Wowza … It’s Hot at Lake Seminole

Monday, 20 May
Eastbank COE Campground — Bainbridge, Georgia
Temps: Lo 68F / Hi 98F [on our home weather station] (20C / 37C)

We left Niceville, Florida this morning and traveled 117 miles (187 km) to the Eastbank COE Campground overlooking Lake Seminole, which is on the Florida-Georgia state line.  And I mean right on the state line — depending on where you are within this US Army Corps of Engineers campground, any self-adjusting clocks will show you in either the Central or the Eastern time zone!  We’re in the latter.  Although we’re a mere 1.6 miles (2.5 km) from Chattahoochee, Florida, our address is Bainbridge, Georgia … 27 miles (43 km) away.  Go figure!

117 miles (187 km) and a three-hour drive takes us to Georgia, a new state for the Phaeton.
(Inset shows our retirement meanderings thus far.)

We arrived at Eastbank at 1:30p.  The temperature gauge was reading a hot, hot, hot 95F (35C).  Not even a hint of breeze to stir the air, or ruffle the waters of Lake Seminole.  Breaking out our wide-brimmed hats and putting wet towels around our necks, we started to set up … slowly.  In that heat, it just wasn’t smart to move too fast.  Our weather station flirted with 98F (37C) several times before the temp started dropping much later in the day.

The welcoming committee of Canada geese; sans poppa, who is standing just outside
the range of the camera to keep an eye on the two geese near the shoreline.

Our set-up today included additional tasks.  First was washing down the cement pad.  Not to eliminate the Comet markings from the previous occupants of the site.  Nor to cool things down a bit.  Rather, because there are a lot of Canada geese at Eastbank.  And you know what comes with geese, don’t you?  Yeah, a lot of droppings :-o

These goslings are still in the furry-stage; have no idea how old they are,
but mom and dad let them wander pretty freely around our site.

Our second extra set-up task had to do with Eastbank’s acknowledged Argentine ant problem.  Having read about the ants in recent reviews, we came prepared.  We sprayed everything that touches the ground with Ortho’s Home Defense Max, and created a perimeter around the pad with granules.  Seems to be working so far, but we will be keeping a keen eye on the situation to head off an infestation.

Mui spoke with the groundskeeper who came around to mow the grass, and he recommended a product called AMDRO.  He ought to know, right?  Since we anticipate further encounters of the ant-kind in this gypsy lifestyle, we’ll pick up some from Walmart; and also some Comet.  And should the worst happen and they get inside, we’re ready to break out the Terro ant bait.  Overkill?  Nah; an “ounce of prevention” and all that … cliché, but true ;-)

OK, now for the site itself.  C-31 is a W/E site overlooking Lake Seminole, and the Jim Woodruff Dam in the distance.  It’s a back-in site, but we drove in face-first to make the most of the view.  Now we have a “Florida Room” from which to enjoy the scenery since the hot temps may limit any outdoors time while we are here.

It doesn’t look like it on the map, but due to the way the sites are laid out, C-31 is an end site.

There’s sufficient room on either side of the site to give us a sense of space.  Our immediate neighbor to the left is situated behind us.  No one is in the site to our right, but that will change on Thursday.  In fact, we’re expecting an influx of campers at Eastbank for the long weekend.

Glimpse of sites 31 thru 33 from the top of the road.
It was a simple matter of driving past our site on the loop road, turning into the paved road
at the bottom of the photo to turn the Phaeton around, and driving it face-first into C-31.

Site C-31

View from our “Florida Room” (aka, the cockpit).
The trees at the front of the site act as a screen to cut down the glare
of the afternoon sun reflecting off the lake.

The water is dotted with lily pads, and we have our own cypress tree.
In the distance is the Jim Woodruff Dam.  It is about 1,000 feet (300 m) south of the origin
of the Apalachicola River at the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers.

Jacks down … shore power and water connected … slides out … living area Swiffered … rug laid down.  Time to take shelter in the cool interior of the Phaeton and rest up to restore our energy after being drained by the strong, hot sun.

C-31 is a great site in many ways … but you know what the best part is?  We don’t have to go far to enjoy the sunset … just a few steps for a perfect color-filled view.

The dragonflies here are really big … check out the ones flying in the photo on the right.

What a way to bring the day — this one and thirteen others here — to a close.