Have you ever been to the park for a 5:00 p.m. picnic? I have, just recently.
It turned out to be the serendipitous perfect time to picnic at Sweetwater Creek State Park, followed immediately by a multi-mile walk to explore and get a little exercise, outshined only by having a camera to capture some beautiful images at dusk, including the moss and sprouts pictured below.
We'd just visited Patak Meats in Austell, Georgia, only one exit past Six Flags Over Georgia, on I-20 West. We believe the best place to buy European meats in all of Metro Atlanta, they're open only one Saturday a month, the first Saturday. It's an excursion we look forward to every month we can make it happen.
They're open during the week, but not late enough for someone who keeps regular office hours in the city. That's quite alright...otherwise I'd spend half my paycheck on the awesome meats and other deli items they offer!
Our picnic the day of this visit was sandwiches made of fresh, just-cut Corned Beef, Swiss cheese and Polish sauerkraut, all from Patak, on classic rye bread with some potato salad on the side. In retrospect, we didn't even think about dessert...the freshness of Patak's treats were so incredibly delectable, that was treat enough!
When you visit Sweetwater Creek State Park, be sure to stop by the award-winning Visitors Center. There's a whole museum, live animals and a pretty awesome gift shop, not to mention park maps, which you're going to want to peruse before you go walking/hiking, especially if you're on your first visit, all hosted by friendly Park staff.
We'd had our picnic on the shore of the lake where it was quite windy. I actually went back to the car for a jacket, not a surprise in early spring. But, once we got to the trails farther inside the Park, it was perfectly comfortable without a jacket.
By time we got halfway to the New Manchester Manufacturing Mill ruins, the sun was going down, so the lighting was spectacular. I especially liked the bright green colors of new spring leaves reflecting on the deep blue water of the Creek, pictured above. The extra ripples of the wind added interesting texture.
Don't worry, you won't feel like you're in the Blair Witch Project. The red on the occasional tree lets you know that you're on the "red trail", the "history" trail. There are many paths at Sweetwater Creek State Park, some of which I've yet to explore, each color coded and easy to follow.
In the background of the above photo you see the New Manchester Manufacturing Mill ruins, which was a filming site for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. That's one thing you'll learn if you're a new visitor to our state...we're huge in movie making! My friends at Atlanta Movie Tours can help you discover more about that.
The color coding his an awesome tool for gauging what route to take if you're in a pinch for time or if you have all day to hike your heart out.
Water levels tend to be higher in spring, as they were on this particular visit, which typically translates into calmer waters, yet don't rob you of the white water that many visitors look forward to seeing. In this shot (above), I was most fascinated by the lone bright white dogwood tree on the other side of the Creek.
During this particular visit we saw a Great Blue Heron, sitting and then flying. They're such a beautiful avian. When you visit, have your camera at the ready for other birds, too, as well as water creatures, woodland animals and other wildlife. You're going to see a lot on the more than 2,500 acre Park on their 12 miles of trails!
One of the first sights you'll see when departing from the Visitor's Center is the remains of a spectacular Eastern Red-Cedar, which isn't a cedar at all, but a member of the Juniper family. It's unique shape, which will conjure images of the Game of Thrones iron throne for some, I thought is definitely photo-worthy!
Sweetwater Creek State Park features quite a lot of adventure, including trails, hiking, campsites, picnic shelters and "yurts". I didn't know what a yurt was before visiting this park and I've not yet experienced one, but if you're into glamping, Sweetwater's yurts are evidently the way to go! There's a "Yurt Village" of 10 yurts along the Creek that house six people each.
Whether an out-of-town visitor or a local, I highly encourage you to visit one of our many beautiful State Parks, especially nearby Sweetwater Creek State Park.
It turned out to be the serendipitous perfect time to picnic at Sweetwater Creek State Park, followed immediately by a multi-mile walk to explore and get a little exercise, outshined only by having a camera to capture some beautiful images at dusk, including the moss and sprouts pictured below.
 |
| Sweetwater Creek State Park |
We'd just visited Patak Meats in Austell, Georgia, only one exit past Six Flags Over Georgia, on I-20 West. We believe the best place to buy European meats in all of Metro Atlanta, they're open only one Saturday a month, the first Saturday. It's an excursion we look forward to every month we can make it happen.
They're open during the week, but not late enough for someone who keeps regular office hours in the city. That's quite alright...otherwise I'd spend half my paycheck on the awesome meats and other deli items they offer!
Our picnic the day of this visit was sandwiches made of fresh, just-cut Corned Beef, Swiss cheese and Polish sauerkraut, all from Patak, on classic rye bread with some potato salad on the side. In retrospect, we didn't even think about dessert...the freshness of Patak's treats were so incredibly delectable, that was treat enough!
 |
| Sweetwater Creek State Park |
When you visit Sweetwater Creek State Park, be sure to stop by the award-winning Visitors Center. There's a whole museum, live animals and a pretty awesome gift shop, not to mention park maps, which you're going to want to peruse before you go walking/hiking, especially if you're on your first visit, all hosted by friendly Park staff.
We'd had our picnic on the shore of the lake where it was quite windy. I actually went back to the car for a jacket, not a surprise in early spring. But, once we got to the trails farther inside the Park, it was perfectly comfortable without a jacket.
By time we got halfway to the New Manchester Manufacturing Mill ruins, the sun was going down, so the lighting was spectacular. I especially liked the bright green colors of new spring leaves reflecting on the deep blue water of the Creek, pictured above. The extra ripples of the wind added interesting texture.
 |
| Sweetwater Creek State Park |
Don't worry, you won't feel like you're in the Blair Witch Project. The red on the occasional tree lets you know that you're on the "red trail", the "history" trail. There are many paths at Sweetwater Creek State Park, some of which I've yet to explore, each color coded and easy to follow.
In the background of the above photo you see the New Manchester Manufacturing Mill ruins, which was a filming site for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. That's one thing you'll learn if you're a new visitor to our state...we're huge in movie making! My friends at Atlanta Movie Tours can help you discover more about that.
The color coding his an awesome tool for gauging what route to take if you're in a pinch for time or if you have all day to hike your heart out.
 |
| Sweetwater Creek State Park |
Water levels tend to be higher in spring, as they were on this particular visit, which typically translates into calmer waters, yet don't rob you of the white water that many visitors look forward to seeing. In this shot (above), I was most fascinated by the lone bright white dogwood tree on the other side of the Creek.
During this particular visit we saw a Great Blue Heron, sitting and then flying. They're such a beautiful avian. When you visit, have your camera at the ready for other birds, too, as well as water creatures, woodland animals and other wildlife. You're going to see a lot on the more than 2,500 acre Park on their 12 miles of trails!
 |
| Sweetwater Creek State Park |
One of the first sights you'll see when departing from the Visitor's Center is the remains of a spectacular Eastern Red-Cedar, which isn't a cedar at all, but a member of the Juniper family. It's unique shape, which will conjure images of the Game of Thrones iron throne for some, I thought is definitely photo-worthy!
Sweetwater Creek State Park features quite a lot of adventure, including trails, hiking, campsites, picnic shelters and "yurts". I didn't know what a yurt was before visiting this park and I've not yet experienced one, but if you're into glamping, Sweetwater's yurts are evidently the way to go! There's a "Yurt Village" of 10 yurts along the Creek that house six people each.
Whether an out-of-town visitor or a local, I highly encourage you to visit one of our many beautiful State Parks, especially nearby Sweetwater Creek State Park.
