Spring Fever

Most of time spring fever refers to longing for the end of winter in anticipation of the warmer and longer days that lie ahead. This year spring fever refers to the fevered pitch that we have been working to get ready for the 2016 camping season. First we started on the campground " to do" list. These are the projects that have been on the list for awhile that don't fall into that "must do now" category. Getting this new larger sign posted was one of several items on the list. All new site markers, more flower beds between each site and the designation of several larger sites were some of the items that made the top ten list for 2016. Restrooms are now air conditioned for the summer months that lie ahead.

Several community projects that were in the works  began to move forward as the weather warmed up. Working with the Friends of Lake Eufaula,  the new brochure for the Alabama Scenic River Trail will soon be ready for publication. It will be a great guide for paddlers on the lake. The paddling  map stretches from Phenix City south to the Alabama boarder.  4-H gardening has started and we are almost set for our big planting meeting in April. We have made bird houses, garden stepping stones and learned about local soils. 4-H is also involved with kayaking.   The River Kids program in Eufaula will have a kick off day in July. The kayaking program will be  part of fun day for local 4-H ers hosted here at the campground.  Our community group also met to make plans for next year's Winter Residents. A kick off breakfast in November will feature vendors of interest to folks that call Eufaula home for the winter months. 

At the beginning of March construction started on the extension to the city bike trail. If you notice a semi trailer parked at the east end of the campground, its there temporarily to help the builders construct the trail as soon as possible. If all goes well we should have a working trail by Memorial Day.    Out new rental bikes arrive this weekend complete with a bicycle built for two. We also elected to get the pontoon boat in the water in March to get ready for numerous outings on the lake. 

We still have space to accomidate most every need but the choice of sites for guests is more limited. The mini cabin has been very popular and our new Mash Army tent  is also attracting some interest. Reservations are recommended- especially for holiday weekends. The backdrop to all of these activities has been the beautiful spring weather. Fishing has been good and we have had several visitors enjoying this special time of year. Before you know it the pool will be open and the season will be in full swing. We hope everyone enjoys this year's improvements. We have had a lot of fun getting ready.

Everything is Humming at Lake Eufaula Campground

This is a picture of a Rufous Humming Bird- one of several species of humming birds that can be found in our local area this winter. We learned all about humming birds at a workshop held at Landmark Park in Dothan on January 30th. It takes about 45 minutes to get to Dothan and we were back at the campground in plenty of time to enjoy the 70 degree weather and sunshine of Saturday afternoon.

The humming bird trip was our first of at least 12 monthly activities to be hosted by the campground this year. Some activities will be directly on campground property while others, like the humming bird workshop, will be held off site.  The office will have information about each event and at least one of the campground team will attend. You can earn points toward a free night of camping by joining us at our posted monthly events.

It's one thing to read about humming birds but quite another to learn from an expert. The speaker, Mr. Fred Bassett, has banded over 30,000 hummingbirds across the United States. The most common type of humming bird in our area is the red throated humming bird. Have your humming bird feeder up by the fourth of July to see more of these  birds. Their peak migration in this area is in September and most will have headed south by October 15 for winter in Central America. A humming bird's flight range  as shown by banding can be over 3000 miles. There has been a document flight of a rufous humming bird banded in Florida and later sighted in Alaska. Humming birds eat insects and get their energy from flowers or the sugar water in local feeders. The humming bird nest is the size of a quarter. In this part of the country a female can lay two eggs to three times a season. The bird are full grown when they leave the nest. A female can return to the same nest year after year.

As a new birder I am excited to host more birding events. In April we plan to hold our first Birds on the Water event with Kayak and Pontoon Boat trips planned. The Campground store is adding to it selection of bird watching items and we are keeping a list of local sightings here in the store.  The National Backyard Bird Count is our February activity. We will count backyard birds at the feeders and water birds in the wild at the retreat center starting February 12. The focus of hosted campground activities in March will be on art and historic homes in Eufaula. 

Rick and I really enjoy seeing the sites in our RV. We hope our monthly events will inspire other RV's to come explore Eufaula and the surrounding region in 2016. 

Hi Water

It is said that if you own a campground anywhere near the water,  at some point you will experience flooding. When 12.8 inches fell in a single day this month we got to see first hand how forces of nature can impact the landscape. At first it doesn't seem all that bad. The rain keeps coming down but if you are inside and dry you can just enjoy the sounds on a tin roof. After a time you notice the water starting to rise.

