Skidaway Island State Park, Savannah, GA

Date of Stay:  Wednesday October 1 - Sunday October 5, 2014 (4 nights)

Rate:  $24/ night (Friends of GA State Parks discount)

Website:  Skidaway Island State Park (GA)
   52 Diamond Causeway
   Savannah,  GA 31411
   912-598-2300

Description:  Located near historic Savannah, this park has paved roadways with gravel/dirt sites amongst Spanish moss draped live oaks.  No sat tv reception but local channels were good enough.  We met up with Tricia and Dan who were on site 35 (FHU).  We chose site 37 (W/E 50amp).  Some sites are 30A instead.  Good park to ride the bike, jog or hike the trails by the salt marsh.  The Interpretive Center has several exhibits and features a giant ground sloth replica along with a nice birding station outside the back door.

Activities:  We joined up with Tricia and Dan on our way to Cedar Key for the winter.  We actually shortened our Fall travels due to Gin’s knee and they shortened their travels since Dan broke his glasses.  This is a nice park to ride bicycles and the neighboring development, The Landings, has an extra wide sidewalk to bike.  Historic Savannah was preparing for a Fall Festival of some sort along the riverfront.  The old section of town is beautiful with its many town squares and old live oaks covered with flowing Spanish moss.  River Street is cobblestone and has several blocks of old refurbished buildings.  We all enjoyed visiting the Interpretive Center in the campground and sat out back at the birding station for quite some time.

Trash and Recycle:  Dumpster near the dump station in the center of the cg.  Recycle bins at that location also.

 

Site 37                                                  D&T on site 35

 

Biking in the park and The Landings neighborhood

 

One of Savannah’s Town Squares               Emmet Park near the riverfront

 

Nice streets in downtown Savannah

 

Cobblestone alley near River Street                 Another pretty side street

 

River Street in Savannah

 

Old buildings on River Street                     Tour boats on the Savannah River

 

Savannah Convention Center across the river   Active port beyond the Talmadge Memorial Bridge

 

Mural exhibit and giant ground sloth replica at the Interpretive Center

 

Male painted bunting and Female painted bunting at the birding station

McKinney CG (Allatoona Lake COE), Acworth, GA

Date of Stay:  Thursday April 17- Tuesday 22, 2014 (5 nights)

Rate:  $15/night (Access Pass discount)

Website:  McKinney CG
   6659 McKinney Campground Road
   Acworth, GA 30102
   678-721-6700

Description:  Just a little north of Atlanta off of I-75.  All roads are paved and quite hilly, too hilly for a pedal bike.  We were in site 50 (W/E 50A) next to Dan and Tricia and had plenty of space and privacy.  Nice waterfront spot and we could have put the boat in here if we felt like it.  Sites are paved although the pavement has seen it’s better days.  Some sites have too steep of an incline for big rigs but most are fine.  Near the town of Acworth for shopping and Red Top Mountain State Park for hiking.  Since this is near Atlanta, there are many marinas on the lake and the water got busy on the weekend.  Trains run quite often on the far side of the lake and if the wind is blowing right, they sound closer.

Activities:  We enjoyed campfires and shared meals with D&T.  Bojangles in Acworth hit the spot!  D&T took their boat for a spin while we relaxed.  I enjoyed a nice hike with them at Red Top Mountain State Park which is just down the road.  We looked at the cg there but it is not big rig friendly.  It rained some but I still managed a couple of morning walks.  Deer were quite used to humans as well as the Mallards and Canada Geese.

Trash and Recycle:  Several dumpsters throughout the cg and at the dump station.  No recycle.

