Ocean Pond, Last Stop of the Spring Trip

As is our usual, we didn't drive far before stopping for the night. We were lucky enough to get on of the last two campsites at Ocean Pond Campground in Osceola National Forest. Traffic was light on Easter Sunday so it was a pleasant drive. Once we arrived at the campground, we saw that the west loop was filled. We crossed our fingers, hoping that there would be a site on the east loop. Hip, hip hooray, there were two sites next to each other, close to the pond! Unlike the west loop, there were no electric hook-ups, but that was fine with us as the weather was still cool enough to make it bearable without AC.

As we were eating lunch, we saw another RV drive by to get the last site--it was another Winnebago Forza (just like our Solei), only it was the little sister to ours, a 34 footer. We gave the owners time to set up before introducing ourselves. Turns out it was another couple from the Facebook page we follow! They were there for one night before heading north. We hope to see them out west this summer!

We hiked a bit at Ocean Pond, Florida Trail passes through Osceola National Forest. We also visited Olustee State Park Battlefield. On Monday, it was time to get new tires for our 'toad' so we headed into Lake City for 'toad's' new shoes.

We enjoyed our stay at Ocean Pond, and will stop there again. But it was time to head home and get ready for our cruise and our big summer trip. Once again, the camera was in hiding, so no pictures.

Ninety-Nine, South Carolina, and Beyond

Once again I am behind on posts. Once we left Gaffney, we traveled to Lake Greenwood State Park in Ninety-Nine, South Carolina. The park was nice, but the sites were not very level. We had a reservation for the weekend in a site that we could not level side to side---we had a definite lean to the passenger side. After two days of walking crooked, we were able to change sites and we had a really nice site for one night! Unfortunately, we did not take any pictures while at the park! Bob and I did have a nice visit with my nephew who lived nearby.

When we left Ninety-Nine, it was on to South Georgia. We made a stop in Statesboro, where Bob and I met 47 years ago. There is a craft brewery that we found to be to our liking. Then it was on to Claxton, Georgia, and Evans County Public Fishing Area. We found that they allow boondocking near the lake. We spent an enjoyable evening walking around the area.

 This is the view of the lake we had from our 'site.'

We only spent one night at the fishing area before moving to our next destination: King's Bay Naval Base in St. Mary's, Georgia. It had been quite a few years since we visited the area. We spent a week at King's Bay, exploring the town of St. Mary's, the Okefenokee Swamp, and Crooked River State Park.

Our first day trip was to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. We enjoyed walking several trails in the area.

 The first took us to an old homestead located in the park.

 The next trail took us along a boardwalk to an observation tower.

 Our final trail was through a pine forest near the entrance of the park. We are really racking up those steps on this trip!

Our next day trip was not far from the base, Crooked River State Park. We hiked all the trails that were open. The river boardwalk is still closed due to Hurricane Matthew which hit over a year ago.
We were able to see the river in some areas as there were several side trails that led to overlooks.

A trip to St. Mary's would be incomplete without a trip to the old tabby sugar mill ruins. It is just outside the base.

We walked the town of St. Mary's and saw this sailboat abandoned in the marshes. I bet there is a very unhappy sailor somewhere.

We enjoyed our stay at King's Bay even though we were in an overflow site that shared electric and water with the site next door. On our last day, someone was scheduled to come in on this site so we moved to overflow next to the community center so we wouldn't have to travel on the Saturday before Easter.

By leaving on Easter Sunday, we had a better chance of getting a site at our next stop since we didn't have any reservations.

Brick House and Gaffney, South Carolina

We didn't venture far from Wateree Recreation Area. Our next stop was Brick House Campground in Sumter National Forest.We spent two nights at Brick House. There was a trail near the campground, but due to recent rains, parts of it were impassable. We did our best, but, we had to turn back after about a mile. After we left Brick House, we realized that we didn't take the first picture while we were there!

