St Augustine

Today started out with plans to spend the day in St. Augustine with our friends but then Ray got John involved in solving an electrical problem in Ray's coach. Judy and I got tired of waiting on them so we took a 3.5 mile walk along the park road. By the time we got back the guys had found and fixed the problem but by then it was lunch time.

The afternoon found us going separate ways with John and I driving to St. Augustine by ourselves. We explored the coast, drove on the beach, walked around a fort, strolled St. George street, walked out on a pier, looked at a lighthouse, then had supper with John's cousin's daughter, Hether, who lives south of Jacksonville.

It was a warm, beautiful day.

Sand Sand Everywhere!

I am having a really hard time keeping the RV floor clean! Every time we we come in we are tracking in sand, every time we take off our shoes we are dumping sand, every time we go for a walk we have sand up the back of our legs that all ends up on the floor. I'm guessing that will be a continuing problem this whole trip!

We took several long walks today with our friends, Ray and Judy. The ranger told us about a new trail they had created but advised Ray and Judy to leave the dogs in the RV as there were wild pigs in that area that were frequently seen along the trail. It was a pleasant walk but, you guessed it, we did NOT see the wild pigs. Evidence of their presence was all over the place but they must have been sleeping.

After lunch we drove over to the ocean so we could walk on the beach. The water was pretty rough, with large waves crashing in, but I think that is fairly normal for this time of year. As we were driving down the road we went past a restaurant that John said was supposed to be pretty good so we turned around and stopped in for a beer. We still don't know if the food is any good. We sat outside watching the fishermen on the bridge but it is much cooler on the ocean than it is inland where we are camped -- about 10° cooler. We had a high of 76° at the RV.

Biking Then Driving

Yesterday we braved the cold weather and winds to ride our bikes down the beach again. This time the tide was really low so we made it around the tip of the island and tried to ride up the intra-coastal waterway to a bridge that would take us to the nature trails in the park. But that way was cut off by a stream. So we backtracked to the dilapidated house on the point and tried to use its driveway to get to the bridge but we were cut off by a ditch. Three times is a charm - so we followed several animal trails while pushing our bikes thru the brush when we came upon the path that starts on the beach right before the dilapidated house. Should have known it was there!!

The fishing pier at the nature center had interesting info about the inland waterways plus we saw an osprey and a blue heron.

The ride back against the wind wore us out. We spent the rest of the afternoon goofing off. At one point I went down to the beach to check out the waves. They were really crashing up on the shore pushed by a north-eastern wind.

Today we drove down the coast to Faver Dykes State Park just south of St Augustine FL. It's at least 10 degrees warmer here!! We might even get to wear shorts tomorrow.

Our friends, Ray and Judy from Colorado arrived today too. We had a great dinner and visit with them this evening.

Beaufort SC

With a forecast of rain, we chose today to explore Beaufort after taking a fast walk along the beach. Beaufort is a lovely town located on Parris Island and Lady's Island. It has lots of lovely antebellum homes that face the river and are surround by wrap-around porches on two levels. It may possibly be prettier than Charleston because they are spaced further apart and have so many Spanish moss draped trees. The original old city was never destroyed as it was occupied and used for headquarters by the British and then Union armies.

The downtown was pretty quiet as most stores were closed on Sunday morning. We did find a couple of nice places where we could have had lunch or dinner and chose a barbecue sports bar. One neat place was a restaurant/market that was located in what we guessed used to be a bank or post office. Beaufort has a lovely waterside park and walking path. They also provide horse drawn buggy tours and a movie tour. Evidently this town has hosted several movies thru the years, including Forest Gump. We saw the bus stop where he said "Life is like a box of chocolates."

The afternoon was very rainy and a good time to read, nap and balance the checkbook.

I almost forgot to tell you about John's experience with seven raccoons! The garbage bins are huge so they have built an elevated platform around them to make it easier to deposit your trash. One lid has to be left open since they are so large, so as John approached he could hear something scratching around inside the bin. Thats when he encountered seven coons inside the trash bin. He scared 4 or 5 who scrambled out and then began fighting with each other. The others stayed in the bin even after John threw our bag at them. I can tell you truly that I won't be taking out the trash!

