Vogel State Park

Back during the final weekend of August, during a four-day weekend, my buddy and I took a little road trip. First we headed down to Tampa, stopping at Little Manatee River State Park for the day, where we picked up a Florida State Park Annual Pass, and then that night I went to see Blake Shelton in concert. The following day we drove North, through Tallahassee and West until we reached the highest point in Florida, Britton Hill. On the return East, we stopped by Ponce De Leon Springs State Park and showed up minutes late at the Florida Caverns State Park for the final tour of the caverns. After stopping for dinner at Steak n Shake, a frequent dining experience, and a shower at a friend’s, we drove through the night into Georgia.

After a brief stop to sleep in a rest area, something my family and friends deemed ‘dangerous’, we continued driving early that morning through Atlanta before having the fuel pump in our car go out. After having three calls to AAA drop due to T-Mobile being the shittiest phone carrier ever, we finally got a tow to a nearby town and stopped by IHOP for breakfast. Once the car was fixed, we were back on the road and off to the highest point in Georgia, Brasstown Bald. It was an interesting drive up steep, winding mountain roads, looking out the side of the car down cliffs that drop down deeper than any drop-off in Florida.

On the trip back down the mountain, the smell of burning brakes filled the air as the car careened around steep turns. On the way up the mountain we had spotted various spots that we wanted to stop at on the way down. One location that I had noticed was Vogel State Park, which from what I had seen from the road was a huge lake with a hiking path around it. We entered the park and parked before taking photos of the lake. The park map showed the hiking path around the lake and up into the surrounding mountains along with a spot on the other side of the lake with a waterfall. After strolling around the lake and taking a detour down to see the waterfall, it was back to the other side of the lake and into the mountains.

According to the map, the hiking path led up the mountain, connected to the Blood Mountain Trail and over to the Appalachian Trail. The goal was to reach the Appalachian Trail and get back in four hours, around sundown. We were grossly unprepared for hiking – taking only Gatorade with us – so I was looking at two hours up and two hours down to be safe. The path we took up ended up being the longer end of a loop, but led past the summit and overlook point. After a quick stop there, we continued to the point where the Blood Mountain trail veered off. We were already an hour and forty-five minutes in, so we settled on fifteen minutes up and then turn around.

The sounds of thunder filled the air, but I wasn’t concerned about that as we weren’t anywhere close to tree-line. We turned around a minute short of our time and headed back down. With an assist from gravity and having hiked up this portion of the trail already, we made quick work on the way down, even jogging for a bit. Once we reached the loop we had hiked earlier, we took the other part of it, the shorter part unbeknownst to me at the time. We continued jogging down the flatter portions of the trail until we reached the park again, only about an hour after turning around.

I had been looking forward to stepping foot on the Appalachian Trail and experiencing my first white blaze. Instead, I was restricted to lime-green blazes on that day, but it was a cool experience for a Florida flat-lander. I’ve had an urge to hike part of the Appalachian Trail for a while and being so tantalizingly close without so much as a taste of its nectar has left a deeper longing for me to experience it.

After leaving Vogel State Park, we stopped with another group of friends for dinner before making our way South through part of the night. Another stop at a rest-stop for a longer night’s sleep than the last and we were off to Florida. Having most of Monday to play with, we stopped at Ichetucknee Springs State Park for a quick swim and then to De Leon Springs State Park (not to be confused with Ponce De Leon Springs from earlier) to check it out. And finally the weekend was over.

Panorama Photos

One of the nice features of the new phone I have (an LG Optimus L9) is that it takes panorama photos. Sometimes the photos don’t come out great. If you’re panning from shade to light, the focus won’t adjust and the light part will get washed out. Likewise, if you pan from a light area to a dark area, it will be extremely dark. Some panoramas have obvious chopping on the photo where it didn’t splice correctly, probably due to my shaky hands or moving too fast. It also doesn’t recognize panning across a similar scene, like the horizon of the ocean with no variation. I can still get a few good panorama shots out of it though, sometimes taking the same shot multiple times so when I view it back on my computer, I have more options.  Here are some of the panorama shots I have taken.

Brasstown Bald, Georgia:

View from Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s Highest Point.

View from Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s Highest Point

Britton Hill, Florida:

View from Britton Hill, Florida’s Highest Point

View from Britton Hill, Florida’s Highest Point

Canaveral National Seashore:

These pictures are from Site 1 at Canaveral National Seashore, not the ‘clothing-optional‘ area, in case you were wondering.

Canaveral National Seashore Beach

Canaveral National Seashore Inland View

Crystal River:

My friend and I bought Groupons to swim with manatees, which was in the Crystal River. The first picture was from the pier near where we started our trip. The second is from a dock where we were stranded after our boat overheated during a severe storm.

