ATLANTA, STONE MOUNTAIN AND ROYSTON, GA

ATLANTA, STONE MOUNTAIN AND ROYSTON, GA

We tried to stay at Dobbin ARB FAMCAMP on base, but all the spots were taken. We went with plan B and stayed at Stone Mountain Park Family Campground. The fee to enter the park is $15. We used our Pass Port American membership to get the first night camping at $18 with the second night at full price. We stayed two nights one for the park and the other for visiting downtown Atlanta.

STONE MOUNTAIN PARK

Since we crossed the FL/GA state line it has been nothing but cool, wet and cloudy. However, that has not stopped us from enjoying our time in GA.  Arriving at the park on Sunday we went to the Mountain. With all the low clouds we did not take the rope car to the top. If it clears up some in the next two days we'll see.

There was a display of glass blowing. Demonstrations are at noon, 2pm and 4pm. It takes about 15 minutes and a must see.

Our view from our campsite is not to bad either.

HANK AARON

The first trip into Atlanta was to Turner Field parking lot. The original location of Fulton County Stadium where on April 8, 1974 Hank Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth as the all-time leader in home runs at 715.

STATE CAPITOL BUILDING

Just across the highway overpass and two blocks later we arrived at the Capitol Building. When we walked in Georgia Capitol Building is by far the most plain we have ever saw. The staircase is grand, but the walls are a solid whitish color with no design and even the dome was the same whitish color. At least I rocked the podium.

MLK Jr NM

Only a few blocks away was the Martin Luther King Jr National Monument. Along with the museum across the street his Dr King and his wife Coretta Scott King tumb. All the tours were full for the day, but a block down the street is the childhood home of Dr King. We could see the outside, just could not go inside.

 The buggy that carried Dr King's casket down the 

street of Atlanta, GA

TY COBB

On our way out of Georgia we had to make one last stop before leaving the state. We stopped in the small town of Royston. The home town of the very first player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame... Ty Cobb.

We visited the small museum inside a building that also had two doctor clinics and a lawyer office.

Just a few miles down the road was the Cemetery were he is buried in a mausoleum. I was shocked to only see the COBB name on top and nothing to indicate that he was a baseball player.

WHAT'S NEXT?
South Carolina. 

WHEN FLORIDA GIVE YOU ORANGES, YOU MAKE ORANGE JUICE

WHEN FLORIDA GIVE YOU ORANGES, YOU MAKE ORANGE JUICE

As we left Universal Studios, the navigator told us to turn right. When we arrived at the traffic light it than told us to turn left. To late... As the navigator recalculated, the new direction had us heading east on I-4 to I-95 north. With this unexpected change we made the best of it and spend two days exploring the eastern seaboard of Florida where we got the chance to visit four National Parks that was not even on our itinerary. Florida gave us oranges, we make orange juice!

FORT MATANZAS NATIONAL MONUMENT

No RV parking spaces, so we parked on the road leading in/out of the park and had no issues. There is no enterance fee or ferry fee. Everything is FREE. Fort Matanzas is on the island across the river with a few minute free ferry ride from the National Park service.  With only one ferry running and more than normal number of visitors today we had to wait two hours for the assigned ticket ride. To pass the time we ate lunch, climbed some trees, walked the beach and took a nap.

There was a French colony close to Fort Matanzas. When the French tried to attack they took all their soldiers on a ship that wrecked. With no supplies the French tried to return to their fort but had to pass Fort Matanzas. Most of the French troops who surrendered was slaughtered. The Spanish word "Matanza" translate to "slaughter" in English. So, I guess you call all it Fort Slaughter! 

Final, our time came and we hoped on the ferry to the island. We had 30 minutes to explore before our group had to get back on the ferry to return to the visitor center. The 30 minutes is more than enough time to see everything. The only bottle neck area was climbing to the top lookout deck. There is only one small narrow ladder and as long as the people on top can wait until everyone is up before coming down there is no problem. However, our tour group people wanted to come down while there was a line for people to go up. We worked it out and still had plenty of time.

Officer Quarters

Enlisted Quarters

CASTILLLO dE SAN MARCOS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Again, this NM does not have RV parking. It's a park n' pay and there is an entrance fee. I think is $8 a person, but our NP Pass did the trick to get in for free. Because the town is famous for it's Historical Sites we found an over size, Bus & RV parking lot and it was free to park. Except if you want to stay over night it's $35. Only a half mile to the NM it was a no brainier to park and walk. Only downside was the parking spots are not pull through. Once again we had to unhook the car and dolly.

With the walls standing 30 feet high and surround by a molt on three corners and the ocean on the other the fort never surrender in battle in over it's 300 years of existence.  The only time the fort changed hands was because of signing a treaty between the two Nations.

As a tour bus pulled up to the traffic light as we were crossing the drive said the stone used to build the fort came the the ocean shore and took 3 years for large stone to dry while the smaller stone only took one year to dry before it could be used. Maybe, that's why it took 23 years to build Castillo de San Marcos.

 The heating stove where the canon ball would be placed to get hot so when the canon ball was fired at a wooden structure (more than likely a ship) it would catch on fire.

We got lucky to see the demonstration of the firing of a canon. They were a blank round, but still made a lots of noise. Hiromi tried to take a photo, while I was to recorded it on my GoPro.(Hope to add the video soon). 

FORT CAROLINE NATIONAL MONUMENT & 
TIMUCUAN ECOLOGICAL AND HISTORIC PRESERVE

Once again there was no RV parking spots. We parked on the road leading in/out of the park and had no problems. There is no fee to this N MEM. We got a two for one deal when we arrived. We thought this was only Fort Caroline N MEM, but the park is also part of Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.

There is not much remaining of Fort Caroline except for the large entrance arch and doors. From the drawing we saw in the visitor center the locals lived in huts outside the Fort. There was no video theater in the visitor center so I really can't be sure, only my opinions. I guess you have to come to Fort Caroline and see it for yourself.

     

WHAT'S NEXT:
Exploring Georgia! Stone Wall Jackson, Hank Aaron, MLK JR and State Capitol Building.

FL BIG "O" & UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ORLANDO

FL BIG "O" & UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ORLANDO

Spent the day at the second largest fresh water lake in the US. Then, on to being a kid "COME AND WALK WITH ME...!"

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

Only a few hour drive from Fort Myers we arrived at Lake Okeechobee or as the locals call it "The Big O". We spent all day at the park walking the pier, hiking the trails and sitting in our lawn chairs enjoy the wild life around us.  The downside we did not have any encounters with alligators, but a lot of birds.

Had left over heals of bread in the refrigerator, easy way to clean out the refrigerator is to feed it to the birds. I Think it might have been a mistake.

We stayed until the sunset, then we turn east and saw the moon rising where the site was just as amazing.

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ORLANDO

The park has RV parking that cost $22 a day. Only $2 more than regular parking and has it's own parking lot. Down side, there is no pull through. We had to unhook the car and dolly and parked it right next to us. 

The price was steep, but worth it all as we were kids again .... at least for one more day. We got the one day two park pass where we spent 5 hours at Adventure Land and 5 hours at Universal Studios. 

This sign from Comic Book section of Universal sums it up perfectly.

You know that you are a well oiled machine when can hook up the dolly and car in low lighted park lot in less than 5 minutes.  There was no traffic getting out of the park as the parking lot was right next to the exit and main road.

We are hoping to put a video together for this three week road trip. There is just too much to show in this blog.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Continue north with a twist in our plans that turned out to be adventures and rewarding.