear drops on the top of the camper all night, but it began clearing in the morning and our barometer moved upwards. We decided to make this a tour day and headed towards Helen. On the way we stopped at Unicoi State Park and checked out the campground and lake. The campground looked very nice with some very good sites that were spacious and set apart. They also have a nice beach and access for our kayaks by the dam. The fishing seems to be pretty good also. We stopped at the trading post and bought books on hiking waterfalls and trout fishing. We talked to the lady in the store (Virginia) and she said she was from the Tampa area. Upon further inquiry, we found out, she and her husband live two blocks from us in Florida. We then went into Helen and had lunch on the river at International Café. Very nice! We then stopped at the Visitors Center in Helen and picked up many brochures about the area. Finally, we stopped at Unicoi Outfitters and picked up some fly tying materials and some information about fishing in the area. He was not very positive about fishing the creeks (as we have experienced), due to the three-year drought that has taken its toll. He recommended Lake Unicoi and Lake Nottley.
Thursday, September 11 – We took a nice hike this morning after breakfast on a trail that climbs a ridge on the edge of the campground. This was a moderately difficult trail of about 1.5 miles and climbed about 700 feet in elevation. We saw turkeys and signs of bear (poop). After that, Joan began talking to the bears telling them to go away and that we were coming. Later in the afternoon, John tied two black woolly buggers with the materials we bought yesterday. Joan’s had an extra long tail and when we went down to fish, she casted a few times and landed a nice L.M. Bass. John was thrilled to have a fish caught on one of his flies. He will tie all of them with a 3 ½ inch tail in the future.
Friday, September 12 – After John called his daughter to wish her a happy birthday, we drove into Blairsville and stopped at the Historical Society where the concert would be in the evening and enjoyed the museum there. We then stopped at the Chamber of Commerce and got information about the area, then drove to Lake Nottley and Poteete Creek Campground to check them out. We were not very impressed with the campground. It is a county park that appears to have many permanent sites and would be hard to get a good one. The lake is nice and would be accessible to kayak at launches closer to Blairsville. We drove back into Blairsville and found Meets Community Park and hiked around along the Nottley River and then had lunch at Cook’s Restaurant. The burgers there were excellent, as was the service. We stopped at a five and dime store in town and John found materials to add to his fly tying collection including a bag of feathers, much cheaper than at a fly shop. In the evening, we went back to the Historical Society building for a gospel concert featuring Ken and Elaine Young. Ken has written many gospel songs and they were very enjoyable.
Saturday, September 13 – In keeping with tradition, today was stick around day. We have really needed to do some cleaning on the camper. Joan found some mildew above us on the bed ends from our three days of solid rain in the forest at Rock Creek. She was able with Clorox Cleanup and a lot of scrubbing to get rid of it. Meanwhile, John scrubbed the front and back where road stuff gets on the outside, and applied a coat of wax. There are a lot of barking dogs here this weekend. Folks left their dog in their camper for a few hours while they went into town for groceries and it barked the whole time they were gone. It seems as though places that have liberal dog policies get all the obnoxious dogs. We will be moving on Monday to another site further up on the hill. Hopefully, it will be quieter.
Sunday, September 14 – This morning we headed into Hiawassee and attended Hiawassee United Methodist Church. We went here last year when we camped at Jackrabbit Campground on Lake Chatuge. We stopped for breakfast on the way at Shoney’s, then attended Sunday School. The first person we encountered, Irene, remembered us from last year. She made us feel right at home. The SS class was wonderful, with meaningful sharing on the lesson. The service included both praise songs and hymns and was very appropriate to the pastor’s lesson. It was great to see Hope again, who is the lady who came down to our Florida church to do a concert. She has a wonderful testimony about how God intervened in her life through an abusive situation.
Monday, September 15 – This was moving day, despite a little rain in the night. We could have put it off, but decided to make the switch to site 26, which is further up the hill. There is a reunion group coming in this weekend and they have all of the pop-up/tent sites reserved. This is a full hookup site, so we have sewer too. We are enjoying the change of view, even though we didn’t change campgrounds. We have been fishing every day, but it turns into casting practice. We have the only two fish caught from this lake all week, however. We talked to a nice couple this morning (Wilbur and Rebecca) who have three children, who were very nice. They were here all weekend and left today. They live in Cleveland, which is not far from here. They were very interested in pop-up campers, so we showed them ours. They left us their unused firewood, which we really appreciate.
Tuesday, September 16 – It rained during the night and the morning was damp and rather dreary. We made a fire and sat by it most of the day and caught up with our reading, mostly area information that we have been collecting. We got a couple of drops of rain during the day, but never enough to make us give up our fireside seating. Even though the weather was less than ideal, it turned out to be a very enjoyable day.
Wednesday, September 17 – We got up late this morning and took our coffee walk around the campground, and then went down to the office and chatted with folks there until almost noon. Joan did some cleaning inside the camper while John brought back some more firewood that he found in another site. John then built a fire and Joan read by the fire while John tied a few flies. Late afternoon we took veggies we cooked on the RVQ down to a campground potluck. There was a good turnout there with excellent food. We especially liked the homemade pecan pie that a couple brought. John said that it was the best he has ever tasted. We had another evening of “casting practice” down by the lake. Even though we are not catching fish, we are both improving greatly. John measured his cast at 75 feet, and figured Joan must be casting about 60 feet.
Thursday, September 18 – Today was another stay close to camp day. We are trying to conserve gas, especially while the prices are up again. We will be doing some running around over the weekend, going to various local festivals and church, so we decided to enjoy the campfire and read about the area. Joan jotted down various activities while John read about trout streams in the area. John made up a fly consisting entirely of yarn that we purchased in Blairsville. He carefully separated the fibers and combed it out to be real fluffy and used that for the tail. It looked really good swimming in the water, but no bass did more than look at it. But then, they have treated store-bought flies the same way.
Friday, September 19 – We took our coffee down by the lake and practiced fly casting for awhile. We could see bass near shore on the far side, so John cast towards them, but they just swam away. Later John had one follow his yarn fly for about ten feet, but then was so close to shore that he swam away. Another bass came right up to the fly and gave it a good look-see, but he wouldn’t take it. We went to the office and talked to the host for a while. We got ourselves penciled in for next May and September here on the site we have now. After a late breakfast, we drove towards Blairsville and checked out a boat ramp on Lake Nottley. It looked real nice there, but was very windy. We will come back there and launch the kayaks when we have more time and its not so windy. We again practiced fly casting there, and can say we are steadily improving. We drove into Blairsville and had pizza for lunch (about 3:30) and then went to the old courthouse for the bluegrass concert. We stayed for a couple of hours and really enjoyed listening to three groups perform. When we got back to our campsite, we had been surrounded by other campers in for the weekend.
Saturday, September 20 – After breakfast, we drove over to Blue Ridge, Ga for their annual fall festival, which included an art show and fly fishing demonstrations, guides, and outfitters. We stopped at a store that sold everything “Bear” and found some decorative pillows to use on our dining slide when we are watching TV. We have been looking for these for a long time. The store is awesome with a definitely Christian message. We then got some pointers at the fly fishing demo and had the guides critique our form. They had only a few minor suggestions for improvement. We then went over to the outfitters and bought new Sage 4-piece, 7.5 ft. 4 weight fly rods that we have been looking for. These are excellent rods that were being sold at 40% off retail. We stopped and had ice cream before leaving and heading for a cookout at Hiawassee U.M. Church. We had a great time there and got a chance to talk with folks we had met there on Sunday. We are feeling more connected here all the time.
Sunday, September 21 – We got up early this morning (7:00AM) to beat the rush for showers. It was still quite dark. We headed into Hiawassee and stopped for buffet breakfast before going to church. Again, we enjoyed the service and are getting to know more people. After church we had lunch at Crossroads Restaurant with Irene and Bob. It was wonderful to get to know them better and share a meal with them. We practiced fly casting for about an hour when we got back to camp, and sat and read some of the information we got yesterday at the Blue Ridge Fair.
Monday, September 22 – Today was shopping day. We drove up into Murphy, NC to Walmart to stock up on much needed supplies. While we were there John picked up materials, like high density foam and feathers, from the craft department for fly tying. We also got a reel for one of the new rods (they only had one), line for both and backing. While we were there, Unicoi Outfitters called and told John that he won the free raffle for a half day of fishing for two on the Trout Trophy Waters that they manage on the Chattahoochee River just south of Helen, Ga. This will give us at least a chance at a trophy sized trout.
Tuesday, September 23 – We needed to find a reel for the other fly rod and a case that Walmart in Murphy didn’t have and John wanted to pick up fly tying materials that we also couldn’t get at Walmart, and we needed to pick up the other rod and the certificate for the trophy water fishing at Unicoi in Helen, so we made it a major outing. We started by heading into Hiawassee and stopping at Buckhead House. They had fly tying materials at 50% off and a fly rod case for 30% off. Next, we drove to Helen and stopped at Unicoi Outfitters. They had our certificate waiting for us and gave us hearty congratulations. They told us jokingly that they had fixed the drawing so we would win and we suspect that they very well may have, since we spent $$$$ at their booth. With tourism being down so much, we suspect that these places are hurting financially. Locals for the most part do not fly fish. They are putting fresh trout in the freezer. We then returned to the International Café in Helen and had lunch on the river again. We still had not found a reel (we didn’t want to pay the price that the outfitters were asking) so we drove into Dahlonega to the Walmart there and found one more in our price range. We then drove back towards Blairsville looking for a gas station that did not have bags over the pump handles, filled up at $3.99, and stopped for an ice cream cone. We got our Moose Tracks fix, and then returned home.
Wednesday, September 24 – Laundry day today. We then practiced with our new fly rods and had some trouble getting used to them. Again, we suspect this will take time. We helped set up for a luncheon reception because of the recent death of the man who originally started the campground here. In the evening we practiced again with our new rods with a little better success. No fish, however.
Thursday, September 25 – Brother, did we sleep in today. It got down to 42 degrees, and felt so good to stay under the covers. We had a fire today and Joan read information that we picked up in Murphy, NC while John tied some flies. We discovered that the flies we were using yesterday were to big for those lighter rods, so John tied a few smaller ones. It was nice staying around camp and enjoying a fire. We practiced fly casting again in the evening and the smaller flies worked great, except the material John used didn’t hold up well. Back to the drawing board.
Friday, September 26 – We had every intention of taking the kayaks out this morning, but the weatherman had other ideas by having it rain. Instead, we took a coffee walk and hung around until afternoon. We then went back to the Buckhead House so John could pick up some hooks that he figures he will need to tie smaller flies. Later, we went to the theater to watch a movie that the church helped sponsor. The name of it is “Fireproof,” which is a Christian movie about a couple who are contemplating divorce and how they work through it. It is really very well done and we highly recommend it even if your marriage is not in trouble. For more information, click: http://www.fireproofyourmarriage.com/ . Finally, we stopped and fly fished from shore on Lake Chatuge and (mostly Joan) caught many fairly small blue gill.
Saturday, September 27 – This morning we met a couple, Joy and Brian, from Chipley, Florida and talked to them for some time. They have camped in many of the same places we have and know of others for us to try. Today we drove back to Unicoi State Park for their Great Outdoor Days. They had opportunities for folks to canoe, try fly casting, and learn about snakes, falconry, police canine training, fly tying, and stream fishing for stocked trout. We really enjoyed it all, but John especially enjoyed talking to the fly tier, from Trout Unlimited. He also gets much of his supplies from Walmart Craft Department and other places. Joan especially enjoyed the K9 demonstration and the hawks, but not the snakes, so much. Later, we fly fished from the piers on Unicoi Lake and caught several bluegills each. John caught a few on small poppers he tied. That was fun. Before heading home, we had dinner at the Unicoi State Park Restaurant. They have a nice buffet there and of course we ate too much.