Beach Bike Ride

We figured that if we rode our bikes on the beach at low tide we could get all the way to the end of the island and back before the water cut us off on the return. We were wrong.

We did get to the end and were told by some people that we should turn around now or we wouldn't be able to get back. Did we listen? Nooo! We got off the bikes and explored the south end of the island and then tried to ride back. The islands in this area are barrier islands that protect the mainland from storms and erosion. This beach has been eroded by hurricanes so that dead palm and oak trees are laid over on the sand. There was one tree that was still standing tall but its roots showed that almost 4 feet of beach had been washed away. We had to travel around and thru these downed trees to get past. At low tide that was not a problem but as the ocean came back in, we lost our path and in places we were totally blocked. We ended up biking on a long abandoned road most of the way back to our beach.

After lunch we rode our bikes to the Hunting Island Lighthouse. Since the tide was up we rode along the road which also let us explore more of the state park. The lighthouse was built in 1859 but was destroyed during the Civil War. It was rebuilt in 1875 on the north end of the island. Since it was made to be taken apart so it could be moved if necessary, they actually did move it in 1889 when erosion threatened to topple the lighthouse. We climbed 167 steps to the observation deck where we could see about 40 miles out to sea and clearly see the south end of the island 4 miles south and other nearby islands that are over 10 miles away.

I was cold all day! The temperature never got above 51° and the wind was blowing. I wore a t-shirt, a long-sleeved tee, a sweatshirt and a jacket, gloves, head band and could not stay warm! Even the fire I built could not warm me up! By the time we finished watching a movie, I finally had a warm nose and toes. BTW we rode 13 miles on the bikes today.

Hunting Island

Time to move on. We only drove about 80 miles down the coast, landing at Hunting Island State Park near Beaufort SC. It's also close to Parris Island Marine Base.

We are right on the beach and there appears to be plenty of nature and bike paths as well as riding our bikes on the beach.

John absolutely HAD to wash the RV so that was first on the agenda this afternoon. Then we walked to the lighthouse. It is so humid and wet that we couldn't get a fire started this evening. So now we are ready to watch an old movie "Lone Wolf Mcquad" staring Chuck Norris. Johns favorite part is when Chuck drives his Jeep out of a dirt covered pit. Men and their toys!

Best Place for Good Food

After much research, and eating, John had declared that Charleston is the second best place in the USA for fine dining. First place goes to New Orleans.

This rain kept us inside most of the day. But this evening we dined at 'FIG' (Food Is Good) for one of the best meal experiences we've had. The service was outstanding. The wine (a Turley that was not a Zin) and food showcased the Chef's expertise. We shared a fish carpaccio, a 9 vegetable salad and a ricotta gnocchi with lamb bits for starters. The main courses were a fish stew and a baked tilefish which we also shared. The dessert was a chocolate pudding over caramel sauce and topped with sea salt.

Are you hungry yet?

Drayton Hall

Woke up to rain this morning so now is a good time to relate to you our explorations yesterday then get back to doing the laundry and dusting -- a woman's work is never done!

Yesterday we decided to visit a plantation and then maybe go out to Fort Sumpter. Drayton Hall has been part of the Joh Drayton family for 7 generations until it was sold to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The goal of the Drayton family was to preserve this home in its original condition so they never added electricity, heating, plumbing or air-conditioning. Even into the 1970's they would stay at the home and use only lanterns or candles, a wood stove, an icebox - literally a box with ice, and the privy which has a fireplace and seven holes of various heights, two with arm rests.

