An Island of Goats

Story and Photos By Bradley Robertson

Aday trip only an hour from Auburn, Jackson Lake Island is the perfect spot for our family’s favorite getaway.

My daughter and I pulled into canopies of towering oak trees covered in beautiful waves of moss, luscious tall grass and silk topped waters. Stubbled, old trees grew out of lake waters, making our view peaceful and quiet.

To our pleasant surprise, we saw a sign that read, “Goat Crossing”. We were a bit confused until moments later we began to see miniature goats passing in front of us. We grinned ear to ear and I parked our car to enjoy the fun.

Goats galore, we saw babies and mommas, old goats with long horns and black goats with no horns, roaming around, enjoying goat heaven. It was the cutest and happiest experience. We followed them around laughing and petting them, enjoying the splendor of the day.

Baby goats were heard in the distance, calling out “Maaaaaa, Maaaaa…”, the funniest sight to see. The mother would wander back into sight, and the wee one would run up with joy as if it had been missing for ages. Sissy and I laughed and awed for what seemed like hours. Time stood still for us as we were wrapped up in an island of beauty and goats.

After taking a gazillion pictures and videos, we stepped away from the goats to visit Spectre, the set of the movie “Big Fish”. The entrance is framed by a man-made structure of old forbidden trees locking limbs at the top to form a canopy. A reminder that Hollywood can make anything look realistic, and the perfect setup for a kodak moment with your kid.

We giggled as we walked into this random and whimsical place, the sky full of blue and a road leading to a perfectly

steepled white church.

We walked past the abandoned homes and I pictured myself in the middle of lights, people, music — and Ewan McGregor (the star of Big Fish).

Sissy and I hung around for an hour or so. We had to muster up the want to leave this enchanting place. Honestly, we could have stayed here all day. I pictured my boys running around, wild and free — and me sitting on a blanket with my favorite book.

It is the perfect place to visit in the fall. A place where you can do absolutely nothing and enjoy everything.

It is picnic-perfect and I recommend planning to stay for an hour or so. They have great bathroom ac-commodations and even offer camping and fishing.

With every adventure, I realize what a glorious state we live in. From north to south, Alabama brings all variations of natural life.