Sunday, September 28 – We enjoyed another great day at Hiawassee UMC this morning and went out for lunch afterwards with Hope (the music director who came to Florida to give a concert at our church), her husband John, her mother, and her sister, Dawn. The conversation was quite lively and fun. We then stopped and fished from shore on Lake Chatuge and caught several bluegill on the fly rods, then picked up a few groceries before heading home. We enjoyed a fire until well after dark, then went inside to catch up on computer stuff.
Monday, September 29 – We took a long coffee walk and then Joan put some chicken parts in the crock pot with BBQ sauce. Yum! We called our new friends Joy and Brian, who are now at Vogel State Park to see if they wanted to try the kayaks, but could not reach them. We decided to drive over and put the kayaks in anyway. We got there and found their campsite, but they were not there. When we went down to launch, we could not find the key that is supposed to be on the extra key ring that we keep in the truck, so we fished from shore. They must have had a major bug hatch there, as there were thousands of dead bugs floating on the water. Well, this really killed the bluegill fishing, so we rigged for bass. We saw some and got a few to follow the lure, but none hit. A storm came up, so we headed home. We drove through rain on the way back, but it only sprinkled lightly here at the campground. We fished again in the evening for a little while, but nothing. The popper that John was using was made with “permanent” glue, but sadly “permanent” did not mean “waterproof,” so it came apart.
Tuesday, September 30 – We took our coffee walk up on the hill to the campsites there and talked for quite a while with John and Jean who were sitting by their campfire. We compared notes on campgrounds we have visited and enjoyed our chat with them. We had breakfast, then sat by our fire and read and John tied a few more flies. We drove into Hiawassee and fished on the Chatuge from a town park and beach area. We caught several bluegills on flies that John tied and saw a few bass, but could not interest them. We then drove to Ken’s and Carol’s house for a chili dinner with several others from church. We had a very nice time visiting with them.
Wednesday, October 1 – Joan put a pork roast on the crock pot, and then came back to bed. When we finally got up, we took a very brisk coffee walk and returned to build a campfire. We enjoyed the warmth it offered today. We picked up a mess of chestnuts that were scattered around an empty campsite and John roasted them by the fire. He tried a couple, which were very good, but then noticed one that he opened was full of worms. Checking the rest of them revealed worms in nearly all. We decided to pass on “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” We read today and John tied a few more flies in preparation for fishing the “Unicoi Outfitter’s Trophy Trout Waters” near Helen, Ga. on Friday. For dinner, we took the pork roast down to the weekly potluck supper. It was a big hit and made a good addition to the excellent offerings for the evening. We sat with John and Jan and enjoyed their company. John has a rather bizarre sense of humor which is fun.
Thursday, October 02 – It got quite frosty last night. It was in the low 40s when we finally extricated ourselves from bed. We were thankful for our little electric heater. We took our coffee walk, tightly holding onto the mugs for warmth and were able to talk to Bob (of Bob and Carolyn) who are the other hosts. We have talked to Carolyn, but had not had the chance to talk to Bob, except to say hi. They will be heading south in early November. Today was outside camper cleaning day. We also needed to get the fly rods ready for tomorrow’s trip to Unicoi. John tied a couple of popper flies to take the place of the ones that fell apart due to using non-waterproof glue. This time he used Gorilla Glue, which says 100% waterproof right on the bottle. You can’t beat that! We practiced fly casting down by the pond again. We’re continuing to improve.
Friday, October 03 – We got up early this morning (6:00 am) and 42 degrees, which this time of year seems like the middle of the night, to head over to Helen to take our opportunity to fish the “Trophy Waters.” It was still quite chilly when we started fishing at 8:30 and we became somewhat concerned when we were able to see fish, but not get them to eat anything. This pattern became the theme for the day and changing flies and techniques proved futile. We cannot begin to tell you how frustrating it can be to see hundreds of 2, 3, and 4 pound fish totally ignore anything we put in front of them. The high point of the day was seeing deer come to the water to get a drink. They obviously did not expect us to be there as they spooked and quickly ran away. Finally, John tied on a fly he tied as a joke that consisted of a gumball sized chartreuse pom-pom. The trout immediately stormed towards it and would just for an instant take it in their mouths, but spit it out before John had a chance to set the hook. After a few minutes, they quickly tired of this game, and our time on the water was over. We had fun, but must say that it was very disappointing not to catch anything. The only consolation was that it did not cost us anything except the gas to get there. It shows also that we have a lot to learn. To console ourselves, we stopped at International Café in Helen for a sandwich.
Saturday, October 04 – Today was a stick around day so we had a fire most of the day and enjoyed its warmth. John got some things ready to leave Monday like checking tires and fixing travel mirrors on the truck while Joan cleaned the inside of the screens. We had Bob and Carolyn (the other hosts) over for peach cobbler that John fixed on the RVQ. He thinks it was fairly good.
Sunday, October 05 – We got up early and got our showers before the other campers got a chance. We stopped for breakfast before church and had a great one at Mary’s Southern Grill. It was difficult to say good bye to all the wonderful people we got to know at Hiawassee UMC. It was nice to know, however, that we will be back in the spring. We came back to camp and did some more cleaning. The awning had not been done in a long time and really needed it. We had dinner, and then took one last hike around the campground. Surprisingly, although the tenting area was empty, the area on top of the hill was still full. Everything is just about ready to head out in the morning.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/TrackRockCampgroundBlairesvilleGaSept0815#
Moccasin Creek State Park - Clarkesville, Ga (Sept. 2 - 8)
Tuesday, September 02 - We left this morning at 9:20 after saying goodbye to our friends. This place was definately harder to leave than some. We arrived at Moccasin Creek at 1:18 after driving 158 miles of mountain highways. We got set up, had dinner, took a walk around the campground, then John fly fished from shore until dark. He caught a few nice bluegills, but the bass were not to be found. Several people were fishing the trout stream, but did not see anything caught. We are not sure if we will buy trout stamps or not. The trout fishing has not been very good we are hearing. We have cell service here, but no tv reception. We will have to keep up with the hurricanes with the computers.
Wednesday, September 03 – It was a very quiet night last night, but we heard that a large bear had passed through the campground in the evening while we were down by the lake. It did not cause any trouble, though. While taking our coffee walk down by the creek, we met a couple, John and Susan, who live nearby in Dillard. John part-time pastors a non-denominational church nearby, which we plan to attend on Sunday. We did some cleaning today on the camper and truck. In the evening we launched the kayaks and fished on the lake until dark. John brought in a huge bream on the fly rod using a black wooly bugger. Joan had one take a swipe on her WB, but missed it.
Thursday, September 04 – Today was explore and Walmart day. We drove to the Chattahoochee National Forest to check out a couple of campgrounds and creeks and rivers that run by them. We looked at Tallulah River Campground which was fairly full and looked very nice. There are no hookups, but it has flush toilets and there is a host on site. The river on the way there (Tallulah) is beautiful. There were many fishing along the road on the river and one man had a few trout on a stringer. We did not see any fly rods, but only conventional tackle with spinners or bait. We also checked out Tate Branch Campground, but it was nearly empty, seemed isolated and did not have a host. The same was true of Sandy Bottom Campground. There were some “Deliverance” looking characters there, so we made a hasty retreat. We also drove up the steep climb to Black Rock State Park and on the way back down stopped and fished at Big Rock Lake. The bluegill were too smart for us from much training. We did our Walmart stop in Clayton and returned to camp. We bought a fly-tying kit and a new fly reel for the rod we got Joan in Kodak, TN. We fished in the evening with a few hits, but no fish.
Friday, September 05 – We had our coffee and breakfast and headed out to hike the Hemlock Falls Trail. It is 1.5 miles and about 400 feet rise in elevation to the falls, but as we found out not nearly as challenging as the Rock Creek Falls Trail last week. It however is a beautiful trail and closely follows Moccasin Creek. The book we have, “Trout Streams of Southern Appalachia,” and the campground host recommend it for fishing, so we decided to buy our trout stamp and fish it tomorrow. There are many places we can get down to the water and cast a line. In the evening, after a wonderful BBQ pork dinner that Joan did in the crock pot, we launched the kayaks for about an hour and a half of fishing. Joan landed two very large bream on a green woolly bugger fly. John only got one good hit on a black woolly bugger. The campground has filled up for the weekend. We are hoping for a quiet night. We like that the campground is locked up at night, so no one can come in late and set up.
Saturday, September 06 – John tied his first fly this morning, a black/red woolly bugger. It was not too ugly for a first attempt. We hiked up to the falls again, this time with fly rods in hand. We went down to the creek from the trail where it was not so steep that emergency crews would have to come and get us out. It is such a beautiful creek and we really enjoyed seeing it again, even though we did not catch anything and John lost his woolly bugger. In the evening we got caught up on phone calls. It is quite busy here in the park today, and noisy as well, with folks listening to the Georgia Bulldog game with volume levels set to accommodate the deaf. It will quieter tomorrow when nearly everyone leaves.
Sunday, September 07 – We drove about 28 miles to go to church today in Sky Valley. It is a beautiful, Alpine-like community over 3000 feet elevation. We were in N. Carolina at least three times on the way there, but it is actually still in Ga. The minister there is the man we met here in the campground shortly after we arrived. John and Susan seemed genuinely pleased that we came. He introduced us to the congregation during the service, which was very full with good music and a great message on our need to forgive. We were able to talk with him for quite a while after the service. Folks there were very welcoming and friendly, and made us feel right at home. We returned to camp and started getting things ready to leave in the morning. It was warmer here today, and a little more humid. In the evening we drove a couple of miles up Wildcat Creek road to check out a NF campground there, but it turned out to be a little more primitive than we prefer.
See pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/MoccasinCreekStateParkClarkesvilleGaSept28
Wednesday, September 03 – It was a very quiet night last night, but we heard that a large bear had passed through the campground in the evening while we were down by the lake. It did not cause any trouble, though. While taking our coffee walk down by the creek, we met a couple, John and Susan, who live nearby in Dillard. John part-time pastors a non-denominational church nearby, which we plan to attend on Sunday. We did some cleaning today on the camper and truck. In the evening we launched the kayaks and fished on the lake until dark. John brought in a huge bream on the fly rod using a black wooly bugger. Joan had one take a swipe on her WB, but missed it.
Thursday, September 04 – Today was explore and Walmart day. We drove to the Chattahoochee National Forest to check out a couple of campgrounds and creeks and rivers that run by them. We looked at Tallulah River Campground which was fairly full and looked very nice. There are no hookups, but it has flush toilets and there is a host on site. The river on the way there (Tallulah) is beautiful. There were many fishing along the road on the river and one man had a few trout on a stringer. We did not see any fly rods, but only conventional tackle with spinners or bait. We also checked out Tate Branch Campground, but it was nearly empty, seemed isolated and did not have a host. The same was true of Sandy Bottom Campground. There were some “Deliverance” looking characters there, so we made a hasty retreat. We also drove up the steep climb to Black Rock State Park and on the way back down stopped and fished at Big Rock Lake. The bluegill were too smart for us from much training. We did our Walmart stop in Clayton and returned to camp. We bought a fly-tying kit and a new fly reel for the rod we got Joan in Kodak, TN. We fished in the evening with a few hits, but no fish.
