Column spread with travel photos
Friendly folks, yummy down-home cooking and serene natural settings charmed us as we explored Alabama from south to north. David's photography assignment took us to three of its 19 state parks: Lakepoint Resort, Cheaha and Joe Wheeler.
Bass Capital of the World
Lakepoint Resort State Park hugs the shores of vast Lake Eufaula, the "Bass Capital of the World" in southeast Alabama. The lodge, golf course, marina, campground, cabins and lake cottages operate year-round. For those like us seeking a quiet getaway and escape from winter ice and snow, southeast Alabama was a good choice. The weather varied from rainy to sunny with brilliant blue skies. Temperatures hovered in the 40s and 50s.
Meanwhile, blizzards shut down the East Coast and friends in Colorado sent news we had missed yet another snowstorm. But we got our own. It snowed at Lake Eufala for the first time in 20 years, covering the area five inches deep in wet, fluffy flakes. The novelty turned staid adults into giggling, romping, snowman-making kids!
On Sunday, folks from miles around came to the lodge restaurant to feast on delicious down-home cooking. The brunch buffet teemed with fried chicken, turnip greens, fried okra, butter beans, cooked shredded cabbage, creamed corn, cornbread stuffing and so much more. While talking with a lady with a thick accent, curiosity got me and I asked, "What do I sound like to you?" "French," she replied.
Even on a raw wintry day, Lake Eufaula lured anglers to its waters for a bass tournament. At "safe light," high-powered bass boats spewed rooster tails as fishermen sped into the lake to compete for the purse. At weigh-in, one competitor's bass tipped the scale at seven pounds, more than the combined catch (limit five fish) of most of the other anglers.
On day trips, we went bird watching in Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge and drove through Providence State Park in Georgia, whose sculpted rocks reminded me of Garden of the Gods. We also retraced the 50-mile route of the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March of 1965, a pivotal event in America's Civil Rights history. We started at the starting point, Selma's First Baptist Church. Then we stepped onto the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where horse-mounted state troopers stopped the marchers and Bloody Sunday resulted. On the other side of the bridge, the National Voting Rights Museum chronicles the events that led to passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with compelling photos and exhibits.
Alabama's Highest Point
Our next location, Cheaha State Park, sits on the highest point in Alabama--2,407 feet. That may not sound high, but the ascent made my ears pop and cell phone reception disappeared on the mountaintop. Handsome stone walls, cabins and lodges built by the Civilian Corps of Engineers in the 1930s beautify the grounds. In the evenings, we admired fiery orange sunsets from the restaurant's observation deck.
When the temperature hit the mid-60s, we hiked to crystalline waterfalls in Talladega National Forest. Cheaha Falls mesmerized me with its unique pattern. The water seemed to weave itself into a braid as it tumbled over tiers of rock. The cascading water, gurgling river and rustling trees created a soothing serenade.
A horrendous storm pounded our mountaintop campsite on our last night. Thunder roared and growled. Lightning flashed and crackled all around us. The next morning, I sighed with relief as we descended the winding road to lower ground.
Towering Pines and Sunset Shadows
From northeast Alabama, we drove to Joe Wheeler State Park in the northwest corner of the state. Our RV site looked onto Second Creek, with Wheeler Lake to the west. Swimming, fishing, golfing and boating are especially popular in summer months. In early March, though, only a few lodge guests and campers shared the large park with us.
The trails were like our private domain as we trekked under towering pines and along the shore. I climbed up wood slats nailed on a tree trunk to a lofty hunting blind platform. The sensation was eerie. I could see everything below me, but I was unseen. Not even my dog was aware of my presence.
Later, we strolled through the deserted picnic grounds. A cardinal serenaded us with its joyous song. Redheaded woodpeckers flitted about. A hawk soared overhead.
I basked in the quiet natural setting. Soon we would be living in a city. We had decided that on the next phase of our journey, we'd like to settle in one place for awhile and become part of a community. We accepted an attractive opportunity to be "work campers" in Branson, Missouri. Popular with fulltime RVers, work camping typically involves working part-time at an RV park in exchange for a site with all utilities.
During our final sunset walk along the shore in Joe Wheeler State Park, we noticed that we each cast two shadows-one directly from the sun, the other from the water's reflection of the sun. When they overlay each other, the heart area of the shadows was lighter, as if glowing. What a memorable farewell!
k
WHEN YOU GO
Cheaha State Park
Joe Wheeler State Park
Lakepoint Resort State Park
State of Alabama Tourism
Rose and David Muenker, a travel writer-photographer team based in Denver, are traveling the roads of North America by motorhome. Read about their adventures in every issue of Out of Denver and on their blog davidandrose.com. Email them at DavidandRose.OTR@gmail.com.
Published in Out of Denver, June 2010.
