Senior Bicycling on Shaklee Stuff: Laurel Park near Gainesville, Georgia

My New Year's 2008 long weekend started out nice with the 38 mile bicycle ride around north Hall and south White Counties. On Sunday, I could have ridden but did not have enough time to get in a good ride so passed it up. Was 124 miles short of hitting 2007 in 2007 but will definitely do 2008 in 2008 by starting much earlier on the push to get the distance.

On Monday, I decided to check on the mussels at Laurel Park in north Hall. What I found was a new park area where dogs can build their muscles while romping and playing. There is an area for small dogs (29 pounds or less) and large dogs (30 pounds or more). Not sure what one should do with the 29.5 pound dog but guess you could round up or down as you feel lead.

The above is a view of Lake Lanier from the east side of Laurel Park. The next picture will give some indication of the sediment problem that we have in the lake but which, for the most part, nobody sees since it is on the bottom. I estimate that the sediment here is about 5 to 6 feet deep and this is just a small cove. There is an effort underway to dredge out some coves in Longwood Park near downtown Gainesville but have heard nothing about clearing out this area or others just like it elsewhere around the lake.

Laurel Park has been selected as a site for a mega-ramp for the use of fishing tournaments but I am not sure where it will be built. Currently, the boat ramp is just outside the park entrance and the ramp that was in the park has been closed off.

What may be one of the most interesting facts at Laurel Park is the old grandstand for Looper Raceway, a dirt race track that was in use before the lake was built. The link below takes you to a University of Georgia aerial map collection showing the location in 1951.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=1080089&t=k&om=1
Unfortunately, vandals are breaking up the concrete and taking pieces as keepsakes. Oh, before I forget, there were dead mussels mixed in among the rocks here at the grandstand.

New Year's Day found Debbie and me going to Jefferson to visit the Real Deal store complex, an excellent conversion of the old Jefferson Mills which closed a few years ago. There is a little bit of everything for decorating and outfitting a house from furniture to rugs to floral arrangements, etc. On our trip to Jefferson, we drove out Athens Street. I just had to stop and get a picture of 2 pairs of tennis shoes hanging over a power line crossing the street. It is difficult enough to get one pair to go over but to have 2 pair is an outstanding accomplishment and much harder than the effort to throw the paper roll over the power line in my front yard (see earlier post).