Day 157, 158, 159, and 160 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Saturday October 10th is day 157 for us. We are at Sawnee Campground. The wind and rain came in over night from hurricane Isaias. As I said yesterday, our campers are in a great spot for the wind. Charlie and I did hear a bunch of stuff hitting the roof overnight, but nothing that sounded super heavy. Once it clears up, we will inspect it. 

We planned a morning at home in our campers, while the majority of the rain clears out and the wind dies down. When you are stuck inside a camper, what do you do? Some might clean... but I baked! I baked 3 batches of banana muffins and a batch of cookies!

Once the rain let up and we ensured our RV's were secure with no damage, we drove over to Jackie's place. She has moved from her stand alone house to an apartment at The Mansions at Gwinnett. We let her know we were on the way and she was waiting out front for us! She looks great! 

The Mansions at Gwinnett is an all-inclusive, 55+ maintenance-free retirement community located on a 21-acre campus in Lawrenceville, just outside of Buford. The neighborhood-style development is designed for active seniors looking for a low-responsibility lifestyle, featuring private residences alongside upscale wellness and social facilities. Jackie has a 1- bedroom apartment equipped with full kitchen, in-unit washers and dryers, and a private patio on the first floor. Her apartment is steps away from the restaurant style dining area and very close to most of the social activities.

It was so great to sit and visit and catch up with her!

On the way back to the campground, we passed a Chicken Salad restaurant. Yes, we did... a second stop at a Chicken Salad Chick this trip!

Sunday October 11th was day 158 for us. I was able to get out for a walk and see the remnants from the hurricane. We were blessed, lots of pine limbs down and a million shredded leaves everywhere. But no damage to our rigs, or any other rigs here or the buildings. 

The sunrise was beautiful on Lake Lanier!

The deer strolled through the site just above us. 

We enjoyed another visit with Jackie. Just visiting and catching up!

Monday October 12th, was day 159 for Charlie and I. It is our last day at Sawnee Campground. We spent the morning getting stuff ready to move again. Charlie had to climb on top of the rig get the debris cleaned off.

Monday afternoon, we had our last visit with Jackie. 

The social director had a saxophone musician coming in that afternoon to play for the residents. 

We stayed and enjoyed the music with Jackie and the other residents at The Mansions at Gwinnett.

It was an early to bed night, as we have a long drive tomorrow... over 200 miles!

Tuesday October 13th, was day 160 for us. We departed Sawnee Campground on Lake Lanier, near the Buford Dam, with our final destination of the Stagger Lee Music Park in Hazlehurst GA.

We headed out and the first town we came to was Lawrenceville, Georgia. It is known for being Metro Atlanta's second oldest city, its historic downtown with the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse. It is home of the Atlanta Braves' AAA team, the Gwinnett Stripers. The Lawrenceville Arts Center is highly popular. The arts are evident in the beautiful murals along the highway.

Jackie's place in right near Gwinnett Field. It is home to the Gwinnett Stripers, the high-level Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Gwinnett Stadium, was renamed Coolray Field in 2010, and reverted back to Gwinnett Field in early 2026 after the sponsorship ended. The immediate perimeter of the stadium has been developed into high-end apartment complexes, many of which are designed specifically to overlook the game action. From 1966 to 2008, the franchise originally operated as the Richmond Braves in Richmond, Virginia. In 2009, the team moved to Lawrenceville, Georgia, in Gwinnett County and debuted as the Gwinnett Braves at Gwinnett Field. In December of 2017, the team officially rebranded as the Gwinnett Stripers, inspired by local striped bass fishing traditions near Lake Lanier. 

The next town was Monroe, Georgia. It is known as the "Antiques Capital of Georgia" and the "City of Governors." It boasts the largest concentration of antique stores. Monroe Georgia has provided Georgia with seven governors for the state. The city features a historic downtown with redeveloped mills now serving as event spaces and antique markets.

Social Circle Georgia, is known by the motto "Georgia's Greatest Little Town," the city features a 132-acre historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic well in Social Circle is a downtown landmark and wishing well that represents the origin of the city's name. According to 1800s folklore, a group of local men sat in a circle having a drink near a well when a weary traveler approached them. Impressed by their friendly hospitality and the circle of people, the stranger remarked, "What a social circle!". 

The well is featured on a public mural on the East Hightower side of 114 S. Cherokee Road. The artwork is based on a 1980 decorative postcard drawing commissioned by the Social Circle Garden Club and created by local artist BB Sams.

