Field Trip to the Ocoee Whitewater Center

On April 2 our Fannin County Christian Homeschool Group took a field trip to the Ocoee Whitewater Center, the site for the 1996 Summer Olympics, for our classes.  Three classes offered that day were presentations about Snakes, Life in the Woods, and Streams.  A very informative and enjoyable day was had by both the kids and parents.  The staff at the Center is so friendly, and the classes offered that day were well-presented, lots of fun, and the educational interaction with the kids made for a memorable experience. 

One of the  Park Rangers offered a presentation on snakes, and brought several of his personal snakes for the class to touch.  What an experience that was!  When someone else is handling snakes, it's an amazing thing to revel in the beauty of these snakes.  A very lively and informative, fun and interactive presentation- the kids loved learning about snakes, meeting them personally, and hearing some wild stories! 

The second lively presentation about wildlife in the woods proved to memorable as well.  We learned about all the different types of wildlife living in the mountains and woods and how they survive.  Soft pelts of deer, bear, skunk, beaver, and possum were passed around for all to feel, after a brief explanation on proper handling of a pelt.  One very informative fact we learned was regarding the deer and her fawn.  When a mother deer leaves her fawn to go forage for food, the fawn is left unprotected, but perfectly camouflaged, lying very still in the same place his mother left him. As she departs she leaves a scent along the way, enabling her to find her way back to her baby.  The problem occurs when hikers stumble upon a fawn, scare him away, and consequently the mother is unable to find her fawn upon her return.  We were advised to never disturb a fawn in order to prevent this from happening.

The third and last presentation was about Streams.  This was the presentation most eagerly anticipated, as it required the kids to get in the water, albeit the day was cold and windy.  When did that ever stop an eager child from wanting to explore the wonders of the waters!  The goal of this presentation was to find underwater creatures, capture them in the nets provided, and take them to a magnifying glass container to examine them up close.  Specimens captured included crawdads, water spiders, centipede-looking creatures, and other interesting little creatures. 

The Ocoee Whitewater Center features a large pavilion for grilling and picnicking.  We enjoyed a festive lunch, grilling hot dogs and celebrating one of our students birthday.  

A perfect destination for families and large groups, the Ocoee Whitewater Center promises to provide unending entertainment to all who enjoy the outdoors.  Hiking and mountain biking provided on beautifully laid out paths, capturing the breathtaking beauty around you will prove to be quite exhilarating.  Bring the kids to swim in the swimming holes in the river among all the boulders - certainly beats a swimming pool! The Ocoee Whitewater Center's gift shop is worth exploring, taking home a wonderful momento for a great time had on the river.  

Our little "vacation" at The River's Edge Lodge

Gary and I decided last Sunday to spend the week at The River's Edge Lodge since it was vacant. We packed up our stuff and pretended that we were guests. I have read that in your own home it's a good idea to stay in your guest room to make sure that your guests have everything they need, and even provide things that are over and beyond their imaginations. The moment we walked into this mountain home, it felt like a home and not a cabin rental. Even though Gary built this house, and I decorated it, you never really get to fully experience the total package until you stay in the house. It's been a lot of fun experiencing the river, taking long walks, enjoying wine in the evenings on the outdoor deck, as well as adding new touches and making The River's Edge better. The days have drifted into each other, and yesterday I had a heck of a time trying to decide what day it was! I was convinced it was already Thursday, but my daughter, who's almost 8, kept telling me over and over it was Wednesday!

Since we home school, it's an incredible environment for learning and doing assignments. Before the snow came yesterday, our daughter would take her school assignments and go down by the river and "do school" - while the days were somewhat warm. While she was down there the other day, some Canadian Geese floated by and hung around. That led to a nice little rabbit trail in our studies - to learn about Canadian Geese and their habits! There are also so many birds around here - from woodpeckers, cardinals, dark-eyed juncos, to chickadees and titmice. We're going to put bird feeders up here so that watching birds will be even more rewarding. We have enjoyed great nature studies while here.

We will leave tomorrow to go back to our home, Royal Mountain Lodge, which will soon be a fabulous mountain rental in the coming months. In the meantime, we are thoroughly enjoying our stay here. There is absolutely nothing like listening to the white waters of the river right below - so beautiful and calming to the senses.