Christmas Parada in Cleveland Georgia
I came to Cleveland, GA to hike Yonah Mountain and Amicalola Falls State Park. It began to rain later in the evening and the area received over an inch of rain. I was told that the Yonah hike was difficult and decided not to hike in the rain.
At the front desk of the campground, I had a long conversation with the owner about health, camping, the ducks at the campsite and things to do on a rainy day. She suggested Jumpin Goat for coffee and told me the Christmas parade was in Cleveland in the evening.
JumpinGoat Coffee Roasters
JumpinGoat Coffee Roasters is located miles from the center of Cleveland. When I entered the shop, there was a sign that said that the wifi and tables were for paying customers. I bought a large cappachino with an extra shot, which cost me $15.50. I made the mistake of telling them that I may have a slice of quiche later. About every 20 minutes, the manager came by to ask if everything was OK, was I ready for that quiche, and did I need anything else. Everything was hard sell. I felt harrassed after a few hours. I eventually had my slice of quiche. After lunch, there were more people at tables, and they stepped up the questions, do you need another coffee?, we have pastries (actually the had cookies), another slice of quicke?, we sell wines and other spirits.
When I saw the guy across from me rolling his eyes and shaking his head, I knew it wasn’t just me. I packed up everything and headed for the library in Cleveland. A table was freed for paying customers. As I left, I saw a musician playing acoustic guitar. Behind the the coffee shop was a farm. The hill was dotted with cows and I captured some shots.
Dinner
While I was in the library, the rain stopped. I headed back to the campground and made flour tortillas with onions, peppers, mushrooms, quinoa, and beans.
Parade in Cleveland
I decided to go see the parade in Cleveland, GA, which started at 7:00 pm. I wasn’t sure what to expected, but the entire town seemed to have turned out. The town was decorated for the holidays. There are open fields scattered around town and they’ve placed some displays there.
In the center of town is the Historic White County Courthouse Museum and the streets into and out of town loop around the building. Before the parade began a group of kids from a local school were singing carols. At least most of them were singing.
I found a spot on a hill covered in ivy near where the carolers had been standing. I setup the camera on the tripod and took some test photos. People around me wanted to know if these photos were for a newspaper. I learned that there a lot of people here because they haven’t had the parade since COVID-19 hit.
In the background was a police car with its blue lights turned on. Someone said to me, “That blue light is going to flood your photographs.” I was in the process of trying to shift so I didn’t capture the blue light. I wasn’t really successfull, the light was permeating the entire area.
The Christmas parade consisted of military groups, the local high school band, a lot of church floats, businesses floats and a fire truck. I didn’t actually see a Santa Clause figure, but I presume he was on the fire truck at the end.
Some type of mountain bike company had a float and a lot of kids riding on cycles with LEDs on the hubs. I knew this could make for interesting photos if I captured it just right.
After the parade was done, I walked around and looked at the booths that had been setup in the shopping district. I met Samathan and Kay at their booth got a photo of them. Around the corner was a restaurant with a fence out front covered with signs and holiday decorations.
As I continued to walk, I saw an easel on the street that read, “Common Space, Restrooms in the Back.” It looked like a nice space, with a gas fireplace, large screen TV, a sofa, tables, and charging stations and work areas along the walls. I entered and met Stephen and Marilyn Martin, owners of Farm House Coffee around the corner. They created this space for people to hang out, study, and collaborate. I said to them, you get it, unlike my experience of JumpinGoat coffee. I was probably there for a good hour chatting with them.
Best Day Ever: Stephen & Marilyn Martin
I headed back to Jenny’s Creek Campground. The rain was about to start.