We have map from the Corp of Engineers that shows us our white line. On one side of the line is high ground. This side is where the buildings live. On the other side you can only build structures ( like a covered pavilion ) where water can pass through. Other structures stored in the area ( like a camper) need to be movable withing 24 hours. As the water started to rise we were more and more reminded of the map.

The first real impact was in the back yard. The pond and creak became a single body of water as shown in the picture above. By the end of the day the spiritual trail was covered. Just the signs with the scriptures were peaking out from a newly created pond. The campground also changed its footprint when our most popular tent camping spots on the point were covered with water. By the end of the rain,  just the tops of the picnic tables were visible. We could travel up the drainage ditch in kayaks and almost reach the fish cleaning station. A few RV's had to be moved but we were able to  get everyone to higher ground without too much trouble.

After the rain stopped the high water was more fun than scary.  One guest was able to tie their boat to a tree much closer to their established campsite. The kayaks traveled down Chewalla Creek  at fast clip made much easier by the new water level. It was also fun to use the new Christmas paddle boat in one of the ponds made even deeper with the extra rainfall . .

The high water was gone about as quickly as it came leaving large areas of white sand in its wake. If you look at the picture below and combine it with new cooler temperatures, the sand sort of reminds us of a winter snow.

We were of course very grateful not to have any significant damage to people or property. It is helpful to know what the flood  pattern looks like when we do have a heavy rain. Most experienced outdoor enthusiasts  have been camping during a rain filled weekend. Overall we are pleased to report  high water was a very manageable adventure here.

Feed the Birds

It's almost Christmas so thoughts naturally turn to gift giving and holiday events. Having lived in many large cities its not uncommon to need to decide on what mall offers the best selection of gifts or whether the Nutcracker Ballet or A Christmas Carol will be the more memorable production this year.  Here in Eufaula, Alabama a different mind set is required and hence it is time to feed the birds.

Like most places,the Christmas season here in Eufaula is filled with activity. The community however offers a slower pace and does things on a smaller scale. We went shopping on Shop Local Saturday and found several nice gifts. At the beginning of December the city setup Holiday Decorations and the annual Christmas Parade took place. The parade was held on Tuesday night- after dark. The high school band took the lead and boats as well as horses had lights for the occasion. 

The Art Scene hosted its Christmas party at the house of one of our founding members. The group  will host a Christmas Bazaar of art work this upcoming weekend. Fendall Hall offered a wine and cheese gathering. The Christmas Tour of Homes featured twelve sites and a meal at Shorter Mansion

Churches are offering a variety of music programs.We attended one of two Eufaula performances of the Camereta Chorus and there was not an empty seat at one of the largest churches in town. Joining friends and neighbors to enjoy the  music of the season is a great way to enjoy this time of year.  towns. The Christmas party at the Senior Center offered great food and a good time was had by all.

But what has stood our most to me so far was a trip to the Eufaula Wildlife Refuge to see the birds. We had planned a 7 am trip based on the good advise of seasoned bird watchers. Initially there were no birds to look at but we heard a number of different bird sounds.  About the time we had walked long enough we hit the marshland area that was filled with ducks. An eagle was spotted as were several egrets. My two year old grandson also spotted three tractors which he considered equally as exciting as the birds.

We now have our campground bird feeders up in preparation for the Great Backyard Bird Count to be held this February. I think my perspective on the holidays has been impacted in a very positive way by the Christmas Season in Eufaula. If your holiday season seems too rushed and too hectic consider talking a trip into the woods. No matter where you are its possible to enjoy a musical  performance and celebrate in part by giving to others.

Let me end this year's reflection with these last words. There is well known Christmas story about a man whose family had gone to church on Christmas Eve. He was not that much into attending services and was a rather practical sort of man. There had been a large snow fall the night before and he noticed a number of birds scratching at the snow looking for food. He put some bread out on the snow hoping the birds would find it. If only I could be a bird for time and show them where to find the food, he thought. The life of Christ as we understand it in this modern age is very much about showing us the way. For many of us this is the true message of the season. Enjoy your holidays and enjoy the birds.

It's All about the Chili

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 I think part of the reason people enjoy chili so much is that it contains all kinds of ingredients. That was certainly true of our first chili cook off at the campground October 24th.
Each team not only had a different recipe and special decorations but also the kind of energy that comes from working together and sharing a meal with others for a good cause.

The fall day of the event could not have been more  perfect. It was not too hot or too cold, too windy or too wet. We know that some years Mother Nature will not be as kind but we were so pleased to see sunshine. I had met some of the seniors at the new Bird Watching group we are hosting monthly at the senior center so it was fun to connect again in another setting. Many were long time Eufaula residents but had not been to the campground. The fishing ponds were a topic of conversation as you might expect in a lakeside community that hosts over 70 fishing tournaments a year.   
  