Friday, September 05 – We had our coffee and breakfast and headed out to hike the Hemlock Falls Trail. It is 1.5 miles and about 400 feet rise in elevation to the falls, but as we found out not nearly as challenging as the Rock Creek Falls Trail last week. It however is a beautiful trail and closely follows Moccasin Creek. The book we have, “Trout Streams of Southern Appalachia,” and the campground host recommend it for fishing, so we decided to buy our trout stamp and fish it tomorrow. There are many places we can get down to the water and cast a line. In the evening, after a wonderful BBQ pork dinner that Joan did in the crock pot, we launched the kayaks for about an hour and a half of fishing. Joan landed two very large bream on a green woolly bugger fly. John only got one good hit on a black woolly bugger. The campground has filled up for the weekend. We are hoping for a quiet night. We like that the campground is locked up at night, so no one can come in late and set up.
Saturday, September 06 – John tied his first fly this morning, a black/red woolly bugger. It was not too ugly for a first attempt. We hiked up to the falls again, this time with fly rods in hand. We went down to the creek from the trail where it was not so steep that emergency crews would have to come and get us out. It is such a beautiful creek and we really enjoyed seeing it again, even though we did not catch anything and John lost his woolly bugger. In the evening we got caught up on phone calls. It is quite busy here in the park today, and noisy as well, with folks listening to the Georgia Bulldog game with volume levels set to accommodate the deaf. It will quieter tomorrow when nearly everyone leaves.
Sunday, September 07 – We drove about 28 miles to go to church today in Sky Valley. It is a beautiful, Alpine-like community over 3000 feet elevation. We were in N. Carolina at least three times on the way there, but it is actually still in Ga. The minister there is the man we met here in the campground shortly after we arrived. John and Susan seemed genuinely pleased that we came. He introduced us to the congregation during the service, which was very full with good music and a great message on our need to forgive. We were able to talk with him for quite a while after the service. Folks there were very welcoming and friendly, and made us feel right at home. We returned to camp and started getting things ready to leave in the morning. It was warmer here today, and a little more humid. In the evening we drove a couple of miles up Wildcat Creek road to check out a NF campground there, but it turned out to be a little more primitive than we prefer.
See pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/MoccasinCreekStateParkClarkesvilleGaSept28
Rock Creek Recreation Area N.F.S. Campground – Erwin, Tn (August 19 – September 2)
Tuesday, August 19 – We left Watauga about 9:15 and arrived at Rock Creek about 10:00 after driving 36.4 miles. The temperature at Rock Creek was about 5 degrees cooler than Erwin, probably because of the heavy forest. We were greeted by Bob, the host who was here last year. We had a good visit with him and got up to date on happenings in the area. We set up on site 27 which is nice and large and well spaced from neighbors. We then headed into Erwin to look around and then to Walmart to pick up some needed food items. After dinner, Tim and Rich stopped by with Gus and took a walk with us around the campground and along the creek.
Wednesday, August 20 – It was a very quiet night, so we slept late. Both of us were getting very shaggy, so we drove to Johnson City to get a haircut. We also wanted to check out the Nolichucky River and go back to Mahoney’s Outfitters to get some information and appropriate flies for S.M. Bass on the Nolichucky. We got all things accomplished and much better haircuts than the last ones. It continues to be warm, but about 8 degrees cooler in the campground than down in Erwin. By the time we got back, new neighbors had moved in all around us. People have been very friendly and respectful. Our hosts are very helpful and friendly as well.
Thursday, August 21 – We had breakfast and drove the eight miles over to the Nolichucky to wade-fish. When we got out on the water, it became very windy, which made fly fishing quite challenging. However, Joan managed to come up with a nice 12” S.M. Bass. John had some nice hits and follows, but no fish. Considering that this was our first time on this body of water, we did rather well. Later, we stopped by Erwin Linear Park and had lunch by the small lake that is there. They also have a biking path that is a few miles long and follows a small creek.
Friday, August 22 – We had a chance to talk with our neighbors, Greg, Pam, and their daughter Lauren this morning. They are from Lancaster County, PA. They are a very nice family and Greg grew up in this area. They are visiting his parents who still live in the area. After breakfast, we drove through Unicoi, to Limestone Cove Recreation Area day use area. We fishing for awhile, but the water was very low making fishing difficult. John managed to catch one small trout. It is a nice area that used to have a campground, but it is now closed. We hiked to the swimming area that has about a dozen breeder rainbow trout that were put in by the Erwin National Fish Hatchery that is just down the road. John threw in some salmon eggs that they gobbled up very quickly. It was fun to see how fast they are. It would be a lot of fun to try the fly rods there, but would be highly frowned upon and probably a federal crime.
Saturday, August 23 – It was a quiet night, especially for a Friday, so we slept well again. We took our coffee walk on the Hemlock Trail. It was a nice, not too long, loop above the campground. After a substantial breakfast, we ventured out on the Rock Creek Falls Trail. This was a definitely more ambitious 1.5 mile hike up to a beautiful falls. It followed Rock Creek with a few crossings over well placed rocks. We were pleased that there was actually water flowing over the falls, not like the last three that we visited at Cloudland Canyon and Falling Waters. Joan took many pictures along the way and at the falls.
Sunday, August 24 – Sadly, we said goodbye to our neighbors Greg, Pam, and Lauren, then walked over to the pavilion where we attended a worship service. It was put on by a local Baptist Church. There were only a few there, including our hosts, but it was a good time regardless, and a meaningful message. After breakfast we took another hike, but this time not quite as ambitious as yesterday. The weather continues to be perfect, but the weathermen say there is a chance we could get some rain from T.S. Fay about Wednesday. Folks who live around here (nearly everyone we meet camping) would greatly appreciate some rain.
Monday, August 25 – T. S. Fay made here appearance this morning providing us a steady rain for most of the day. This is very welcome here by the locals who have been seeing drought conditions for most of the summer. It gave us a chance to catch up on reading and assembling fly fishing information for the areas we are and will be for the next few weeks. We found several discussion forums that are written by locals who fish these waters every day. They provide the best information available about areas, fly patterns, and techniques. We were invited for pancake breakfast by our neighbors across the road, John, Lois, her son Darrel, and his wife, Jennifer. It was great to visit with them. It also appears that there is another Tropical Storm brewing near Haiti and heading for Florida.
Tuesday, August 26 – It rained all night and has been raining all day too, never real hard, but a steady rain just as well. We needed to go to the laundry-mat anyway and stop at Walmart to stock up again. In between, we explored and found another place to fish on the Nolichucky River. We will return there as soon as the rain stops.
Wednesday, August 27 – It finally stopped raining this morning and the sun came out for awhile. There was some excitement in the campground because a limb had fallen the evening before and landed on the top of a trailer across the road from us. Thankfully, it did not do any damage. We had heard it fall, but could not determine what it was or where it had landed. The same was true for another that fell just after we went to bed. It sounded like a gunshot. It turned out to be a sizable branch that landed on the neighbor’s fire pit. The rain had apparently soaked into dead limbs and weighed them down enough to make them let go. After breakfast we drove back to Wautauga Dam to visit our new friend Clyde again. We took the back roads over the mountain, which made a very scenic ride. Before heading back, we stopped at Stoney’s pizza for dinner. While we were there it poured. We sat by a fire in the evening and were serenaded by thunder in the area.
Thursday, August 28 – We went to bed last night with the weatherman forecasting a 20% chance of rain. Well we got the 20%, and it rained all night and into the morning. Finally, it stopped and we decided to check out the Nolichucky to see if it was fishable. It was not. It was a roaring torrent and impossible to even get close enough to fish. As a backup, John had been reading in our book “Trout Streams of Southern Appalachia” and found Rock Fork Creek which is close by. We drove and found it through really beautiful country. John said, “Now I remember why we fell in love with this area when we came through last year.” We parked alongside the road and walked down to the creek and fished it for awhile. Joan caught a nice 8” rainbow trout by standing on a big rock and casting down into a pool. So much for the theory that you have to sneak up on them. This will be an area we will return to. Tim and Rich stopped by for awhile in the evening.
Friday, August 29 – We took our coffee walk around the loops and found the campground nearly full. Hopefully, they will be considerate campers this weekend and not make too much noise. After breakfast, we headed out for another explore. This time we wanted to check out Horse Creek. We talked to the ranger, host there, who was very informative. The campground is right on the creek and nicely laid out. There are no hookups, but there are warm showers and flush toilets at the swimming area that is close. We went down to the picnic area that is also along the creek and has a special fishing restriction that allows only children and those over 65 to fish. Since Joan is still way too young, John took advantage and fished for a few minutes. Sadly, there was nothing hitting. The ranger also told us about another fishing/camping area on Paint Creek that we might want to check out. We went over there and found it in a gorgeous area and a very nice campground. There is a road that runs by the creek that is entirely in Cherokee N.F. We parked and fished it for about an hour, but only caught very small trout (fingerlings). The stocking of these creeks stops in June, which means that they might be fished out by now. The total absence of locals fishing on a Friday late afternoon, in this prime trout area might be a clue that there is not much going on. We would have focused on fishing for S.M. Bass in the Nolichucky River, but it is still running way too fast to fish.
Saturday, August 30 – We had a lazy day today. We started looking at fishing areas in Georgia where we will be next week and checking regulations. We sat by a fire in the evening. The weather has been perfect the last couple of days.
Sunday, August 31 – We went to church with out neighbors, John and Lois, at John’s brother Bill’s church not far from here. Folks were very friendly and inviting and Bill gave a meaningful message. Afterwards, several of us went out to eat at a local Chinese Restaurant. The school-age boy who was working there kept us entertained while he was waiting on us. We talked for quite a while with a couple, Matt and Cassi, who just bought a camper like ours off Craigslist and had questions about how some things were supposed to work.
Monday, September 01 – It was very quiet on our loop last night and this morning. Today we started minor packing to get ready to leave tomorrow. Besides a couple of walks around the campground, we stayed close to home. Tim and Rich came over for dinner tonight and we enjoyed talking with them. They are making plans to come back home to Florida over Christmas and visit their grandmother. We also enjoyed a fire in the evening.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/RockCreekRecreationAreaNFSCampgroundErwinTn
Wednesday, August 20 – It was a very quiet night, so we slept late. Both of us were getting very shaggy, so we drove to Johnson City to get a haircut. We also wanted to check out the Nolichucky River and go back to Mahoney’s Outfitters to get some information and appropriate flies for S.M. Bass on the Nolichucky. We got all things accomplished and much better haircuts than the last ones. It continues to be warm, but about 8 degrees cooler in the campground than down in Erwin. By the time we got back, new neighbors had moved in all around us. People have been very friendly and respectful. Our hosts are very helpful and friendly as well.
Thursday, August 21 – We had breakfast and drove the eight miles over to the Nolichucky to wade-fish. When we got out on the water, it became very windy, which made fly fishing quite challenging. However, Joan managed to come up with a nice 12” S.M. Bass. John had some nice hits and follows, but no fish. Considering that this was our first time on this body of water, we did rather well. Later, we stopped by Erwin Linear Park and had lunch by the small lake that is there. They also have a biking path that is a few miles long and follows a small creek.
Friday, August 22 – We had a chance to talk with our neighbors, Greg, Pam, and their daughter Lauren this morning. They are from Lancaster County, PA. They are a very nice family and Greg grew up in this area. They are visiting his parents who still live in the area. After breakfast, we drove through Unicoi, to Limestone Cove Recreation Area day use area. We fishing for awhile, but the water was very low making fishing difficult. John managed to catch one small trout. It is a nice area that used to have a campground, but it is now closed. We hiked to the swimming area that has about a dozen breeder rainbow trout that were put in by the Erwin National Fish Hatchery that is just down the road. John threw in some salmon eggs that they gobbled up very quickly. It was fun to see how fast they are. It would be a lot of fun to try the fly rods there, but would be highly frowned upon and probably a federal crime.
