Today we left our beloved Barrow County Georgia on our first leg of what will be a 5 year (or more) camping trip across the big, beautiful USA!
Rain was pouring as we hooked up the car to the back of the motorhome (first time doing it on our own so it took more time than expected & we were drenched). We put Waldo, our mascot mannequin, in the driver’s seat of the towed car for giggles. And when we arrived at our first destination some 5 or 6 hours later, rain started coming down yet again. But we made it without incident. Waldo had lost his hair & glasses with the bumpy ride so I made note to add a little museum putty to his head before our next move.
This was my second time to actually ride in the motorhome (I lead or followed in the car until we got the tow hitch stuff installed just a couple weeks before). I was terrified! Lots of banging & bouncing & loud noises in the coach & my pups, who had also not ridden in the coach, were crazy scared, too. I made them stay at my feet on their comfy beds for the most part – lots of whimpers & panting & no sleeping. This is not to say Perry is a bad driver – it’s just going to take some getting used to being in what feels like a hurricane going down the road.
The front window of the coach is HUGE which allowed a view of the incredible countryside as we meandered down the road. The day was mostly dry & the sun cast light on the bright green vegetation of Spring. The landscape was dotted with a multitude of brilliant azaleas in many hues, dogwood blossoms, pretty purple wisteria creating a natural arbor across the streets, red clover hugging the shoulders of the roads & the tendrils of bridal wreath blooms in abundance. At one point a huge bald eagle rose up from a field of freshly planted crops that resembled corduroy.
The phone GPS worked great in keeping us away from major cites, allowing us the opportunity to travel through several quaint small towns. We love old Victorian homes (our home in Statham for the last 34 years was a 113 year old dream) so seeing them was like a soft, warm blanket to our souls. Before we set out again, Perry wold have to figure out our fancy GPS system (Garmin 380) we spent a fortune on which will help us to avoid low bridges & other potential hazards one needs to be aware of in such a tall rig. He would need to also set up the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) that monitors tire pressure & temps, making it possible to avoid potential blow-outs. Gotta use these advanced safety tools we are fortunate to have.
As soon as we got leveled & parked at Kolomoki State Park, the skies opened up with lots of rain, thunder & lightening. No problem! I whipped up a simple & delishous meal in our home on wheels in under a half hour & we topped it off with a fantastic glass of wine.
The heavy rain that came down just after we arrived kept us from doing anything but plugging in the electricity which meant we had to get the rest of our camp set up the morning after. While Perry hooked up the water & satellite, I got out my already prepared skeeter repellent & sprayed it around the area. (8 oz of mint mouthwash; 1 cup Epson salts – shake this up in a garden sprayer until the salt is dissolved. Add a bottle of cheap beer that has been left out to go flat overnight & stir that in gently to avoid fizz over. Spray this around your campsite, avoiding getting it on rugs or chairs as it is sticky.) That stuff keeps the pests away for about a week as long as it doesn’t rain. We also put up the dog fence & slipped the tire covers on the RV wheels & the pool noodle corner bumpers on the slides. Took us maybe 30 minutes & we were set.
Then we took a drive to Providence Canyon State Park to see what is often referred to as a Little Grand Canyon. The canyon was very colorful & deep grooves running throughout the area allowed the view of MANY hundreds of years worth of erosion. However, the Grand Canyon was formed by raging rivers that eventually became smaller & the cliffs are HUGE. Providence Canyon is MUCH smaller & the cliffs were formed due to poor farming practices over the years. It was still beautiful to see. There was hiking down to the base & LOTS of places to take stunning pictures as well as picnic tables along the ridge to enjoy a day out with friends & family.
We moved on to Florence Marina State Park next, just a couple miles down the road. It has camping & boating facilities where Providence Canyon did not. We drove through the campground which had LOTS of standing water after the rain the night before. I would guess on dry days it would be a good place but not so much when we drove through. There was a large marina & covered boat slips. Many had small to medium size house boats with radio/wifi antennas above. We didn’t stop at the office to inquire about the offerings of the park so I couldn’t say if these were long or short term slips. And I think there was something about a boat tour one could take.
