GDF Family weekend TR or maybe just a commercial for a GG at Lake Lanier

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

I can't let this picture go by without a comment... Now we all know that Z is and will always be "The Man", but if I were to provide a caption for this picture, it would read:

"I bet you can't guess what I doing now...?"

Lol!!!

That's exactly what I thought he was doing!!!

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

PB cup s'mores sound good. But last summer I had bought a bag (or two) Of ghirardelli squares. I took a dark chocolate sea salt caramel instead of a Hershey's bar. Let me just say Wow! It was thin enough so it melted so nicely.

Becareful, they're addicting.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Sorry, it is sacrilege to make a s'more with anything other than a Hershey's Bar.

 

Y'all need to take that stuff over to the campfire at the Grand Floridian.

 

TCD

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Beach area with the waterslides looks like a great place to hang out. As long as it wasn't packed. And I bet on most summer weekends it's very packed with very intoxicated people.

Jason's definitely not from oklahoma if he doesn't have cheese sauce flowing in his veins. Lol

Burgers liked great.

Why is it that a burger always tastes better when someone else grills them at the lake? And what kind of beer did you have to wash those lovely patties of joy down with?

What happened to the Italian sausages?

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Sorry, it is sacrilege to make a s'more with anything other than a Hershey's Bar.

Y'all need to take that stuff over to the campfire at the Grand Floridian.

TCD

For the money you have to spend to stay at the GF it better be ghirardelli chocolates my butler is making my s'mores with.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

For the money you have to spend to stay at the GF it better be ghirardelli chocolates my butler is making my s'mores with.

 

Try not to get any on your tuxedo.  The butler may not get in laundered and pressed in time for your afternoon tea.

 

TCD

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

INC likes to do smores with PB cups.  I like it ok, but I'm more a purist I guess. 

 

Obviously, INC is the smarter of you two. 

 

I am a purist in many things such as having pitchers hit in baseball, not having evil cartels take over cinnamon roll eateries, and leaving classic movies like The Jungle Book alone.

 

But you get the peanut butter cups. 

 

I can't let this picture go by without a comment...  Now we all know that Z is and will always be "The Man", but if I were to provide a caption for this picture, it would read:

 

"I bet you can't guess what I doing now...?"

 

:rofl3: Actually, he was amused that he could sit on the bottom, but it does look like that. He's more of a tree guy though. 

 

Lol!!!

That's exactly what I thought he was doing!!!

 

Now, I'm not saying he doesn't do that.... 

 

PB cup s'mores sound good. But last summer I had bought a bag (or two) Of ghirardelli squares. I took a dark chocolate sea salt caramel instead of a Hershey's bar. Let me just say Wow! It was thin enough so it melted so nicely.

Becareful, they're addicting.

 

Salted caramel smore..... I need to try that! 

 

Sorry, it is sacrilege to make a s'more with anything other than a Hershey's Bar.

 

Y'all need to take that stuff over to the campfire at the Grand Floridian.

 

TCD

 

I'm going to have to add smores to the short list of things we disagree about. 

 

Beach area with the waterslides looks like a great place to hang out. As long as it wasn't packed. And I bet on most summer weekends it's very packed with very intoxicated people.

Jason's definitely not from oklahoma if he doesn't have cheese sauce flowing in his veins. Lol

Burgers liked great.

Why is it that a burger always tastes better when someone else grills them at the lake? And what kind of beer did you have to wash those lovely patties of joy down with?

What happened to the Italian sausages?

 

In the summer, it is packed. There's always an open dock though. People tie up all over the cove. It's pretty crazy to see. We only go down there a couple of times a year. It's a good place to get safety (aka sobriety) checked. Even with a sober driver, it's a pain to have to drag out all the life jackets, etc. The kids usually get a police badge for their jackets though. LOL 

 

For the money you have to spend to stay at the GF it better be ghirardelli chocolates my butler is making my s'mores with.

 

Seriously! Amen to that. 

 

Try not to get any on your tuxedo.  The butler may not get in laundered and pressed in time for your afternoon tea.

 

TCD

 

Would Ray go to the doll tea party or the real one? I actually would like to try the tea someday, even though I don't drink tea. I'm not sure what that says about me. 

[Big Kahuna aka John 71]

Sorry I'm late to this TR but the photos and food are looking incredible.   I actually figured out how they use the bottles and rope.   When you're drowning, they throw the bottles and rope at you and it wraps around your body.  What you don't know is that the bottles are filled with sand and they just pull you under the water.  After all, this is Georgia and we don't need to hear hollerin' and see all kinda drama.  Just go quietly and we'll get on with our day, bless your heart.....  :rofl3:

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Would Ray go to the doll tea party or the real one? I actually would like to try the tea someday, even though I don't drink tea. I'm not sure what that says about me.

