Once again this year we met up with some of Jonathan’s family to go camping over Labor Day weekend. Last year, we went to North Carolina. This year we traveled to North Georgia and camped at Vogel State Park. Jonathan and I had been two years ago with Rosemary and Ben.
On Thursday, we had Ben’s preschool open house, then came home, finished loading, and headed up to Augusta to spend the night with Elizabeth and Joel.
The next morning we were up early and on the road just after 8 am. We wanted to get to the park early so that we could get the campsites we wanted. Last year we had just one large campsite, this year we were hoping we could find three together or at least near each other. Thankfully, we did. In fact, Jonathan and I actually camped on the same site that we did last time.
After we arrived and got things unloaded, Elizabeth, Janice, and I headed into Blairsville to pick up our food for the weekend.
We each had a list of things we needed to get there.
I’m pretty sure the Ingles we went to is the largest grocery store I’ve ever been inside. There was even a reading area.
Three cart-fulls.
Getting ready to check out.
We headed back to the campsite and the guys were getting ready to take the kids on a walk. We unloaded the food and got the cold stuff in coolers and Janice started making dinner. It was delicious! I don’t remember the name, but it had ground turkey, spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese, and spinach and was so good. We also got the kids started on their weekend scavenger hunt. Elizabeth just started homeschooling Ezekiel in kindergarten as well so we planned some school activities for them to do over the weekend, one of which was an alphabet camp scavenger hunt. We roasted marshmallows and had s’mores around Joel and Elizabeth’s fire then wrapped things up and went to bed.
The next day we were up and getting ready around 7am. Janice made eggs and hashbrowns with cheese which filled us all up and then we headed out to Amicalola Falls. When we visited two years ago, Jonathan and I walked down the stairs with the kids AND back up. This year, we all drove to the top and got dropped off, then Joel and Jonathan drove back down to the bottom to park then brought one car back up to the top. That way, we all only had to go down. The plan was to go down the 604 steps and eat lunch at the bottom.
The kids played while we waited for Jonathan and Joel.
Charlotte waited patiently in the backpack carrier.
She did great in this.
A photo of almost all of the kids.
Charlotte and her daddy
Getting ready to head down.
I really was there too.
Just the first section is 425 steps, the second is 175. I guess the 4 other steps are in there somewhere.
Elizabeth and Joel. Elizabeth did all of these steps and she’s expecting baby boy #3 in a few months. Very impressive.
Cousins
The falls
That’s one grouchy face.
Climbing on some rocks on the way down. Shortly after this pic was taken, Ian fell in the trout pond. He was fine. But he was one wet little fellow!
We ate our picnic lunch in the playground. I think everyone was ready to eat by the time we made it here!
After lunch and letting the kids play a bit, we headed to the visitors center to look around.
One of the snakes was out. Even just looking at this picture, my blood pressure rises. I’m not a fan of snakes, even the ‘good’ ones.
Checking out the bear.
Fun stuff to touch (and then promptly to sanitize ones hands after touching)
Back at the campsite, Elizabeth started dinner. Jonathan got Charlotte fed.
Elizabeth made taco soup. Once again, a delicious dinner. I need to make it at home sometime. Rosemary even got seconds, a supreme compliment to Elizabeth’s cooking.
The kids liked playing on this rock right behind Janice and Richard’s campsite. They also liked playing in the stream just down from the sites. And there was a big area between each of our sites to play. It was the perfect spot.
Our site.
After dinner, we walked over to the pavilion for some live bluegrass music. There was an empty picnic table just outside of it on the lake so we stopped there. We could hear the music just fine and the kids could run around and dance.
Ben enjoyed the lantern flashlight.
Enjoying the music and summer evening
The kids danced a lot…and wrestled…and ran…and flipped…
Afterwards, we headed back and got the kids in bed. It was a late night so they all crashed once their little heads hit their pillows.
Sunday morning we were up and getting ready a little later than the day before. Someone’s car alarm went off at 5am waking all of the adults up, but most of us (I think) managed to fall back asleep. Janice made Bananas Foster French Toast again for Jonathan’s birthday. Again, amazing.
After eating, Jonathan and Richard drove over to the visitor’s center to check on the weather. When they came back, they reported that the rain chance would steadily increase over the course of the day and overnight would actually reach 100%. It would also very likely be raining in the morning when we would be packing up. So after some deliberation, we decided to break camp and head out early. We still planned on enjoying the day, but would start out for home after dinner.
While we were getting ready, Ben enjoyed swinging face down in the hammock.
He was in this thing for a long time. He loved it.
Enjoying breakfast
Playing with an earthworm they found
As we were wrapping up with the packing, Elizabeth did some science with the kids and had them collect different rocks around the campsite. She had them sort them different ways and look at them through magnifying glasses and explained about rocks and minerals.
The last bit of school was a taste test. The kids read Lentil the week of the trip and it tied in with that story.
Rosemary’s sour face
Ezekiel trying out the lemon
Trying the unsweetened chocolate powder to taste something bitter
Getting some water to get rid of the bitter taste
Ian and his lemon
Once we were packed up we enjoyed lunch up at Joel and Elizabeth’s site
Charlotte just hung out in her bouncy seat.
Empty campsites. :-(
Our very full van. And to think, last year we had almost all of this stuff in the Sonata!
Ezekiel and Ian were ready to head out too. Ezekiel is holding his harmonica. Jonathan got one for each of the kids.
Once we were finally loaded up, we headed to Brasstown Bald. It actually was getting a little bit chilly by that time.
Jonathan walked with Ben the entire 6/10 of a mile hike. That sounds short, but it was a pretty good incline. Ben kept saying, “Too, too high!”
When we made it to the top, we all headed to the lookout and museum.
Smokey the Bear was there. Neither of our kids were particularly eager to see Smokey, however, they were both quite interested in getting the goody bag after they got their pic with Smokey.
There was a steam engine in the museum. Ben was a tad bit excited about that,
Taking a rest on the way back down.
It was after 4pm by the time we finished up at Brasstown Bald so we hurried over to Helen in hopes of making it before Hofer’s closed. Traffic was heavy around and through Helen, but we made it in time.
Choosing her two to bring along with us.
Ben got to pick out two also, but he was so out of it since he just had woken up.
Harris family’s first Hofer’s trip.
Ezekiel and Ian looking at all the treats.
Since we were limited on time, we just got ours to go and enjoyed them after we got home the next day.
Then we high-tailed it to Dahlonega to eat dinner at the Smith House.
We took some photos while we waited for everyone to arrive and I was able to get Charlotte some of her dinner before we went downstairs to the dining room. I think Ben and Rosemary enjoyed having some time to run around after spending so much time in the car.
While we didn’t get a group shot, I did manage to get a couple of photos at dinner that got everyone.
We attempted to give Charlotte her last bottle of the day before heading out. We were leaving at 8:30pm to head back home. We arrived in Gainesville around 2:30am, but were happy to be home. And happy that we missed the downpour that hit Vogel the next day!
It was another great, albeit shorter, camping trip!
And here’s a look back over the years at some camping highlights:
Rosemary at Hofer’s
Clockwise from right top: Rosemary at 1 (May 2007), Rosemary at 3 (September 2009), Rosemary at 5 (September 2011).
Rosemary at The Smith House (2009 & 2011)
Amicalola Falls overlook
Rosemary at 3 (2009) and Ben at 3 (2011)
Ben and Charlotte at The Smith House
Ben at 1 (2009) and Charlotte at 7 months (2011)
And our family camping through the years
2011 (top); 2009 (bottom left); 2007 (bottom right)