In Eatonton Georgia, you can find the Uncle Remus Museum. Who is Uncle Remus and why does he have a museum? Uncle Remus is the fictional character and narrator of a collection of African-American folktales adapted and compiled by Joel Chandler Harris, published in book form in 1881. The Uncle Remus Museum strives to educate visitors about the life and work of Joel Chandler Harris using historic storytelling, period artifacts, and dioramas of the more famous Uncle Remus character. Other characters include Brer Rabbit, a trickster who succeeds by his speed and wits rather than by brawn. Br'er Fox considers himself the smartest animal despite being duped continuously. Br'er Wolf is Brer Rabbit's second-most common antagonist. Brer Tarrypin is a friend of Brer Rabbit who joins him in his mischief and even outdoes him at times. Br'er Bear considers himself the strongest of the animals even though he is frequently duped by smaller creatures. Aunt Tempy, referred to by Uncle Remus as Sis Tempy is a housekeeper of equal authority with Uncle Remus who is elected to accompany the boy on his visits to Uncle Remus. If you have never read Joel Chandler Harris stories, you should.

Have you ever been to Small Grove Georgia? If you say yes, you would be mistaken! Henry Lee “Baby Doll” Gorham (1951-2020) was a professionally trained artist who earned a degree from the Art Institute of Atlanta in 1984. With roots in Telfair County, he returned to the community after his time in Atlanta. He became an accomplished folk artist, gaining recognition for his paintings of Small Grove, Georgia. "Small Grove, Georgia" refers to a fictional town created by Henry to depict the experiences of African Americans in the rural South, as seen in a series of paintings. It is not a real town but a conceptual representation of a place and time.  
 

Located at the intersection of Hwy 341 and Hwy 441 in downtown McRae-Helena is Liberty Square, home of a Statue of Liberty replica that is 35 feet tall and one-sixteenth the original's actual size.  In 1886, France gave the­ United States the Statue of Liberty. In 1986, the local Lions Club chapter in McRae, Georgia, commemorated Lady Liberty's centennial by fashioning a scale model out of Styrofoam, a tree stump, and other objects normally considered rubbish. Her arm is made from Styrofoam and the hand holding the torch is an electrician lineman's glove. Also in Liberty Square is their version of the Liberty Bell (the town's old fire bell was taken down and a crack put in) and a marble memorial to Telfair County residents who died in service.

In McRae-Helena there is also a mural that shares the unique aspects of this town. It’s a Purple Heart City, City of Distinction and the 6th safest city in Georgia.

Lumber City is a small town located at the confluence of the Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers where they form the Altamaha River. Before it received its official name, Lumber City, the community was known as "Artesian City" because of its heavy reliance on local artesian wells. The town was named after a prominent local sawmill operating near its original site. At the time of its founding, Lumber City reportedly hosted the largest sawmill in the South.

There is a historic old railroad bridge over the Ocmulgee River. It is the Southern Railway Swing Bridge located in Lumber City, Georgia on Highway 341. It was built in 1928 by the Virginia Bridge & Iron Company as a through-truss swing or rotating bridge spanning approximately 2,800 feet. It was built to rotate on a center pylon so large steamboats could pass on the Ocmulgee River, though commercial riverboat traffic was largely obsolete by the time of its completion. The rotating mechanism has been inactive for decades, but the bridge remains active and is owned and used by the Norfolk Southern Railway for rail traffic.

Historically, the community of Graham was named after an early settler, J.H. Graham, and was officially incorporated in 1897. It is situated along US Highway 341, hosting part of Georgia’s famous annual 220+ mile Peaches to the Beaches Yard Sale. It features more than 125 local vendors every March, in Graham alone!

We arrived at Stagger Lee Music Park, our home for the next 5 nights and where we will have the 6th Annual Headin' Home Fest!

Day 154, 155 & 156 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Wednesday October 7th was day 154 for us. We are staying in Victoria Campground for a few more days. Victoria Campground is a popular recreational facility managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the shores of Lake Allatoona in Woodstock, Georgia. The history of the campground is deeply tied to the sunken 19th-century community of Victoria, which now rests directly at the bottom of the lake near the campground's shores. 

Before European settlers arrived, the area surrounding the campground was inhabited by the Cherokee Nation. They maintained a prominent settlement known as Indian Hill near the current campground location. The Cherokee utilized the Etowah River, constructing a rock fish trap in the waters to harvest fish from the river's active currents. 