A proper gentlemen would not attend a doll tea party.

Unless his princess demands it.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Obviously, INC is the smarter of you two. 

 

 

If it took some crazy PB smore for you to realize that.....then you are on the stupid train with me, sister.  

[Beckers 1,136]

If it took some crazy PB smore for you to realize that.....then you are on the stupid train with me, sister.

Oh does the stupid train look like the Hogswarts express? I so, I want in!

[momof3kids-Yvonne 594]

Caught up.

Agree with Jason about the all day bacon.

Don't like peanut butter cups so, I'll pass on the s'mores.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

 

I'm going to have to add smores to the short list of things we disagree about. 

 

 

OK, I'll write it down.

 

But it should be called the List of things that GDF is wrong about.

 

TCD

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Sorry I'm late to this TR but the photos and food are looking incredible.   I actually figured out how they use the bottles and rope.   When you're drowning, they throw the bottles and rope at you and it wraps around your body.  What you don't know is that the bottles are filled with sand and they just pull you under the water.  After all, this is Georgia and we don't need to hear hollerin' and see all kinda drama.  Just go quietly and we'll get on with our day, bless your heart.....  :rofl3:

 

Better late than never! You might be right about those bottles too. 

 

A proper gentlemen would not attend a doll tea party.

Unless his princess demands it.

 

Exactly. You're a good dad. 

 

If it took some crazy PB smore for you to realize that.....then you are on the stupid train with me, sister.  

 

There have been clues all along, but that one sealed it. 

 

Oh does the stupid train look like the Hogswarts express? I so, I want in!

 

Hmmmm..... good point!

 

Caught up.

Agree with Jason about the all day bacon.

Don't like peanut butter cups so, I'll pass on the s'mores.

 

We had regular chocolate too. We aim to please! 

 

OK, I'll write it down.

 

But it should be called the List of things that GDF TCD is wrong about.

 

TCD

 

There, I fixed that for you. 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Sunday

 

Sunday was Mother’s Day! OMG, I got to sleep until 10AM! That was like heaven. I already knew what my “official” present was…. We’re going to Disney for Spring Break 2015, and I had paid the deposit. I also got some great cards from the men in my life.

 

Since it was already pretty late in the morning, I decided we’d skip a big breakfast and just hit the lake.

 

Z sits in weird positions.

 

 

That picture reminds me… the flotation devices like he’s wearing are Coast Guard rated life jackets. They’re more comfortable than the regular ones, and I like that they force him into a better swimming position. Z weighs so little that he has a hard time weighting the back of the life jacket down. #skinnykidprobz

 

Mother’s Day selfie

 

 

And mimosas on the lake…. Life is good!

 

 

More cute Z pictures

 

 

 

Early on, the lake was still pretty smooth because traffic doesn’t start picking up until around noon.

 

 

You may or may not know that Lake Lanier is a manmade lake. Buford Dam is at the south end and dams the Chattahoochee river to form the lake. I figured some of you would like to see the dam, so I took pictures.

 

 

 

 

Continuing on our cruise, we decided to find a spot to beach, so Z could swim.

 

 

Golf course in the background of this shot

 

 

I love sailboats. So pretty!

 

 

Our marina and Lake Lanier Islands rent houseboats. This one is a rental. Renters on Lanier aren't generally loved by boat owners. This picture is a good example of why. That boat is stopped in the middle of the main channel, and people are out swimming. Not a safe move at all!

 

 

We found a good place to beach!

 

 

 

The water on the south end of the lake is the clearest.

 

 

Z was impressed that the sand here sparkled.

 

 

My boys!

 

 

Playing!!!

 

 

 

A new duck friend and some fish

 

 

Too soon it was time to take the boat back to the marina, so we could pack up and head home. This happens a lot when Z is tired and the boat is moving.

 

 

We’ll pick up there on that last update. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Those are some nice dam pictures.

 

I'm glad to see that the weather cleared up for you on your day!

 

TCD

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

What a pretty day.

Happy belated Mother's Day.

It's a good thing the lake wasn't busy with boating around with no clothes on. I hope you put on sunscreen.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Several years ago there were alarmists predicting that Lanier would dry up amidst ongoing draught conditions, killing Atlanta's water supply.  Your pictures show a lake pretty close to full pool. 