Our next stop was our scheduled stop at Gaffney Oasis Freightliner for Sol's two year check-up. She passed with flying colors and we left with extra filters---the just in case supply. While Sol was being checked, we drove to Kings Mountain National Military Park. This trip should be called "Our Revolutionary War Tour." The battle at Kings Mountain was pivotal for the Patriots in the Revolutionary War. Bob and I walked the path around the mountain reading about the advancements of the patriots and the loyalists.

 After we left Kings Mountain National Military Park, we went next door to the South Carolina state park, Kings Mountain. We walked around the lake and checked the campground. There were a few sites Sol would fit in, but not many.

It was back to Gaffney to get Sol settled for the night. The following day would be a travel day!

Wateree Recreation Area, Camden, South Carolina

Our travel days are short--usually less than 250 miles. Today was not different. We took the back roads once we left North Charleston. Our destination was Wateree Recreation Area on Lake Wateree. The recreation area is managed by Shaw AFB which is located in Sumter, South Carolina. We arrived at the campground around lunch time and the office was closed. We had reservations so we knew which site was ours. The roads within the campground were a little hairy, narrow with pine trees growing close to the road. Our site was located on a hairpin turn on the upper level of the campground. Bob did a great job of getting us into the site!

 Our first sightseeing trip into Camden was to the National Steeplechase Museum. I had no idea that Camden was home to steeplechase events.

We watched a short film on the history of the steeplechase, and then viewed the museum. The silks worn by the riders were on display above the pictorial exhibits.

 I thought this was just a model of a training horse, but while we were there, a rider came in to practice! He rode the horse about 5 minutes, practicing different positions he would use in a race.

This scale was originally used to weigh the riders. The rider would sit on the left and counter weights were place on the tray at the right until the sides balanced.

After touring the inside of the museum, we headed outside to see the outdoor exhibits. This fence is a model of an original jump. The boards were made to break away if the horse did not clear the jump.

Newer fences had plastic tops to tickle the horse's belly as it went over.

The place of honor in front of the museum was a bronze statue of Lonesome Glory--the only 5 time winner of the Carolina Cup.

Another impressive horse was Battleship. It was the first American bred horse to win the British Grand Nationals. The horse was owned by Marion Dupont Scott (wife of the actor Randolph Scott).

Our next stop was Camden Battlefield. Due to crummy weather, we picked up information on the battlefield so we could tour it on a nicer day. We drove north of town to the second Revolutionary war site. We found it had walking trails which we would also do on another day. We read the kiosk and learned South Carolina had more Revolutionary War skirmishes than any other state.

Our second full day turned out to be nice so we went back to the battlefield north of town to get some steps. Our fitbits were sorely lacking in the step department.

 The trail was interesting as there were signs describing the battle and troop placements.

After walking the trail, we headed to Wal-Mart to get supplies. We happened to find a South Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer, which we had been searching for for quite some time. The cashier noticed it and asked us if we had been to Forty Acre Rock. Of course, we had never heard of it. She told us how to get there and we put it on our list of places to see. When we got back to Sol, we looked through the Gazetteer and also found Hanging Rock. Hanging Rock was also a Revolutionary War site. It was well off the beaten path and we were glad we found it!

The Patriots surprised the British at this location. It was difficult to imagine how anyone could sneak up on someone at this location, but they did.

 From Hanging Rock we continued to Forty Acre Rock. True to its name, it is a huge rock! There are trails around the rock and near a waterfall.

 We found a huge "painted rock" near the main entrance.

 We finally made it to the town of Camden to tour that portion of the battlefield. The Kershaw-Cornwallis house was the focal point of what was once Camden. Cornwallis used this house as his headquarters during the British occupation of 1780-1781.

While in Camden, we found that a baseball Hall of Famer was born and raised in the area--Larry Doby. He was the first black to sign with the American League. He signed 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson signed with the National League.

