Escape to Skidaway
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Our Festival Season ended at the beginning of November. We unloaded all of our gear from the back of the truck & Perry took the red beast in for a good cleaning. Then we plotted our first Fall adventure – this time to Skidaway State Park just outside Savannah.
We got on the road at 11am (after cutting Beth’s last batch of soap so it wouldn’t be as hard as a rock as it tends to get when not timed correctly) &, with dogs all comfy in the front seat of the truck, the road trip began! The GPS said it would be 4 ½ hours but in reality, that became 5 ½ as pulling an RV, although small, is still slowing. The directions were through areas we had not necessarily wandered in the past, two lane roads & small towns, but the sights were lovely. Georgia is a beautiful state & we are grateful for it.
Checking into the park office was most pleasant. The new Park Manager had only been onsite a month so he took his time making sure we got the best deal available. Because we have camp hosted at State Parks, recording MANY volunteer hours, we have received a few certificates for FREE camping & we were able to get our entire stay at Skidaway at no charge. Awesome!
Our emergency info written on the board upon arrival at any campground. We also text this to our son so he could rescue the pups should we be unable to return to them.
We picked a campsite that was private but close enough to the bathhouse & quickly set up our Home Away From Home. Beth had put a package of porkchops in the fridge to thaw during our trip but when she took them out she realized they were for a crockpot meal. Opps. Beth then decided to make soup, to be accompanied with a salad & sandwich, but the soup mixes we were so excited to have purchased at one of the Fall shows, required add-ins such as creamed corn for the corn chowder & canned chicken for the chicken soup. Opps. Perry decided to take Beth out to dinner instead. He’s a smart man. We googled nearby restaurants on the Maps program & picked a Pizza place not to far away from the park. But, once we drove by, decided it didn’t look so good. We ended up at Outbacks. Always safe & always good. The Alice Springs Chicken hit the spot!
Back at camp, we didn’t delay long in getting Wilbur rearranged for bed. Beth recently ordered a memory foam mattress & was anxious to see if it would sleep more comfortably than the mattress that came with the camper. It had heat coils in it & could be plugged in for a warm bed. Those coils were lumpy!
There is something about camping that makes one fall asleep faster & sleep deeper than anywhere else …
Monday, November 16, 2017
We were up before the pups & ready for the day to begin. Beth reported the mattress was most comfortable with the exception of the edges. The pups sleep pressed solidly against her & this new mattress does not have bumped up edges so a slow slide off the side was inevitable. <sigh>
We got our coffee made & the dogs did their potty thing outside. Then we all climbed into the bed again while we watched Good Morning America & checked the internet. We have MISSED these slow, peaceful mornings! Then we enjoyed our camp breakfast of sausage patties, bacon, toast & fresh farm eggs. Perfection!
The bathhouse was adequate & the water was warm. Squeaky clean again we were Happy Campers.
When setting up Wilbur the day before, we found the ground at our campsite was a little uneven & required a lift on the door side of the RV. This created a TALL first step which was not comfortable for either Beth or the pups. So we were off to Home Depot to find a solution/mini step that would correct that issue. We ended up getting two big pavers to put at the bottom of the step. We also picked up a couple citronella candles as there were a few mosquitoes still flying about – They must not have gotten the memo it was November. Then we stopped at Publix to pick up some bottled water. The water coming through the pipes is sulphuric & smells & tastes like raw eggs. South Georgia & Florida tend to have that issue on occasion.
Back at camp we lazed about. Reading while sitting out in the sunshine, napping on the couch, doing absolutely nothing. Bliss!
Beth had put those porkchops in the crockpot before we left on our shopping trip so they were ready in plenty of time for dinner. She made rice (the gravy from the chops was perfect over it), sautéed veggies & a great salad. YUM! Perry cleaned up the “kitchen” & took the trash out & we settled in for the night. Our intent was to watch Dancing with the Stars but the reception was iffy.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
We did the morning routine & then decided to go into Savannah for the day. We had lunch at our favorite Savannah restaurant – The Shrimp Factory on River Street. The best She Crab Soup & Shrimp A-Gratin on earth! Then we walked all of River Street, poking into shops & people watching. We did the same for a small section of Bay Street & some of Broughton Street as well. We had a long rest on a bench in Ogolthorpe Square to people watch. Across the way we spotted a group of 10 – 12 people milling about with bike helmets on – no bikes to be seen. Beth told Perry they were a tour group of accident prone people. He laughed. Later, we saw them rolling down the road on sedgeways – that explains it! We also had a long discussion on the perils of high heels. Spiked heels penetrate the grass when one walks their dog through it so walking on tip toe is necessary. Then there are those who are simply uncomfortable in them or their feet hurt so they walk all clunky. Beth likes flats – sneakers or slide ons or flip flops. No heels for her!