Saturday, August 23 – It was a quiet night, especially for a Friday, so we slept well again. We took our coffee walk on the Hemlock Trail. It was a nice, not too long, loop above the campground. After a substantial breakfast, we ventured out on the Rock Creek Falls Trail. This was a definitely more ambitious 1.5 mile hike up to a beautiful falls. It followed Rock Creek with a few crossings over well placed rocks. We were pleased that there was actually water flowing over the falls, not like the last three that we visited at Cloudland Canyon and Falling Waters. Joan took many pictures along the way and at the falls.
Sunday, August 24 – Sadly, we said goodbye to our neighbors Greg, Pam, and Lauren, then walked over to the pavilion where we attended a worship service. It was put on by a local Baptist Church. There were only a few there, including our hosts, but it was a good time regardless, and a meaningful message. After breakfast we took another hike, but this time not quite as ambitious as yesterday. The weather continues to be perfect, but the weathermen say there is a chance we could get some rain from T.S. Fay about Wednesday. Folks who live around here (nearly everyone we meet camping) would greatly appreciate some rain.
Monday, August 25 – T. S. Fay made here appearance this morning providing us a steady rain for most of the day. This is very welcome here by the locals who have been seeing drought conditions for most of the summer. It gave us a chance to catch up on reading and assembling fly fishing information for the areas we are and will be for the next few weeks. We found several discussion forums that are written by locals who fish these waters every day. They provide the best information available about areas, fly patterns, and techniques. We were invited for pancake breakfast by our neighbors across the road, John, Lois, her son Darrel, and his wife, Jennifer. It was great to visit with them. It also appears that there is another Tropical Storm brewing near Haiti and heading for Florida.
Tuesday, August 26 – It rained all night and has been raining all day too, never real hard, but a steady rain just as well. We needed to go to the laundry-mat anyway and stop at Walmart to stock up again. In between, we explored and found another place to fish on the Nolichucky River. We will return there as soon as the rain stops.
Wednesday, August 27 – It finally stopped raining this morning and the sun came out for awhile. There was some excitement in the campground because a limb had fallen the evening before and landed on the top of a trailer across the road from us. Thankfully, it did not do any damage. We had heard it fall, but could not determine what it was or where it had landed. The same was true for another that fell just after we went to bed. It sounded like a gunshot. It turned out to be a sizable branch that landed on the neighbor’s fire pit. The rain had apparently soaked into dead limbs and weighed them down enough to make them let go. After breakfast we drove back to Wautauga Dam to visit our new friend Clyde again. We took the back roads over the mountain, which made a very scenic ride. Before heading back, we stopped at Stoney’s pizza for dinner. While we were there it poured. We sat by a fire in the evening and were serenaded by thunder in the area.
Thursday, August 28 – We went to bed last night with the weatherman forecasting a 20% chance of rain. Well we got the 20%, and it rained all night and into the morning. Finally, it stopped and we decided to check out the Nolichucky to see if it was fishable. It was not. It was a roaring torrent and impossible to even get close enough to fish. As a backup, John had been reading in our book “Trout Streams of Southern Appalachia” and found Rock Fork Creek which is close by. We drove and found it through really beautiful country. John said, “Now I remember why we fell in love with this area when we came through last year.” We parked alongside the road and walked down to the creek and fished it for awhile. Joan caught a nice 8” rainbow trout by standing on a big rock and casting down into a pool. So much for the theory that you have to sneak up on them. This will be an area we will return to. Tim and Rich stopped by for awhile in the evening.
Friday, August 29 – We took our coffee walk around the loops and found the campground nearly full. Hopefully, they will be considerate campers this weekend and not make too much noise. After breakfast, we headed out for another explore. This time we wanted to check out Horse Creek. We talked to the ranger, host there, who was very informative. The campground is right on the creek and nicely laid out. There are no hookups, but there are warm showers and flush toilets at the swimming area that is close. We went down to the picnic area that is also along the creek and has a special fishing restriction that allows only children and those over 65 to fish. Since Joan is still way too young, John took advantage and fished for a few minutes. Sadly, there was nothing hitting. The ranger also told us about another fishing/camping area on Paint Creek that we might want to check out. We went over there and found it in a gorgeous area and a very nice campground. There is a road that runs by the creek that is entirely in Cherokee N.F. We parked and fished it for about an hour, but only caught very small trout (fingerlings). The stocking of these creeks stops in June, which means that they might be fished out by now. The total absence of locals fishing on a Friday late afternoon, in this prime trout area might be a clue that there is not much going on. We would have focused on fishing for S.M. Bass in the Nolichucky River, but it is still running way too fast to fish.
Saturday, August 30 – We had a lazy day today. We started looking at fishing areas in Georgia where we will be next week and checking regulations. We sat by a fire in the evening. The weather has been perfect the last couple of days.
Sunday, August 31 – We went to church with out neighbors, John and Lois, at John’s brother Bill’s church not far from here. Folks were very friendly and inviting and Bill gave a meaningful message. Afterwards, several of us went out to eat at a local Chinese Restaurant. The school-age boy who was working there kept us entertained while he was waiting on us. We talked for quite a while with a couple, Matt and Cassi, who just bought a camper like ours off Craigslist and had questions about how some things were supposed to work.
Monday, September 01 – It was very quiet on our loop last night and this morning. Today we started minor packing to get ready to leave tomorrow. Besides a couple of walks around the campground, we stayed close to home. Tim and Rich came over for dinner tonight and we enjoyed talking with them. They are making plans to come back home to Florida over Christmas and visit their grandmother. We also enjoyed a fire in the evening.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/RockCreekRecreationAreaNFSCampgroundErwinTn
Watauga Dam TVA Recreation Area - Elizabethton, Tn (August 3 - August 19)
Sunday, August 3 – We left Warrior’s path after packing up and attending a worship service at the park from 9:30 until about 10:15. We arrived at Watauga at 12 noon and talked to some people who knew about the site that was being held for us. It took some time for the people who were there on our site to get packed up and leave. We got set up then drove into Elizabethton. On the way we stopped at a tackle shop to get our trout stamps. Well, we had been given bad information at Cloudland Canyon and could not add a trout license to what we already had. We would have to buy the $81 license that would allow us to catch trout as well as other species. The guy there was not real nice, so we left, but then decided later to stop and get them at Wal-Mart. This was an expensive lesson learned. We then stopped and had dinner at Fatz Café. It was excellent. It is beautiful here and the water is ice cold and crystal clear. Fishing by our camper does not appear too promising. We will most likely need to paddle closer to the dam and also try the tail-water area.
Monday, August 4 – It was very windy during the night about 4:30 am, so we had to go out and fasten the tarp down tight. It still flapped around a lot keeping us from sleeping. Someday we will get a full night’s sleep again. We got the kayaks out this afternoon even though it was quite warm. It must be about 10 degrees cooler on the 46 degree water. Joan got a few good hits, but that was it. We had dinner and went out again try again after they would be done generating and running water out of the dam. John had a fish on for about 2 seconds, but nothing more. Eventually we will find the key. Tim and Rich stopped over with Gus, a really nice white Pyrenees. He is real sweet and gentle. After dark we sat around a fire, which felt real good due to the fog and breeze coming off the water. This is an awesome place and truly beautiful.
Tuesday, August 5 – We decided to try fishing below the dam, so we grabbed a couple of breakfast bars and drove down and found a place to park. This area is about 2 miles away from our campsite. We could see brook trout in pools that we could cast to, but had trouble getting them to bite. Finally, John was successful by stripping the fly faster after they started to follow and they would chase it and take it. He would up catching two. Later, after lunch, we went down to the picnic area on this side of the dam and Joan managed to hook up with a small, but nice brown. It has been very hot today, but with the water temp at about 43 degrees, by staying near the water, it acts like a natural air conditioner. The next time we can get out, we are going to try our waders. We really like this place. It is so beautiful and has so much to do right here.
Wednesday, August 6 – Since it was raining early this morning, we slept in. It was nice for a change to have enough quiet to do this. We finally dragged ourselves out of bed and had pancakes and sausage for breakfast. We then took our waders and went back down below the dam. They really worked great and allowed us to position ourselves much better in the water. We each caught one brook trout, which we released because we did not have a way to measure them. John figures we would need about six this size to make a meal. They were probably about 7-8 inches long. We left there when they began releasing water and went over to the picnic area. We caught nothing there, so we went up to the boat launch on Watauga Lake. We fished around the boat launch, but only managed a couple of small bluegill. We came home and had pork chops for dinner, and then wade fished near our campsite. Nothing was biting here either.
Thursday, August 7 – We took advantage of a gloomy, rainy, potentially stormy day to go to the laundromat and Wal-Mart. We also filled the tank for $3.43/gal.
Friday, August 8 – Today was a truly beautiful, sunny day with temps in the lower 80s and very low humidity. We took advantage of that and took a road trip around Lake Watauga. We stopped a few times to fish the lake and also stopped and fished Doe Creek. We caught some small bluegill and John caught a record rainbow trout. Actually, it would be a stretch to say it was an inch and a half long. We truly enjoyed the beauty of this area and will be back again. We stopped on the way back at a restaurant that came highly recommended. Shirley’s is a home-style restaurant that has extremely well-prepared food. We even got to talk personally with Shirley. We were not disappointed. This evening we are watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Wow!
Saturday, August 09 – It was windy again during the night, but no damage. We got up to a very cool morning – about 60 degrees – and took our coffee on a much longer walk. We hiked the road that leads up to the boat launch and observation area on Watauga Lake, and got about half way. We hiked 1.5 miles of steep incline, then turned around and came back. Again, because this is the weekend, we stayed fairly close to camp. We picked up some firewood and cut it up.
Sunday, August 10 – We went to our next door neighbor’s (Gary & Patty) church this morning. They were camping next to us this week. It is a very large Free-Will Baptist Church and we enjoyed a good message and music. The folks there were friendly and we talked to Gary & Patty for awhile after the service. We fished out our back door for awhile with the fly rods, but came up empty again. Tim & Rich came over this evening for dinner. It was good to see them again. They are the guys we met last week at Warrior’s Path.
Monday, August 11 – It was in the upper 50s overnight and about 60 when we got up. We made coffee and grabbed some breakfast bars and headed down past the steel bridge to fish the Watauga River while they were not generating. It is too swift for us to wade it when the water is flowing at its peak. We soon discovered that we needed to stay in the rocky areas to keep from sinking into the mud. We fished for over an hour and only came up with one fish. John caught a nice (about 7”) brown trout, which he released unharmed. It was still fairly cool in the afternoon so we made a fire and enjoyed sitting by it and watching the river flow by the campsite. We had the rest of the pork roast that Joan did in the crock pot yesterday. It was awesome. Tim and Rich stopped by for a few minutes to show us Rich’s new truck. Very nice!
Tuesday, August 12 – We had planned to get the kayaks on the water this morning, but heavy winds and cool temps changed our minds. We have wanted to hike out on the Appalachian Trail and see the overlook of Lake Watauga. The start of the trail is two miles from our campsite and 700 feet higher in elevation. We packed up our supplies and headed out mid-morning. On the way, we passed a man who was raking rocks from his yard. We talked with him for quite a while. His name is Clyde and his wife died about a year and a half ago. He is retired from the TVA and has lived in the area all his life. He had a wealth of information to share. He showed us his new house that he just moved into and told us that his old one is for sale. We only hiked about a half a mile of the trail which leaves about 2174.5 miles to go to complete it. A bear was sighted in the campground this evening. We get good reception on NBC and are really enjoying the Olympics in the evening. Go Mike!