The land was purchased in 1738 and the house was completed in 1741 by John Drayton. He bought 350 acres on which to build this house and grow crops but he eventually owned over 75,000 acres of land, including the plantations on either side of his original. Of course, slaves were used to run everything. The grounds show evidence of vast gardens, a green house and several out buildings most likely used as kitchens, guest cottages or places for the Drayton's to conduct business. The house is made of brick, including the interior walls. The floors were pine planks and the walls were of cypress paneling painted in blues and yellows. Experts think the walls were painted only 3 times in almost 300 years. The only alterations in the building and on the grounds were those made by the family. One major one, done in the mid 1800's was a new ceiling in the main entry room. The main entry area was flanked by a parlor and office on one side and the family living room and dining room on the other side. The second floor was accessed by a double staircase and had a large room for entertaining and two sitting rooms on one side with two bedrooms on the other side. A hidden, very narrow stairway was used by the servants. The kitchen was probably in another building but its possible they did some cooking in the basement. The basement was an above ground basement and was used mainly for storage.

Plantations were most often built along the river as this was the most efficient way to transport goods to the ships in Charleston. It took only 3.5 hours by boat to travel to Charleston and all day by carriage.

We were advised by several friends to dine at the best restaurant in Charleston, called "Husk", but we could not get in for either lunch or dinner so we ate at the second best - "82 Queen". We shared the She Crab Soup (outstanding!), John had the southern burger topped with pimento cheese, bacon and caramelized onions, while I had shrimp and grits, a traditional SC dish. Lunch took too long so we missed the last boat out to Fort Sumpter.

Instead we toured The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. This building was completed in 1771 and used for public meetings, entertainment and customs collections. Thru the years it was used as a prison (provost), post office, and political office. But it is most famous for its uses during the Revolutionary War. The SC delegates signed the Constitution here and George Washington was a guest at one time.

Happy New Year!

We actually stayed up past midnight by watching our recorded TV shows. When we got up this morning, John discovered that we missed a phone call at midnight central time. We listened to a 4 minute voice mail full of laughter from our friends back home!

After walking for about an hour around the park, we had a light lunch and did chores around the RV (taking down Xmas decorations). Upon our return from the walk, we found a note on our door inviting us to join Randy and Bobbie for New Year black-eyed peas (for luck) and cooked cabbage (for wealth). Randy and Bobbie were our wagon masters for the 45-day tour we took in Mexico four years ago. Randy saw my post on FB about the fireworks and realized we were at the same park.

It turns out that Randy and Bobbie are part of a group of volunteers who help with the light festival. They arrived in September to help change out all the 180,000 light bulbs. They also help with running the train and directing visitors during the evening, checking campsites after people leave and working in the registration office. They told us that this festival started right after Hurricane Hugo hit 23 years ago and grows every year with an expectation of over 250,000 visitors this year.

Folly Beach

By 11:30 this morning we were settled into our new campsite at James Island County Park. This park's roadway is lined completely with holiday light displays that has been going on since Thanksgiving. We were told we should be back in our campsite by 4:30 or 5 this evening if we don't want to sit in line waiting to come in.

Since it is close to lunch time, we decided to drive down to Folly Beach to shop, eat, and walk the beach. Even though the restaurant we stopped at is known for their hamburgers, we had a really great fried seafood lunch at Rita's. We also listened to a one-man band while basking in the warmth on their patio. We shopped some, then took a long walk on the beach at low tide. We found out that they have a "Flip-Flop Drop" at midnight, like the ball dropping in NYC, but we don't plan to watch it. We stopped at a fresh fish market to get some shrimp for supper.

John was especially nice to me this evening. He consented to drive we through the Holiday Lights Festival here in the park and it was really awesome! My favorite was the Noah's Ark with all the animals, but there was a Toy Land, and Sea World, a patriotic scene, several nursery rhymes in lights, many snowmen, reindeer, elves and Santas. Then at 9 PM we got to watch an incredible fireworks show. It was short but mighty!

At about 10 pm (9 central) we got to visit with our friends at home who looked to be having a delightful meal and lots of wine. We will watch TV before turning in for the night -- probably before midnight.

Charleston, SC

Its COLD! I thought we were in the South where it would be warm!

When it finally acted like it might warm up a bit, we drove to Historic Charleston. But first we drove to the James Island County Park where they have a huge holiday light show and a campground. It seems to be a nicer area than where we are now. A couple of RV sites are going to open up on Monday, so we grabbed one and will move in tomorrow.