We then drove down to Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge nearby. The sign was a bit scruffy & the gravel road into the woods was rutted & very overgrown. When we reached the lone building in the woods it looked deserted & the one car in the overgrown parking area was perhaps abandoned. We quickly made a u-tun & headed back out to the highway – it was one of those places I would imagine a horror movie would be shot. The backside of the entrance sign was visible to us as we exited, nearly unreadable, so we felt certain this place was closed on a permanent basis. It was a fun adventure all the same & we had a good laugh over it.
After lunch at a great little BBQ place in the next little city, we made it back to camp for afternoon cuddles with the pups & a restful nap.
The following day we ventured over to Plains, Georgia. Jimmie Carter, a native son & lifelong resident, was the first President of the United States I voted for in the election held in 1976. (I had turned 18 earlier that year.) The country had gone through the scandal & resignation of President Nixon, followed by three years under President Ford. I felt Jimmie Carter would bring kindness & unity back to our republic, which he did to a degree. He brought about some very important Peace Accords with other nations & encouraged people to think about their impact on others & the environment. Unfortunately, turmoil around the world was not easily solved with kindness so President Carter was voted out, replaced with President Ronald Reagan. In my opinion, Reagan was one of the most successful Presidents in history & I’m proud to have voted for him, too. Anyway, back to our visit to Plains, GA.
We had lunch at a quaint restaurant in a small shopping strip in downtown. I can’t remember the name of it but the sandwiches were excellent. A man in a wheelchair rolled to the door while we were there. Because of the age of the building, the door opened in instead of out & the man couldn’t navigate the opening of the door. A patron waiting on his “to go” order hopped up & tried to open the double door but one side was locked. He got the restaurant owner who did, grudgingly, open the second door. The man was missing the lower half of both legs & one hand had no fingers. But he was cheerful as he ordered & paid for his meal at the register. He rolled over to a nearby table & the owner of the establishment took his coffee to him. She also told him it was near closing time, I guess to remind him not to dalley. The server took his warm soup to him & was very cheerful. It made me sad the owner was rude so I asked the kind server to please give him a slice of pie displayed in their case, whatever kind he preferred, & I gave her $10 to cover it as well as a tip. We left before she told him, which was our plan. We just wanted him to know that complete strangers cared for him.
We moved on to the Train Depot which served as Jimmie Carter’s Campaign office those many years before. The simple decor & revered respect the citizens of Plains have for the man & his accomplishments is heart warming. We also visited the Trading Post & picked up a small gift for Lily & some fried peanuts that had been harvested locally.
We drove over to the old high school, revamped into a museum to house much of President Carter’s memoriabilia. Unfortunately, Covid-19 had shut it down for the time-being. We stopped by Billy’s Gas Station (Mr Carter’s wayward brother who made a name for himself with his Billy Beer) & then drove by the current home of the President. A fence surrounded the property & it was heavily guarded by a Secret Service detail. There was lots of trees around the main house that, while very beautiful, made it difficult to see the structure. As we meandered back toward the park, we diverted on the road that lead to President Carter’s boyhood home. The park service has done an incredible job of keeping up the grounds, homes & other buildings on site. We didn’t get out to walk through the property but did see some gorgeous horses tucked into the tree line enjoying the shade.
We returned to Blakely, the nearby town to the park, & had pizza at a little eatery. It was okay but I’m not a fan of green peppers & it had many as a topping. We should have been paying attention to the description of the pie when we ordered it. Opps! During a wander around the town square I was able to capture a picture of the city’s historic courthouse. And on the way back to the park I took a picture of what I had often been referring to as the “Field Dragons.”
