Spring Break.......budget style!!

So, it seems like everyone I know headed somewhere fun for spring break, mainly beaches all over Florida. But in my new budget, I don't have travel money yet, so I decided on a "staycation" here in good ole Georgia. So here's how it played out.
    
Days 1-3

I drove down to Newnan, GA to our newest state park, Chattahoochee Bend State Park. Let me tell you, finding that place is a disaster. My GPS took me down into some redneck slum area....definitely not a park there, definitely not a place for anyone to hang out.  So on my phone, I can pull up the address and google map the location. I was like 25 miles off course. So, if you ever go down there, do NOT rely on your GPS, (and yes, I updated it like a month ago). Finally, I made it to the park and drove around to check it out. Very, very nice place. Very clean, the comfort stations are all spotless, and I was very impressed. So after checking out both campgrounds, the walk in tent sites, and the platform area, I decided to stay in the platform area. The only downfall I could find in this whole park was the lack of trees. I mean there were NO trees in the regular campgrounds. None. There were a few in the walk in sites, but at least 3 of those sites were taken by college age young men...nothing wrong with that. But I was looking for quiet and solitude, not beer pong and corn hole games.

So the platform area it was. Since I was prepared to car camp, I had a few more things than a regular bp trip. So trip 1 to the site got my gear there. Trip 2 brought my cooler and camp chair. I also HIGHLY recommend if you are planning on a few luxuries here, you have a wagon or rolling cooler. I would say it was a good 2/10 of a mile to the site. And that cooler got heavy very fast. Got the hammock and accessorites hung, and hung out until my friend Jules arrived. After Jules arrived we just hung out, fished a little bit, ate dinner, including a delicious Kenny's Key Lime Pie. After dieting for a couple of months, I just couldn't pass it up when I saw it at Kroger. If you like Key Lime Pie, this one is way better than the publix brand pie, which in itself isn't all that bad.

We just hung out talking to almost midnight, then finally I curled up in my trusty hammock. Monday morning Jules had to leave...some lame excuse about chores, or cleaning or something like that...whatever Jules. ;) and I was alone for the next 2 days. Which was good. I hiked on the river trail, napped, fished a little, and finally read the Hobbit...now I get all those references. duh! So I went to bed way earlier than the night before and slept soundly once more. Tuesday morning as I was loading up the jeep and charging my phone, I heard that the pollen count in Atlanta was over 8000....and I was even further south. I was feeling ok, but knew that another 48 hours immersed in that type of pollen wound not be good for me, so I decided to cut my solo backpacking trip out and to head home. Which was perfectly fine with me.

All in all, 3 days of camping cost me about 80.00. Most of that was for gas. The site was free (I cashed in my 2 nights for being a friend of the GA state parks) the parking was free and I think my Kroger total was like 24.00. Like I said...spring break on a budget.

All in all, I had a very good time. I got to hang out with my friend, I got to hang out solo, I got to work on some of the issues that have been bothering me, I ate some good food, stayed in a beautiful campsite right on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, and got in a good hike. I will definitely go back to this park and camp. Maybe next time, I will try the north platform campsite...5 miles of backpacking to get there.

You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through- Rosalyn Carter.