 Football is often part of SEC fall Saturdays but who could have predicted 4 overtimes for the Auburn Arkansas game. Others enjoyed the music and singing from one of our campers who shared his talents with the group. Earlier in the week  two school groups had joined us for "Gravity Games", the preparation we have for the pumpkin smash and dash. We ask the students to develop their own hypothesis as to what type of pumpkins will win the race or travel the furthest. This year we talked about the science of winning an egg toss.  Younger children raced the day of the event and we hope eventually that kids will bring their own racers to try on the course.

Jackie is the director of the Senor Center and we both had our moments of doubt as we worked together to plan the first event of this kind at the campground.  Thank you to Jackie and her staff  as well as  thanks to our sponsors- Ameris  Bank- Gold Sponsor , The Medicine Shoppe- Silver Sponsor, and our Bronze Sponsors -Willie T's, River City Grill , The First Exchange Bank, Peoples South Bank and Young, Johnson and Associates Insurance, Home Instead and Southeast Alabama Convalescent Center.   Isolation can be a real problem for seniors who live alone.  Although the basic needs of the center have funding, these funds help provide everything from decorations at dance to support for holiday parties.   Thank you also to the First Presbyterian Church's Pumpkin Patch for the "past prime" pumpkins used for the pumpkin events. We have two ducks and one duck laid the eggs for the egg toss but I am not sure which one does the work and which one takes the glory.

For many the highlight of the event came at the award's ceremony. Not only were the teams recognized for their contribution of chili  but several generously donated their prize money back to the center. Congratulations to the Cajuricans who won first prize.  There are lots of activities that take place this time of year and many support a good cause . When all was said and done the fund raising goal was reached and we all had a really good time.

If you would like to be part of a team for next years Chili Cook Off please mark your calendar now for Saturday October 23. Team Entry is $25 for your team of up to 5 people. The public is welcome and Chili Tickets are $5.00 for 4 sample cups.

Autumn Reflections

The temperature is in the mid 70's  and I don't think the campground has looked any better than it does today. We have had several calls from hunters looking for a place to stay but their season starts a bit later in the year. We have work to do to attract more winter guests but the cabins are already booked for the winter months. Several great campsites are still available. The pool is closed thanks to the early cold front that came through  and the large number of leaves falling from the trees. Autumn is perhaps the best time of year to go camping but with school activities, football and community events, so far fall as been less busy than this summer.

The Chili Cook Off  and our second annual Pumpkin Dash and Smash on October 24th is our chance to let everyone know more about this special time of year at Lake Eufaula Campground. We are really enjoying working with the Jaxon Life Senior Center to make their fund raiser a big success. We have started a monthly Senior Center  birding class to work more closely with seniors at the center. Middle school classes will be joining us again this year for gravity games - a pre pumpkin Dash and Smash event that looks at the science behind the games. New this year will be an egg toss and two holes on the miniature golf course. We hope people visiting the cook off will see us as a place to bring friends together for tailgating. We are hosting  a pavilion party next weekend- another great option for family and friends to get together. Fall is also a great time to kayak.

Not everyone camping this time of year is looking for a party. Fall unfolds it's  beauty every day and a walk on the hiking trail or the spiritual trail is full of new discoveries. Soon it will be time to think about the holidays and look ahead to the upcoming year.   Thanksgiving lasts a bit longer here as we celebrate the season and not just the day. If you are traveling through this area on your way to points further south we invite you to spend some time with us enjoying the quiet season change. Eufaula has a lot to offer winter guests and those just passing through.

If you can come join us for the Cook Off and  support the great programs offered through the senior center. Tickets are available at the campground and the center. We still could use a few more chili cook off teams. If you do come please take time to drive into the retreat area  to see autumn in full bloom. Enjoy the season and celebrate outdoors.
 

Snowbirds-The Top Ten Reasons Eufaula Alabama may be the right Winter Desination for you.

Having lived in areas of the country where temperatures below zero can last a month or more and 32 degrees feels warm, I can certainly relate to the desire to head south for the winter. Here in Alabama we put up with the dog days of summer knowing that we do not have to face snow shoveling, snow blowing or snowy roads. As much as I miss the morning after a fresh snowfall or building an occasional snow man, the trade off really seems worth it. That's not to say winters down south do not a have a few cold, unpleasant or stormy days. It's saying that compared to winter at its worse, a low of 36 is not all that bad.