On our final full day at Wateree, we decided to drive to Columbia to visit a craft brewery. We chose Swamp Rat, but on arrival, we found they were having an anniversary event and parking was at a premium. I used the search function on the phone and found Conquest Brewery less than a mile away! You have to love a brewery where the brewmaster has a wicked sense of humor!

 Bob and I enjoyed our brews and then it was time to head back to Sol.

Our adventure was moving closer to Gaffney, but not too far from Wateree Recreation Area.

Charleston, South Carolina---

Well, it looks like it has happened again....I am slow updating this blog.

It only took a few hours to make the trip from Savannah, Georgia, to North Charleston, South Carolina, the location of Charleston AFB. Since we had to leave our campsite in Georgia before eight a.m., we got on the road very early! We took I-95 north and stopped at the South Carolina Welcome Center. It was not open, so we sat back and enjoyed breakfast in Sol while waiting for the opening. We picked up brochures for the areas of South Carolina that we would be visiting and then we got back on the road.

Once we arrived at Charleston AFB, we were assigned the last full hook-up site! If we had arrived any later, we would have gotten a water and electric site since those were the overflow sites.

We spent the afternoon going over our brochures and planning our stay in the Charleston area. The following day we drove to the visitor's center in Charleston. We decided to spend the day walking through the historic district. I always enjoy seeing the old houses with the main entrances on courtyards, instead of facing the street.

Of course, some are more elaborate than others.

 It was a breezy day, but we enjoyed our stroll along the river.

After our walk down King Street to the battery, we walked back to Market Street to stroll the marketplace. Near the marketplace we spied an escape room. Unfortunately, it didn't open until much later in the day.

 We had a late lunch in an old pub and then headed back to the car and Sol.

Our next adventure took us to Fort Sumter. We have been to Charleston several times, but the weather was not nice enough on those trips for us to brave the ferry trip to the historic fort. This time, the weather cooperated! This sign is at the entrance to the museum and ticket office for the ferry.

 The ride out to Fort Sumter was interesting. The land you see beyond the fort's walls is the result of dredging the river to make it more accessible for large ships. During the Revolutionary War, the fort had water all around it.

 This view from the fort gives more of an idea as to how the fort defended Charleston, keeping ships away from the harbor.

We returned to Sol after our Fort Sumter trip. It was time to plan our adventure to Francis Marion National Forest. We drove to the visitor center to check out the hikes and to get directions to the campgrounds. We walked the nature loop around the visitor center and viewed the red wolves the forest service it trying breed. I thought we had pictures of the wolves, but evidently we didn't take any pictures this day. We enjoyed our hike and then moved a few miles further north to Buck Hall Recreation Area. It is on the coast and has RV campsites with not hook-ups. Bob checked on-line and found that it is booked for the spring camping season. It looked like a nice place to stay. We parked in the day use area and hiked a portion of Palmetto Trail. This trail takes you from the mountains in northwest South Carolina to the Atlantic Ocean.

We drove a different route back to our campground, making a stop at Snafu, a local craft brewery in North Charleston. The beers were good and it was a nice break after our hiking.

Our next adventure took us to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens located on Ashley River.  The plantation was originally settled in 1676. The house was rebuilt after the Civil War.

We hiked around the historic rice fields and enjoyed the spring blossoms on Japanese magnolias and  azaleas.

 Our stay in the Charleston area was coming to a close. It was time to take care of chores like laundry and grocery shopping before continuing our trip.

Savannah, Georgia--an Old Favorite

As usual, we took the back roads, not the interstate to get to our next destination. It was a nice,
peaceful drive to Savannah, Georgia. Our stop for three nights, Keller's Flea Market, a member of Harvest Hosts. Once we arrived, we had the option to have electricity or to boondock. Since the weather was warm, we chose electricity. After we got settled, we went for a walk around the empty flea market stalls.

Saturday, we drove to downtown Savannah. We found a parking place near Service Brewing Company, which, it just so happened was tapping a new beer that afternoon.

