Trip To Cheaha State Park & Goodwater
I was awakened at 6:15 am when my neighbor at the campsite began to use an impact drill to lower the supports on his RV. My heart was racing. I couldn’t go back to sleep. I made my way out of the KOA by 10:00 am. I stopped at Starbucks and planned my route to Cheaha State Park.
Goodwater, Alabama
During my journey, I chose to take scenic routes and encountered many deprived towns along the way. My heart sank as I drove through Goodwater, where a train disaster took place in 1891. A coal-burning train's cinders set fire to a trestle, which weakened the structure. When the next train crossed it, the trestle collapsed and twelve rail cars plummeted 60 feet, killing all those aboard.
Goodwater was once a key hub for the rail system, but as trains transitioned to using oil, the town was bypassed. This led to a severe economic downturn that has never fully recovered.
Town layouts
I noticed a pattern to the layout of many of the towns in the northern area. Ashland was an example where the center of town has a large administration building surrounded by buildings on all four sides. One or more roads lead into the town. I’m sure there’s a name for this layout but I don’t know what it is.
Cheaha State Park
I made it to Cheaha State Park after sunset. It was raining heavily and in the park there was dense fog. The park visitor center was still open and they provided a lot of details about the park. I took a spot in the newly renovated section, which seemed to be a thing in all the state parks. This area had new showers, running water and electricity.
I made my way to the campsite. It had stopped raining and I made dinner, cleaned up and repacked everything before the rains started again. They had told me there was wi-fi in the park, but I had no wi-fi signal or cell coverage. I went back to the store and discovered I had really good coverage. So, I setup in my car and did a few things on line.
I really had trouble finding my way back to the campsite because the fog was so thick. I couldn’t see the road at all. I kept taking wrong turns. Eventually, I made it to my site and crawled in the back of the car to sleep. It soon started to rain again.