On The Road From AL To GA

Leaving Bella Terra behind, it would be a little over three hours to our next destination, East Bank COE Campground in Lake Seminole, FL, just a short distance from the GA state line.

For our four night stay beginning on March 10th, we would be occupying site A02, right on Lake Seminole, a campground that we have stayed at on numerous occasions since our first visit in 2012. Even though there’s not much to do here except to relax, take short walks, soak in the beautiful sunsets, watch the bluebirds catch insects and be mesmerized by a roaring campfire each night, this is one of our favorite campgrounds.

One day we drove up to the dam and explored (again) some of the local back roads.

That was followed by a trip to the one and only grocery store in the area, Piggly Wiggly in nearby Sneads, FL. While there we had lunch at the Agave Mexican Grill where we both had their #10 Lunch Special, ground beef Chile relleno, guacamole salad and beans for $9.25. Very good!

After a very relaxing four night stay, it was time to move on to our next stop, Madison RV & Golf Resort in Madison, FL, located north of I10, halfway between Tallahassee and Jacksonville, for a three night stay on site #85. Offering 95 spacious 80’ long x 37’ wide back-in, pull-through and waterfront options, this resort is pet friendly with a 2 acre off leash dog park and many amenities.

During our stay here we had lunch at Grumpy’s Diner where I had a Fried Pickle Burger ($10.99) which was a 6 oz burger topped with swiss cheese, bacon, fried pickles and Grumpy sauce. Oh, yum! Rob opted for a Grumpy Melt ($9.59) which was a hamburger between two slices of grilled sour dough and topped with swiss cheese and grilled onions. On the side, we shared an order of Sidewinders (thick curly fries for $3.79). Everything was delicious – will definitely return here if we visit the area again.

After lunch, we strolled along the main drag, checking out the quaint shops. That was followed by a drive around town, checking out a few of the historic buildings that span Antebellum, Victorian, Gothic, and Classical Revival styles.

The Madison County Courthouse was built in 1913.

Among the most noteworthy houses is the Wardlaw-Smith House (also known as the Smith Mansion), erected around 1860 in the Greek Revival style. Built by Benjamin F. Wardlaw, it later served as a Confederate hospital after the Battle of Olustee in 1864.

The Dial-Goza House, built circa 1880 for Major William H. Dial, is a fine example of Victorian Italianate architecture with its bay windows, cupola roof, and ornate millwork.

Next on our itinerary was a three night stay on site #4 at Crooked River State Park in Saint Marys, GA. Our first stay at this campground in 2018 was rather chaotic but thanks to the implementation of specific site reservations, our 2024 stay was much more relaxing.

Having been here several times before, we had already seen many of the attractions in town. Once again we opted not to visit Cumberland Island National Seashore due to my limited ability to do a lot of walking due to the issues with my hip. In 2024, we spent time in the Oak Grove Cemetery which was quite interesting but we never walked the St. Marys History Walk, a self guided trail featuring 24 interpretive panels that explore the area’s rich history. Nice walk while learning about the area’s history.

One morning after a decent breakfast at the Southern River Walk Bar & Grill (Crab Cake Benedict for me and Country Fried Steak for Rob), we headed out to explore the surrounding area, a place known as the “Isle of Eight Flags” but we’ll cover that in a separate post.

Posted along one of the numerous trails in the campground are signs about Gopher Tortoises but we had never been fortunate enough to actually see one.

But this was our lucky day! While sitting outside, guess what came wandering by, chomping on grass? Yep, a gopher tortoise! How cool!

Leaving Crooked River behind, our next stop would be at another familiar campground, Blythe Island Regional Park in Brunswick, GA, often referred to as the “Gateway to the Golden Isles.” Brunswick is a historic port city and continues to play a vital role in Georgia’s economy, particularly in the export of vehicles.000000

Besides the export of vehicles, it also has a long history with the paper industry and is home to large paper mills, operated by companies such as Georgia-Pacific and International Paper, producing pulp and paper products which are shipped around the world. While they are vital to Brunswick’s industrial base, they are also well known for their strong, (See our post from our first visit here in 2013, Peuwee! What’s That Awful Stench???).

With its historic downtown and being so close to St. Simon Island and Jekyll Island, there’s a lot to do in the area so dealing with the smell isn’t a big deal. In 2024, we visited the Mosaic Museum and took the Jekyll Island Landmark Tour which we highly recommend. During this visit, we did revisit St. Simons Island.

And on our way back, we stopped to have lunch at the Indigo Coastal Shanty in Brunswick where we once again enjoyed the Sesame Crusted Catfish ($19.95). Yum!