Grayton Beach State Park - Florida (October 2017)

We had heard rumors for several years that the original loop of the Grayton Beach State Park was going to be updated. This was the more rustic loop in the campground and featured some sites right on the water. Some campers speculated that the loop would be cleared of trees and scrubs so that sewers and 50 amp electrical service could be easily added to those campsites.

Grayton Beach State Park

We saw the construction sign when we turned into the park. We focused on the words “sewer project” and wondered if the original loop was about to become a parking lot in appearance.

Construction work at Grayton Beach State Park

The ranger who checked us in had good news and bad news about the construction. The good news was that the contractors were not supposed to remove any trees while adding sewer connections and 50 amp electrical service to the campsites in the original loop. The bad news was that the park was going to stop taking reservations for the that loop after Labor Day 2018 and the loop would be closed for a year. 

Not all of the campsites in the original loop are going to be upgraded. Several campsites in this loop will be passed over because trees are in the way of the upgrades and that is OK with us to protect the look of this campground. 

When we made our reservations, our first choice was to be in the original loop. We were fortunate to camp in one of the sites along the lake last time and hoped to stay in the same site this year. It ended up being that all the sites in that loop large enough to hold Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer, were booked. There were a couple of sites available in the newer loop and that meant our visit this year would be different than in previous ones.

Rosie in the Newer Camping Loop

Our site

There are some advantages to camping in the newer loop that we overlooked in the past. First, the newer loop has full connections including sewer. Second, the road around the newer loop is paved. That made a huge reduction in the amount of dust collected in Suzy’s coat. (Suzy is our Yorkie.)

Grayton Beach State Park is just outside the Watercolor community. There are some great trails and bike paths in this area, so this is a park you bring your bikes to.

One the bike path to Watercolor

Steve and Suzy in a park near Grayton Beach State Park

A boathouse in Seaside

Becky and Suzy on the foot bridge

There was an Environmental Day in the park while we were camping there. Several organizations had displays in the park. The one that caught our attention was a nature talk about the intercoastal waterway. The speaker mostly talked about the alligators living in and near the park. We always saw the “alligator” signs around the park, but never an alligator. We left that talk convinced that gators were in the park and that we may see one while on one of our visits.

The alligator sign

Here are some specifics about this park:

• There are two loops in this park. This was our first time camping in the newer loop. 
• Our site was gravel and level. 
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service. 
• Our site had water and sewer connections. 
• AT&T placed a strong 4G voice and data signal over our site. 
• TV has been a hit-or-miss deal in this park. This visit has to be classified as a miss because we could only receive the ABC affiliate this time. 
• The bathhouse in the  newer loop is, as you guessed, newer and up-to-date. We will see if the bathhouse in the older loop is renovated during the construction project next year. 
• This is a pet-friendly Park. 

It will be harder than normal to get reservations in Grayton Beach State Park for the next year or two. The good news is that the park will have more great sites in both loops when the renovation is completed. 

The beach

The beach

The "famous" trees at Grayton Beach State Park

View from on the the trails inside Grayton Beach State Park

The Gulf near sunset time

Close to shore

Sunset over Rosie

Sunset

A fly-by

Cool day at the beach

Big Lagoon State Park - Florida (September 2017)

What are the odds? You have to reserve campsites in most Florida State Parks nearly a year in advance to get a decent spot. Its ironic that we selected an arrival date at Big Lagoon State Park that turned out to be a couple days after Hurricane Irma hit Florida. In case you don’t remember Hurricane Irma, it destroyed and flooded property from the Florida Keys to the Florida panhandle.

We called the park the day before we were scheduled to arrive to make sure it was open. We were told that Big Lagoon was one of only two Florida State Parks that were open and able to accept campers. What are the odds?

You could not miss the convoys of utility trucks heading into Florida as we pulled Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer to the Pensacola area. It is always comforting to see people arriving to help after a disaster. Thousands and thousands of homes stretching from the Keys to north Florida were without power and an army of power trucks were moving in to help restore service. Pensacola may have been one of the few areas of Florida that was not feeling the impact of Hurricane Irma.