On Saturday we toured the small museum at Kolomoki State Park & learned about the ancient settlement & excavations in the area. It was a gorgeous park & well worth a visit!
Later in the day we drove to Blakely at the suggestion of our friend Eric Bentley. He claimed the offerings at Blakely Chicken was the best fried chicken ever & the corn fritters where perfection. The GPS had us searching for the place on a surrounding highway. It had obviously moved but we didn’t know where so we drove into town looking for the grocery store instead. The new location of Blakely Chicken was practically across the street from the grocery. The long line of cars waiting to turn into the drive-thru (no dine in available at the moment) gave testament to the local’s love for the place. It took over 30 minutes to make our way to the pick-up window. We returned to the park hungry having smelled that deliciousness during our drive. And it was heavenly! The best fried chicken ever!
On Easter Sunday we stayed in camp most of the day, doing not much of anything but living this new life of ours – grateful for our Savior & what the day represents.
We are not on a perpetual vacation but are learning to live a new laid back lifestyle. That’s a challenge for me because I’ve always been a “doer” with a project or two going at all times.
Perry hiked up the Indian Mounds & took some great pictures of the trails while I stayed back in the RV & made BBQ ribs. Our camp set-up was less than we normally put out due to the rain when we arrived so we decided to leave the whole pack-up chore until the following day. A restful day was much appreciated.
We rated this park a TEN!
We left Kolomoki Indian Mounds Historic State Park (that’s a mouth full!) by 9:30 on a sunny Monday. We had a little “senior moment” in that Perry forgot to stop at the dump station as we pulled out of the campground & had to turn around & go back – he did great with the turn around which can be a challenge in a 38 ft motorhome. We hooked up the car afterwards & off we went to the east coast of Georgia.
We were fortunate enough to route our travels through small towns again where we saw beautiful historic courthouses & pretty old homes. As we pulled into Jesup, GA, our chosen location for the next 8 days, we were thrilled over the lovely city center & the cute shops we would soon visit.
The park we stayed at was Mossy Oaks RV Park & Campground, owned by a very dapper older gent who met us at the gate & escorted us to our site in his golf cart. Dressed in dress slacks & a vivid purple dress shirt, he was a contrast to the dirt roads & woodsy surroundings. Although he calculated our fees for the 8 days incorrectly at first, he was quick to rectify the error when it was called to his attention.
The campsite was completely shaded (which is good for the most part but the tree cover prevented a clear signal for satellite) & VERY quiet. And VERY buggy, too. I used the pest spray I made around our RV & it helped the immediate area for the duration of our stay. However, if we walked away from our area, we would be attacked by mosquitos, gnats & flies immediately. I guess that’s the trade off in the Deep South in a wooded park. This kept us from spending any time outside at camp. It also made it an easy choice to complete a few projects we had planned inside – a win in the end.
The second day we were there, Perry’s brother Paul drove up from Jacksonville, FL on his new 3 wheel Spider to spend the night. We had lunch at a great little eatery in downtown Jesup – a rather upscale restaurant with great lunch fair. But I can’t remember the name of the place to give a good review. Gray roots!
That evening I made steaks in the crockpot with potatoes & savory gravy. I would have made the steaks on the Blackstone but … the bugs would have sucked us dry before we finished the grilling. It was so good to spend time with Paul & the brothers stayed up late watching TV.
After a big breakfast, including leftover potatoes & gravy from the night before that Paul loved, he left for home. Perry & I then hopped in the car & drove about an hour into downtown Savannah, our favorite city on earth. It was near impossible to find parking even with the many parking garages throughout the area. When we did get into a parking garage the car behind us was not interested in taking time to carefully navigate the turns as we climbed higher in search of a spot. Or he really had a fascination with his horn because he was using it with gusto. Perry slowed down to help him enjoy his time behind the wheel a little longer. Made me laugh.