In the early 1800s, a merchant named Mr. Robinson established a small country store at the crossroads of Canton-Acworth Road (modern-day Victoria Road). He named the store Victoria’s in honor of his wife, and the surrounding agricultural community gradually adopted the name. The community was predominantly farmland, known heavily for cotton production. In 1854, an early settler named Samuel Lovinggood purchased land along the Etowah River and built a large estate. His property became a vital commercial hub known as Lovinggood’s Landing (later renamed Victoria’s Landing). Lovinggood constructed a toll bridge over the river, charging ten cents per crossing for both humans and livestock, and operated a local cotton gin.

The historic town of Victoria met its end in the late 1940s when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Allatoona Dam on the Etowah River for flood control and power generation. Before the valley was intentionally flooded, Lovinggood’s historic home and the remaining structures of Victoria were dismantled. The community was entirely submerged when the reservoir filled. Today, when water levels in Lake Allatoona drop significantly during seasonal drawdowns, the old brick foundations of the historic Lovinggood estate can still be seen beneath the waters near the campground's landing.

Following the creation of the reservoir, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed the shoreline into a public recreation area, establishing Victoria Campground. It serves as a visual gateway to the drowned history of the original Victoria community hidden right beneath its waters.

Becky told us there were deer here. She was right. They are a bit more elusive than the herd at Seven Points, but they are plentiful here too!

Looking for something to do, we drove to Red Top Mountain State Park. It is a 1,800-acre outdoor destination located on the peninsula of Lake Allatoona. Named for the rich, red iron-ore soil left behind by its mining history, this highly visited state park is a haven for hikers, campers, and water sports enthusiasts. Long before it became one of Georgia's most-visited recreational destinations, Red Top Mountain was a bustling hub for iron-ore extraction. 

Throughout the 19th century, the region was heavily mined to feed local ironworks and blast furnaces.  The park's popular Iron Hill Trail weaves through these historic mining hills. During the 1864 Atlanta Campaign of the Civil War, the rugged topography of the area became a tactical flashpoint. The Battle of Allatoona Pass was fought in October 1864, this fierce battle occurred just across the water from the modern park boundaries. Union forces successfully defended a vital supply cut along the Western and Atlantic Railroad against a desperate Confederate assault.

Both Debbie and I love waterfalls, so I looked up a few. After the park, we toured a few COE campgrounds on the lake. Then we headed to High Shoals Falls. The short, quarter-mile trail to the waterfall begins near an old cemetery and historic church site. The Old High Shoals Cemetery, which contains 19th-century graves, is along the access path. 

The information said it was a scenic 30-foot double-tier waterfall located on an unnamed creek feeding Raccoon Creek. It was not an impressive waterfall today... The drought must be affecting it too! The falls sit in the rolling hills and forested ridges of Georgia's Piedmont region. The term "shoals" refers to shallow, rocky sections of the creek that were traditionally used by early settlers for water-powered operations. The area surrounding the site sits near historic Civil War routes and Pickett's Mill Battlefield. The waterfall drops over a rock ledge into a clear pool known historically as the "Baptizing Hole." 

The site is tied to the Hardshell Baptist Church (later called the High Shoals Baptist Church), which was originally built around 1840 as a one-room log cabin near the Old High Shoals Cemetery. For roughly 40 years, Elder Burrell Marion Camp served as pastor here and performed community baptisms directly in the waterfall's pool, hence the "Baptizing Hole."

Tammy & Bob took Tim & Debbie to Chicken Salad Chick in Florida. So, we saw one and decided to go there for lunch. Charlie has never been there! I have been there with Sandie Labonte, in Wesley Chapel.

Chicken Salad Chick was founded in 2008 by Stacy and Kevin Brown in Auburn, Alabama. What began as an illegal home-kitchen operation by a single mother trying to provide for her three children has grown into a massive fast-casual franchise network with over 350 locations across 27 states.

The concept was born in 2007 when Stacy Brown, a newly single mother living in Auburn, set out to create the perfect chicken salad recipe. After developing what would become the brand's staple flavor, "Classic Carol," she began selling it out of her home, delivering door-to-door, and supplying local hair salons and teachers' lounges. Her homemade business quickly gained a loyal following, earning her the nickname "Chicken Salad Chick". However, the business hit a roadblock when the local county health department informed Stacy that selling food cooked in a home kitchen violated regulations and mandated that she close down the operation.

Determined to keep her passion alive, Stacy teamed up with Kevin Brown, a family friend with computer and management expertise. Together, they decided to pivot to a legitimate commercial business. The partnership soon grew into a personal relationship, and Stacy and Kevin were married in November 2008.

