Good Sam Rally - Daytona Beach

Day 27 – (Thursday, 11-1-12) Arrive at Good Sam RV Rally

After having a wonderful breakfast prepared by Stephen (good old southern biscuits and sausage gravy) we enjoyed spending some more time with my family. Kurt and I got ourselves and the RV ready to roll on down the road to the Daytona International Speedway. We arrived there around 3:30 and drove into the infield. We completed our registration and received all the details of the Rally, trade shows and events. The RV was setup as usual and we were ready for Happy Hour and some dinner. The dogs were worn out and hit their beds early. We are “boondocking” here in the infield (that means our own water & power). This is the first time we have used our generator to run the main power. So far, so good. We’re looking forward to tomorrow, the events and RV show.

Day 26 – (Wednesday, 10-31-12) Heading to Daytona Beach

We finally made it out of camp in Savannah, and headed to my sister’s house just south of Daytona Beach. We arrived there around 4:00 pm. Suzi, Stephen, Steve and Derek (Stephen’s sons) were all there. They have a very nice home way out in the boonies (sort of like our situation). The 2.5 acre lot is really nice. We enjoyed Suzi’s pot of chili for dinner, along with drinks and lively discussions. We all enjoyed our evening together and it was great to see them again, especially at their home. We stayed in the house with our dogs, who were pretty well behaved. After a late evening, we went to bed around midnight.

Last day in Savannah

Day 25 – (Tuesday, 10-30-12) Errands & Relaxation

The morning started very cold and windy. It must have been in the upper 30s last night. Thank God we brought the portable electric heater; we’ve used it several times on this journey. But it seems to be cool just about everywhere. But, we’re enjoying it and will be ready to “winter” in Florida.  Neither of us are cold weather people! Kayaking was still out of the question and it was still too windy.

We had some errands to do that required us to go into town to shop. Dog food, our food, banking, etc., we got accomplished and then headed back to camp. We did some housekeeping, gathering wood for a campfire, etc. Kurt decided to go trail biking for awhile to unwind, it’s scary how much he and Kody can’t sit still for very long… I decided to relax in my style and actually sit out in the sun (with all my winter clothes on) and read my book. While I was sitting out there, the wind was whipping and suddenly a huge dead branch fell down from one of the trees! Glad I wasn’t hit by it, but the weird thing is just a little earlier we were discussing how we could get some firewood! Wow, Kurt just had to break it up a little…

Dinner was prepared, grilled chicken thighs (one of our favorites). We began getting some of the camp chores done early to prepare to leave. We want to get an early start tomorrow, as we head toward Daytona Beach. We will be staying with my sister Suzi and her husband Stephen. We are looking forward to seeing them; it’s been awhile, and they have a new house that we haven’t seen!

We sat around the campfire for awhile before the fire waned and it got too cold to sit outside. We went inside and watched TV for awhile, then got ready for bed and our journey tomorrow.

Exploring Tybee Island

Day 24 – (Monday, 10-29-12) Tybee Island!

This morning was colder than it’s been since we have been here, it was in the low 40’s¸brrrrr….  Kurt and I decided to go for a hike with the dogs in the morning, and then just the two of us will drive over to Tybee Island to explore that area.

We took the boys on a hike here in the park, the Sandpiper Trail.  The boys enjoyed getting out for a run/walk in the cool morning air. We just wanted to get some of the energy out of them so that they would sleep when we left them in the RV. It was also a very nice hike and we all enjoyed it. We took the boys back to the RV and got ourselves ready for the trip to Tybee Island.

Tybee Island is about 20 miles from Skidaway. It’s an easy drive and very scenic. We also took our bikes as the map showed a bike path on the island. We parked on the beachside near the pier and found a restaurant that served fresh seafood. Both of us had been craving local seafood. We sat on an upper outside balcony and had a wonderful lunch! I had a fried shrimp basket and Kurt had a blackened grouper sandwich. It was all wonderful! The view was great and the atmosphere was perfect. After eating, we went back to the truck and got our bicycles ready to ride. We rode north on the island bike route, until we reached the Tybee Island Lighthouse. We decided not to pay admission to go up into the lighthouse (we're on a fixed income now!), but we took some great pictures from the outside. There was also a small fort on the beach side, which was used during the Civil War. There is so much history in this area, it’s amazing. We then decided to ride our bikes back down the beach to the pier where our truck was parked. It was actually quite a nice ride, as the wind was at our backs and the beach is hard packed sand. We then headed back to the campsite, after making a couple of shopping stops.

After dinner, we were all tired and went to bed early. It was very cold outside and we buttoned up and turned the heater on.

Savannah & Skidaway Island State Park

Day 23 – (Sunday, 10-28-12) Exploring the area!

After breakfast, we decided to ride our bikes around the park and the nice trails! The trails were well maintained and took us by the salt water marsh area of the park. There were displays with some historic information about the island and the area. We went up into an observation tower to see the marshes and water channels. The weather was beautiful, but with a slight chilly wind. It made the bike ride even better.

