We spent a couple of weeks in Pine Mountain this year to attend an RV Boot Camp by Escapees for 3 days. They focused on all the RV systems and providing some tips for maintenance and some of their best practices. As full timers and having a year under our belts, we thought we were knowledgeable enough that we could get the most out of the camp and it did not disappoint. We also got our rig weighed and good news was that we were underweight. Had about 150 lbs available. They did have some good suggestions to move a little weight off the hitch end and place it in the back on the passenger side to more even out the weight on each area. A couple of other informative items:
- propane tanks should be re-inspected every 12 years
- detectors only have a 5 year lifespan
- foam fire extinquishers are best and one should be placed near bedroom emergency window
- have a go bag as you will not have time to grab stuff should something happen
- sanitize drains with baking soda and vinegar with hot water chaser
- watts = volts x amps
- when parking on concrete or asphalt place protect pads under tires (table mats work great)
While there we also did a bit of hiking in Pine Mountain.
Took a ride to the National Civil War Naval Museum. This is located in Columbus GA. It houses the hull of the CSS Jacksonan ironclad warship that was burnt in the Chattachoochee River by the Union Army. It also houses what was left of the CSS Chattahoochee. It was an interesting museum.
We spent an afternoon hiking at Providence Canyon State Park. This Canyon is known as ‘Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon’. It is considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. It is not actually totally natural. The massive gullies were formed by erosion due to the poor farming practices of the 19th century. One quirky attraction as you walk along the canyon rim is nearly a dozen rusty 1950s era cars and trucks. Due to the environmental damage removing the vehicles could cause, they have been left where they stood.
A couple pics from our campsite.
From Pine Mountain we headed north of Atlanta to Lake Lanier Islands. This was a brand new RV park in the Margaritaville Resort. Below are a couple pictures of the view from our site.
On the resort property, they had a beach along with a number of water slides. Below is a video of the area.
Jeff had a great time swimming with these friends.
Took a trip to Dahlonega for a gold mine tour and a stroll around town. In 1828 Dahlonega was the site of the first major gold rush in the USA. Gold mining continued to be done in the area until the 1980s when it became just too expensive to continue to operate the mines and remove the gold from the quartz. To this day you can still see gold within the quartz. This particular mine also had a resident bat who had no issues with people passing below it.
Below are some pictures from our stroll.
In additional to Dahlonega we also took a trip to Helen GA. Located near Helen is Anna Ruby Falls. Anna Ruby Falls are twin waterfalls created where two separate streams, Curtis Creek and York Creek, join at the base of the falls to form Smith Creek. It was a half mile straight up climb to where the falls are but worth the walk!
The town of Helen is a replica of a Bavarian alpine town. We strolled the main street and also had lunch at the Troll Tavern, under the bridge.
Our final stop was a place called Stately Oaks. It is Greek Revival antebellum mansion located in Margaret Mitchell Memorial Park in Jonesboro. It was built in 1839 and was believed to be the inspiration for Tara, Scarlotte O’Hara’s home in Gone with the Wind.
We tried to find the start of the Appalachian Trail but after spending over an hour climbing up Springer Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest along a very narrow national forest road in our very large dually, when we came to the parking lot which would lead to the start of the trail we continued past. It was pretty hairy as even though there was a mountain going up on one side of the road, there was a very large drop going down the opposite side. It end up taking us well over an hour and a half to make our way down to a road that was an actual road. Thank God for GPS devices or we would still be trying to get out!
Next up, Knoxville Tennessee! See you then!
Fran and Jeff’s Retirement Adventures 