Here are some of my travel plans – currently rather vague…
Cooper Creek
The Cooper Creek Recreation Area is an rustic camping area in the North Georgia Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. While not the best scenic vistas, there are few places where I have felt more connected to nature. Waking up next to a babbling mountain creek is every bit as satisfying for me as a beautiful sunrise.
Sometimes spelled “Coopers Creek” with an “s”, the creek is about a 30 minute drive from Cooper Gap, which kept me confused when I was a child visiting my Mother’s nearby birthplace of “Lost Hollow” in Suches, Georgia.
I know much of the legacy of the Gooch, Woody, Cavendar and other families with landmarks named after them. I can’t recall hearing anything about any Cooper family. All this lost history does intrigue and even bother me a bit, however it does not keep me from enjoying visits to the area!
From the Forest Service website:
“Cooper Creek Recreation Area is located along the banks of Cooper Creek in the North Georgia mountains. Campers can experience all types of recreation activities, including camping, hiking, trout fishing, and hunting. Anglers may fish Cooper Creek and nearby Mulky Creek, both of which are trout streams for wild and stocked trout.”
fs.usda.gov
Research trips
I have a passion for genealogy and family history. My father made several trips to North Carolina where his father was born. there are more places to visit and sights to see. It would be a good experience to walk where my ancestors walked!
The Eclipse
My son and I went to North Carolina to see the “Great American Eclipse” on 21 August 2017. He was 5 years old at the time and oohed and aahed – it was spectacular. I understand now why people have religious experiences with eclipses – they are awesome.
I asked my son the next day if he wasted to go see anther eclipse when he is eleven – he answered, “No, I want to go see another one when I am 6!”
This is a large part of why I am building a van. My deadline for the first real outing is April 2023 to scout out remote isolated locations for viewing the eclipse. I’m not saying where I’ll be looking! I don’t want a crowd!