Rosie in Big Lagoon State Park

Our campsite in Big Lagoon State Park

We noticed that the park was nearly empty when we arrived. That was understandable since many people probably canceled their reservations due to the unpredictable path of the hurricane. Those camping in the park didn’t appear to us to be normal campers as few awnings were open and we didn’t see the usual trimmings found at most campsites. It didn’t take long to figure out that the park had several hurricane refugees who fled their homes with their RVs and were waiting to hear that they could return. 

For example, there was an Airstream family parked across from us. They told us they had fled from the Keys and were leaving the next morning to start the long drive home. They hoped their home stood up to the wind and waves. 

We were probably one of the few campers in the park paying the camping fees. The governor of Florida waived park fees for Florida residents escaping the storm. That helped explain why some campers in the park didn’t appear to be there on vacation. 

We tend to associate certain activities with the campgrounds we frequent. Big Lagoon is our “kayak” park. We enjoyed watching the birds along the shore as we paddled through the lagoons. We also found a baby alligator along the boardwalk connecting the campground to the lagoon.

The boardwalk in Big Lagoon State Park

A walking trail in Big Lagoon State Park

The Bay

Our youngest son and his family were able to visit us on Saturday. We drove over to Johnson Beach so that our eight-month old grandson could have his first beach experience. By the way, he wasn’t impressed with the Gulf but enjoyed eating ice cream that evening.

Our son, daughter-in-law and grandson visit Big Lagoon

Our grandson's first visit to the beach

Our grandson in Rosie

Our family in the park's observation tower

 Pensacola Naval Air Station is only a few miles from Big Lagoon State Park. We visited the Naval Museum of Naval Aviation and watch the Blue Angles perform.

We found an A3D on the tarmac (the type of jet Steve's brother worked on while he served in the U.S. Navy)

Becky found the "Blues"

That probably was the wrong button to push!

Suzy wasn't too impressed with the Blue Angles

Here are some specifics about this park:

• There were three primary camping loops in this park. 
• Our site had 50 and 20 amp electrical service. Some sites had only 30 amps. 
• Our site had a water connection with 40 pounds of pressure. 
• Our site did not have a sewer connection. 
• There was one dump station located near the campground exit. 
• Our site was dirt and required multiple leveling tools. 
• Each loop had a bathhouse. The bathhouse in our loop was well maintained and clean. 
• There wasn’t a breeze flowing through the bathhouse and that meant it was hot and stuffy. 
• Another bathhouse issue was that the timer controlling the lights wasn’t properly set. Too many campers found the lights off inside while it was still dark outside. 
• There was a camp store in the first camping loop. It was tiny, but had a good selection of items that weren’t “tourist “ priced. 
• The camp store sent a delivery cart around the campground every evening with firewood and ice cream, which are campground necessities for many people. 
• AT&T placed a strong 4G voice and data signal over the park. 
• The park did not offer Wi-Fi, but Wi-Fi was available at the public library just outside the park. 
• We were able to watch off-air TV signals from: ABC, CBS, CW, COZI, FOX, NBC and PBS. We also saw digital signals from Antenna, Get, Grit, Ion and ME-TV. 

We continue to learn things on our camping adventures. We had two take-always from this visit. 

First, always travel with a few truck/Rosie cleaning supplies. We drove through a colony of love bugs and that meant we needed to clean both vehicles as soon as we parked. 

Second, we need to pay attention to the season when we reserve a campsite. The park wasn’t full in part due to Hurricane Irma. The other reason was because other people knew better than to make reservations where it will be hot during September. A Ranger said that the campground usually fills in October when the weather turns cooler. I think the odds are good next year that we will head north or to the mountains. 

We lost power a couple of times during our stay and it wasn’t the park’s fault. A big motor home plowed over a water connection and a power box while attempting to park. The rangers disconnected power to our section of the park to make sure the destroyed power box was safe then switched the power off again while fixing the problem.

You can rent canoes in Big Lagoon State Park

Sunset

Becky completed a plein air watercolor painting from the top of the observation tower

Enjoying the beach

Suzy plays with one of her toys

Big Lagoon State Park

Who is afraid of an alligator?

Boardwalk to the observation tower in Big Lagoon State Park

Top of Georgia Airstream Park - Helen, Georgia (August 2017)

The last solar eclipse my wife and I saw was in 1970. At that time, we were several hundred miles apart and would not meet each other for another eight months.