Since the kayaking here is limited to the salt water marsh, we decided to go exploring in the city of Savannah. We took the dogs as we were told that Savannah was very dog friendly. Our first stop was at the visitor’s information center in the city. We received great advice for a walking tour of the historic area and riverfront. The boys were with us and got their first “city hike” experience. The tour was very informative and we learned some historic facts around the city. The city was a “planned” city and has park squares every 3-4 blocks.  It’s very lovely and we were amazed at the huge live oak trees everywhere! The historic buildings and homes were magnificent. Looking at the original cobblestone roads and brick seawalls was amazing; making us think about how this city has been around since the early 1700’s.  After a couple of hours, we decided to head back to the campground.

After arriving back at camp, we took care of some housekeeping and getting ready for dinner and the evening. We prepared hamburgers for dinner and Kurt made a campfire. As the evening went on, we went inside the RV since the temperature was getting colder as the fire waned.  We settled down inside for some TV and updates on the hurricane. Bedtime was upon us and we were tired, as we did have an active day.

Day 22 – (Saturday 10-27-12) Heading to Savannah

Due to Hurricane Sandy’s weather effects in S. Carolina, we decided to cut out a day early and head to Savannah. We disconnected and shut down the RV in a misting rain and some wind. The drive south today is only about 3 hours, so we will arrive there late afternoon.  We drove mostly the back roads to see the local flavor of the south. The drive was uneventful, after a stop at Walmart to provision more food and supplies. We arrived at Skidaway Island State Park near Savannah around 4:30 pm. We were able to pick our RV site and found one that backs up to a natural area and the campsite was HUGE! The dogs love it, as we allowed them to run and roam free with our supervision. The campground was sparsely occupied, probably many cancelled due to the storm.  We setup quickly and got ready to make dinner; which was tacos and guacamole, one of our favorites!

We went to bed fairly early and wanted to be rested for whatever the next day had in store for us.

Exploring Huntington Beach State Park

Day 21 – (Friday, 10-26-12) Exploring Huntington Beach S.P.

We woke up early and took the boys to the beach for a morning run. They both enjoyed the walk/run, but Kody broke out in a B500 and was crazy! He really needs to get in a good run often. The weather was not as great as we had hoped for; due to Hurricane Sandy, which is heading up along the east coast and expected to cause rain and wind here by tonight through tomorrow. Tomorrow’s forecast is even worse, with more rain and wind.

After having some breakfast, we got our stuff together to go kayaking. Murrell’s Inlet is just a couple of miles north of the park. We took the kayaks and launched on the salt water marsh near the inlet. We paddled around in the marsh, which has many channels. There were many people fishing from small boats and also in the shallow waters clamming. The weather was not too bad, just overcast and windy. As we paddled against the tide and into the wind (one of these days we’ll do it the easier way), the wind was becoming stronger and we headed back to the launch after paddling about 2 miles. It was an okay paddle; at least we can now say we paddled the salt water marshes in S. Carolina.

We decided to head back to the RV and go for a bike ride. The park has several trails and one that heads north to the inlet. We rode the trail through the park until it crossed over the dunes to the beach. We then rode on the packed sand beach about 2 miles to the inlet (into the wind again). We walked out on the south jetty and watched the growing waves. We headed back down the beach until we were back at the park. By this time, we were ready for Happy Hour! The dogs were ready for another run, so we took our drinks, chairs and dogs down to the beach for another relaxing evening libation!

After returning to the RV, we began preparing a dinner of Kurt’s chicken chili. After dinner, we started a campfire to enjoy for the remainder of the evening. We were exhausted and went to bed fairly early. For once, we were more worn out than the dogs!

Day 20 – (Thursday, 10-25-12) Heading to S. Carolina

So we did get out of bed before 6am! We unhooked the RV and prepared for our trip south to Huntington Beach State Park. The first leg was to drive south on Hatteras Island and head to the ferry docks, where we would then get to the island of Ocracoke. From there, we drove down to the south end and the ferry docks. This ferry ride would take 2 hours and drop us off at Cedar Island. This part of South Carolina is very remote and predominately fishing villages. It reminds me so much of where Bubba Gump’s had his shrimp fishing boat. From there we headed toward highway 17 south, which pretty much follows the coastline. We drove through multiple small towns along the way, including Myrtle Beach, which was only about 10 miles from the campground. We finally arrived at Huntington Beach S.P. and setup the RV. We were all very tired after the 7 hours of travel. After having some dinner, we went to bed early.

Tour Hatteras & Ocracoke

Day 19 – (Wednesday, 10-24-12) Tour the Outer Banks

We awoke early and walked over the dunes to the beach. The sun was just beginning to rise and it was awesome! The weather was perfect and we walked down the beach with the dogs. It was a great way to start the day.

