Fort Yargo is a Perfect Atlanta/Athens Get Away

Fort Yargo State Park in Georgia is in Winder, Georgia just 45 minutes from Atlanta and an equal distance from Athens. The park hosts hike and bike trails. The mountain bike trail is for experienced riders. The seven mile moderate trail circles the lake; as does the 12.5 mile difficult trail.

This park includes a log fort built in 1972 for history buffs. The lake is 260 acres. Pictured below are yurts and camp sites on the water's edge. Be sure to ask for sites on the water when you make your reservation.



Fort Yargo State Park
210 S. Broad Street
Winder , GA 30680

(I am visiting, photographing, and blogging all of the GA state parks in one year. This is park number 9 out of 48.)

A New Kind of Scrabble and A Way to Live

So scrabble wasn't my favorite game, in part because I have always played with competitive people. The other day I played with my children and a friend. During the game my friend started helping us. It was kinda weird helping each other, but it changed the mood of the game. (And made us all practice each turn.)

At one point my daughter showed us BUNGALO and asked if that was how to spell it. We got out the dictionary and used it to help us for the rest of the game (instead of challenging each other).  We became a team helping one another and bonded in the family room.

In Seth's style... Do you follow Seth Godin? He's good and succinct.

Take a Friend to Watson Mill Bridge State Park

This park strikes me as romantic. Water, covered bridge, rocks and picnic tables are scattered here ready for visitors. The covered bridge is one of sixteen left in Georgia. This Georgia State Park is just east of Athens in the northeast corner of the state. Here are my photographs I took while watching the sun set. This photograph above is available on Etsy.

I started a facebook post that day before I left about "where did the sun go..." which had some fun responses. I never saw the sun, but you see here that this tree did for a few minutes at sunset.
Watson Mill Bridge State Park
650 Watson Mill Road
Comer , GA 30629

(I am visiting, photographing, and blogging all of the GA state parks in one year. This is park number 8 out of 48.)

Best Banana Waffles

My son was impressed that there wasn't a banana to be found in the grocery several days prior to our pending Georgia snow storm of 2011. He even asked an employee to be certain.

So, just in case you don't eat all those bananas (and they are turning brown) and you need something to do with them I thought I'd share my banana waffle recipe.



Best Banana Waffles

8 T parkay, melted
2 eggs, separated
1 C milk
2 C all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 T sugar
4 bananas, mashed

Melt the parkay and let it cool. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. Mix together dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients (except egg whites) after margarine has cooled. Pour into wet mixture. Stir in bananas and then fold in egg whites. Pour approximated 1/3 C of mixture per waffle. Cook in waffle iron. Yields about 10 waffles.

I utilize two waffle irons to speed the preparation.

You Do Not Have to Drive to the Beach for a Pretty Sunset

In my mind I have always believed that I needed to be at the beach to take a beautiful sunset. But Amicalola Falls State Park puts that belief to rest. I took these photographs on January 3, 2011 and the falls align perfectly with the setting sun. Below is an abstract of the sunset.

Amicolola State park is located outside of Dawsonville, Georgia in the Northern part of the state about one hour north of Atlanta up Georgia 400. The drive into the park is very pretty and worth stopping along the way for great photos of nearby farms. Here are the rocks at the top of the falls with a bit of sun on them.

Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge
418 Amicalola Falls State Park Rd
Dawsonville , GA 30534

(I am visiting, photographing, and blogging all of the GA state parks in one year. This is park number 7 out of 48).