My memory of that eclipse was that I was working at a radio station in Jacksonville, Florida. I went out to that station's transmitter site for the eclipse. As expected, the tower nighttime lights turned on, I could hear the sounds of the night critters and it was strangely dark that afternoon. A few minutes later, the sky started getting lighter, confused night critters went back into their daytime modes and the tower lights switched off.

My brother was at an outdoor wedding that day that was timed so that the pronouncement of "husband and wife" happened at the maximum point of darkness during the eclipse. I wondered if the peak of a solar eclipse was the optimum time to start a marriage. I guess other people see it as an exciting time to get married because I heard of some people planning their weddings around the eclipse this year.

Why am I talking about a solar eclipse? The answer is simple as we were about to see our second total solar eclipse. The difference this time is that we wouldl be together during the solar event.
The next question is why were we near Helen, Georgia? Our home was in the 90 percent range for the eclipse while Helen was in the 100 percent footprint. Besides, this was our first visit to an "Airstream" park. It simply sounded like fun to watch a total solar eclipse while camping in northeast Georgia.

The Top of Georgia Airstream Park

The Top of Georgia

We went outside Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer, about an hour before the total eclipse. It was disappointing to see that the sun was hiding behind some clouds. You could hear a loud cheer about half-an-hour later as the sun broke through the clouds. It remained clearly visible throughout the eclipse.

Waiting for the eclipse

We purchased eclipse glasses from the planetarium in our home town. Those glasses were manufactured in Tennessee and met the safety requirements for looking at the sun. That was important because of the news stories about counterfeit glasses that were unsafe being sold by major retailers and online companies.

Suzy wears eclipse glasses

I'm not sure if eclipse glasses existed back in 1970. I know I didn't have a pair and I observed that eclipse by looking down at the shadows as I watched the day turn into night then back to day. It was very different having the eclipse glasses and being able to track the moon's progress as it blocked the sun's face.

Becky observing the eclipse by looking at the shadows on the ground

You could hear cheers from across the campground as the eclipse reached totality. It only lasted two minutes, but the experience was amazing and we were glad we decided to travel north to be in the 100 percent total solar eclipse footprint.

Approaching the total eclipse

Yes, it really was dark during the total eclipse

A Moon Pie is the perfect snack during an eclipse!

Checking on the progress of the eclipse

What about the Top of Georgia Airstream Park? We have been at rallies before when Airstreamers tend to dominate in the park. This is a park that caters to Airstreamers. They have a public address system with speakers throughout the park. We heard announcements of "watermelon time" a couple of afternoons. You would see people leave their Airstream campers and head to the park's clubhouse. As advertised, they were serving slices of cold and amazingly sweet watermelon.

There are big hills surrounding the park. We enjoyed hearing the sounds of the stream that ran through the middle of the park.

The stream running through the Top of Georgia Airstream Park

Here are some specifics about this park:

• This park is owned and operated by the Georgia Unit of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International. WBCCI members receive a discount in this park.
• When space is available, the park will allow campers with other RV brands to stay in the park.
• There are two loops in this park. We picked a site in the lower loop.
• Our site had 20 and 30 amp electrical service.
• Our site had water and sewer connections.
• Most of the sites in this park have level concrete pads.
• AT&T did not place a signal over this park. No voice. No data. Nothing. Our neighbors using Verizon said they had a marginal voice signal.
• The park provided decent WiFi service. Without cellular phone service, we had to rely on text messages to communicate with our family members.
• The park provides TV cable connections with analog TV signals from Atlanta. A couple of basic-tier cable stations were included.
• There are several covered pavilions in the park with porch swings. These appeared to be popular places to meet fellow campers in the park.
• This is a pet friendly park.

The Top of Georgia Airstream Park is about seven miles north of Helen, Georgia. Becky's brother, who lives about an hour away, was able to visit us while camping there. We went into Helen and enjoyed lunch at a restaurant featuring German cuisine. Helen is a quaint little town that appears to be modeled after a German Alpine village.

Helen, Georgia

View of Helen, Georgia

Becky and her brother in Helen, Ga

Becky and her brother Dan outside Rosie

If you enjoy nature instead of a touristy town, there are several waterfalls and nice trails in the area. This park is located in a nice area to explore.

Close to Top of Georgia Airstream Park

Walking to the falls

The falls

We enjoyed our time at the "Top" and will return one day.