The Future Of The Hometown Sandbar
A long time ago, back in the year 2015, we experienced something new, exciting and awesome. The communities of Glenwood and Mount Vernon Georgia will never be the same. Once only accessible by boat, but now open and accessible for all to experience, was a great big sand bar that appears in the same place every year, just a little ways downstream, but viewable from the bridge. People of all kinds, people who didn't own boats and was only able to get to a good camping destination by foot, up river, down river or swimming across, was now able to simply drive there and park, just a 100 yards or so from the river bank. People on foot as well could now access the sandbar. Photo 1 as you can see, I believe was once used as a logging canile of some kind. People could make their way under the bridge and follow a dirt trail and road, but would be soon cut off from the main river by the channel used my loggers back in the day I believe. Usually the road was only accessible for off road trucks and by foot, but every now and again in the dry season, a regular car could make it down there without worries of getting stuck. I had never seen so many people camp in the same area. Great fishing, clean water and land, it really provided to the community a place to come together, something new and exciting. The sand bar provided for me a sense of independence, freedom and liberty. But of course, every now and again a solo man could hitchhike his way up river or down, or backpack the banks for a good afternoon of exploring and discover a sandbar like that one, but for a family with kids and little to nothing, the bridge they place there was something short of amazing. There is no doubt a hometown story here. A story of family fun, community gatherings and endless possibilities. I often wonder how loud I would need to shout to be shown favor in this situation, what would we need to do to have a permanent structure put in place so we can get to the sandbar. Something strong, cheap and permanent would do the trick that's for sure. Who knows, the bridge may hold a story of love, maybe you met your partner or friend on that sandbar because of the construction. Maybe we met, or will never meet because we had access or not to the sandbar on a wonderful, hot, Georgia summer day. Maybe it really is up to us as a nation of people to make things happen.