We walked down to the River Walk and explored the shops. Savannah has a wonderful River Walk that was built for the 1996 Olympics. The yachting events were held on the Savannah River. Unfortunately, the easternmost section of the River Walk is in minor disrepair. There was a plaque next to the Marriott, stating that it was home to the Olympic Village.

 From the River Walk, you get a good view of US17 bridge across the Savannah River.

 After spending most of the morning walking and seeing the sights, we returned to Service Brewing Company to sample some craft beer and have barbecue from the food truck. We were some of the first to arrive, but business quickly picked up and the crowd kept the bartenders hopping.

 We returned to Sol and took another walk around the flea market, this time stopping to look at the wares for sale. Nope, didn't buy anything, just enjoyed looking.

Sunday we had to decide if we wanted to stay longer in Savannah. The flea market locks it gates at 8 a.m. on Monday morning to reopen again on Friday. Naturally, we didn't want to be locked in! Bob and I drove to Hunter Army Airfield to see if they had any sites at their campground. We read the reviews and it didn't sound promising. We finally found an entrance to the post, and eventually found Outdoor Rec where you check-in. Well, the man who handles the campground was not in, but the one on duty said the campground was full, but there was an overflow area with water about 50 feet down the road from the campground entrance. Bob and I drove to the campground to check it out. The area was overgrown and the place to park was not level. We could have made do, but once again weather was a factor. We had the rest of the afternoon to make a decision. We drove to Fort Pulaski to think about it.

It had been quite a few years since our last visit to Fort Pulaski. This time we took the guided tour.

Once we finished the guided tour, we walked around the exterior of the fort to see where the cannonballs from Union troops decimated the walls in the Civil War. It was a nice day for a walk, not too hot, not too cool, but, we didn't factor in mosquitoes! As we walked through the grass, I looked down at my legs and felt like I was the before picture for an OFF commercial...my legs were covered with mosquitoes. Of course, they didn't attack until we were half way around the exterior and we had to hustle to get back to the parking lot without being eaten alive! 

From Fort Pulaski, our next stop was Tybee Island. Seafood sounded like a good option for lunch. As we drove around the island we found that no matter where you parked, there was a parking meter....we saw parking meters in some of the oddest places. Nothing on the island appealed to us so we went with the known, the Crab Shack just off the island. Bob and I both had steamed shrimp, which we enjoyed, but they weren't as good as Joe Patti's in Pensacola.

So, we made our decision about Hunter Army Airfield, we decided we would move on to Charleston, South Carolina early Monday morning.

Looking for Better Weather!

After spending 10 days at home, with temperatures in the upper 80s, we decided it was time to start our trip to Gaffney, South Carolina, where  Sol would have a two year maintenance check-up. Our first northbound stop was not far from home....Mike Roess Goldhead State Park near Keystone Heights, Florida. It had been a few years since our last visit and we were hoping there was a site open since we didn't have a reservation. If there wasn't a site, we would eat lunch at the picnic area and move on. Luckily, they had a site for the night (Thursday). Like most campgrounds in Florida state parks, Goldhead fills on the weekends.

Once we set up and ate lunch, we went for a walk which turned into a hike. We left our campsite and went to the old mill site. From there we took Ridge Trail to Fern Loop Trail near the ravine.

 In the background, you can see the steps leading to the parking area at the ravine overlook. Bob is standing near the Fern Loop Trail. We didn't go up the steps on this walk.

After Fern Loop Trail, we followed Ridge Trail back to the trailhead and took Loblolly Trail back to the mill site and then we returned to our campsite. The walk turned into a hike of over 3 miles.

The following morning, we took a short walk from the campground to one of the lakes. The picnic pavilion overlooks a small lake. On our last visit, the lake was almost dry. Due to Hurricane Irma, the lake now has quite a bit of water.

 Once back to Sol, we packed everything and got on the road, heading to our next destination: Savannah, Georgia.