Today we elected to just walk the town, check out some restaurants, enjoy looking at old homes, stroll through the Market, eat a good lunch and decide what we will do or where we will eat in the next few days, keeping in mind that one of those days is New Year's Day. We put about 6 miles on our feet.

Time to Move South

We actually stayed a day longer at my brother's than we had planned because UPS was delayed in sending us a package with our mail in it. Although we had a great time with my family, it is time to head south! Not that it will be that much warmer until we get to the Keys, but even 5 degrees will be helpful.

We didn't get away until very late morning but we only have about a 6 hour drive to Charleston, SC. We had forgotten that there are so many people on the East Coast. Despite it being a Saturday afternoon, the traffic was horrendous. Twice we came to a standstill because of merging traffic from another highway.

The campground, Oak Plantation, is only about 10 miles from downtown so we are looking into possibly riding our bikes -- there is supposed to be a Green Trail out this way. Its too dark now to check it out.

Post Christmas Festivities - Day 3

Friday morning we decided to have breakfast in the RV and then run our errands before we got pulled into family plans. John and I went to the laundromat, the grocery store and liquor store. While out, the Jeep started acting up and running rough. After lunch John was able to get it to the Jeep dealership to be fixed. While he was doing that Marcia, Mom and I went shopping in downtown Kernersville. They have some really cute boutiques, consignment stores, a wine shop and a Vinegar & Olive Oil tasting room. Marcia showed us an old warehouse that had been converted to apartments surrounding some of these shops and a new restaurant. I wouldn't mind living there.

Marcia is a really good cook, especially since she was serving 10-14 people each meal! Not only did she serve us the Moravian chicken pie, we had a turkey, brisket, some great ribs, hamburgers and lots of left overs. Kelly and Leslie tried their hands at brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and angel food cake. They also made a pumpkin cake using pie filling and angel food cake mix that turned out pretty good.

After the kids were put to bed we got to watch "The Hobbit". Great movie! I bet you are wondering how we got to see two not yet released DVD's. Kelly's fiancé has a client who is to view these movies for the Academy Awards. He offered to let Joel have them over the holidays! Cool!

Post Christmas Activities - Day 2

Thursday we spent most of the morning visiting then the ladies toured the Koerner's Folly. This is the home of one of Kernersville's founding fathers. It is 3 stories tall but has 7 different levels and 22 rooms including a private theater. Jules Koerner was an architect and designer so his home was a showcase of his ideas to sell his services.

The house had once been a small home connected to a horse barn with long rooms and high ceilings. So he lowered floors and made two rooms out of one. Granted, one room had a really low ceiling but it was for children so who cared.

Later that afternoon we agreed to join the crowd roller skating. I just don't know what we were thinking? Courtney, Kelly and Matt had skated here as kids so they wanted to show off to their spouses. Us older adults were just trying to relive our youth, maybe? We all were a bit wobbly starting out but did better at the end of two hours. The two little ones, Aiden and Alex, needed lots of help but had a good time. Mom and Bernie stayed home to babysit baby Haley.

Post Christmas Festvities - Day 1

It has been a noisy and busy time at my brother's home. The day after Xmas still felt like Xmas day! Matt and Leslie have three children so opening presents was a priority this morning. Then when the kids went down for naps, we watched a movie called Argo. Very good!

The rest of the afternoon and evening were spent playing with the puppy, visiting, and playing a game that Denny got for Christmas. I can't remember the name but it was crazy funny.

Merry Christmas!

It has been wild and crazy and wonderful to be with family for Christmas. Denny's two daughters, Courtney and Kelly, and spouses arrived on the 23rd. Courtney brought their new puppy, a golden Lab. He is so sweet! Marcia, my sister-in-law, has created a South Carolina Christmas for us. So she served a Moravian Chicken pie for dinner.

Xmas eve was busy going to parties and church. We attended one party at a friend's home and another at Marcia's mom's home. My mom, Marcia and I attended a Xmas eve service at the Moravian Church called a Lovefeast. They serve coffee and rolls, sing carols and read scripture, all centered around Agape love which is love of Christ shared in fellowship with others.

