Crooked River State Park- Kingsland GA

Crooked River State Park- Kingsland, GA 

Large white Great Egret, Ardea alba, is a long-legged wading heron with long yellow beak in a marsh pond in Georgia.

We visited a Submarine Museum in Kingsland, GA.  Kings Bay is a Submarine Naval Station that was established as a gift to the state from Jimmy Carter.  It was established to be the east Coast Submarine Base for the Trident Ballistic Missile Submarines.  Above is a Patrol badge for the USS Louisville that was created after Desert Storm.  Louisville was on station and launched the first Tomahawk Missiles during the war.

Outside the main gate of Kings Bay Navel Station is the sail from the USS George Bancroft.

The USS Bancroft was one of the 41 for Freedom Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines.  41 for Freedom refers to the US Navy Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines from the George Washington, Ethan Allen, Lafayette, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin classes. All of these submarines were commissioned 1959–1967, as the goal was to create a credible, survivable sea-based deterrent as quickly as possible. These submarines were nicknamed "41 for Freedom" once the goal of 41 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) was established in the early 1960s. The 1972 SALT I Treaty limited the number of American submarine-launched ballistic missile tubes to 656, based on the total missile tubes of the forty-one submarines, in line with the treaty's goal of limiting strategic nuclear weapons to the number already existing.

We found several Lapon items at the museum. When we were downsizing, Mark got rid of much of his Lapon collection. Now we wished we had found a place like this to donate his stuff rather than throwing it all away. There is a wall with many file cabinets at the museum where they have folders on each of the US Navy submarines. It was pretty interesting to go through the Lapon folder. 

The gopher tortoise is native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for at least 360 other animal species. 

 The gopher tortoise is the state reptile of Georgia and the state tortoise of Florida. (Who knew there was even state reptiles or state tortoises?)

  Crooked River State Park Campground could easily be one of our top 5 campgrounds on our journey so far.  There was not a lot to see or do in the area, but the campground was fabulous. The sites were huge and the park was just really nice. It was a peaceful and relaxing visit.  Some of our locations are crammed packed with busy itineraries with more to do than time to do it all. Some are slower paced and we can just enjoy the simple things or catch up on chores. It is a good reminder that this is our life and not just a prolonged vacation. We have been on the road travelling for 6 months already- it does seem like one big vacation at times.