Thursday, October 22, 2015

We lounged on the deck, soaking in the beautiful weather until we just could not stand it any longer.  That's when we decided to get up and get moving.  There were a lot of developed trails in this park, but we opted for a stroll along the lake shore.  The Corps of Engineers had lowered the lake level in anticipation of springs rains, so we had a pretty wide shoreline.  

Our quiet approach only let us get within maybe 50 feet of the very wary Blue Heron below.  Behind him, you can see how close we were to the dam that created West Point Lake.

Still not sure if our timing was off or if there just was not a lot of fall color possible with the trees in the area.  I think Joani caught some of the nicest color we saw in the pictures below.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

We have had some of the most beautiful weather for the past couple of days which prompted many hours of lounging on the deck.  Today, for something different, we took a drive over to Pine Mountain, GA. The area was familiar since we had visited Callaway Gardens many times in the past, but there were several things we had yet to explore.

The visitor center for F. D. Roosevelt State Park was built in the 1930's by the CCC.  

From the back porch of the visitor center, it was clear we were on top of a mountain (or what passes for a mountain in this area).  What a view!

Dowdell's Knob was FDR's favorite place for a picnic when he visited the Little White House in Nearby Warm Springs.  He had a BBQ grill built on the overlook.  It was filled in with concrete to help with preservation or we might have cooked a few burgers. 

I was trying to have an economics discussion with Frank, but he just wouldn't listen.

While we were so close, it made sense to check out the state park campground.  It surrounded Delano Lake and was nice, but lakeside spaces were better suited for tents and small pop-ups or small RVs. The handful of 40-foot sites on the lake were pretty steep and would probably scrape the chassis, so beware.  There was a loop we missed that we read later had many sites that would accommodate a 40 foot RV.

The lake was certainly picturesque and Joani got a touch of that fall color we were waiting to see.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

There were two museums in Columbus, GA, we wanted to visit.  I was not sure a Saturday visit would be a good idea, but it all went well - neither place was crowded.

The Coca-Cola Space Science Center had a nice 3-D printing technology display.  We noticed 3-D printed pieces in many of the displays around the museum.

How crazy is it that NASA e-mailed a file to the space station. Astronauts then 3-D printed a 3-inch pound torque wrench specifically designed for a task onboard the station.

The museum had four flight simulators that bounced me around pretty well.  I never crashed the plane, but apparently, I was supposed to find other planes and engage in a dogfight.  Fortunately,  the Air Force won't need to rely on my piloting skills.

Outside the museum was Heritage Park where the history of the region was highlighted.  It was interesting, but not really very photogenic. We could not have asked for a  more pleasant day to walk around the displays and read about the past few hundred years of development along the Chattahoochee river basin.

Only a few blocks away was the Columbus Museum.  It included a historical gallery along with several art collections.  Interestingly, there were many pieces of 19th-century furniture presented as art.  

The museum had a "boatload" of Chihuly glass.  It seems like Dale's artwork has been in a lot of places we have visited on our journey around the country, but then, he probably has the most well-known glassworks in the country, if not world.

Boat Installation 2001, handblown glass, wood by Dale Chihuly

The artwork collection did not really "bang my shutters".  It included a lot of modern impressionist work and some really bizarre 3-D and multi-media pieces that just made me scratch my head and ask "huh?"

Self Portrait with Skill, The Tam, The Smoker No. 21, The Torso, 1983 oil on canvas by Joyce Treiman.

Yellow Pad 1997 oil on linen by Janet Fish

.

Despite the signs warning patrons not to touch, Joani really wanted to feel the authentic Eames designed chair and ottoman below (don't worry, she behaved herself - no touching).  Although it looks a lot like something you might find today in IKEA, this was really unique and very futuristic in its day.

Lounge Chair and Ottoman 1958-70 rosewood, aluminum and leather by Charles and Ray Eames

(above) Composition 1939 oil on canvas by Ray Kaiser Eames

We finished the museum pretty quickly so we could get ourselves to a late lunch/early dinner (we were both famished).  The Space museum had an astronomy program scheduled for the evening, but we didn't want to leave Sam alone that long, so we headed home.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

The plan was to continue south into Florida and coastal Alabama, but we decided to spend a few more weeks around the area to enjoy the nearly perfect weather.  With a little luck, we may get to see more fall color at the same time.

Some neighbors mentioned a couple of parks a little to the north still along the Chattahoochee.  Joani did her research and found both looked very promising.  One was already closed for the season, but R. Shaefer Heard Park, a Corps of Engineers park on West Point Lake, was still open.  It was only 79.2 miles (75,336.3 total) mostly on very nice secondary roads.  We hit the road by 9:00 to give us a better chance to snag a site (since we had no reservations).

I'm not sure we could have found a better place.  Site 91 was a long pull-through with a large deck overlooking the lake.  Some large pines gave us some great shade.

Joani used the blower to clear the deck before we settled in for the afternoon.  By "settled in", of course, I meant kicked back with a chilled glass of wine.  Exploring will have to wait for another day.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

It was hard to believe, but we actually got started before 9:00.  The view below, as we were leaving the coach, made the early start worthwhile. 

Below, I am on the trail to canyons 4 and 5 of Providence Canyon's 3-mile loop.  It looked muddy, but it was really hard packed sand with very little water running over the surface.  The further up the canyon we walked the dryer it became until it was just like walking on a beach. 

Unfortunately, the ranger's office was closed.  I wanted to ask what the shimmering substance was oozing from the ground and mixing with the water.

The canyons are very young - they were 4 foot deep gullies in 1850. Erosion has cut the canyons to as much as 150 feet deep today.  The colors are the result of different minerals leaching out of the soil and staining the layers.

Iron Oxide (red), Limonite (yellow), and Manganese (purple)...

are the palate that paints this landscape.

The ground was cluttered with these huge leaves (that is a normal leaf resting on top).  It is from a Bigleaf Magnolia.  The leaves can range from 12" to 30" and the flower is as big as your head.

Many years ago there was an old homestead nearby that left several old vehicles to rust.  I thought it was interesting that now a sign identifies the rusty wrecks as "a unique ecosystem" for various critters.

I believe the canyon is more picturesque from the rim than from the floor.  We missed the peak of fall colors by a week or two.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

For the past two years, I kept saying I would get my National Park Forever Pass on the day I turned 62.  As it happened, we were not near any National Park or Monument on my birthday and we took a break from traveling, so that particular purchase did not happen until today. The Ranger at the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge was happy to exchange my $10 for a snappy new America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass.

The last National Park Pass we will need to buy and 1/2 price camping at National Park and Corps of Engineers' campgrounds.  It's a good day!

The only downside was that I did not care much for the picture on the pass - a close-up of a cactus flower.  Maybe I will grow to like it since I will have it for a very long time.

Monday, October 12, 2015

It was cool, foggy morning perfect for a walk along the park's nature trail.  As the fog started to lift, we could finally see the far side of the lake. 

The trail will be decorated soon for Halloween, but we had the chance to see real webs as the morning dew made them stand out.  I don't think I will be walking this trail in the dark!

The tree below was in the middle of the lake with no visible dry land around it.  I think that means boaters need to really pay attention to the channel markers!

We saw these tiny little bright red berries along the trail for a while.  I finally found a tree with these flowers(?) that opened up to drop the berries.  It reminded me of something from the Little Shop of Horrors.

Along the trail, we saw such a variety of mushrooms.  We spent an extra half hour getting pictures of them all.  Sam was ready to just move on!