Wednesday, August 13 – We had breakfast, then launched the kayaks from our back yard. We fished for about four hours, but caught nothing. A young man fishing from shore by the bridge caught an 18 inch rainbow trout on a Mepps inline spinner bait. John helped him get a picture of it and release it. He is the owner of the Sonic restaurant in Elizabethton and was taking a break from work. He’s originally from Florida and has only been here a few months. That was the first trout he has ever caught. It has made us think maybe we need to put away the fly rods and go conventional, but we decided to hang in there and learn what we need to catch fish consistently on the fly. In the afternoon, we drove to Johnson City to Mahoney’s Outfitters and restocked our supply of flys and John got a wading pack to hold our stuff. It rained hard while we were out.
Thursday, August 14 – Today we drove over to Dennis Cove in the Cherokee National Forest. There is a small campground there with no hookups that is way back in the forest. It seemed like we climbed hills forever getting there. Laurel Creek goes through there so we parked at the picnic area, put on our waders, and fished it for awhile. The water was very low and clear making it difficult. As a result, we came up empty. On the way back we took another route over gravel roads through the forest and incredibly beautiful country. We are hearing that a stocking happened and about fish being caught in the river here in our campground, so we’ll focus on it for the next couple of days.
Friday, August 15 – We took the kayaks out again in the morning after the wind settled down and it warmed up a bit. We continue to stay committed to the fly rods and put on clouser flys to try to entice a larger trout. We soon had some action. Joan adjusted her kayak position with her small paddle and when she started bringing the fly in again, she realized that she had a fish on. By the time she went to set the hook, it released it and swam away. She figures it was about a two pound fish. That was the only action for the outing. We went back to Shirley’s Restaurant for dinner and fished the large lake (Watauga) before and after from shore. We put on large grasshopper flies and had fun with bluegills hitting the fly, but it was too big for them to get hooked. We were hoping for a larger bass to take it, but it never happened. Rich and Tim stopped by again and said they checked out the Nolichucky Campground near Erwin. They didn’t think we would like it because it looked like a scene from a Grateful Dead concert.
Saturday, August 16 – We took the kayaks out yet again this morning and gave it another try, but closer to our campsite. We saw a few very large trout, but were unable to get them to bite. Some have been catching trout on corn and dough-balls, but we don’t have flies that resemble these. Maybe we need to get some salmon egg flies. The weather continues to be great, but is slowly warming up.
Sunday, August 17 – We went back to Valley Forge Baptist Church and enjoyed a very lively, meaningful service. Folks there were very friendly and inviting and it was good to see Gary and Patty again. We stopped at Walmart, and then returned back to the campground. We had picked up some salmon eggs and tried to float them with the fly rods in the kayaks. They didn’t stay on real well and we came up empty again.
Monday, August 18 – We decided to get out and wade again below the steel bridge before they start generating. John says that Joan’s fly fishing has improved dramatically. She is getting the fly out more than 50 feet. She got three hits and John got one, but none landed. This has been a good learning experience with the fly rods, with much more to learn. We have loved this area and will most assuredly be back. After we were done fishing we drove over to Stoney’s Pizza for lunch, then stopped by and visited with Clyde (see Tuesday, August 12) for awhile. In the evening, we sat out by a fire and enjoyed the river for the last time.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/WataugaDamTVARecreationAreaElizabethtonTnAugust3August19
Monday, August 4 – It was very windy during the night about 4:30 am, so we had to go out and fasten the tarp down tight. It still flapped around a lot keeping us from sleeping. Someday we will get a full night’s sleep again. We got the kayaks out this afternoon even though it was quite warm. It must be about 10 degrees cooler on the 46 degree water. Joan got a few good hits, but that was it. We had dinner and went out again try again after they would be done generating and running water out of the dam. John had a fish on for about 2 seconds, but nothing more. Eventually we will find the key. Tim and Rich stopped over with Gus, a really nice white Pyrenees. He is real sweet and gentle. After dark we sat around a fire, which felt real good due to the fog and breeze coming off the water. This is an awesome place and truly beautiful.
Tuesday, August 5 – We decided to try fishing below the dam, so we grabbed a couple of breakfast bars and drove down and found a place to park. This area is about 2 miles away from our campsite. We could see brook trout in pools that we could cast to, but had trouble getting them to bite. Finally, John was successful by stripping the fly faster after they started to follow and they would chase it and take it. He would up catching two. Later, after lunch, we went down to the picnic area on this side of the dam and Joan managed to hook up with a small, but nice brown. It has been very hot today, but with the water temp at about 43 degrees, by staying near the water, it acts like a natural air conditioner. The next time we can get out, we are going to try our waders. We really like this place. It is so beautiful and has so much to do right here.
Wednesday, August 6 – Since it was raining early this morning, we slept in. It was nice for a change to have enough quiet to do this. We finally dragged ourselves out of bed and had pancakes and sausage for breakfast. We then took our waders and went back down below the dam. They really worked great and allowed us to position ourselves much better in the water. We each caught one brook trout, which we released because we did not have a way to measure them. John figures we would need about six this size to make a meal. They were probably about 7-8 inches long. We left there when they began releasing water and went over to the picnic area. We caught nothing there, so we went up to the boat launch on Watauga Lake. We fished around the boat launch, but only managed a couple of small bluegill. We came home and had pork chops for dinner, and then wade fished near our campsite. Nothing was biting here either.
Thursday, August 7 – We took advantage of a gloomy, rainy, potentially stormy day to go to the laundromat and Wal-Mart. We also filled the tank for $3.43/gal.
Friday, August 8 – Today was a truly beautiful, sunny day with temps in the lower 80s and very low humidity. We took advantage of that and took a road trip around Lake Watauga. We stopped a few times to fish the lake and also stopped and fished Doe Creek. We caught some small bluegill and John caught a record rainbow trout. Actually, it would be a stretch to say it was an inch and a half long. We truly enjoyed the beauty of this area and will be back again. We stopped on the way back at a restaurant that came highly recommended. Shirley’s is a home-style restaurant that has extremely well-prepared food. We even got to talk personally with Shirley. We were not disappointed. This evening we are watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Wow!
Saturday, August 09 – It was windy again during the night, but no damage. We got up to a very cool morning – about 60 degrees – and took our coffee on a much longer walk. We hiked the road that leads up to the boat launch and observation area on Watauga Lake, and got about half way. We hiked 1.5 miles of steep incline, then turned around and came back. Again, because this is the weekend, we stayed fairly close to camp. We picked up some firewood and cut it up.
Sunday, August 10 – We went to our next door neighbor’s (Gary & Patty) church this morning. They were camping next to us this week. It is a very large Free-Will Baptist Church and we enjoyed a good message and music. The folks there were friendly and we talked to Gary & Patty for awhile after the service. We fished out our back door for awhile with the fly rods, but came up empty again. Tim & Rich came over this evening for dinner. It was good to see them again. They are the guys we met last week at Warrior’s Path.
Monday, August 11 – It was in the upper 50s overnight and about 60 when we got up. We made coffee and grabbed some breakfast bars and headed down past the steel bridge to fish the Watauga River while they were not generating. It is too swift for us to wade it when the water is flowing at its peak. We soon discovered that we needed to stay in the rocky areas to keep from sinking into the mud. We fished for over an hour and only came up with one fish. John caught a nice (about 7”) brown trout, which he released unharmed. It was still fairly cool in the afternoon so we made a fire and enjoyed sitting by it and watching the river flow by the campsite. We had the rest of the pork roast that Joan did in the crock pot yesterday. It was awesome. Tim and Rich stopped by for a few minutes to show us Rich’s new truck. Very nice!
Tuesday, August 12 – We had planned to get the kayaks on the water this morning, but heavy winds and cool temps changed our minds. We have wanted to hike out on the Appalachian Trail and see the overlook of Lake Watauga. The start of the trail is two miles from our campsite and 700 feet higher in elevation. We packed up our supplies and headed out mid-morning. On the way, we passed a man who was raking rocks from his yard. We talked with him for quite a while. His name is Clyde and his wife died about a year and a half ago. He is retired from the TVA and has lived in the area all his life. He had a wealth of information to share. He showed us his new house that he just moved into and told us that his old one is for sale. We only hiked about a half a mile of the trail which leaves about 2174.5 miles to go to complete it. A bear was sighted in the campground this evening. We get good reception on NBC and are really enjoying the Olympics in the evening. Go Mike!
Wednesday, August 13 – We had breakfast, then launched the kayaks from our back yard. We fished for about four hours, but caught nothing. A young man fishing from shore by the bridge caught an 18 inch rainbow trout on a Mepps inline spinner bait. John helped him get a picture of it and release it. He is the owner of the Sonic restaurant in Elizabethton and was taking a break from work. He’s originally from Florida and has only been here a few months. That was the first trout he has ever caught. It has made us think maybe we need to put away the fly rods and go conventional, but we decided to hang in there and learn what we need to catch fish consistently on the fly. In the afternoon, we drove to Johnson City to Mahoney’s Outfitters and restocked our supply of flys and John got a wading pack to hold our stuff. It rained hard while we were out.
Thursday, August 14 – Today we drove over to Dennis Cove in the Cherokee National Forest. There is a small campground there with no hookups that is way back in the forest. It seemed like we climbed hills forever getting there. Laurel Creek goes through there so we parked at the picnic area, put on our waders, and fished it for awhile. The water was very low and clear making it difficult. As a result, we came up empty. On the way back we took another route over gravel roads through the forest and incredibly beautiful country. We are hearing that a stocking happened and about fish being caught in the river here in our campground, so we’ll focus on it for the next couple of days.
Friday, August 15 – We took the kayaks out again in the morning after the wind settled down and it warmed up a bit. We continue to stay committed to the fly rods and put on clouser flys to try to entice a larger trout. We soon had some action. Joan adjusted her kayak position with her small paddle and when she started bringing the fly in again, she realized that she had a fish on. By the time she went to set the hook, it released it and swam away. She figures it was about a two pound fish. That was the only action for the outing. We went back to Shirley’s Restaurant for dinner and fished the large lake (Watauga) before and after from shore. We put on large grasshopper flies and had fun with bluegills hitting the fly, but it was too big for them to get hooked. We were hoping for a larger bass to take it, but it never happened. Rich and Tim stopped by again and said they checked out the Nolichucky Campground near Erwin. They didn’t think we would like it because it looked like a scene from a Grateful Dead concert.
Saturday, August 16 – We took the kayaks out yet again this morning and gave it another try, but closer to our campsite. We saw a few very large trout, but were unable to get them to bite. Some have been catching trout on corn and dough-balls, but we don’t have flies that resemble these. Maybe we need to get some salmon egg flies. The weather continues to be great, but is slowly warming up.
Sunday, August 17 – We went back to Valley Forge Baptist Church and enjoyed a very lively, meaningful service. Folks there were very friendly and inviting and it was good to see Gary and Patty again. We stopped at Walmart, and then returned back to the campground. We had picked up some salmon eggs and tried to float them with the fly rods in the kayaks. They didn’t stay on real well and we came up empty again.