Most stores in the historic district were encouraging the wearing of masks & we gladly complied. Our first stop was to The Shrimp Factory – our favorite restaurant on the Riverwalk. It was wonderful, as always. We then walked around, stopping in at shops & enjoying the street vendors & musicians that make the city so special to us. We picked up some things for Lily & a commemorative pin to add to our collection. When one has a tiny home, “small” collections make sense. I threatened to get a tattoo – a tramp stamp – but Perry nixed that idea. Just kidding.
We returned to Jesup by mid-afternoon which pleased the pups. They do well being left at the RV but prefer to be with us. The outside temps were still cool enough for their safety & we did leave the air on for them. But, as the temps rise over the summer we have three overhead vents with automatic activation we will use. We can open them & set the temp to whatever we feel is safe. They are controlled by the 12v batteries & will kick on to draw hot air out should the shore powered a/c fail. The pups safety is paramount to us.
For the rest of our stay in Mossy Oaks we worked on some projects that will make our RV more efficient & homey. I made some inserts for depreciations in trim that will be used to hold our growing collection of pins. I also made new covers for the two bedside windows. The blinds that were there did little to keep the room “private” when changing clothes – a bit disconcerting for us. We also made a framed board that covers the door window at night but can be hung lower on the door during the day. It has an outline of the USA which we will fill in as we camp in each state. And the quote, “Not all who wander are lost,” is also a part of the picture. On the backside, we glued a tea towel we had that reads, “You are the moon to my shine,” intertwined with a drawing of a whiskey jug. When the window is covered with the frame, that picture can be seen from outside. Perry also attached a grab bar to the door, mid-way down. This was MUCH needed! Reaching to grab the door opener sometimes gave me hebbies with the feeling of a potential fall. It was one of the best improvements so far!
On the daily drives out of the park to pick up groceries or other supplies I told Perry the bumpy road was doing a number on my bouncing chest. I was sure the result would be black eyes if he went any faster! We laughed & laughed.
One of my creative outlets while camping is cooking. Through the years I had lost interest in the kitchen joys or had too little time to cook as my businesses grew. When we began camping some 5 years ago, I found time was mine again so my culinary adventures reignited. I would not say I’m a good cook – far from it – but I am adventurous. Some fails give way to some tasty delights. When we first got the motorhome I made a large spice rack on the mirror over the sink. It’s both pretty & useful &, having a large variety of spices, provides inspiration.
The kitchen in the motor coach is small with little storage space. And our meal needs necessitate advance planning. I got creative one day & made tiny breakfast quiches that I froze. Those are for mornings when we will be on the move to a new campsite – easy to pop in the microwave for a quick meal, along with yogurt. Otherwise I make a big breakfast daily – eggs (scrambled, over easy, omelets, Chaffles, boiled, etc) with bacon &/or sausages, a biscuit, fruit & yogurt. We skip lunch some days because breakfast is so filling & usually eaten late. The pups have breakfast daily, too. That’s Perry’s chore. He splits a can of wet dog food (I can’t stand the smell) with a dab of coconut oil for each. They watch attentively during preparation.
Camping presents the opportunity to meet MANY interesting people on the road. Sometimes we just “people watch” & sometimes we enjoy conversations & extended visits with others. One fella that stopped to talk to Perry expressed an interest in our model of RV. Perry invited him in to see the features. The conversation turned to his profession – he was a bit young (maybe 40) to be retired. Turned out he was a member of Cirque du Soleil – a behind the scenes coordinator. His wife, who we had noticed over the last few days, was an acrobatic performer in the production. The muscles on that lovely little lady were amazing, her “guns” were massive. A great couple who made our stay a little more interesting.
On the last night at camp, we had dinner at Gooey’s Pizza in Jesup. There were two police officers dining there when we arrived so we paid for their meal. It’s always a pleasure to show appreciation for our public service providers. Per request, the server didn’t tell them who paid the tab & it was nice to covertly see the smiles the gesture generated. Also, the pizza at Gooey’s was great!
