Autumn Roadtrip Days 6-9

Day 6

Monday, October 19, 20

    It was another windy morning on the beach.  But, nothing like yesterday.

      With nothing pressing today, it felt good to just chill and enjoy being on Tybee Island

     As always, I do enjoy just leaving the car and walking.

     First stop Sand Cat Coffee.  Nice little place and your typical coffee shop.  Oh, and it's a 1.8 mile walk to get there.

     Lunch was a new place.  The Kelpie Bistro bills itself as a Scottish style pub.

      This spot seems to change ever two years.  Their short rib Philly was pretty good and I do wish them well

     For those of you who aren't Scottish, a Kelpie is a mythological creature, appearing as a docile black horse.  They would carry riders into water and throw them off to their doom

     I found it mildly humorous they're still using the previous owner's wifi router, complete with name and password

     From there, a casual walk out to the lighthouse.  I haven't climbed to the top in a very long time.

   Seen along the way...

      Heading back up the beach...

       Seeing waves reflect on themselves never gets old.

      Seen on the walk back from the beach...

  There's a small diner just two blocks from the beach called The Breakfast Club.  Tonight walking by, there were tripods with lights outside.  Inside, a group was shooting a student film.  

Day 7

Tuesday, October 20, 20

      It's always a bit melancholy walking out to the beach for the last time.

        But, I know I'll be back in two months. 

      There was only one thing on tap for the day, a visit to George L. Smith State Park.  Named after the former Georgia Speaker of the House. It was an easy drive west along I-16 and about an hour and a half on the road.

      The park is centered around the lake, with plenty of kayak rentals(in season) and camp sites

      For those of you scoring from home.  This is state park number five.

   As for trails, there are two.   I started with the long one. The loop runs three miles.  I had the time, so I went around twice.

       To get to the loop, you pass through the mill.

       The dam was built to power a saw mill, then eventually a grist mill and cotton gin.

      Great views.

     As for the loop, pretty easy.  Just watch your step.  There are a whole lot of exposed roots

      Not too shabby.

       It was still too early to call it a day.  There's one more loop trail to do.  Once again, it was mostly walking through the woods.

     Occasionally, the trail would be close to the edge of the water.

      Not that exciting from a scenic standpoint, but a still good walk.

     At the end of the road sits a boat ramp and a dock.

      At this point, I really was done for the day.  Back tracking a hour brought me to Statesboro.  Tomorrow's park is north of here.  But, I didn't see anywhere decent that was closer.  

    No worries.  The Comfort Inn was just fine. They even offered breakfast, if you're content with cereal and waffles.

    Sunset over Statesboro...

Day 8

Wednesday, October 21, 20

       Sunrise behind the Comfort Inn.

      The morning's goal was Magnolia Springs State Park, an easy forty minute drive north of Statesboro. 

    The park's namesake is a clear spring which flows an estimated seven million gallon of water every day

      Perfect weather for a hike..

      This isn't the spring, just the dam behind the visitors center.

    The day use area of the park is also the site of Camp Lawton.  It was used by the Confederacy as a POW camp and held ten thousand prisoners, with plans to expand to forty thousand.  It was only open four months and abandoned due to the approach of Gen. Sherman and his Federal Army.

      Magnolia Spring..

     Cross the footbridge to start the easy Woodpecker Trail.

  It's another easy walk through the woods.

      There's also a loop they call the Beaver Trail.  It runs through the woods adjacent to the park's lake.

    The loop portion is mostly flat with few roots to trip over.  So, I walked it three times.

      Since I was able to get out so early this morning, I moved up Hamburg State Park by a day.  It's an easy hour and a quarter from here.

      There's a trail with multiple loops.  It seemed perfect.

      There were plenty of colored blazes and markings. The view from the far end of the trail. 

       Just for kicks, I went around the last loop twice.

      By this point, it was already a little after 3P.  I could drive an hour and hit Mistletoe State Park.  It's an hour drive.  Or, I could go first thing in the morning and try for sunrise on their lake.

     I checked trail status and the one I wanted was partially closed for maintenance, so I called it a day.

      Instead, I drove a half hour to Thomsom for some lunch.  I wound up at a place called Hogie Joe's.

      It's your basic sports bar.  I wasn't even going to mention it.  But, there was that one thing on the menu. 

     Yeah, I passed.

      Between the restaurant and car, I passed this marker.  

     Blind Willie MacTell was born here in Thomson.  His mother moved him to Statesboro when he was a kid.

    My home for the night was another Comfort Inn.  Nothing special.  But, some hot options over breakfast, which was nice.

  Sunset over Thomson, GA.

Day 9

Thursday, October 22, 20

     Since I was up early, I reconsidered Mistletoe State Park.  It's far enough from home I doubt I'd be back any time soon.

     The name comes from the area where it's located.  Locals called it Mistletoe Corner due to a copse of Mistletoe that used to grow here.

     Just a bit foggy on the drive in.

      Inside the park, it got even thicker in spots.

      I made it to the shore of Clarks Hill Lake ten minutes before sunrise and settled in.  Not much to see...

      On the north side of the lake...

      By this point, the visitor center was open and the staff confirmed the trail closures.  So, I moved on.

      From the drive out...

       The second stop of the day was A.H. Stephens State Park.  The park is named after the former Vice President of the Confederacy and former Georgia Governor.

      It's an interesting park.  Some of the roads are narrow enough you really don't want to meet someone coming the other way.  Unless you've reserved a campground or picnic area, there's not much parking.  There are plenty of equestrian trails that start at the stables.

     I did walk one of the nature trails.  

      And took a few minutes along Lake Buncombe.  

     By the park entrance, Stephens' home has been turned into a museum.  

     That gated area is his grave, alongside his brother Linton, a former Georgia Supreme Court Justice.

     From here, it was an easy drive west along I-20 to the last state park of the tour, Hard Labor Creek State Park.

      While looking at the park's trails map, I realized I had been here before.  There are a few long equestrian trails here and an easy double loop hiking trail.  

     One last stop on the way home.  Buttlers Bridge Park is a brand new park in Henry County, opening in May of this year.  The double look trail runs a mile and a half and it's a short detour.  It seemed like the perfect way to end the roadtrip.

  

    It was a long say in the car.  But, it felt good to be home.

Dave

10/26