Monday, August 18 – We decided to get out and wade again below the steel bridge before they start generating. John says that Joan’s fly fishing has improved dramatically. She is getting the fly out more than 50 feet. She got three hits and John got one, but none landed. This has been a good learning experience with the fly rods, with much more to learn. We have loved this area and will most assuredly be back. After we were done fishing we drove over to Stoney’s Pizza for lunch, then stopped by and visited with Clyde (see Tuesday, August 12) for awhile. In the evening, we sat out by a fire and enjoyed the river for the last time.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/WataugaDamTVARecreationAreaElizabethtonTnAugust3August19
Warrior's Path State Park - Kingsport, Tn (July 28 - August 3)
Monday, July 28 - We left Douglas Dam at 9:30 AM at 77 degrees and arrived at Warrior's Path SP at 11:30 AM and 80 degrees after driving 83.7 miles. We found a good site, got set up and had some lunch and took a walk down to the boat launch and hiked along the river. We got back to the camper and soon t-storms moved in across the area. It was a nice rain and cooled it down to the 70s. After dinner we hiked to the marina and John fly fished from shore for a while with zero results. This is a beautiful place and people seem friendly. There are many activities here in the park, which should keep us busy. We plan to extend for another week if we still like it.
Tuesday, July 29 – We had a very noisy neighbor who came in about 1 am and proceeded to yell obscenities and slam truck doors for about a half hour. He sped off in his truck and returned about an hour later and repeated. There is also a train track quite close to the park and trains were running and sounding their whistles all night. In a pop-up camper, we are very vulnerable to loud noises in the area. We complained to the head ranger, who had already received complaints about this same person. He told us to call 911 and they would have their cell phone numbers if we have a problem tonight. It seems like that is an abuse of the 911 system, but at this point, we are not about to argue. We really like the park, except the bathrooms really need updating, but the system they have here of first-come-first-serve is being abused by locals who can’t afford to drive anywhere. They are allowed to set up a small tent to hold the site for the weekend and keep anyone from using it during the week. We are not feeling confident that we can come into a Tennessee State Park or TVA campground on a Monday and get a site. We have so far been able to, but we think by the grace of God. We went on a bird walk this morning with a young ranger which was very good. We saw many birds and even learned a few new names and their calls. We then took another hike by ourselves along the lake and saw many huge carp. Too bad we don’t fish for them.
(Update) We took the kayaks out in the evening and it was wonderful, except for the fishing. Not a bite. This is a beautiful spot. The area around the lake is all old growth forest with no development up to the lake.
Wednesday, July 30 – We took a coffee walk around the sites, and then drove over to the marina area where we fished for awhile. John couldn’t even get a bluegill to take his trusted beetle fly. It is very humid today, but not unbearable if we do not exert ourselves. It looks like rain.
Thursday, July 31 – Rain is in the forecast for the entire day, so we decided to use that as an opportunity to go on an explore. We wanted to check out the Wilbur/Watauga Lake area for our next stop on Monday. We first looked at a couple of private campgrounds, but found them not at all to our liking. The first one had a wonderful view, but it is completely out in the open, RVs are next to one another, and there is nothing to do in the campground. Next we drove over to the Watauga Dam Recreation Area and found a campground with full hookups right on the river. We talked to a family there to get some insider information and they agreed to call us when a site opens up on Sunday or Monday. The river is a prime trout water and stays at about 46 degrees all year long. The water that feeds it comes from the bottom layer of the lake. We next checked out Carden’s Bluff Campground in the Cherokee National Forest nearby. We talked to the hosts, a neat couple named Gary and Diane, who showed us around and gave us some great information. This is a wonderful campground, with spotless facilities, but no hookups. Since we camped for three months last year in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine with no hookups, we figure this will not be too great a stretch. This area will be our backup if we cannot get into Watauga. We stopped at Wally to replenish supplies and when we returned to our campsite, we were greeted with another downpour. It is supposed to clear up tomorrow, but heat up as well.
Friday, August 01 – Are we ever tired. A group moved in and had an all night party making all the noise they could. We figured rangers would hear them and come by, but it never happened. Finally, about 6:30 AM John called 911 and complained and a ranger came out just after one of them decided to pour about a quart of gasoline on their campfire and raise a plume of fire about 40 feet in the air. They also set the grass on fire in their campsite. For some reason all she did was have them put out the fire and then she left. We figured she would come back and check on them but she never did. They actually got louder after they left. John called again about 9 AM because one of them was yelling obscenities at the other. The head ranger came out this time and warned them again. We guess they figured that they were being watched because several people reported that possessions had been stolen in the night. One couple lost about $200 in fishing gear and a cooler, another cooler, and a bicycle. We figure that when they left during the night they took these items and traded them for more drugs. They packed up and left about noon leaving a mess. The first guy in the new 5th wheel finally left as well and he left a bigger mess including a large sewage holding tank that is going to take a front-loader to move. This has been the worst experience in two years of camping. Needless to say we will not be back here, or any other state park in Tennessee. We were going to visit Bay Mountain in Kingsport today, but did not feel comfortable leaving the camper while that group was still around. We did not do very much today besides watch over things.
Saturday, August 2 – It was a little quieter last night. We took our coffee walk then had breakfast. We were invited to go horseback riding by two guys who are camping near us. One of them grew up in Zephyrhills and moved to this area a few months ago to be closer to his daughters. We had an excellent ride through the forest and the old guy/gal still remember how to ride. We got a call from the couple who said they would let us know when a site at Watauga is available. There will be a couple leaving about noon tomorrow, so they registered for us to take it over. We were going to go there and put a tent to hold it over night, but decided instead to leave here a day early and head over there with the camper. Shortly after we returned from our ride, thunderstorms rolled through. We did not get much rain, but it was quite windy for awhile. We had to rescue a family’s screen room that the wind turned upside down. Sadly, it landed on their water spigot and tore a large hole in it. We had hamburgers for dinner with our new neighbor friends.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/WarriorSPathStateParkKingsportTnJuly28August3
Tuesday, July 29 – We had a very noisy neighbor who came in about 1 am and proceeded to yell obscenities and slam truck doors for about a half hour. He sped off in his truck and returned about an hour later and repeated. There is also a train track quite close to the park and trains were running and sounding their whistles all night. In a pop-up camper, we are very vulnerable to loud noises in the area. We complained to the head ranger, who had already received complaints about this same person. He told us to call 911 and they would have their cell phone numbers if we have a problem tonight. It seems like that is an abuse of the 911 system, but at this point, we are not about to argue. We really like the park, except the bathrooms really need updating, but the system they have here of first-come-first-serve is being abused by locals who can’t afford to drive anywhere. They are allowed to set up a small tent to hold the site for the weekend and keep anyone from using it during the week. We are not feeling confident that we can come into a Tennessee State Park or TVA campground on a Monday and get a site. We have so far been able to, but we think by the grace of God. We went on a bird walk this morning with a young ranger which was very good. We saw many birds and even learned a few new names and their calls. We then took another hike by ourselves along the lake and saw many huge carp. Too bad we don’t fish for them.
(Update) We took the kayaks out in the evening and it was wonderful, except for the fishing. Not a bite. This is a beautiful spot. The area around the lake is all old growth forest with no development up to the lake.
Wednesday, July 30 – We took a coffee walk around the sites, and then drove over to the marina area where we fished for awhile. John couldn’t even get a bluegill to take his trusted beetle fly. It is very humid today, but not unbearable if we do not exert ourselves. It looks like rain.
Thursday, July 31 – Rain is in the forecast for the entire day, so we decided to use that as an opportunity to go on an explore. We wanted to check out the Wilbur/Watauga Lake area for our next stop on Monday. We first looked at a couple of private campgrounds, but found them not at all to our liking. The first one had a wonderful view, but it is completely out in the open, RVs are next to one another, and there is nothing to do in the campground. Next we drove over to the Watauga Dam Recreation Area and found a campground with full hookups right on the river. We talked to a family there to get some insider information and they agreed to call us when a site opens up on Sunday or Monday. The river is a prime trout water and stays at about 46 degrees all year long. The water that feeds it comes from the bottom layer of the lake. We next checked out Carden’s Bluff Campground in the Cherokee National Forest nearby. We talked to the hosts, a neat couple named Gary and Diane, who showed us around and gave us some great information. This is a wonderful campground, with spotless facilities, but no hookups. Since we camped for three months last year in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine with no hookups, we figure this will not be too great a stretch. This area will be our backup if we cannot get into Watauga. We stopped at Wally to replenish supplies and when we returned to our campsite, we were greeted with another downpour. It is supposed to clear up tomorrow, but heat up as well.
Friday, August 01 – Are we ever tired. A group moved in and had an all night party making all the noise they could. We figured rangers would hear them and come by, but it never happened. Finally, about 6:30 AM John called 911 and complained and a ranger came out just after one of them decided to pour about a quart of gasoline on their campfire and raise a plume of fire about 40 feet in the air. They also set the grass on fire in their campsite. For some reason all she did was have them put out the fire and then she left. We figured she would come back and check on them but she never did. They actually got louder after they left. John called again about 9 AM because one of them was yelling obscenities at the other. The head ranger came out this time and warned them again. We guess they figured that they were being watched because several people reported that possessions had been stolen in the night. One couple lost about $200 in fishing gear and a cooler, another cooler, and a bicycle. We figure that when they left during the night they took these items and traded them for more drugs. They packed up and left about noon leaving a mess. The first guy in the new 5th wheel finally left as well and he left a bigger mess including a large sewage holding tank that is going to take a front-loader to move. This has been the worst experience in two years of camping. Needless to say we will not be back here, or any other state park in Tennessee. We were going to visit Bay Mountain in Kingsport today, but did not feel comfortable leaving the camper while that group was still around. We did not do very much today besides watch over things.
Saturday, August 2 – It was a little quieter last night. We took our coffee walk then had breakfast. We were invited to go horseback riding by two guys who are camping near us. One of them grew up in Zephyrhills and moved to this area a few months ago to be closer to his daughters. We had an excellent ride through the forest and the old guy/gal still remember how to ride. We got a call from the couple who said they would let us know when a site at Watauga is available. There will be a couple leaving about noon tomorrow, so they registered for us to take it over. We were going to go there and put a tent to hold it over night, but decided instead to leave here a day early and head over there with the camper. Shortly after we returned from our ride, thunderstorms rolled through. We did not get much rain, but it was quite windy for awhile. We had to rescue a family’s screen room that the wind turned upside down. Sadly, it landed on their water spigot and tore a large hole in it. We had hamburgers for dinner with our new neighbor friends.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/WarriorSPathStateParkKingsportTnJuly28August3
Douglas Dam - Tailwaters Campground TVA - Sevierville, Tn (July 21 - July 28)
Monday, July 21 - We left Cumberland Mt. SP at 9:25 AM and 82 deg. and arrived at Douglas Dam at 11:15 AM and 87 deg. We had a detour around Knoxville which added a few minutes. We first tried the headwater campground, but there was only one very small site available. We decided to take our chances and went over to the tailwater campground and found a nice site next to a very helpful couple, Herman and Cookie who gave us a rundown on the place. We are right on the water about a quarter mile from the dam. The water varies about 6 feet in depth depending upon the activity of the power plant. The water rose all after noon and even now at 6:15 PM is running fairly fast. John fished from shore for a short time before the t-storms rolled through, but didn't catch anything. It is hot here, so we are sitting inside with the air-conditioning on listening to the thunder.
(Update) After the rain, it turned out to be a beautiful, cool evening. John took advantage by tossing a popper with the fly rod for awhile and caught three nice sized bream. He didn't want the job of cleaning them, so he let them go.
Tuesday, July 22 - We took our coffee walk down to the dam and John fished a little along the way. No fish. They have fixed up a nice little park along the water with a patch of bamboo and other plantings. We had breakfast, then headed into town for groceries. On the way we stopped at Bass Pro Shops and dropped some $$$ on a new fly rod for Joan, some line and a few flys. We next stopped at the Smoky Mt. Information Center and got some directions on our trip tomorrow to Cades Cove. We also bought some books on the park. We came home and John tried out Joan's new rod and caught a bluegill in about 2 minutes. Joan tried it out and she looked very good. We fished from shore for a while, but nothing bit. John has seen some very large SM Bass jump, but we have not figured out how to catch them yet. It is now raining very hard with some lightning thrown in as well.