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

What a great way to spend Mother's Day!

[momof3kids-Yvonne 594]

I have officially decided that I want to go camping with the GDF family here. Whose with me?

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

I have officially decided that I want to go camping with the GDF family here. Whose with me?

I'm in.

Did you see the BACON and that tritoon? I could hang with them all day long and twice on Saturday.

[jmaul 65]

I like the way Z positions himself.  Express yourself.  DO NOT CONFORM........

 

 

How much do those houseboats rent for?

 

I'd love to come down and infest your lake, park myself in the channel and swim.

 

It IS MY VACATION.  How dare you take anything away from it, or get in MY way........

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Those are some nice dam pictures.

 

I'm glad to see that the weather cleared up for you on your day!

 

TCD

 

I thought you would like the dam. 

 

The weather Sunday was PERFECT! But really, the whole weather combo was great. We got to enjoy an almost empty lake Saturday and got to enjoy great weather Sunday. Winning!

 

What a pretty day.

Happy belated Mother's Day.

It's a good thing the lake wasn't busy with boating around with no clothes on. I hope you put on sunscreen.

 

It was a beautiful day! And thank you. 

 

Ha ha! I did have a bathing suit on, but it's strapless. There is evidence of it in my cruise report, I'm sure. 

 

Several years ago there were alarmists predicting that Lanier would dry up amidst ongoing draught conditions, killing Atlanta's water supply.  Your pictures show a lake pretty close to full pool. 

 

I believe the lake is actually a foot above full pool right now. However, I was one of those alarmists at one point. The lake was 20 feet below full pool then. The drought that lasted for several years coupled with high amounts of release for fish in FL made for serious conditions. We had water restrictions for so long that all our grass just died. For a few years, I refused to drive the boat myself and quit taking it out without Jason because it was dangerous with unmarked shallow areas. One marina on the lake had to close because they lost their water. Ours moved docks way out and arranged them in creative ways. We're experiencing the opposite now. Growing up, I always remember the lake being a few feet under full pool. Last year, the lake was so far over full pool, our marina began to flood. They wouldn't release water because there was flooding south of us. At one point, the entire peninsula that our dock and about 4 others would have been flooded with about 6 more inches of rain. It was crazy. I'm hoping that we can find a happy medium this summer, no drought and no flooding. 

 

What a great way to spend Mother's Day!

 

It was perfect! 

 

I have officially decided that I want to go camping with the GDF family here. Whose with me?

 

Yay!!!! This is what I want to hear. Should we start planning?

 

I'm in.

Did you see the BACON and that tritoon? I could hang with them all day long and twice on Saturday.

 

Glad to hear it! I think we're pretty cool, but I'm biased of course. 

 

I like the way Z positions himself.  Express yourself.  DO NOT CONFORM........

 

 

How much do those houseboats rent for?

 

I'd love to come down and infest your lake, park myself in the channel and swim.

 

It IS MY VACATION.  How dare you take anything away from it, or get in MY way........

 

That is EXACTLY Z. 

 

I think those houseboats are about $1,000 a weekend. They have a hot tub and 4 very small bedrooms (an upper and lower on each side). Jason's old company used to rent 2 for a weekend each summer and have a big party. I'd recommend finding a nice beach to pull up on and chilling there though. The whole getting run over my a cigarette boat thing could ruin your vacation. 

[Beckers 1,136]

$1,000 a weekend?!?

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Let's wrap up this mini report. 

 

We arrived at our marina. In this shot, you can see the dry dock building, store, and restaurant. You can also see a rental houseboat if you're looking for it. 

 

 

Here's some of the docks. There are days I sure wish I owned one of those. We made the choice to have an RV and tritoon instead though. But someday....

 

 

Heading over to the "poor" dock. Actually, a Searay over 40 feet parks 2 slips down, so not really. Our slip is the first one on the right of the covered portion. 

 

 

Then we were in the Jeep. Bye bye boat. 

 

 

We headed back to the RV.

 

 

We packed up and headed out. We had to dump. Gwen, can you see what you were wondering about in this picture?

 

 

This doesn't look fun. I'll just watch from back here.

 

 

After we got home, we showered and went to eat hibachi. That's always fun, but check out what the chef made for me....

 

 

So here ends my mini report. What a fantastic Mother's Day weekend it was! I wouldn't change a single thing about it.I'm so glad that we took a chance on the weather. So who is up for a GG at Lake Lanier? Did this report convince you? I hope so! 

 

As for the GDF..... 

 

 

Next stop is....