Amicalola: The Lodge, The Falls, And Gently Down The Stream

While I hung out here at the campsite, Gary spent most of the day exploring this beautiful park. His first stop was at the lodge for a look around at how the "other half" (people who enjoy NOT sleeping in campers) live. It's a BIG lodge, and a VERY nice one too. It has 57 rooms with large windows so the guests can enjoy the views. It also has a gift shop that sells all kinds of park souvenirs, a restaurant, and so much more. Guests that want to soak up a little sun can enjoy the views from first or second floor decks. The lodge was built in 1991, but was totally remodeled in 2014. Other renovations are currently underway including the extension of the entry way, and eventually a swimming pool. Fancy schmancy! For those that prefer something a bit less luxurious than the lodge, there are 14 cottages here that look very nice. After leaving the lodge, Gary headed over to the 425 step west ridge stairway at the top of the falls. It is a maze of stairs that looks like it never ends. The stairway leads down to the middle of the falls, the area with the most spectacular viewing opportunities. A couple of girls asked Gary to take pictures of them with their cameras, and they in turn took a couple of Gary. He took a LOT of pictures and videos of the falls and the flow of the waters downstream. I didn't want to bore you with too many of them, and it was difficult to just pick a few. The ones I've posted will give you an idea of what he saw. It's really pretty even with no leaves on the trees. I'll bet it would be even prettier in the spring and summer. From the walkway that crosses the falls, there's another 175 step maze of stairs that leads downstream. Gary walked them all in both directions, then continued his stroll on a path around the west rim. The path is "paved" with shreds of recycled tires that are bonded together to form a very long rubber mat. Gary said it's extremely comfortable to walk on. After all that walking, I expected Gary would be really tired, but he came back to the campground looking energized. I guess his weight loss and miles of walking in downtown St. Augustine has helped him physically more than I realized. That's great! I'm happy to see him taking better care of himself. We have one more day here at Amicalola. I don't know what Gary has planned, but I would like to sleep in for awhile tomorrow. We have a LONG drive to our next stop on Thursday, and I need to rest up. That's all for now.