Wednesday, July 23 - We got up fairly early and headed south into Smokey Mountain National Park. We took a route that bypassed most of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and made our way to Cades Cove. We were told earlier that the loop road there would be closed to car traffic so bicyclists could use the trail until 10 am, but that information somehow slipped our minds. Anyway, that gave us an opportunity to talk to the ranger at the campground and get information about camping in the park. He told us that the park fills up on weekends, so if you are in an area that allows reservations, you could get a spot early in the week, but would have to give it up by the weekend. This would not apply to about half the campgrounds in the park that are first-come-first-served. You would not have a problem getting a site if you come in early in the week. At 10am the gates opened letting the cars through. There is a steady line of cars traveling this loop all day, but biking it seems doable during the times that cars are not allowed. We've decided that next time we will get there at 6:30 on a Wednesday or Saturday when it is bikes only. It is really a beautiful loop with many buildings from the 1800s there to see and tour. The meadows often have deer, and bear can also be sited, although we only saw deer. We tried checking out some streams for fishing, but soon became obvious that we needed more information. We have also decided to loop back around the southern end of the park on our way back next month. On the way back to the camper we stopped for a late lunch in Townsend at Lily's Cafe which was good and ice cream at a trading post in Wears Valley. While we were eating it, it poured rain. In the evening John wore the bluegill out with Joan's new fly rod and a floating ant fly and then we sat by Herman's and Cookie's campfire and chatted until bedtime.
Thursday, July 24 – Let it be known to all that today John did not get skunked. He decided to give it one more try in the weeds just behind our campsite that extend about 100 feet into the river with a large plastic worm. He rigged it weedless and was pulling it slowly through the thick cover, when a large explosion of water erupted. He knew that if the bass got his head down into the weeds, which they usually do, it would be all over. He muscled (yes he still has a few) the bass into shore to the applause of Joan. This gal (not Joan) weighed in at 7.5 pounds and was 23 inches long. Although John usually releases bass of this size, we decided to invite our neighbors Cookie and Herman over for fish dinner.
(Update) – We launched the kayaks in the river and paddled against the current of one turbine discharge towards the dam. They shut it off at 8PM which was only about 10 minutes, so by the time we got about 100 yards from the dam, they shut it off. We fished until dark, but only some small hits. It was great, however, to be out again on a beautiful evening.
Friday, July 25 – We fished a little in the morning with no success and after breakfast, drove to Bass Pro Shops again to see the upstairs that we had missed before. We successfully accomplished that without even spending any money. We also went to the flea market and left with all our money. We were hoping to get some fresh veggies, especially tomatoes, but everything was overpriced and not that good. Very disappointing! After a nice spaghetti dinner, we fished from shore, and John managed to land a bunch of bluegills and bream on a new fly he purchased, but Joan came up empty. This evening is perfect for sitting outside and watching the river. There has been a yellow-crowned night heron sitting in the tree next to our site most of the evening.
Saturday, July 26 – We woke up to rain this morning and heard we got about an inch. We grabbed our umbrellas and took a nice coffee walk down by the dam, then returned for bacon & egg breakfast that John prepared. Afterwards we fished for awhile from our bank and John caught several bluegills and one especially big one. If fought very well on the fly rod. The heat is supposed to increase here next week, so we are going to skip a couple of stops that are lower elevations and head to Warrior’s Gap State Park south of Kingsport, TN. A nice lady named Sally stopped by from French Broad Baptist Church and invited us to the service here in the morning. We said we were already planning on coming. She gave us a neat cookbook with recipes by members of their church as a welcome. Joan has already highlighted several for us to try.
Sunday, July 27 - We really enjoyed a wonderful service on the lawn by the camp store that was hosted by the French Broad River Valley Baptist Church. We heard the pastor play mandolin and the music director play guitar and lead the singing. They played old hymns, but did them in a more contemporary style. The youth director shared a good message on forgiveness. Sadly, there were only us and another lady there from the campground. Everyone else who attended was from the church. John fished with the fly rod for awhile and caught some really nice bream. When he got the idea to keep some to add to dinner, they miraculously stopped biting. It is hot here today, so we are sitting by the fan planning our next stops and catching up on reading.
See Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/DouglasDamTailwatersCampgroundTVASeviervilleTnJuly21July28
(Update) After the rain, it turned out to be a beautiful, cool evening. John took advantage by tossing a popper with the fly rod for awhile and caught three nice sized bream. He didn't want the job of cleaning them, so he let them go.
Tuesday, July 22 - We took our coffee walk down to the dam and John fished a little along the way. No fish. They have fixed up a nice little park along the water with a patch of bamboo and other plantings. We had breakfast, then headed into town for groceries. On the way we stopped at Bass Pro Shops and dropped some $$$ on a new fly rod for Joan, some line and a few flys. We next stopped at the Smoky Mt. Information Center and got some directions on our trip tomorrow to Cades Cove. We also bought some books on the park. We came home and John tried out Joan's new rod and caught a bluegill in about 2 minutes. Joan tried it out and she looked very good. We fished from shore for a while, but nothing bit. John has seen some very large SM Bass jump, but we have not figured out how to catch them yet. It is now raining very hard with some lightning thrown in as well.
Wednesday, July 23 - We got up fairly early and headed south into Smokey Mountain National Park. We took a route that bypassed most of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and made our way to Cades Cove. We were told earlier that the loop road there would be closed to car traffic so bicyclists could use the trail until 10 am, but that information somehow slipped our minds. Anyway, that gave us an opportunity to talk to the ranger at the campground and get information about camping in the park. He told us that the park fills up on weekends, so if you are in an area that allows reservations, you could get a spot early in the week, but would have to give it up by the weekend. This would not apply to about half the campgrounds in the park that are first-come-first-served. You would not have a problem getting a site if you come in early in the week. At 10am the gates opened letting the cars through. There is a steady line of cars traveling this loop all day, but biking it seems doable during the times that cars are not allowed. We've decided that next time we will get there at 6:30 on a Wednesday or Saturday when it is bikes only. It is really a beautiful loop with many buildings from the 1800s there to see and tour. The meadows often have deer, and bear can also be sited, although we only saw deer. We tried checking out some streams for fishing, but soon became obvious that we needed more information. We have also decided to loop back around the southern end of the park on our way back next month. On the way back to the camper we stopped for a late lunch in Townsend at Lily's Cafe which was good and ice cream at a trading post in Wears Valley. While we were eating it, it poured rain. In the evening John wore the bluegill out with Joan's new fly rod and a floating ant fly and then we sat by Herman's and Cookie's campfire and chatted until bedtime.
Thursday, July 24 – Let it be known to all that today John did not get skunked. He decided to give it one more try in the weeds just behind our campsite that extend about 100 feet into the river with a large plastic worm. He rigged it weedless and was pulling it slowly through the thick cover, when a large explosion of water erupted. He knew that if the bass got his head down into the weeds, which they usually do, it would be all over. He muscled (yes he still has a few) the bass into shore to the applause of Joan. This gal (not Joan) weighed in at 7.5 pounds and was 23 inches long. Although John usually releases bass of this size, we decided to invite our neighbors Cookie and Herman over for fish dinner.
(Update) – We launched the kayaks in the river and paddled against the current of one turbine discharge towards the dam. They shut it off at 8PM which was only about 10 minutes, so by the time we got about 100 yards from the dam, they shut it off. We fished until dark, but only some small hits. It was great, however, to be out again on a beautiful evening.
Friday, July 25 – We fished a little in the morning with no success and after breakfast, drove to Bass Pro Shops again to see the upstairs that we had missed before. We successfully accomplished that without even spending any money. We also went to the flea market and left with all our money. We were hoping to get some fresh veggies, especially tomatoes, but everything was overpriced and not that good. Very disappointing! After a nice spaghetti dinner, we fished from shore, and John managed to land a bunch of bluegills and bream on a new fly he purchased, but Joan came up empty. This evening is perfect for sitting outside and watching the river. There has been a yellow-crowned night heron sitting in the tree next to our site most of the evening.
Saturday, July 26 – We woke up to rain this morning and heard we got about an inch. We grabbed our umbrellas and took a nice coffee walk down by the dam, then returned for bacon & egg breakfast that John prepared. Afterwards we fished for awhile from our bank and John caught several bluegills and one especially big one. If fought very well on the fly rod. The heat is supposed to increase here next week, so we are going to skip a couple of stops that are lower elevations and head to Warrior’s Gap State Park south of Kingsport, TN. A nice lady named Sally stopped by from French Broad Baptist Church and invited us to the service here in the morning. We said we were already planning on coming. She gave us a neat cookbook with recipes by members of their church as a welcome. Joan has already highlighted several for us to try.
Sunday, July 27 - We really enjoyed a wonderful service on the lawn by the camp store that was hosted by the French Broad River Valley Baptist Church. We heard the pastor play mandolin and the music director play guitar and lead the singing. They played old hymns, but did them in a more contemporary style. The youth director shared a good message on forgiveness. Sadly, there were only us and another lady there from the campground. Everyone else who attended was from the church. John fished with the fly rod for awhile and caught some really nice bream. When he got the idea to keep some to add to dinner, they miraculously stopped biting. It is hot here today, so we are sitting by the fan planning our next stops and catching up on reading.
See Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/DouglasDamTailwatersCampgroundTVASeviervilleTnJuly21July28
Cumberland Mountain State Park - Crossville, Tn (July 8 - 21, 2008)
Tuesday, July 8 - We left Cloudland Canyon at 9:30 am and 75 deg. and arrived here at 11:46 am and 82 deg after driving 102.2 miles. We checked in at the gate and the lady said to find a site and then come back to pay, etc. We really had trouble finding a site that had some shade and was also level enough. After three tries we found one and got set up. It is quite warm and humid here, but thankfully there is a pool and we have the a.c. We took a walk down to the lake and checked out the pool. Both are very nice, but disappointing that we can't launch our kayaks here. They do not allow outside boats.
Wednesday, July 9 - It is raining now, but it is much needed in this area. We took the morning to set up a tent under the one bunk to store our stuff we usually have on the other bunk. We will need the space for John's daughter Margaret and grandsons Jake and Josh who are flying into Nashville and coming to visit us on Friday. We also had to get our food supply out of the truck so we can go pick them up. We brought the extra tent for this purpose and so far it is working out well. We also set up an extra tarp over the picnic table out from the awning so we have an outside place to sit in shade.
Thursday, July 10 - It rained a little in the night and was raining hard when we woke up this morning. It stopped about 10am and is just cloudy now (1:20pm). There is front passing through and the rain should be done by this afternoon. There is a chance of pop-up showers the rest of the week into the weekend, but chances are low. We are ready for the boys (we think), and are looking forward to a wonderful time.
Friday, July 11 - We got up early this morning and drove into Nashville to pick up the crew at the airport. We left about an hour before they did and got there about the same time. We all enjoyed the scenic route back to the campground and stopped at Walmart for some necessities for their stay. After getting unpacked and having a snack, we headed for the pool. We all had a great time. The pool is quite large to accommodate a large number of people. After a couple of hours, we headed back to camp to change and go to dinner at the restaurant at the park. It was wonderful and we were very glad we went early and beat the crowd. The Friday fish fry is very popular. After dinner we went for a short hike on one of the trails. The boys enjoyed picking up walking sticks and using them on the trail. John taught them to identify poison ivy and they were able to point it out on the way (sometimes). In the evening they enjoyed playing catch and honing their baseball skills.
