Snowy Range Pass

Snowy Range Pass

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

A new state park and a club rally



6 November 2019





On our way to the November rally with our FMCA club, we decided to visit a Florida State Park we have not been to before which was on our intended route. First, we crossed the new I- 10 bridge over the Pensacola Bay which was completed without a great deal of interruption to traffic.






We checked in the Big Lagoon State park on the west side of Pensacola.  This coastal park is a gateway for many activities including boating, fishing, hiking and beginning or ending a 1, 515-mile sea kayaking circumnavigational saltwater paddling trail around the entire state.

The campground is in a rustic setting with power and nature all around.  The roads and sites may not be suitable for some large rigs.   We enjoyed walking the trails, boardwalks and the scenic water overlooks and the natural beauty of the park.













The club rally was held at the Sugar Sands RV Resort just south of Foley, Alabama.  This park certainly deserves to call itself a resort.  It was a very nice park and our small group had a great time here.  If you are looking for a nice place to stay in the area, this would be a good choice.












On our way home, we made a lunch stop along the beach in Gulf Shores, AL







Tuesday, December 03, 2019

Fort Toulouse -Fort Jackson park and campground, Wetumpka, Alabama


24 Oct 2019

Our last stop before heading home was the Fort Toulouse/Jackson campground.  The campground is located on a historical site that first had European occupation in 1717 when soldiers from French Louisiana contacted the Alibamu native tribe. These natives were part of the Creek Confederacy and invited them to build a fort along the river. The French would later build two replacement forts.  A more detailed history can be read here.

The campground has 39 sites along the Coosa River with power and water.  We spent a quiet evening along the river.








In the morning, we walked over to the partial reconstruction of fortifications built by General Andrew Jackson in 1814. It included a moat and seven-foot-high walls that created a 15-foot barrier to attackers.  It is worth noting that the fort was built less than a year before he defeated the British in January of 1815.















Today, there are several replica buildings on the site including one of fort Toulouse III (1751 to 1763) and several native American structures.   Nearby is a Native American Mississippian mound which dates to 1100AD.  We did not visit the mound, so we will have to go back in the future.