Next, we got ready to head down the road to Ocracoke. The drive took us to the south end of Hatteras, which is about 29 miles from our campground. The drive is a two-lane road down the US12 to Hatteras Bight, with the ocean on the east side and Pamlico Sound to the west. It’s mostly all preserve areas with some beach and sound accesses. The road is dotted with several small towns. At the end of the island are the ferry docks. We got in line and were able to get on the 11:00am ferry. After loading the ferry, we were on a very pleasant ride. It felt really weird for the truck to be moving and no one is driving! We left the dogs in the truck and we were able to walk around the ferry deck. The ride over was nice and the weather was perfect. Upon arrival, the ferry was unloaded and we drove onto Ocracoke Island and explored the Village of Ocracoke. We stopped at the lighthouse to get some pictures. It was lunch time and we found a great little café where we could eat outside and have the dogs with us. We then headed back to the ferry docks and made the return trip to Hatteras.

Prior to leaving Ocracoke, we discovered that we could continue our journey by taking our truck and RV on a second ferry ride that will put us further south, closer to our next destination. This will save us many miles of driving north on Hatteras, then west and south, making a huge loop. We made the plans to take our rig via this route and save us some time on our trip. The last ferry ride will also save gas for our route south.

After arriving back at the RV, we decided to have Happy Hour on the beach. We took our drinks, chairs and dogs over the huge dunes and enjoyed a little time on the ocean. The beaches here are very nice and wide. They also allow vehicles on the beach; but obviously, 4-wheel drive. Apparently, the fishing here is really great and many fishermen are surf fishing. We walked on the beach with the dogs and headed back to the RV. There is much to get ready for our departure tomorrow and the trip back to the ferries to head south. Our destination tomorrow is Huntington Beach State Park in S.Carolina. This is just north of Charleston and is right on the beach. This location will provide more opportunities to kayak in the marshes and swamps around that area.

We then prepared dinner and got ready for bed. We HAVE to get up early to catch the two back-to-back ferry rides to get us to our next destination.

Day 18 – (Tuesday, 10-23-12) Travel to Outer Banks

We woke up fairly early, around 7:30. Began final preparations to pack up the RV and hit the road again. We ate breakfast then finished getting everything in the truck and RV. After saying our farewells to everyone, we headed out for the Outer Banks. The route would take us due east toward the coast of N.Carolina. The drive time was about 7 hours, and we had a stop for lunch and then another Walmart stop for food provisioning. It seemed like the drive would never end, we actually arrived a lot later than we had anticipated. Our RV park is on Cape Hatteras, about midway down the island, right on the beach. We were able to setup and connect the RV in record time. We were hungry and tired from the long haul. We decided to first unwind with drinks and a walk on the beach with the boys. The evening sky was clear and the large crescent moon lit up the beach.  It was relaxing and felt good to have sand between our toes again. The boys really loved running on the beach, as they had been cooped up all day in the truck.

Dinner was again leftovers, which was just enough. We discussed our plans for the next day and finally decided to just tour the island and go south to Ocracoke. We went to bed early, as we were going to try to get up for sunrise in the morning.

Family time!

Day 17 – (Monday, 10-22-12) Another hiking day

After breakfast at my sister’s house, we decided to go on a hike. We drove up to Hanging Rock State Park in the mountains. The weather was beautiful, sunny and cool in the mountains. Tommy drove us up there in their van. The dogs went with us and really enjoyed the ride since they were laying in the back at window height. We arrived at the park and found the trail head for Moore’s Wall, a 4.8 mile loop. The trail took us to the crest of the mountain, which had spectacular views. Kirby and Tommy stayed back at the van, since the trail was pretty steep and we knew it was not a good idea to take Kirby. We truly enjoyed this hike, even though the upper half was strenuous and steep. But the view was well worth the climb, especially with the leaves still turning color up there. The trek down was easier going downhill, but tougher on the old knees!

We had a beautiful drive home, thanks to our chauffer Tommy. We relaxed at the house and Cindy prepared a wonderful salmon dinner. Later, we watched the final Presidential debate. We all agreed that Romney was the winner, in that he again presented solid plans and was calm and showed leadership. Obama simply came off as an angry man, who was rude and constantly interrupted Romney, with his typical attacks and no new ideas. God help us all that Romney is elected!

Off to bed, get some rest for our travels tomorrow.

Day 16- (Sunday, 10-21-12) Visit with family!

In the morning, we packed up the RV and prepared for our trip to Winston-Salem to visit my sister and her family. We had a pleasant drive from the mountains down to their home. It only took us about 2 hours. They live in the country northwest of the city. It’s a nice place with 7 acres.

When we arrived at their home, we parked the RV on the back of the property next to a large storage garage. We were able to hook up the electricity and water so we were able to stay in the RV at night. The whole family was there, Cindy and her husband Tommy, Cindy’s sons, Cliff and Jeremy. We had a nice evening with a great beef stew dinner and drinks! We all went to bed early, before 10pm.