Xmas day started with a late breakfast of Moravian sugar cake and quiches. We then spent about two hours opening gifts. After lunch some went bike riding, John and I took a long walk and others napped. Marcia prepared a great turkey and brisket dinner and then we played cards while waiting for Denny's son to arrive from Baltimore. Matt and Leslie have three children and a huge dog. John and I were NOT part of the welcoming committee as we were sound asleep in the RV when they got in about 1:30AM.

Christmas at the Potter's

We got to my brother's home in Kernersville, NC early afternoon. We had hoped to park in their driveway but the RV is just too long and wide. Luckily, they live on a cul-de-sac so there is not any traffic while we are parked on the street. With all of their kids coming home along with my mom and step dad and two dogs, we are happy to have our own retreat.

We took Denny and Marcia out for dinner. Everyone else arrives tomorrow. It will be a busy Christmas!

Stopping Early Today

We got almost 5 hours sleep. The folks at the repair place were very nice and started working on our problem promptly at 8am. We were done and on the road about 11. We now have a properly installed shade and a patched roof on our slide out.

We don't want to arrive at my brother's until Saturday and we need to dump, fill up with water and do some laundry so we found a KOA in Anderson, SC and stopped early. We had time for a good walk, got the laundry done and supper. It felt good to relax and go to bed early.

Across the South

We were on the road early and planning on a leisurely drive today, possibly even stopping to do some sightseeing. We stopped for lunch at the border of LA and MS when John thought to check on the installation of the window shade in the slide. From inside the coach he looked over the roof of the slide and discovered that there were three screws showing through. Not only could that roof leak, now every time we open or close the slide, the screws will damage the rubber seal.

We are 375 miles from the factory where we had these installed and don't really want to turn around and go back to get them to fix this. Several phone calls and an hour and half later we are going to drive to Columbus, GA to get this fixed. We have to be there by 8 AM Friday morning.

It was a long drive, especially since we are driving on the tail of the storm in 20-30 mph winds. We arrived at the repair place at midnight so they could start work as early as possible.

Hurry Up and Wait

Sunday morning we stopped at a grocery store then headed back to McKinney, TX which took us through Dallas. Along the way, we stopped for a nice visit with John's cousin Gwen, whom we haven't seen in several years.

Monday afternoon, we were supposed to get some new window shades installed by MCD Innovations. These will be much better than the ones that came with the RV. Easier to manipulate and better insulation. We parked in their camping/parking lot so we were ready for them at any time. Before lunch we shopped, John got his hair cut and I got all my Christmas cards ready to mail. About 3 that afternoon, someone told us we were next on the list so we left the keys with the front desk and went for a walk. By 5 PM, no work had been done.

Tuesday morning we were ready at 8 AM, at 9:15 we were told it would be 1 PM before they could start, so John called our friend, Jim, and made arrangements to get together with him in the afternoon and then go out to dinner when his wife could join us. I went shopping on the square in McKinney and had a delightful afternoon. It was a great place to window shop and browse the stores. When I returned at 4:30, our friend had arrived and the installer had been at work for several hours. Five of the seven shades in the body of the RV were completed.

We had a great dinner in downtown Plano with our friends Jim & Gini. We sat and talked for quite some time after dinner enjoying their company.

Wednesday morning, the installer actually showed up a little after 8 AM and started work. It took all day to install the remaining three shades in the front part of the coach, two front side windows and the electric shade over the windshield. There was some difficulty in wiring the electricity for the windshield shade. We had thought we would play golf, but decided not to then wished we had. Everything was done a little after 5 PM. We were so bored and apprehensive of the approaching storm front that we paid up, hitched up and left by 5:45.

We drove a whopping 3 1/2 hours including a stop for supper. Tonight we are at the Walmart in Longview, TX. Our goal is to arrive in Winston-Salem, NC early afternoon on Saturday. We are taking the "southern" route through Atlanta hoping to avoid the worst of the rapidly moving cold front. We have 2.5 days to travel a little over 1000 miles.