Holly Point Campground – Falls Lake SRA

We stayed at Holly Point Campground – Falls Lake SRA in Wake Forest, North Carolina. (Campground Reviews listing.)

A very nice lakeside campground, but the spring tree pollen was horrendous.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2025-03-23
  • Check out: 2025-03-30
  • 7 nights

Weather:

  • Partly sunny, a little rain
  • High temps 62-77°F, lows 37-55°F
  • Little wind, gusts to 23 MPH, but sheltered by trees

Noise:

  • No road noise
  • No train horn noise
  • Little neighbor noise
  • Regular plane noise (on the flightpath of Raleigh-Durham International Airport, 10 miles away)

Site:

  • #69 (loop 2), back-in, gravel
  • Needed to disconnect toad, parked in front of coach
  • Mostly level site; slightly high on front driver side; used hydraulic leveling
  • Gravel driveway about 60 feet long by 10 feet wide
  • About 30 feet to neighbor on passenger side
  • About 50 feet to road on driver side
  • Trees between sites
  • Picnic table
  • Fire pit
  • Lantern hook
  • Tall trees
  • Mostly clean site (one bit of trash)
  • Elevation 290 feet, front facing North

Utilities:

  • 50 amp power, conveniently located
  • 70 PSI water, conveniently located
  • No sewer; we used our tote and the dump station

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • T-Mobile: 30-35 Mbps down, 7 Mbps up, 30-100 ms ping
  • AT&T: 49-60 Mbps down, 0.25-0.75 Mbps up, 40 ms ping
  • Verizon: 5 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up, 100 ms ping (our SIM has 5 Mbps max)
  • Starlink: not used
  • Campground Wi-Fi: none

Amenities:

  • Lake
  • Dump station

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Beautiful park, but beware the pollen in spring

It turns out that camping in the middle of a hardwood forest during the week the trees come alive in the spring is a fantastic way to find out if you have terrible allergies. The pollen in this part of NC is no joke. Besides the trees trying to kill me, this was a beautiful campground. Our site was plenty long enough for our 40-foot motorhome and tow vehicle. However, some sites looked like they would have been too sloped to work, so be sure to check the details of the specific site you’re booking. Site 69 had a great view of the water through the trees and was close to the small beach/picnic area. We camped at Holly Point Campground – Falls Lake SRA in a Motorhome.

Campground map:

Falls lake state recreation area map

An interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

View of the lake out our window; fortunately the intervening site was empty most of the week, and only used as a day-use site on the weekend (which I have mixed feelings about, taking a site from an overnight camper):

View of the lake out our window

View of sunrise over the lake from our site:

View of sunrise over the lake from our site

A peek of our site from the swimming beach, and a goose:

A peek of our site from the swimming beach, and a goose

Geese on the beach:

Geese on the beach

Boat on the lake:

Boat on the lake

Swimming beach:

Swimming beach

Swimming beach

Swimming beach

Swimming beach

Geese

We used the dump station via the tote in the back of the truck three times:

We used the dump station three times

Dumpsters at the dump station:

Dumpsters at the dump station

On the flight path, 10 miles from Raleigh-Durham International Airport:

On the flight path, 10 miles from Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Bathrooms:

Bathrooms

Lakefront:

Lakefront

Boat on the lake:

Boat on the lake

This trailer was backing itself into the site, not hooked up to the car:

This trailer was backing itself into the site, not hooked up to the car

Tent sites:

Tent sites

Tent sites

Tent sites

Other sites:

Other sites

Many not very level:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

A very nice campground, other than the pollen. We’d be happy to be back, in the same site, at a different time of year.

Fort Frederica National Monument

We visited Fort Frederica National Monument in Georgia. It was established in 1736 to help protect the British colonies from the Spanish in Florida.

An interactive map:

Entrance

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Model of the fort and town:

Model

Building foundations:

Building foundations

Building foundations

Ancient live oak tree:

Ancient live oak tree

Ancient live oak tree

Archaeology dig site:

Archaeology dig site

Foundations of the fanciest house in town:

Building foundations

Building foundations

Remains of the fort:

Fort

The fort info sign:

The fort info sign

Cannons:

Cannons

Cannon

Fort selfie:

Fort selfie

Fort

Fort

Fort

What happened?

What happened?

The barracks:

The barracks

The barracks

Reenactors:

Reenactor

Reenactor

Hut sweet hut

Reenactor

He and Jenn chatted for a while, explaining about the hut, his uniform, his gun, and more:

Reenactor

A fascinating visit.

Driftwood Beach

We visited Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island in Georgia. When we think driftwood, we think logs, but this beach has whole trees.

An interactive map:

Driftwood Beach:

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

An interesting place.

Crooked River State Park trails

While staying in Crooked River State Park in Saint Marys, Georgia, we enjoyed frequent walks in the park.

