Local favorites

Little Ridge Park

Due to my work schedule for most of 2017, I had free time in the mornings. It was great and it gave me the chance to exercise more often. So basically anytime the weather was nice, I went to the park. We are fortunate to live near a very nice park on Lake Lanier, which also happens to be free AND dog friendly! I spend so much time at Little Ridge Park, you would think I lived there. It's not huge but there is a nice trail through the woods and it is easy to access the lake from different parts of the trail. There's also a boat launch but that is about it (no bathrooms or pavilions or such). It's crowded on weekends and holidays but during the week, I only ever see about 2-3 people on the trail. Again, it's dog friendly!! There are a lot of parks on the lake that are not dog friendly. My favorite feature is this island that sometimes becomes a peninsula depending on how high the water level is. You can walk/wade out there and it's just fun to explore. It's very shaded and a good place to put a hammock. Little Ridge is an Army Corps of Engineers park so please review their rules before visiting!!

Bowmans Landing

My other standby has been Bowmans Island, which is part of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area. It is attached to the Lower/Upper Pool Parks at Buford Dam, which is part of the Army Corps of Engineers. Different rules for each! Leashed dogs are allowed at Bowman's Island but not at the Lower or Upper Pool Parks. They all share an entrance at the Lower Pool Park and if there is an attendant at the gate, they will not let you bring dogs in. There is also an entrance at the Island Ford Unit and I am assuming you can bring dogs in this way, but I have never been to that location. Sometimes the gate is unattended and you simply put money in the box and get your parking permit and you and your dog can be on your way. Bowmans Island is also horse friendly but I have never seen anyone on horseback there. 

I love the Chattahoochee and Bowmans Island is an easy way to access it. That being said, this is not a swimming hole/day drinking locale. There are always people fishing and I try to not disturb them. There is a fairly extensive trail around the island and some of it goes along the river and some up into the woods. There are maps all along the trail and I just sort of meander each time I go there. I love seeing the changes in the river due to dam releases or rainfall. It looks different each time I visit. I took these pictures in early fall when the weather was still warm and the river looked particularly beautiful. 

So even if you think you don't have time for a hike, you can usually find a "in town" option near Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2017

We had stunningly good weather over Thanksgiving weekend. It was brilliantly sunny and high around 60 each day (this is the kind of "cold" weather I can tolerate). I also try to "opt outside" (thanks REI- no they are not sponsoring me!) on or near major holidays as much as possible because I detest shopping and the general consumer frenzy that takes over after Halloween each year. We did have quite a few family/football obligations (and work for me, boo!) but managed to get in some quick local hikes and some of our favorite places. 

On Black Friday (make that green Friday for me thankyouverymuch), we went to visit friends in Northeast Cobb County, so decided to go to Roswell Mill and Vickery Creek afterwards since it was close by. The Mill has to be my favorite place in all of metro Atlanta. I haven't really been there very much during the winter but it is just so pretty no matter what the time of year. I love the City of Roswell for placing such an emphasis on parks and historic preservation. I really miss living there. 

The Mill was a little crowded and we had to circle the parking lot several times for a space, but eventually snagged one. Bear in mind, we were there right in the middle of the day so really not too bad all things considered. We didn't really go too far on any of the trails but leisurely walked up to the waterfall and then explored along the banks of the creek before heading out. 

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, James went to the Falcons game but again the weather was so stunning, I decided to go to Sawnee Mountain after running some errands. It was later in the afternoon so I decided to use the trail from Bettis- Tribble Gap Rd since it is shorter. I have never hiked that trail before. It is much shorter and easier than the trail from Spot Road. I literally did not even break a sweat. There were several people on the trail but it really wasn't that crowded and the summit was peaceful (the last time I was here, I'm pretty sure there were people using drugs under the viewing platform). The view of the mountains was unreal due to the low humidity and extremely clear visibility. 

So that was Thanksgiving. No need to hike to burn off calories from eating too much because we've been vegan for a year now and everything we eat is healthy and doesn't weigh us down. 

Sawnee Mountain and a side trip 11-22-15

I apologize for the lack of posting this week. I have been on vacation (unheard of- I have not taken a real vacation in about 10 years) in Florida. I started this post before Thanksgiving and never finished it. More on Florida later :)

We decided to take a lighter hike on 11/22/15 because we planned to meet family in Dahlonega for a wine tasting and didn't want to show up tired, sweaty or both. Instead of heading deep into the North Georgia mountains, we just went next door to Forsyth County and visited a county park- the Sawnee Mountain preserve.

Sawnee Mountain is not an extremely tall mountain but it has amazing panoramic views of the mountains to the north. It also has an interesting back story relating to Chief Sawnee and native American traditions involving the mountain. At 4 miles roundtrip, with few steep inclines, it’s a pretty manageable walk for adults or kids. There is also a nature center and some outdoor facilities like a ropes course. The only downside is NO DOGS ALLOWED. This is posted in several places so we decided not to test it and left the dogs at home.

The trails is pretty mundane, but there is an entrance to a creepy old mine along the way which is pretty interesting. As you get closer to the top, there are more and more rocks, including the “Indian Seats” which are seat like depressions in the rock were reportedly used for meditation and ceremonies by the Cherokee.

As far as parks and recreation very close to the metro area go, Sawnee Mountain is a pretty neat place. It's in west central Cumming and easily accessible from GA-400. It's an easy ~2 hour or so hike and it would be fun to have a picnic at the top among the rocks. 

So after our hike, we went to Wolf Mountain vineyards in Dahlonega. We have been there many times over the past several years and we love it. I am not a wine critic but everything they produce tastes lovely. It's about $10-15 dollars for a tasting, which includes 6 or 7 different wines with healthy servings sizes. There is also food available to order.

The view was spectacular, as we were there in the late afternoon as the sun was starting to set. I had never actually been there in the fall before and enjoyed seeing the vineyards turning golden. One of the things I enjoy most about living in Georgia, is the seasons and seeing how different scenery changes throughout the year. But on a different note, expect a post about Florida and it's year round sunshine soon!