Following immediate local success, the company officially began franchising in 2012. Tragedy struck the company in 2015 when co-founder Kevin Brown passed away from cancer. The menu continues to honor its roots by naming each custom chicken salad blend after a real-life woman who inspired or impacted Stacy's life—such as Fancy Nancy, Jalapeño Holly, and Sassy Scotty. The founders also established the Chicken Salad Chick Foundation, which partners with the American Cancer Society and local food banks to give back to the communities they serve.

We enjoyed a campfire with s'mores.

Thursday October 8th, was day 155 for Charlie and I, we are still staying at Victoria Campground on Allatoona Lake. It is a man-made reservoir in northwestern Georgia, spanning Bartow, Cherokee, and Cobb counties. The 12,000-acre lake is fed by the Etowah River and supplies drinking water to Bartow, Cherokee, and Cobb counties, while providing hydroelectric power via the Southeastern Power Administration. 

The lake holds water that drains from 1,100-square miles of land. The dam that created Allatoona Lake first began blocking the waters of the Etowah River in 1949. The total cost for creating the impoundment, including construction, land, clearing, and relocation, was $31 million in 1950. The lake was created and authorized for flood control, hydroelectric power generation, water supply and water quality, recreation, and fish and wildlife management. 

There is a crazy car, actually we think it used to be a van, at the end of the road near the campground. 

We have studied it every time we drive by. It totally makes me think of the Mad Max movies... I saw one sign that called it "Rat Dodge." 

There is also a sign that says "Ice Sold Here" plus another car covered in a tarp! Interesting, very interesting!

We headed to Old Mill Park, in Roswell. Yes, there is another waterfall there! Let's hope it is better than our first try! Old Mill Park is a historic riverside public park. The park combines rich Civil War history with scenic hiking trails along Vickery Creek. A beautiful, highly photographed covered bridge spans Vickery Creek, connecting Roswell’s city trails directly to the extensive trail network of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

The park preserves the stone foundations of the 19th-century textile mills built by the Roswell Manufacturing Company in 1839 and 1853, which were burned by Union forces in 1864. The Machine Shop is the only structural mill building that survived the Civil War destruction. The adjacent 1882 mill building has been restored into modern offices.

On our way to the waterfall, along the wooden and block path, we passed the historic Mill ruins. 

They are the preserved stone foundations of the 19th-century textile mills built by the Roswell Manufacturing Company in 1839 and 1853, which were burned by Union forces in 1864. Many of the gears and sprockets are still there!

Our whole point of coming here was to see the Vickery Waterfall. It was after the Mill ruins, that we started walking on a sandy edge of the Vickery Creek and had to stoop under a large drainage pipe. The path was separated from the creek by a fence and no trespassing, no entry signs. We could hear the water falling, so everyone was more hopeful than our first venture to a GA waterfall!

Water access was suspended at Vickery Creek Old Mill Park waterfall, effective Friday, August 16, 2024. The decision was made in response to high visitation levels and to help protect the natural environment of the park and ensure visitors’ safety. I guess this notice and the fences that block off the creek, do not apply to this crew!

The scenic 30-foot cascading waterfall was created by the historic 1836 stone dam built to power local textile mills. It was an impressive sight and a ton of rushing water, as opposed to the first waterfall we had visited. 

The site includes the historic dam structure, control gates, and traces of the water conveyance system that transitioned from a wood-and-stone raceway to an iron flume.

Friday October 9th was day 156 and we were on the move! I walked in the morning and I have to tell you, the water is so low at Allatoona Lake, that the swimming line is on dry ground! We left Victoria Campground, which was northwest of Atlanta, to Sawnee Campground, which is northeast of Atlanta. So, it was a quick caravan of two rigs and 38 miles! 

Along the way there was not much to see or blog about... But we did see a few interesting things! A pinkish old hot rod! It had a Rolls Royce hood ornament, but do not believe it is a Rolls Royce!

Three skeletons on the back of an SUV going over 50 miles an hour!

And two metal penguin statues!

We arrived at Sawnee Campground, it is a COE campground but managed by Forsyth County. Sawnee Campground lies just north of the Buford Dam on Lake Sidney Lanier. The campground features beautiful views of the lake as well as excellent access to boating and swimming. The lake, named for the poet Sidney Lanier, is well known for its aqua-blue colored water, spectacular scenery and variety of recreational activities. 

Lake Lanier boasts 38,000 surface water acres, 690 miles of shoreline and over 100 small islands. Its location in the forested foothills of the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains, makes for a beautiful backdrop to any activity. The reservoir was created in 1956 with the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River.

Our sites are perfect for the impending weather, the remnants of Hurricane Isaias will arrive overnight and continue into Saturday morning. We are all tucked in for the night. 

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!