 

Site 50

 

Our patio on site 50                                     D&T on site 51

 

View from our site                                   Other campers across the cove

 

Friendly (hungry) Mallards at our site

 

Dan and Tricia on White Tail Trail in Red Top Mountain State Park

Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park, Cordele, GA

Date of Stay:  Monday April 14 - Thursday 17, 2014 (3 nights)

Rate:  $26/night (Friends of GA State Parks discount)

Website:  Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park (GA)
   2459 US Highway 280 W
   Cordele, GA 31015
   229-276-2371

Description:  Located near I-75 south of Macon, this park has paved roads with gravel sites bordered by railroad ties.  Georgia State Parks let you choose your site when you arrive and we got site 41.  All sites have cable tv with water and electric (30A and some 50A).  Gin used her pigtail to give us 50A.  Even though we were under heavy tree cover, we still got satellite tv.  The park is dedicated to the veterans of Georgia who have served the US from the Revolutionary War through the Gulf War.  At the Visitor Center, there is a museum and an outdoor ordnance exhibit with tanks and aircraft.  It is located on Lake Blackshear and has a resort and golf course.  Great place to ride bikes and a couple of hiking trails in the woods.

Activities:  We were travelling with Dan and Tricia and we all needed a park with more natural surroundings than Cedar Key RV for a change of pace.  Mission accomplished!  I purchased a Friends of GA State Parks membership here to get a little discount.  We plan to stay at some more GA State Parks in the Fall so it will come in handy for the discounts.  We had a rainy day to catch up on some rest and then we enjoyed geocaching in the park while riding our bikes around.  We never made it to the museum in the Visitor Center but we checked out the outdoor exhibit and monument.  We are truly thankful for the sacrifice and dedication of our veterans and this park serves as a great reminder of their service.  Near the entrance to the park is an interesting convenience store with a great butcher shop on premise called Stripling’s General Store.  We hope to return next Spring.

Trash and Recycle:  A couple of dumpsters in the cg but no recycle.

   

Site 41

 

Visitor Center                                   Tricia and Gin at the GA Vets Monument

 

 

Displays at the Outdoor Ordnance Exhibit

Walkabout Camp and RV Park, Woodbine, GA

Date of Stay:  Wednesday September 19, 2012 (1 night)

Rate:  $18/night (PPA discount)

Website:  Walkabout Camp and RV Park
   742 Old Still Road
   Woodbine, GA 31569
   912-729-4110

Description:  Close to the Florida state line and I-95, it’s a great stopover on our way south.  Gravel roads and parking pads with FHU.  Laundry in the clubhouse and propane sales on property..  Owners have been here since Spring of 2011 and are a young Australian family that lives in the house on the property.  Pet duck, goose and chickens walkabout the camp.  We were on site A14.  They are all pull-thrus and kinda close together but fine for an overnight.  No traffic noise.

Activities:  It was hot so we enjoyed a swim in the pool.  Also played pool in the clubhouse.  I saw 4-5 wild turkeys on my morning walk.  There is an abandoned housing development (just roads, no houses) next door so it’s a good place to jog. 

Trash and Recycle:  A couple of dumpsters and a recycle can at the dumpster.

 

Nice to have an empty site on either side of you.  It fills up during snowbird flight season.

Refreshing on such a hot day

Crooked River State Park, St. Mary’s, GA

Date of Stay:  Tuesday February 14 - Saturday February 18, 2012 (4 nights)

Rate:  $28/night

Website:  Crooked River State Park (GA)
     6222 Charlie Smith Sr. Highway
     St. Mary’s, GA   31558
     912-882-5256

Description:  Paved roads.  Two loops with the older one having 30A and water, newer having 50A and water.  Older loop has some sites that look out over the water with packed sand and grass sites but lacked privacy.  Newer loop has privacy plantings between sites which were packed crush and run gravel bordered by timbers.  We were on site 54 which was a large pull thru.  Reservations are not site specific so you get a better site if you get there by Wednesday.  Dump station is separate from the campground on your way out.

Activities:  Rainy while we were there but good place to ride bikes on the paved roads.  Paddle trails in the estuaries but can have tidal influence.  Nice boat launch.  Nice nature center.  Black flies/gnats were active.

Trash and Recycle:  Recycle bins beside the dumpsters as you enter the campground.  Aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and glass.

 

 

Typical newer loop site                              Typical older loop site