View from Crystal River Pier

Stranded During Severe Thunderstorm

De Leon Springs State Park:

View from Dam Out to Canoe Run

View of Dam and Canoe Run

Georgia:

Random Lake in Georgia

Quest Air Hang Gliding:

Plane and Hang Glider

Clear Blue Skies and Storm Rolling In

Honeymoon Island State Park:

Beach at Honeymoon Island State Park

Beach at Honeymoon Island State Park

Kennedy Space Center:

I took a lot of panoramas here and a few problems that I had included the shots being too dark, so they came out fuzzy, and the text on some rockets creating a shadow text due to how it pieces the photos together. These are two of the good shots.

Rockets at Kennedy Space Center

Entrance at Kennedy Space Center

Little Manatee River State Park:

Canoe Launch at Little Manatee River State Park

River at Little Manatee River State Park

Oval Park in Heathrow, FL:

Small Public Park in Heathrow, FL

Ponce De Leon Springs State Park:

Not to be confused with De Leon Springs State Park.

Ponce De Leon Springs

Salt Springs:

Salt Springs River

Silver Glen Springs State Park:

Silver Glen Springs

Vogel State Park (Georgia):

Lake and Mountains

Waterfall at Vogel State Park

45 Questions

Found these questions on Lifehack, so I figured I’d answer them:

 

Would you rather…

1. Watch Star Wars, or Star Trek?
   Star Wars. I never got into Star Trek.
2. Read on a Kindle or paperback book?
   Paperback. Electronics just don’t feel the same when it comes to novels.
3. Go to a play or musical?
   I like both, but musicals are usually more fun.
4. Go to the theater or a movie?
   Theatre! Complete with British English spelling.
5. Hike or bike?
   I like both, but I would rather hike.
6. Wear jeans or chinos?
   Either is fine by me. Jeans are more stylish, but sometimes in Florida in summer, they’re just too damn hot. I’d still give the edge to jeans though.
7. Have a Margarita or Pina Colada?
   Margarita. It’s my drink of choice. Jimmy Buffet and I don’t give a shit what you think.
8. Drink a glass of Guinness or Fat Tire?
   Never had either, but I’ll stick with my Irish heritage and say Guinness!
9. Crash with friends or stay in a hotel?
   Crash with friends.
10. Visit Europe or Mexico?
    I’d like to visit both, but Europe is much higher on the list.
11. Vacation in Hawaii or Alaska, and why?
    I’ve been to Hawaii and enjoyed it. I’ve never been to Alaska, but I’d like to. I’d have to go with the one I’ve never tried and say Alaska.
12. Go skiing or snowshoeing?
    I’ve been skiing and enjoyed it. Never tried snowshoeing and hadn’t really thought of it being a ‘sport’. I think skiing would be more fun, but I’d pick snowshoeing just to give it a try.
13. Travel by plane, train, or automobile?
    Train. There’s something interesting about trains that feel like a call back to the old days. I’d like to ride a train through the middle of nowhere.
14. Enjoy a houseboat or speed boat?
    Houseboat. Extend the trip over several days.
15. Go climbing or zip lining?
    Done both. Like both. Climbing calls out to me, though, and I miss it!
16. Go to a comedy club or dance club?
    Dance club. I prefer to move around.
17. Have a night out or evening in?
    Depends on the day. Night out would probably be more fun. Though too many and I’ll probably be looking for a night in.
18. Watch TV or read a book?
    Read a book. Don’t do it enough, but TV is more garbage now than ever.
19. Go canoeing or waterskiing?
    I’ve gone canoeing and enjoyed it. I’ve never gone waterskiing. I’ll pick waterskiing for the new experience.
20. Camp in an RV or stay in a tent?
    Tent. #RealCamping
21. Use Facebook or Twitter?
    Facebook. I like to keep up with my family and friends who I don’t get to see much. Facebook is a better medium for that and it’s also where those people actually have accounts.
22. Choose a free trip or money?
    Depends. If the money is enough to pay for the free trip and then some, I’d take the money. But otherwise I’d probably take the trip.
23. Win the lottery or find your perfect job?
    Find my perfect job. ‘Perfect’ would mean it would offer 100% everything that I want, which would mean I could take time off whenever I wanted. I’d be happy with my perfect job and that’s all we really need, right?
24. Swim in a pool or the ocean?
    I like both. I’d pick an Olympic-sized pool over the ocean, but the ocean over a normal house pool. #ThisFishNeedsRoom
25. Travel by sailboat or cruise ship?
    Sailboat. I’ve been on a few cruise ships and I’ve enjoyed it. I’d even do it again in a heartbeat. But I’d love to travel on a sailboat, as I’ve never done it before.
26. Watch sports or play sports?
    Play sports. Until I’m exhausted, then I’ll watch some too.
27. Play dodgeball or kickball?
    Haven’t played either in so long, I’d be open to playing either. I’d probably pick dodgeball right now as I think it would be easier on my leg.

