We’re running out of time! 12 more parks to visit and only 5 weeks left until our self-imposed deadline. We’re cramming to visit them all so this weekend was another roadtrip to see several parks. We hit John Tanner first, then passed by James Floyd on our way north to Cloudland Canyon.
We had hoped to camp at James Floyd, but when we arrived the campground was already full (it hadn’t realized how busy the campgrounds are on Friday nights). Instead we walked around the lake and played on the playground before continuing north where we got a cheap motel room for the night.
You may notice in some of our recent photos of Trey that he has a red stripe on his chin. He recently fell while running in our driveway and got a perfect vertical scratch up his chin. It is so perfectly straight and centered that it looks fake – as if we drew it on there.
Of all the state parks we’ve been to in Georgia (over 52 now) this one is the simplest. It’s a lake with a beach. That is about it. Of course there are some other amenities but they all revolve around the lake: camping near the lake, a nature trail around the lake, a playground by the lake, paddle boats on the lake, etc…
With that in mind, going to John Tanner State Park on a cloudy day is a bit of a bummer. Nonetheless, it just threatened to rain and never actually did so we still had fun in the water. My photos aren’t the greatest because of their stormy nature, but all that really matters is that Trey had a blast in the water.
As we left Warm Springs I spotted a sign that said “National Fish Hatchery” so I turned and followed that road. I guess I figured if it was an official national hatchery there must be something special about it. It turned out to be a great little side trip to our Little White House excursion.
The hatchery had a small aquarium with local fresh water fish, a carnivorous plants garden, several ponds full of fish, and a pond with an alligator and some snapping turtles. Trey chased a couple geese who were looking for bread crumbs meant for fish and then found a stick which he pretended to fish with (something NOT allowed at a hatchery).
I’ll address your burning questions right now – no, little Obamas do not live in the Little White House. Little White House was Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s home away from the “big” White House. He came to Warm Springs in the 1920s looking for a cure to his crippling polio. Though the warm, buoyant waters didn’t rid him of his condition, it was great therapy and did improve his condition a good bit.
Throughout his presidency during the Great Depression and World War II, FDR visited his cottage in Warm Springs to relax and hang out with “ordinary folks”. His interactions and friendships with the poorest of rural Georgians are what inspired many of his New Deal programs. If you are planning a visit to Little White House or just interested in FDR and Warm Springs, I highly recommend the movie “Warm Springs” starring Kenneth Branagh. This historically accurate biopic was filmed on location in Warm Springs and came out in 2005. Continue reading ‘Little White House’
Trey is a regular star in my little movies, but for this one he also assumed the role of composer. Trey created the entire score to this flick using Brian Eno’s “Bloom” iPhone app.
Having lived in all sorts of different places (and even continents) growing up, it’s hard to define a specific town as my hometown. If I had to choose one in the US it would be Winder, GA. I lived there until age 4, then returned in 4th grade and 9th grade. Fort Yargo is inside the city limits right near downtown and I remember going there when I was a kid.
We stopped by on the way back from Helen, GA and were disappointed to find all the trails (yes, all 18 miles of trails) were closed due to the excessive rain. The only trail we were allowed to walk was the still-under-construction, paved, ADA approved path. We walked the short trail to and observation deck that looks out over the lake and Trey got to see some turtles and a snake. After some fun on the playground, we headed over to the old fort (which is just a little cabin) before heading home.
We’re running out of time! 12 more parks to visit and only 5 weeks left until our self-imposed deadline. We’re cramming to visit them all so this weekend was another roadtrip to see several parks. We hit John Tanner first, then passed by James Floyd on our way north to Cloudland Canyon.
Instead we walked around the lake and played on the playground before continuing north where we got a cheap motel room for the night.
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