This is my third time at Watsadler campground, just barely on the Georgia side of the state line with South Carolina, and not that for from North Carolina either.
Yet another USACE park and yet another lakeside campsite, which means I get to play with photos. A lot. The light and weather this trip were ever-changing and more than once, I looked up from my book or my sewing and reached for the camera. Puffy white clouds, light blue skies, the insanely green buds of Spring, it was all good.
It’s been more than a year since I did any “working for a living” activity and I think I’m finally figuring out how 100% retirement looks for me. I’ve been learning to let go of the restless urge to “do something” and just read a book for a few hours. Or keep plugging away at that nine-patch quilt I started last month. 81 squares total, sewn into 9 rows. It will be a while before I’m done with this one.
But I digress…
Watsadler is small, especially in winter, when only the front loop, 23 sites total, is open. But, almost all those sites are pull-through access, making it easy to get in and set up after arrival. My first two nights were in one site before moving to another site for 3 more nights, so I didn’t even bother to unhitch at the first place.
Both sites were pretty private, with my door facing the lake. It was warm enough sometimes to sit outside, but the shifty Southern Spring (jokingly referred to as “deceptive Spring” in a Facebook post my friend Kyle shared) meant I also spent time inside, avoiding the chill afternoon wind and the cold mornings.
The birds sang most of the day, Carolina Wrens, Brown Thrashers, and even a bright-red Cardinal or two. The leaves were budding out high above me and at eye level – so many signs of spring despite the cold snap.
Related link: Watsadler, April 2021
Useful Info
Watsadler is about 5 minutes away from Hartwell, GA, which has an Ingles supermarket, a Walmart Supercenter, several gas stations, and most of the fast-food restaurants that populate the southern states (Zaxby’s and Bojangles, for example). There’s also a CVS pharmacy (where I got my latest COVID-19 booster) and a Tractor Supply and Home Depot if you’re in need of more specialized shopping.
Cell connectivity: T-Mobile, which was great here last fall was a bust this time around, and I couldn’t get enough signal to connect. Verizon was bad at the first site, but decent at the second one (which were less than 100 yards apart!). ATT was the stalwart for connectivity this time, and I used my phone’s hotspot to surf and catch the latest episode of The New Look on Apple TV (French fashion houses after WWII and the Nazi occupation of Paris, very interesting).
The things I was taught only took me so farHad to figure the rest out myselfAnd then I foundI found a deeper well
Kacey Musgraves
I adore Carolina wrens – such BIG songs from such small birds. Delightful!
When I lived in B/ham Ala in the late 50’s – Waffle House was my favorite fast food place and a restaurant where I had Sunday diner with friends that served Blackbottom pie- a rum soaked pie that always made me feel slightly drunk. I put on a few too many pounds there and had to work hard lose them. The last couple. of pounds I lost while hosteling in Europe where a healthy meal every other day was my goal. One can eat just so much bread and cheese no matter how good the bread and the cheese.