Our favorite restaurant in Savannah – The Shrimp factory.
We returned to camp & the pups who missed us. Beth had put a freezer to crockpot meal on before we left & the aroma was wonderful. A hearty Beer Chili accompanied by a salad was perfect for dinner a little later. It was the perfect, laid back day!
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
What a wonderful experience to wake up to the sound of birds chirping instead of cars honking! We are appreciative of this time in our lives & the opportunity it presents daily. Our morning was slow & easy & the day got even better as it progressed. Breakfast & showers done, we decided to venture over to Tybee Island.
We choose to have lunch at a little place by the beach. We located it via Maps but the name had changed & neither of us can remember what it was called. After settling in to our table, we looked about & both of us were a bit concerned as it looked like a dive. But we decided to eat there anyway. Perry ordered a Shrimp PoBoy while Beth had Brisket Quesadillas. And what a great surprise both meals were! Delish! Perry noticed there was a parking pay kiosk in the lot where we parked (didn’t see it or signs when we arrived) so he quickly went out there & paid for a parking slip & put on the truck dash. Good thing he did as a police car rolled alone a few minutes later & the officer was issuing tickets to those without the little magic slips. Close call!
We didn’t walk on the beach as we had planned as the wind was a little brisk. We’ll do it on our next visit for sure. The city workers were putting out Christmas decorations & erecting a big tree which was fun to see. It’s beginning to look a lot like ….
On our return trip to Skidaway, we stopped by the Publix right down from the park entrance for some coffee creamer. What a store! Skidaway Island is home to over 8,000 multi-million dollar homes, tucked away behind private, gated entrances into their respective subdivisions. Residents travel heavily on golf carts, including to the grocery store which caters to their expensive tastes, it seems. So, in addition to the wide variety of “normal” groceries one would find at most Publix, they have an even wider variety of specialty items for the local clientele. We had a few minutes of grocery envy but ended up buying just the creamer we were there to get. It was fun seeing that stuff anyway.
Beth had put a Shepard’s Pie Crockpot meal on before we left for the day & then made mashed potatoes to ladle it over. Along with our usual salad, it was a feast. Perry declared it one of his favorites.
We were going to have a campfire & actually use those citronella candles we bought earlier but it just wasn’t in the cards. Or we decided to forgo the effort. So we went to bed early. That was lovely, too.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
We watched Good Morning America (Perry had connected the cable the afternoon before & we finally had good reception – most parks do not have cable so that was a nice discovery) & then had breakfast. Beth does not usually make breakfast at home – we just do breakfast bars there – so camp breakfasts are special. We quickly cleaned up & then set about getting the camper ready to roll. And we were on the road by 10:30.
On the interstate we had a close encounter with a bad semi-truck driver who was either negligent or purposefully tried to run us off the road. He didn’t manage to & we hope he didn’t cause an accident with another driver further down the road either. For the most part, we took the back roads home &, again, enjoyed the little towns we passed. We arrived home right at 5 so we got Wilbur tucked away in the back yard, plugged him in to the electricity to keep the fridge going & didn’t even connect him from the truck.
Perry had to get ready for a City Council Work Session that started at 6:30 & Beth had to get ready for a Planning & Zoning Board Meeting at 7 in Winder. Perry left for his meeting & as Beth tried to activate the garage door in the bay where her car was – nothing. The wall button inside the garage – nothing. The controller inside the car – nothing. She did remember the string thingy one can pull to manually lift the door so she was able to get it out & go. And she made it to the meeting at 7 on the dot. Thank goodness! Now to get the blasted garage door opener fixed. That is left for another day.
Life is good. Regardless. And Not All Who Wander Are Lost!