Sweetwater Solo

Well, it was my first time going out to a state park solo.  I needed to go to the park anyway to pick up a voucher to get my first 'award' from the state of Georgia for visiting 15 different state parks and finding the official cache at each of them.  I figured I'd go find another one in the park while I was there and it was a great walk in areas of the park I hadn't visited before.  The great thing about this state park is that it's less than 20 minutes away... yippee!  I did double check my gear and such not wanting to be unprepared should I encounter some unforeseen adventure, like getting a snake bite or falling down a cliff while out alone.  The cache was a multi-cache which means I was walking to various places to get clues needed to get into the cache.  I did all right, found all the clues needed to open the cache, and had a most lovely walk in the woods... without any of those unforeseen adventures :)

One part of the walk, about 3 miles in all, was along this very pretty creek.

Further along was the history lesson for the day, visiting the location of what was once a thriving manufacturing company.  Rather incredible to me that the chase for the waterwheel (the canal-like run dug out to divert water to the waterwheel) is still very noticeable.  I love seeing this historical stuff... imagining what once was and all.  If you click on the picture and make it bigger you can read about it which will provide background for the next photo.

This is what remains today, and was all that remained the day after those damn yankees came down here and burned the place in July of 1864.

Further along I found this narrower finger of the creek and was able to walk out into the middle of it to snap this picture looking one way...

...then turned around and snapped this picture looking the other way.

And this lovely view is of the place I sat for a while to rest a bit and eat a bit of lunch.  I really enjoyed this.  Sitting here with no one around and the only sound being that of the water running through these rocks.  Very nice indeed :)  It was a good little adventure and I'm glad I got out.  More solo trips to come I figure.