We left Jessup on Tuesday morning for a return trip to Winder, GA, Ft Yargo. I had an appointment at an Athens Clinic the following day to get my second COVID shot & I was definitely not going to miss it!
We had reservations so we unhitched the car & drove directly to site #10 on the Lakefront to get set up. The plan was to arrive prior to 4pm but traffic held us back an hour or so & we didn’t get there until just after 5. Robby, Lisa & Lily arrived soon after with the plan to go to dinner. They surprised me with pretty flowers (Lily picked them out & I put them in my only mason jar), a card & some Cracker Barrel gift cards we will surely make use of while on the road.
Then we went to a Hibachi place in Winder for dinner. The kids brought the remaining Amazon boxes we had shipped via their house. It was really nice to hug a few necks & let them know how loved they are before we hit the road. We love our family so very much!
The next morning we got up early, had breakfast & took showers before heading out on errands. the first stop was a visit with Tracie at the Statham Police Department to pick up a box or two of soap she made for us. Once one becomes accustomed to homemade soap, there is no going back to the commercial brands & I was nearly out! My intention was to make some before we started our travels but time planning was not kind to that idea. Thankfully Tracie filled the void!
Next up was a visit to the Statham Post Office. Before we left the area, we had asked if we could pay our annual box rental now instead of waiting until June when it renews. The grumpy answer from the woman at the window was “no.” And when I inquired about how to pay it when we were for sure going to be hundreds of miles away, the response was to use the website, said with an eye roll & smirk. Alrighty then! Soon after that visit when the clerk KNEW we were out of the area, a sheet of paper was put into our box saying we had to update our info in person & present identification for all parties that would be receiving mail there. How odd was the timing of that demand? The sheet also said failure to complete the update form within 30 days would result in our box being closed permanently. (Because our daughter-in-law gets the mail for us regularly we were made aware of the demand.) It was a good thing we happened to be returning to the area a week later & we appeared in person to handle the form update. The really weird thing was that they would not accept out picture IDs – driver’s license, Military ID or Carry Permits. Nope, they required a look at our car registration that has only the P.O. Box in question listed on it. I wonder if this will be a yearly issue. Most of our correspondence – insurance, credit card, etc – is online only but there are still some things that go to the post office box we have had for the last 34 years. Including W-2s when the new year begins. We use Robby’s street address as a physical address for car insurance, tags , voter’s registration & such but want to keep the post office box open for all the other stuff.
We picked up some bulk stuff at Sams in Athens & then went into town for my 2pm appointment. However, the door to the clinic was locked & no one that I saw wandering around inside would come to the door. Nor would they answer the phone when I called the number on the door. Near panicked because I HAD to get the shot – that was why we returned to the area – I went back to the car to get Perry. He walked around the building with me in search of an open entrance as I got all teary eyed & started to hyperventilate in my panic. We finally saw a guy coming out a side entrance on his way to the dumpster so we scooted into the building. There were several masked medical people sitting behind a counter. Perry asked about the shots scheduled to be given that day. One woman said they changed the time to 3:30. I never received notice of the change but would gladly wait until then. We went to get a quick bite to eat & returned to the clinic at 3pm. Lots of folks were going in & out of the now open front door & had obviously been given their shots. I waited until 3:30 as told earlier & went in. The pharmacist who gave me the original shot weeks earlier said the time had indeed been changed – to 3pm, not 3:30 – & was surprised I had not been notified. No matter. I got the shot & felt such relief to have that over!
We returned to camp to let the pups out & then went to Ruby Tuesday’s in Winder to meet our friends Jean & Mike Murray for dinner. The four of us frequently did dinner together over the previous few months – always a good visit with tons of laughter. Returning to the area at some point will put that habit back into motion!
Back at the park we went directly to bed. The following day would be a travel day!
Life is grand & full of adventure!
Not all who wander are lost! #whereswaldocamping