 

 

Get to know someone new when you learn how they think:

1. Who would you want with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?
   Barrack Obama. I’d be rescued fairly quickly.
2. If you could do anything you wanted right now, what would it be?
   Drive up to Massachusetts and visit my family.
3. If money was no object, what would you do all day?
   Travel. All over the place. I want to see it all.
4. Where do you most want to travel, but have never been?
   Ireland. It’s been on my list for a long time.
5. What is your favorite memory?
   I really can’t think of a ‘favorite’ memory. I have a few good memories that come to mind. When I was three I remember playing with my best friend, Mary, putting on as many bracelets as I could fit onto my arm. I probably looked like a toddler Liberace. I remember sleeping over her house one night when I was about five and staying up until midnight for the first time to try and see the Sandman. We didn’t see him. I have fond memories of most of my years through grade school and hanging out with friends, from jumping off swings at recess to skipping class in high school, to climbing on top of the catwalk to take a senior photo. I have good memories of rock climbing at Aiguille in Longwood, FL. I also have positive memories recently of all the fun activities I’ve been doing, such as hang gliding, swimming in springs and the ocean, swimming with manatees, hiking around Florida, taking a roadtrip up to Georgia and climbing mountains, driving twelve hours solo to and from the Outer Banks in North Carolina to see my sister and her family. Turning 21 and going up North, going to the strip club with my brother and getting a lap dance. Some naughtier memories…. Lots of bonfires, Patriots games, Bruins games, concerts, Red Sox, Celtics, Relay for Life, karaoke, taking a cruise by myself. Lots of good stuff. No favorites.
6. Who is your favorite author?
   I don’t really have a favorite author.
7. What is your favorite book?
   The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Although, I like the presentation he did better, but the book adds onto it.
8. What was your favorite activity in gym class?
   In Elementary School – Freeze Tag. In Middle School and High School – Soccer and Football.
9. What has been your biggest challenge?
   Trying to recover from shoulder surgery. It’s been almost 18 months and I still have problems with it. Ugh!
10. What is your biggest success up until now?
    Probably the progress that I have made since my shoulder surgery.
11. What does your perfect day look like?
    Traveling, trying new things, and being with my friends and family.
12. University or life experience, which do you feel best prepares you for life?
    Life experience. College isn’t real preparation.
13. What is the one thing that should be taught in school that isn’t already?
    Life skills. Real life skills. They try and touch on it occasionally, but they never seem to get it right or focus on it enough.
14. If you were to create a piece of art, what would the subject be?
    Depends on my mood. I suck at art, so I’d probably do something abstract. However, I do love nature scenes.
15. What one thing would you change if you had to do it over?
    That’s hard to say due to the ‘butterfly effect’.  If I change one thing in the past, I change who I am. The farther back I go with my ‘change’, the larger the ripple created. A few regrets I would list would be moving away from Massachusetts (though I didn’t have a choice, as I was nine, and I also have made a lot of great friends in Florida), not standing up to bullies in school, and dislocating my shoulder (if I could prevent that, that would be fucking awesome).
16. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
    A few selections: I’d like to go back to the age of the dinosaurs, especially to see a Triceratops, my favorite dinosaur. Going back to Ancient Egypt and see the pyramids be built would be cool. I’d love to see Medieval Europe – the knights, the battles, how people lived. 1776 to see the American Revolution. 1969 to see man walk on the moon for the first time. Anytime between 1992 and now to give my younger self some advice.
17. What does your life say about you?
    Like Bon Jovi says “It’s my life!” I got mine, you got yours. You live yours, I’ll live mine.
18. How would your friends describe you?
    Odd, quirky, a little outside of normal. Will sing or dance at random times. Makes horrible jokes (both unfunny and politically incorrect). Unique. Unpredictable.

State High Points – #2: Brasstown Bald, Georgia

After driving up from Florida through the night and into the morning, after a night that contained two hours of sleep, after a morning of having our car break down on Georgia Highway 400 and having to get it towed to a Pep Boys in Alpharetta, GA, we finally made it down a series of winding mountain roads to Brasstown Bald. We paid our entry fee and got stickers for a free ride on the shuttle-van to the top of the mountain. We parked and crossed over to the shops and shuttle area.

Quickly we noticed the footpath that leads to the top of the mountain. Getting to the top of the state high-points is an exciting endeavor, but being shuttled to the top doesn’t feel honorable. Hiking a 1.2 mile trail that raises 500 feet in elevation, now that feels like an accomplishment. It’s my stance that if I’m going to stand on the summit of a mountain, or a bald, that I should earn that right. And so we walked up the path, a rough trek for someone from Central Florida who’s used to small inclines that only last a few hundred feet and the denser air of being just above sea level. However, the cooler weather and lower humidity of the mountains countered some of the difficulties.

We made it to the top of Brasstown Bald and took some pictures before climbing the observation deck to take more pictures. The fog was thick and we couldn’t see much of anything, let alone another mountain. So we decided to cut our losses and head back down, but just before we could, we heard the movie begin in the theatre. We decided to stop and watch it, which only took about 15 minutes. And once the movie was over, we stepped out into the sunlight again to lifted fog and amazing views of the surrounding mountains. It was still a little hazy, but it was amazing nonetheless.

It’s been a few years since I’ve been near mountains and it was my first time summiting one on my own power. It felt right to be atop that 4,784 foot beast looking at all its brethren in the distance.