May 8th, We left FDR Park and next is Cloudland Cayon State Park

Today we left Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park and drove to Cloudland Canyon State park. This was a good example of why you do not want to just take what the GPS tells you. It had us going through Atlanta and Chattanooga today. We talked to a ranger at FDR park and she said to just go up route 27. So I looked on the map and it made sense. I did find out that if you tell your GPS not to travel on highways it will find a route. It did and it was 20 minutes longer and 40 miles shorter. Very nice drive across the hills of north west Georgia. Cloudland Canyon State park is beautiful.  It is just below Chattanooga and the beginning of the Lookout mountains. They have had 13 inches more than normal rain this month. That has made the falls the best they have been for years. In the pics you will see what we mean.

The Canyon is wide. You can see a waterfalls across the canyon.

A little better look at the waterfalls across the canyon. The ranger said that it usually does not flow, but because of all the rain it is flowing.

Another view of the canyon.

The falls is behind me.



There are two falls on the "Falls Trail."  This is the upper one called Hemlock falls it is a 60 foot drop. The lower one is the Cherokee Falls and it is 90 feet.



The many falls make this place very enjoyable.

The Cherokee falls was fantastic. The climb down to them a little strenuous, but when did you go up and down 1200 steps?

Me and my girl made it

Tweety is enjoying his last camp site of the trip. If you look closely you can see some old guy coming down the slide.

Hey I had to test it for all the kids coming this weekend to the park.

Tweety is still hitched and ready for his long run to Cincinnati in the morning.

May 7th was our second day at Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park at Pine Mountain. We went to see the "Little White House" today and it was very interesting. You will see and read in the next few slides how FDR came here 41 times and thought that the warm Mineral Springs would heal him.

This squirrel was in a tree adjacent to our campsite.  Notice he is holding a peanut given to him by Doug, which is in fact against park regulations. 

Cool car owned by FDR built by Willy's in Toledo, OH

This is the last car owned by FDR.  He designed hand controls for the gas, clutch and brakes due to his polio.

This is the servants quarters over the garage.  Notice that the potty is right in front of the window.

Another angle in the servants quarters

This is FDR's Little White House

Inside "The Little White House" where the fireside chats originated

This area rug was a collage of FDR's "New Deal"

Dinning room and the easel which was being used by the artist to paint his last portrait when he died of a stroke at the age of 63.

FDR's bedroom

This is the unfinished portrait of FDR which was in process when he died of a stroke

portrait as it would have appeared finished

pool where FDR swam in 88 degree mineral water with healing qualities.  Pool is now filled only on Memorial Day and Labor Day for bathers who pay $20 each.

We were able to put our hands in the healing 88 degree water which is used to fill the pool.  It did feel really nice.

May 6 from Florida to Franklin D Roosevelt State Park on Pine Mountain Georgia

Today was a long drive for us. We left Ocala at 6:30 AM and arrived at Pine Mountain at 2 PM. It is cold up in the mountains, about 58 degrees, ok not cold by Ohio standards. The mountain area is very nice and the views are very pretty. I can see why FDR liked it so much. As you will see in the following pics.

This is the view from were President Roosevelt sat.

This is the view to the left of the grill.

This the view to the right of the grill.

Currently used as an administration building, it was built by the CCC.



They rent cabins and this is number one. I would try to rent 1 to 4, they are sitting on the edge of the mountain with a fantastic view.

May 5th we are at Silver River State Park

Today was our second day at Silver River State Park. There is a lot of hiking here, but more famous is the river. I remember hearing from my Mom and Dad that they had visited Silver Springs and went on the glass bottom boats and at the time I thought I wanted to visit someday. Little did I know it would be 55 years later. Today we rented a canoe and paddled two and half miles upstream to Silver Springs and it was fantastic. The following pics will give you an idea of that trip and the park.

This is a restored glass bottom boat used in the 30's.

The park has a historical area that is run by the county schools. This is a cracker village.

If you look closely you can see the gopher tortoise coming out of its hole

This is the start of our canoe journey. Hope we do not fall in the current is swift and there are a lot of alligators. Actually the boat was very stable.

Turtles, turtles everywhere. There is no fishing or catching of any wildlife. So there is a lot to see.

You can see the beauty of the river, but also notice the current.

We had to paddle hard to get to the head waters. It is hard to believe how much water is coming out of the ground.

This is one of the glass bottom boats in Silver Springs.

You can see where the boat dock on the left. They were busy no this nice Sunday afternoon.

We were able to paddle up to the docks, but could not get off.

This is the view under the boat. It does not do it justice

If you follow the stick up the picture and look close you can see an alligator that was about 5 feet away.

This couple of wood ducks posed for us.

 I would suggest anyone that likes the wild outdoors to stop at the park and rent a canoe. They have a weird method of renting, you need to rent as you come into the park at the rangers station. They only have 12 boats and it is first come first served. The boats are at the end of a half mile trail from where you park your car and the ranger station is about a mile form there. That being said, it only cost us 22 dollars for our trip, not bad.