Adel, GA (State #4)-Reed Bingham State Park

Well this Georgia state park did not disappoint! We were hoping for a beautiful state park and that is what we got!  The azaleas and dogwoods were in bloom and everything looked so bright and amazing.

As you enter the park, you pass near the dam and Reed Bingham State Park Lake. Here is what the dam area looked like on the evening of our arrival:

The next day it started to rain heavily and rained for at least 5 hours.  They had had some heavy rains before we got there and the ground was already saturated so in about 2 more days, here was what it looked like:

And it wasn't quite at its peak yet.  By Friday, the water ran straight across.

Some of the trails were flooded but we still had access to the parts that were not.  And they were beautiful too. Everything was so green and in bloom! You could smell the fragrant honeysuckle as you rode by and I couldn't help but take in a big deep breath every time!

I just love the boardwalks that allow you to venture into areas you would not be able to otherwise due to the water. 

Jordan went on her first trail ride on her own bike and did really well but we rode into some rougher terrain and she got frustrated and complained all the way back.

Since there was another trail we wanted to ride the next day, I let her ride with me again for our 6 mile journey. It was a tough ride especially with the extra weight of Jordan, but very fun and of course it had a lot of pretty areas to see.

The campground consisted of two loops, one with full hook ups and the other without. We opted for water & electricity only to save the additional $7 per night. Both loops were nice and full of trees and both had ONE laundry machine (which surprisingly I never had to compete with anyone and it was cheap). There was however, one BIG difference. The OTHER loop had brand new shower and restroom facilities. But I just sucked it up and went to the one right behind our site. It wasn't awful but the shower was about the size of our old trailer tub shower. This would have been fine but instead of putting the shower head on the short wall of the rectangle, they put it on the long wall so the shower pretty much sprayed out through the curtain and you just could not stand in the right place! But I am sure the bathouse is probably on their agenda for updates.

Other than that, we had a fabulous time. We were very close to the putt putt course. It was a really fun one with lots of unique obstacles. The kids rode their bicycles a lot. Jordan is finally excited about it. And they met a friend, Jenna, who was from nearby Valdosta and on Spring Break.

Georgia also has its very own Junior Ranger program. Of course, Jacob jumped on that and earned his Level I badge. There were quite a few activities he had to do and he worked on them steadily. Jordan unfortunately was too young for this one.

One of the activities was to do some fishing. He still hasn't caught anything. Definitely not like fishing at Grandma and Grandpa's place :(

But we did watch some of the locals fish for awhile and see what they caught. We got to see a gar and some sunfish. We even got to see an Agkistrodon piscivorus (water moccasin). YIKES!

(water moccasin at water's edge)

Apparently there are a lot of homeschoolers in Georgia and we happened to be there for the park's monthly homeschooling program. For $3, the kids were able to attend the class led by the park ranger. They did some fun activities related to the three phases of water and the water cycle.

I was amused by the mothers. Most of them came up to me to talk after finding out that I was from Texas. They either had lived there or were hoping to go there. Who knew being from Texas would be so interesting??  At least it made a good conversation starter.

It was also funny when at one point the ranger instructed the kids to “line up”. The kids looked more like bumper cars as they all jumbled together without the end result he was looking for. Then one of the moms shouted “They're homeschooled! They don't know how to line up!”. So true! We don't need to line up to go to the bathroom or the cafeteria. It wasn't too long before they figured it out, though.

After the program was over, we joined the group for lunch where we discovered the kids' most favorite part of the park. The wisteria vine!

The kids loved playing and climbing on this. The vine twisted and turned and hung low in a couple of areas so that when one kid would swing the kid on the next hanging would swing even more. I think they could have played here for hours and hours.

And the vine is where we had another special moment. While there on Saturday, a group came over and began setting up for an event. The kind people introduced themselves and invited us to join in their celebration. They were from Adel's Assembly of God and getting ready for their Easter picnic and egg hunt. After talking with them a little while, we decided to join in. We had gone on our bike ride first and returned after lunch. They welcomed us again and made sure the kids got cupcakes. They had bouncy houses and some friendly little kids.

Then it was time for the egg hunt! Since we had not planned on an egg hunt yet, I did not have any baskets.  But have no fear, they came running up to us with two extra ones that they already had! One pink and one blue. (It sure beat the plastic Walmart bags that we had. Hee Hee). The kids enjoyed it and it was a perfect answer for us since I had been trying to find one for the kids to participate in. There were about 60 children there and they had 1800 candy-filled eggs.

And of course, they invited us to church on Sunday and after making sure we had a place to park the RV at the church (travel day), we agreed. It was a wonderful experience. SOOO many of the congregation came up to meet us and others came to welcome us again. And I got a lot of hugs! Just the way it should be, right?! The music was great and the sermon was very well done. As the pastor stood up front with his pink beard (because he lost the girls vs. boys Easter candy collection contest), I was reminded of how much I love our church back home. But we are so glad to have had such an amazing experience away from home.