Saturday, July 12 - We took a hike around the lake in the morning, had some lunch, then went over to the pool just in time for a storm to come through. We went back to camp and watched a video while the rain finished, then the boys played ball in the empty sites around us. We went over to the restaurant again for dinner which was as good as yesterday. The boys mostly played around the campsite in evening before bed. While we were standing around a skunk came out from under the camper and startled Margaret. She let out a yell and scared the skunk so bad he ran away. We were very thankful he did not choose to spray us as he would have gotten all of us plus the camper with one squirt.
Sunday, July 13 - We did not get going early enough to make it to the worship service, so we had breakfast and headed over to the pool for a swim. The weather looked threatening and we were not sure if we wouldn't get rained out. It proved to be a good move because we were able to get in a good swim before lunch. In the evening John brought out the tv and dvd player and we watched a movie under the tarp complete with pop corn.
Monday, July 14 - We managed to get up a little earlier this morning and headed over to the lake for some fishing. We started by going for the big one using DOA CAL Jig plastic minnows, but were unsuccessful. We then put on some smaller rigs for bluegill or bream and headed over to the fishing bridge. Jacob landed a small, but nice bream (we think.) We then had some lunch then took a nice swim. The guys played very nicely together for a long time. It is not too much cooler today, but much less humid. After our swim we came back to the camper to change and went back to the restaurant for chicken done every which way. This is not their best day of the week. The food was still good, but not up to the quality we had earlier. We then returned to try to get the elusive fish prey and Jacob landed a couple of really nice bluegill. This was not Josh's day, however and he came away empty. They both had a very good time, however. Tonight will be another movie.
Tuesday, July 15 - This morning we drove to Nashville to deliver Margaret and the boys to the airport. Since their flight was not until late afternoon, we decided to stop at the Adventure Science Center in Nashville and let the boys check it out. It was wonderful with many, many interactive exhibits that they could try out. They were especially interested in the area devoted to the planets. We found this one interesting as well and we spent a lot of time there. After leaving them off, we drove back to camp and stopped for dinner at a little diner named Angie's Place in Watertown. The food was excellent, along with the service. When we got back we put the things that we carry in the truck back and then went for a walk around the campground. On the way we stopped and talked with a nice family who are camping across the loop from us. They have two daughters who have been biking the loops and were on a hike we took with the ranger last week. They have many animals at home that they have had to go back and take care of.
Wednesday, July 16 - There are just some things that have to be done even if we don't want to. We got up this morning and after breakfast packed up the laundry and headed to town to do wash and pick up necessities at Walmart. It is warmer today, but very nice with a decent breeze. We are also trying to plan our next few stops. One of our main goals is to miss the traffic and crowds at Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
Thursday, July 17 - Happy Birthday Josh! Imagine, five years old today. We decided to go fishing in your honor this morning and guess what? We both got skunked! We didn't catch a thing. We thought our strategy was good, using plastic, fishing slow around the fallen trees, etc along the Byrd Trail between the CCC bridge/dam and the wooden fishing bridge between the boat dock and the stairs going to the swimming area. We talked to a couple of boys who live in the area and they caught four small bass using 4" plastic worms. I guess we just needed to downsize a little. We'll try again in the evening sometime soon. It is a little warmer today.
(Update) We took the tv & dvd player out on the picnic table and watched the rest of "Ten Commandments," and enjoyed our outdoor theater.
Friday, July 18 - We went down to the boat dock this morning and went on the canoe outing with the two rangers here, Ponga and Erica. We paddled down to the dam, then back to the dock. They said if we wanted to continue we could keep the canoes out for as long as we wanted. Such a deal! We joined another couple and went to the end of the lake, about a mile upstream. It was very pretty and fun to talk to Pat and Nancy.
(Update) We watched "Remember the Titans" outside and shared a bowl of popcorn. We really enjoyed the movie.
Saturday, July 19 - We put the kayaks back on the truck and took our sewer tote to the dump before it got too hot. The rest of the day was lazy with some serious reading time. It is looking like it could rain some. We were visited by some folks who are with a church group that is doing a service in the park. They are starting a new congregation in the area. Afterwards they are having a cookout.
(Update) This was another movie night, but the offering was not as good. We stuck it out with "The Upside of Anger," but found this movie much less inspiring. It did have a basically good overall message, but it was a tedious journey getting to it. We apprecieated that in this version much of the language was filtered.
Sunday, July 20 - We drove over to shelter #3 for a worship service that was hosted by a local ministry that is just starting up. They call themselves "Koinonia Christian Ministries" and are close to moving into a building in Crossville. They were very welcoming and had an obvious heart for the Lord. We received a teaching on "Roman's Road" that explains the path to becoming children of God that is outlined in Paul's letter to the church in Rome (Romans) and the Gospel of John. We sang a good selection of praise songs followed by a heartfelt message from the Gospel of Matthew that relates how we need to welcome all kinds of people, even tax collectors and sinners, into our fellowship. After the service we all enjoyed talking and sharing a wonderful cookout together.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/CumberlandMountainStateParkCrossvilleTnJuly8212008
Wednesday, July 9 - It is raining now, but it is much needed in this area. We took the morning to set up a tent under the one bunk to store our stuff we usually have on the other bunk. We will need the space for John's daughter Margaret and grandsons Jake and Josh who are flying into Nashville and coming to visit us on Friday. We also had to get our food supply out of the truck so we can go pick them up. We brought the extra tent for this purpose and so far it is working out well. We also set up an extra tarp over the picnic table out from the awning so we have an outside place to sit in shade.
Thursday, July 10 - It rained a little in the night and was raining hard when we woke up this morning. It stopped about 10am and is just cloudy now (1:20pm). There is front passing through and the rain should be done by this afternoon. There is a chance of pop-up showers the rest of the week into the weekend, but chances are low. We are ready for the boys (we think), and are looking forward to a wonderful time.
Friday, July 11 - We got up early this morning and drove into Nashville to pick up the crew at the airport. We left about an hour before they did and got there about the same time. We all enjoyed the scenic route back to the campground and stopped at Walmart for some necessities for their stay. After getting unpacked and having a snack, we headed for the pool. We all had a great time. The pool is quite large to accommodate a large number of people. After a couple of hours, we headed back to camp to change and go to dinner at the restaurant at the park. It was wonderful and we were very glad we went early and beat the crowd. The Friday fish fry is very popular. After dinner we went for a short hike on one of the trails. The boys enjoyed picking up walking sticks and using them on the trail. John taught them to identify poison ivy and they were able to point it out on the way (sometimes). In the evening they enjoyed playing catch and honing their baseball skills.
Saturday, July 12 - We took a hike around the lake in the morning, had some lunch, then went over to the pool just in time for a storm to come through. We went back to camp and watched a video while the rain finished, then the boys played ball in the empty sites around us. We went over to the restaurant again for dinner which was as good as yesterday. The boys mostly played around the campsite in evening before bed. While we were standing around a skunk came out from under the camper and startled Margaret. She let out a yell and scared the skunk so bad he ran away. We were very thankful he did not choose to spray us as he would have gotten all of us plus the camper with one squirt.
Sunday, July 13 - We did not get going early enough to make it to the worship service, so we had breakfast and headed over to the pool for a swim. The weather looked threatening and we were not sure if we wouldn't get rained out. It proved to be a good move because we were able to get in a good swim before lunch. In the evening John brought out the tv and dvd player and we watched a movie under the tarp complete with pop corn.
Monday, July 14 - We managed to get up a little earlier this morning and headed over to the lake for some fishing. We started by going for the big one using DOA CAL Jig plastic minnows, but were unsuccessful. We then put on some smaller rigs for bluegill or bream and headed over to the fishing bridge. Jacob landed a small, but nice bream (we think.) We then had some lunch then took a nice swim. The guys played very nicely together for a long time. It is not too much cooler today, but much less humid. After our swim we came back to the camper to change and went back to the restaurant for chicken done every which way. This is not their best day of the week. The food was still good, but not up to the quality we had earlier. We then returned to try to get the elusive fish prey and Jacob landed a couple of really nice bluegill. This was not Josh's day, however and he came away empty. They both had a very good time, however. Tonight will be another movie.
Tuesday, July 15 - This morning we drove to Nashville to deliver Margaret and the boys to the airport. Since their flight was not until late afternoon, we decided to stop at the Adventure Science Center in Nashville and let the boys check it out. It was wonderful with many, many interactive exhibits that they could try out. They were especially interested in the area devoted to the planets. We found this one interesting as well and we spent a lot of time there. After leaving them off, we drove back to camp and stopped for dinner at a little diner named Angie's Place in Watertown. The food was excellent, along with the service. When we got back we put the things that we carry in the truck back and then went for a walk around the campground. On the way we stopped and talked with a nice family who are camping across the loop from us. They have two daughters who have been biking the loops and were on a hike we took with the ranger last week. They have many animals at home that they have had to go back and take care of.
Wednesday, July 16 - There are just some things that have to be done even if we don't want to. We got up this morning and after breakfast packed up the laundry and headed to town to do wash and pick up necessities at Walmart. It is warmer today, but very nice with a decent breeze. We are also trying to plan our next few stops. One of our main goals is to miss the traffic and crowds at Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
Thursday, July 17 - Happy Birthday Josh! Imagine, five years old today. We decided to go fishing in your honor this morning and guess what? We both got skunked! We didn't catch a thing. We thought our strategy was good, using plastic, fishing slow around the fallen trees, etc along the Byrd Trail between the CCC bridge/dam and the wooden fishing bridge between the boat dock and the stairs going to the swimming area. We talked to a couple of boys who live in the area and they caught four small bass using 4" plastic worms. I guess we just needed to downsize a little. We'll try again in the evening sometime soon. It is a little warmer today.
(Update) We took the tv & dvd player out on the picnic table and watched the rest of "Ten Commandments," and enjoyed our outdoor theater.
Friday, July 18 - We went down to the boat dock this morning and went on the canoe outing with the two rangers here, Ponga and Erica. We paddled down to the dam, then back to the dock. They said if we wanted to continue we could keep the canoes out for as long as we wanted. Such a deal! We joined another couple and went to the end of the lake, about a mile upstream. It was very pretty and fun to talk to Pat and Nancy.
(Update) We watched "Remember the Titans" outside and shared a bowl of popcorn. We really enjoyed the movie.
Saturday, July 19 - We put the kayaks back on the truck and took our sewer tote to the dump before it got too hot. The rest of the day was lazy with some serious reading time. It is looking like it could rain some. We were visited by some folks who are with a church group that is doing a service in the park. They are starting a new congregation in the area. Afterwards they are having a cookout.
(Update) This was another movie night, but the offering was not as good. We stuck it out with "The Upside of Anger," but found this movie much less inspiring. It did have a basically good overall message, but it was a tedious journey getting to it. We apprecieated that in this version much of the language was filtered.
Sunday, July 20 - We drove over to shelter #3 for a worship service that was hosted by a local ministry that is just starting up. They call themselves "Koinonia Christian Ministries" and are close to moving into a building in Crossville. They were very welcoming and had an obvious heart for the Lord. We received a teaching on "Roman's Road" that explains the path to becoming children of God that is outlined in Paul's letter to the church in Rome (Romans) and the Gospel of John. We sang a good selection of praise songs followed by a heartfelt message from the Gospel of Matthew that relates how we need to welcome all kinds of people, even tax collectors and sinners, into our fellowship. After the service we all enjoyed talking and sharing a wonderful cookout together.
View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/CumberlandMountainStateParkCrossvilleTnJuly8212008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
