When we realized we would have to return to Florida to install the new engine in about three weeks, we needed to find a place close enough to disperse camp. We decided to head up to the Chattahoochee National Forest in North Georgia.
Wow, did we get lucky. There are several campgrounds where one can camp for free or for a very small fee. The first campground we camped at was along Mill Creek. It was almost full the first night with only one site available. Everyone was gone by morning. Then it started raining for the next four days. We didn’t care. It was beautiful. We had our awning set up so we could cook outside.
The sun and warmer weather did arrive and it became even more beautiful. We weren’t alone the whole time and met some great people. There was also no cell reception at the campground. Not a big deal except we were waiting to hear when our van could be scheduled for the new engine. I would walk up on the forest road above the campground until I got a signal.
After the weather cleared up. DelicaDeaneMachine set out to gather wood. There was no shortage of it. We had fires morning and night.
We walked along Mill Creek to the cascades. People come down to the campground just to walk to it. Pictures don’t do it justice.
We had discovered on our first day at the campground that it was in a flash flood zone. Not being familiar with the area and due to the endless rain, we decided to find higher ground to camp on our 3rd night. that involved crossing the creek. When we woke up it was raining pretty hard and we realized being on the wrong side of the creek might not be smart so we went back down to the original site. And frankly, the higher site was not so scenic.
After twelve days we wanted to try camping somewhere else. Since it was winter some of the forest roads were closed, so to get to the sites we wanted we had to go the long way around. We drove through Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee. Incredibly beautiful and on our list to visit soon.
The first site we stayed at was pretty muddy, and we were the only ones there. On the second day, we drove to another one outside of Blue Ridge, GA. The road up wasn’t long, only about 3 miles, but it was steep and foggy at dusk. It was very spooky.
About one mile from the campsite, we came across an old cemetery. Some of the graves were from the late 1800s. But clearly, it is still maintained as the flower pots were lying down from the wind. The next morning they were all upright again.
We arrived at the campsite on Jacks River. The site we picked had a bear warning on the picnic table. The only one that did. Was this table the bear’s favorite? We were the only ones there.
After dinner, we settled in for the night. Around 8:30 (it was very dark) we heard a vehicle with a very loud muffler drive in. I peeled back the window covering and peeked outside the window and saw headlights. It sounded like the vehicle pulled up right next to us. (Of course, it wasn’t possible that they did.) It was a little unsettling. Then they drove over to the horse camping side, seemed to drive around a bit, and eventually left after about 10 minutes.
I had to admit we were both a little jumpy after that. I have read and watched a lot of dystopian and scary stories. It was not hard to imagine the worst. My limited experience with forest roads makes it hard to believe anyone would drive them in the dark. We did eventually fall asleep without any more strange incidents.
We had spent our 14 days in the forest* and did need to head back to Florida, but we couldn’t leave without visiting the Bigfoot museum. It was definitely worth the cost of admission.
We fell in love with the beauty of North Georgia and couldn’t wait to visit again. It is now on the list of possible places to settle down after our travels. Not only is it beautiful but every person we met was as friendly as could be.
*Most public lands allow only 14 days of camping within a 30-day period.
WanderLyd 