From there, we headed out to Atlanta.  We have a busy week ahead!

Orlando, FL-Thousand Trails

We have been in Orlando for the past two weeks and well, we don't have much to show for it. It has been a frustrating two weeks in regards to the repairs on our trailer. The guy we had lined up to work on it, did not show. The next person we spoke to, did come out, but he would not be able to get all the parts before we left. So, it was decided that he would do a few repairs to make sure the trailer was protected in wet weather and then further down the road, we would get the rest done.

Well, he was supposed to come out on the Thursday before we left, which was pushing it close already, but then had to reschedule for Saturday, the day before our departure!!! So, of course, Greg was stressed about whether or not the guy would show and if the repairs we needed pre-departure would get done. Then there was also the issue of arranging for the rest of the repairs to be completed later and making sure the parts get there in time. Fortunately, the repair man did show and he did a nice job.  Phew!

We stayed at another Thousand Trails campground on the outskirts of Orlando. They have everything you could want to do in this type of setting. The kids have gone fishing a couple of times but they haven't caught anything. We have also gone swimming, played shuffleboard, air hockey and miniature golf, as well as some board games.

One evening's entertainment was watching a couple of big tow trucks as they tried to rescue a large motorhome.  The owner had pulled into a grassy area so that he could back into his spot and ended up buried pretty deeply in the sand. Not only did they have to pull him out but they had to try to do so without hitting another nearby RV or running over a water and electricity hookup.  It seemed like most of the campground (which is huge, by the way) came out to watch. I felt so bad for the owner because of the crowd he drew (I am sure it is on youtube by now-cameras were everywhere) and because of the potential damage to his RV. He had been stuck a good part of the day and they were finally able to pull him out just as it turned dark. We are probably extra sympathetic right now due to our own repair needs.

The campground is very close to Disney but that wasn't in our plans for this year (giving the kids something to look forward to for next year). And it's funny that I don't think the kids realize that we are so close. They have mentioned that they see Mickey Mouse items everywhere but they haven't quite made the connection. Ha Ha! It's probably for the best! And believe it or not, we made it two weeks before anyone even mentioned it! 

We left the campground only for trips to the grocery store and one other time to see the Lego movie (which, to me, was so disappointing).

The campground had some interesting wildlife. There were alligators but I did not see any. The two, I saw often, were the gopher tortoises and the sandhill cranes. There were tortoise nests all over the place! And every so often you would see one of the tortoises emerge and start munching on some grass.

The cranes were really cool. They got very close and they were so big, about as tall as Jacob! They came around our campsite usually mid-morning and then early evening. The sound they made was quite LOUD! I am glad I saw them before I heard them or I would have been frightened! If you're interested, here's a link with their sound but even with the volume all the way up on my computer, it was not as loud as they were in real life. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/sandhill_crane/sounds

The kids are happy.  Jacob has yet again said that this campground is "the best place ever!". Every once in awhile they mention Austin, friends and family but I think they are adjusting VERY well.  I also think it helps to meet other kids living in the same way.  Their relationship continues to grow and I just love watching them explore and play together.  They are never lacking friends because they have each other.  Mostly, Jordan plays whatever Jacob wants to, putting in a few of her own ideas but it just melts my heart to see a moment like the one below; Jacob decided it was her turn and had a girlie tea party.

While here, they met Alexander, Andrew and Bella; very sweet kids all the way from Maine. The boys spent most of their time together catching lizards around the campground. They would release them everyday then hunt them down again the next. And we have loosened the reigns on Jacob a little. He has been able to travel off to friends' campsites as long as he carries a walkie talkie and checks in frequently. So far, so good.

Jordan played with them a little but she really wasn't into lizards.  She wanted MUD! Ha Ha. I cannot keep her out of the sand and mud!  It is like there is some force that draws her to it the moment she steps outside.

One day Greg checked on her while she was playing outside. He ran back inside, grabbed the camera, snapped a picture, then returned with a smirk on his face. I thought, Oh no! And, sure enough! She was outside in the mud and sand. When I asked her how many times I have told her not to do that, she tucked her chin, cocked her head to the side, batted her eyelashes and said “A hundred”. That was followed by her sweet, yet sad, “I'm sorry, Mommy”. I know she only means that she is sorry she got caught! That little stinker. Well I hosed her off outside and we moved on. I know she doesn't look all that dirty, but her legs were filthy! (AND she doesn't look all that sorry, either)

We are really ready to get back into a State Park setting. We met and visited with some nice people (like the couple who owned Abby, the pet skunk) but it's just not the environment we like most. One day Jordan looked out the window and said, “This is not a beautiful campsite!” Surprised, I asked “What would make it beautiful?” Her response was, “Palm trees and water!” Too funny! Well, we will be in state parks for the next 5 or so weeks. We'll see how that turns out!

We are headed to Georgia next and hoping for some cooler weather!