Watson Mill Bridge State Park
Thursday, April 20, 2017
We are changing it up – exploring another awesome Georgia State Park this weekend! Watson Mill Bridge State Park is just outside Comer, GA. Basically, in the boonies. It’s pretty small as the campground goes – just a handful of sites. But it is beautiful … & QUIET! It’s just Perry, Beth, Sugar & Spice this time. AND there is no cable or TV reception & just a very scant internet connection. That’s all good – we just wanted a peaceful weekend with no agenda.
We got on the road at noon in two vehicles. Perry was in the truck, pulling Wilbur behind. And Beth was in her car ahead of him. (We have friends who MAY need us to come if an emergency arises this weekend so we took both cars.) A few blips on the drive included Beth not letting Perry know in an ample amount of time we needed to change lanes, a train over the road we were to turn on to get to the park & then ending up on the WRONG side of the covered bridge which would not accommodate the height of the trailer. We had to backtrack several miles & drive to the park on an entirely different road. GPS was NOT being our friend.
When we DID arrive at the park, we ran into Julia, the Park Manager of Fort Yargo, who we think the world of. She made our stay as Camp Hosts at her park so fun & we will return sometime, I’m sure. While registering, we discovered Perry gets a significant discount now that he has reached 62 AND he gets 10% off of that because we are Passport Members (we buy an annual pass to Georgia State Parks). Pretty cool!
The campsites are roomy & very wooded – lots of shade & privacy. Most are pull-through sites which is even better. The bathhouse is clean & there is a HUGE pavilion next to it for family parties & such. There were only maybe three other sites being used so we had quite a variety to choose from. Ours is on the outer ring & our “yard” is mostly not visible from the road. Woods means bugs / skeeters so we mixed up our bug concoction & sprayed it to ward off the winged beasts. Here’s the recipe: 1 can of cheap beer (cheap because one must not waste good beer), 1 cup of Epson salts & 1 large bottle of any peppermint mouthwash (I used Publix brand). Mix it up in a gallon jug & pour some into a spray bottle. Spray it all around your campsite (or yard), avoiding getting it on other than the ground – it can leave a sticky ick. This stuff will work for about 3 days. Seriously – it works!
After our delicious dinner of grilled chicken, onion bombs, potato casserole & a salad, we were not far from falling asleep. Peaceful. Just perfectly peaceful.
Friday, April 21, 2017
A new day dawned with birds chirping & the sun shining. No TV means no Good Morning America – yikes! That we miss but nothing else. So we got up & got moving earlier than usual. Beth made breakfast – Jimmy Dean sausage, farm fresh eggs from Jesse Murry’s chickens, toast with homemade jelly from Tiffany White & blessed coffee.
After cleaning up the dishes & ourselves, we decided a drive through a couple small towns was in order. We spotted a beautiful newish shopping complex that fit so perfectly in with the old town of Comer we had to investigate. Not many of the storefronts were being used but one housed a local potter. Dottie was the potter’s name & what beautiful pieces she had created! We bought two as gifts for a very special someone. Our visit was so fun – Beth even showed her how to use her Square charge reader as she had just gotten it & had never done it before. Crafters are always there to help one another.
We had lunch at Maggie’s Café in Comer. Such a cute restaurant! The owner obviously took special care in decorating the place – tin ceiling, a well done bumped out lower wall to accommodate the modern wiring, & an authentic “look” of old time charm throughout. The wait staff was on their game & the food was perfection. If you find yourself near Comer, or just want a great little “hometown” restaurant to visit, Maggie’s Café is it!
Back at camp we lounged around, walked the dogs & just chilled. Beth made BBQ chicken in the crockpot & some cheesy yellow squash, broccoli & a salad for dinner. YUM! Another day of bliss in the books!
Saturday, April 22, 2017
The campground filled up on Friday – not completely but near to it. Lots of families with children giggling, riding bikes & having fun. Beautiful sounds to hear. We had breakfast & decided it was a “just hang out at camp day” for us & that’s what we did.
Beth brought a big crate of her Sweet Tea’s Soaps & Stuff products & all sorts of canvases & photo taking gear so she got to work out by the picnic table. It was a LONG process photographing products but the lighting couldn’t have been better & it a fun, creative new challenge. Perry found some rocks & pinecones Beth used in many of the photos. The final results … some she loved, some she liked & some … not so much. Practice makes perfect so she may try again during our next camping adventure. That seems to be the only time she has for these sorts of projects.
For dinner we had Beef Stoganoff in the crockpot with noodles & veggies. Nothing fancy but filling & tasty. The dogs had their evening stroll through the park & played the part of Killer & Kujo to perfection when they spotted other dogs. They love kids, adults, cats … but not dogs. <sig>
We had a really great day!
Sunday, April 23, 2017
The rain started early in the morning &, with the exception of maybe one hour, it rained ALL day. Not a problem when you have a trailer named Wilber. But tent campers were departing from the moment dawn arrived. Wet, soggy, ick!
We had a leisurely morning & a late breakfast, staying out of the way of other campers packing up & using the bathhouse. Then we did our thing with not a single soul to interrupt us. Beth returned to Wilber with a giggle though. Seems she put her granny panties on inside out & backwards in her haste to make the showering chore a short one. She said she knew right away what the problem was because she gave herself an instant wedgie.
During the one hour of no rain (still wet though) we took the pups over to the covered bridge & walked down to the shoals. Have we mentioned this is a GORGEOUS park? We are so lucky to have this place as part of the Georgia Parks system.
The rest of the day was for rest. However, we are not used to so much solitude & quiet & no TV or internet so it was starting to get – GASP – boring! This will most likely become a once in a great while park to visit. We need a bit more civilization & activity around us.
For dinner we grilled chicken & had corn, potato casserole, onion bombs & a salad. The rain kept coming down in abundance & the occasional thunder boom was freaking Spice out. Poor shaking pup. Good thing we always have the Pet Gummies with us to sooth her.
Sleep was so peaceful with the pitter pat of rain – we love camping!
Monday, April 24, 2017
Good planning had us using the last of the eggs, bread & sausage for morning breakfast on our departure day. And the last of the salad fixin’s were used for dinner the night before. This makes unloading Wilbur at home much easier. It’s the little things …
After breakfast we cleaned up inside & out, secured all the “stuff” & got Wilbur hooked up to the truck. Perry took care of the dump station stuff while Beth loaded the pups in her car & headed home. By the time Perry got back to the house, Beth had picked up the mail, had a load of laundry already in the washer, the windows open & the cats food reloaded as well as the pups & water bowls. Once Wilbur had been backed into the yard & secured in place, we were ready for lunch & “home life” to resume.
Not all who wander are lost!