Trail map:

Trail map

Info sign:

Info sign

Info sign

Alligator country:

Alligator country

River:

River

Trail:

Trail

Trail

Tortoise:

Tortoise

Another trail:

Trail

Nature center:

Nature center

Nature center

Nature center

Nature center

Boardwalk trail without a boardwalk:

Trail

The trail was somewhat flooded, but we did it anyway:

Flooded trail

Observation tower:

Observation tower

Swampy:

Swampy

The boardwalk has been removed:

Boardwalk removed

Flooded trail

Pond:

Pond

A nice park.

Crooked River State Park

We stayed at Crooked River State Park in Saint Marys, Georgia. (Campground Reviews listing.)

A pleasant stop on our way north.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2025-03-09
  • Check out: 2025-03-16
  • 7 nights

Weather:

  • Partly sunny, some rain
  • High temps 62-76°F, lows 48-62°F
  • Some wind, gusts to 32 MPH

Noise:

  • No road noise
  • No train horn noise
  • Little neighbor noise

Site:

  • #62, back-in, gravel
  • Needed to disconnect toad, parked in front of coach
  • Mostly level site; a little high on rear passenger side; used hydraulic leveling
  • Gravel driveway about 70 feet long by 20 feet wide
  • 30 feet to neighbor on passenger side
  • 75 feet to road on driver side
  • Trees and shrubs between sites providing good privacy
  • Picnic table
  • Fire pit
  • Lantern hooks
  • Tall trees
  • Clean site
  • Elevation 20 feet, front facing due West

Utilities:

  • 50 amp power, fairly conveniently located
  • 45 PSI water, conveniently located
  • Good sewer connection, somewhat conveniently located (2 10-foot pipes needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • T-Mobile: 28-38 Mbps down, 9-10 Mbps up, 32 ms ping
  • AT&T: 115-127 Mbps down, 13-20 Mbps up, 50-85 ms ping
  • Verizon: 5 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up, 35 ms ping (our SIM has 5 Mbps max)
  • Starlink: not used
  • Campground Wi-Fi: not used

Amenities:

  • Garbage dumpsters
  • River

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Lovely state park

Not all campsites here have full hookups, but we were lucky enough to get a reservation for one. Our back-in site was plenty long enough for our 40-foot motorhome and tow vehicle. All the connections were good, and the campground hosts were on the ball, cleaning sites as soon as they were vacated. The campground is peaceful, with lots of nice, easy trails to enjoy. Note that the boardwalk has been removed from the loop behind the nature center, and we had to hop around some very large puddles to get around. Despite signs warning of snakes and gators, we saw neither, but we did see an armadillo, which was exciting as I’d never seen one that wasn’t roadkill. We camped at Crooked River State Park in a Motorhome. 

Tip for Other Campers: Jekyll Island (Driftwood Beach) and Fort Frederica National Monument are both worth a daytrip. Locals Dockside had excellent seafood, and historic St Marys is a cute little town.

Campground map:

Map

An interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Utilities:

Utilities

Pollen on our truck:

Pollen on our truck

Other sites:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Bathrooms:

Bathrooms

The first time we’ve seen a live armadillo:

The first time we've seen a live armadillo

Venomous snake country:

Venomous snake country

Little library:

Little library

Mini golf:

Mini golf

Cabins and screened picnic area:

Cabins and screened picnic area

Shelter building:

Shelter building

Dangerous cliff:

Dangerous cliff

A nice park; we’d be happy to stay here again.

Rainbow Springs State Park headsprings

We visited the headsprings part of Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon, Florida.

Their map:

Rainbow Springs map

The main part of the park is physically separated from the campground:

A sign with info about the history:

Info sign

Pond and waterfall:

Pond and waterfall

Natural Landmark since 1972:

Natural Landmark since 1972

Paths and the spring:

Paths and the spring

Caution, gators:

Gators

Info sign:

Info sign

Selfie:

Selfie

Swimming area:

Swimming area

Swimming area

Swimming area from other side:

Swimming area from other side

Bumpy path:

Bumpy path

Marshy area:

Weedy area

Marshy area

Bubbling sand GIF:

Bubbling sand

Waterfall GIF:

Waterfall

Waterfall long exposure:

Waterfall long exposure

A nice park. Apparently crazy busy in summer, but not so much in winter.

Seeing hundreds of manatees at Three Sisters Springs in Florida

We visited Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River, Florida, to see manatees. These fascinating creatures spend the winter gathered around warm springs connected to the gulf, as the springs maintain a temperature of 72° F year-round.

Here’s a map of the springs:

A map on the wall of the visitor center:

Map

350 manatees counted:

350 manatees counted

Entrance sign:

Crystal River Three Sisters Springs

Manatee manners signs:

Manatee manners

One of the springs:

Spring

Lots of manatees:

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

The nearby Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center:

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center