Telling people up north that they can come stay here in Eufaula this winter has not been an easy task. As I search the web I find very few websites or articles that seem to be of any real help. Not everyone has a $250,000 RV pulling a Range Rover planning  to spend the winter months at an RV resort. If that is your situation there are plenty of sites to help you find your perfect location. You would think that with more than 1,000,000 people traveling south there should be a few more resources for average folks of average income who would like to come south. Maybe I am just not using the right key words - all the buzz when doing an internet search. Snowbird is descriptive but not all that flattering. Winter destinations gets me to ski resorts and somewhere in the Bahamas. Come to Eufaula might have folks headed to Oklahoma. Perhaps I should just start by telling folks why Eufaula, Alabama is a great destination for your winter stay.

Remember when you started to look at colleges or figure out where to look for your first real job? Some people are obviously drawn to the big name school or the big city while others like the idea of more personalized attention. Eufaula is that kind of place. It's a charming and friendly small southern town.  The articles  I read online said that July is probably a bit late in finding your ideal winter location. Not here - there are currently plenty of good options depending on your needs.   It's also true people go to the same location year after year and that is why some places, even in Eufaula, are booked way ahead of time. People come to the same place because they like the people at the location. It's also possible that finding another location means dealing with lots of unknowns. It's just too stressful to change. Cost is a real consideration for many people in retirement. Eufaula is a good option if you are on a limited budget.  

No town or location is going to meet everyone's needs. One thing we have learned from owning a campground is that  many people are wanting or expecting certain locations to have everything on their wish list at an affordable price.  This makes it harder for the people looking for what you have to offer to find you and the people not looking for you to realize this quickly and move on to another search. If you are looking for these 10 things when considering a winter location, perhaps Eufaula is  the right place for you.

1.  It's close but not too close to the beach. If you are tired of looking at beach property where only the ocean and the price tags are large, Eufaula is likely a good location to consider. 2.5 hours from the beach, you can take a trip south and leave the sand, the traffic and the higher prices for those staying full time.
2. You enjoy the outdoors- The majority of our  accommodations have a nice outdoor view and  easy access to local outdoor activities. Fishing, golfing and photography are great options when spending time in Eufaula.
3. You enjoy casual entertainment. This is not to say there is not a reason to put on your Sunday best when in Eufaula, it is more to say that everything is not such a big production. If you don't find exploring the local library interesting or would not enjoy a quite walk on the hiking trail this  may not be the best location for your winter stay. Small towns have regional resources. Like the beach, Atlanta is an easy day trip.
4. You want places to meet new people- Eufaula has so many options - whether you are exercising at the recreation center, going on a day trip for seniors or volunteering at a community event - there are many great places to explore and meet new people . The local newcomers club has annual dues of 10 dollars a year. Monthly you visit an interesting location around town.
5. You are looking for a stress free winter stay- It's quiet and peaceful  here but I know if I need services I can readily find them close by. Healthcare is good and well connected to bigger centers. We shopped car repair at larger city location only to find a better and more convenient deal locally. Traffic is not a hassle and you have enough but not too many options for getting needs met. 
6. You enjoy good food- I love eating out in Eufaula. Prices are affordable and there are lots of interesting options to choose from.  My favorites are Mexican, Chinese, southern home cooking  and barbeque. The only real chains serve fast food.
 7. Faith is important to you  - Eufaula has many historic local churches serving our community, active in world mission and open to winter residents.
8. You have limited time to spend south  - Eufaula offers a flexible alternative to places that need booked months in advance with significant consequences to early departure. Whether you stay one month or five there are places here to meet your needs.
9. You are creative- Too often a destination is all about the money you spend once you get there. In Eufaula you can write, read, paint or do woodworking. The local "Eufaula Arts Scene" will help you connect with other creative people in the area. 
10. You are on the way to someplace else. Consider spending two days in Eufaula on your trip south or north. Tour historic homes, drive through the wildlife refuge, eat a great meal in town . Come back and see us and bring your friends. Eufaula is happy that you came by.

Lake Eufaula Campground has 30 amp and 50 amp winter ( larger than average ) RV sites as well as winter cabin rental. If our accommodations do not meet you needs we can provide you with contact information for other lodging options in the area. The campground is the closest lodging location to both golf courses, the community recreation center, the senior center, local restaurants and shopping.  Email us to request your free Winter Residents Guide.  Eufaula welcomes approximately 200 winter guests to our community each year. For more information on winter stays in Eufaula contact us at 334-687-4425.