Vermont, Here We Come!

Setting the Stage

We are so excited to be back on the road again after a 2 month hiatus for graduation and Pat’s ND driving trip.  Our goal this trip is to attend RV boot camp and our first Escapade in Essex Junction, Vermont.  We’re members of the Escapees RV Club and they host Escapade rallies and are also the ones handling our mail through Livingston, Texas.  We’re not sure what to expect completely, but plan to learn as much as possible about our coach, RVing in general, and will no doubt find a few buying opportunities with the vendors on site.  (Man-sized potty is high on the list – for both of us!)

This trip will take a total of 2 months and involves a brief time-out to move Ethan to grad school.  We figure after that length, we’ll really know for sure if this is for us or not.  For now, we’re making our way North as leisurely as possible, just because we can.

Crooked River

First stop was just an overnight at Crooked River State Park outside St. Mary’s, GA.  We’ve stayed here before, but the first time the mosquitoes were brutal.  Not so much this time, but the temps were even more brutal.  Quite fine to lay low out of the heat since mostly we needed to regroup after the load-a-thon.  Quite an undertaking to get everything in place to live aboard.  Good news though – we are now eating off real china and using our silverware.  Even have my china teacups for when I’m feeling “pinky out” with my morning coffee.

Crooked River State Park – My favorite shot from our stay in 2014

Savannah

On to our first longer stop – Savannah – with our RV home base at Skidaway Island State Park.  Again, hot was the theme at 94-96 degrees actual temp with a “feels like” temp of 107.  A total steam bath, but we soldiered on and managed to walk to 10 different downtown Squares and see lovely charming Southern sights including majestic oaks draped with Spanish Moss.

Pat poses at one of the first Squares before we were completely drenched in sweat.  Also saw both blue and pink blooms on what seemed to be the same Hydrangea bush.  Loved seeing both colors intertwined.

I just love churches and had to see the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.  My favorite spot was the smaller chapel area – see pic on far right.  I say smaller, but wow, still eye-popping and so very beautiful.

I’m also a total fan of bridges and big, big ships.  Got the best of both at the riverfront where we did a little shopping after lunch at Clary’s and of course Leopold’s Ice Cream.  Even though we can bring along our own ice cream with the swell new fridge, we don’t miss many opportunities to supplement.

Tybee Island

Second touring day and did I mention it is wicked hot?!  Holy cow it is take.your.breath.away HOT!  I remind myself it is July after all and Ethan reports that DeLand is no picnic.  (Rough lawn-mowing day apparently).

We are off in search of lighthouses this time.  I have a lighthouse book to collect stamps at all the ones I visit. So far I have a total of one stamp from St. Augustine, so looking to up the ante a bit.  I am able to get one at Tybee Island Lighthouse and climb to the top.

Ok – admittedly playing with the picture formatting here, but hey, do you like the circles or not?  Anyway, Pat is all smiles since he managed to step out of the doorway at this lighthouse in spite of the height and see that panoramic view.  He’s not a fan of high places.

Final stop of the day was Fort Pulaski and surprisingly informative.  Apparently this was the battle between the Confederacy and Union where everything changed as far as fort defense was concerned.  The 7 and 1/2 foot walls should have held nicely against the typical weapons, but the “new” rifled guns changed all that.  Union artillery breached the wall and landed a shot just feet away from the store of 40,000 lbs of black powder.  Reluctantly the commander had to surrender to protect the lives of all the soldiers in the fort.  We spent quite a while looking at the picture of the damage and trying to figure out just what divet on the wall was “the one”.  We think we got it – and possibly heatstroke, too.

 

A surprise at this stop.  I get a bonus lighthouse stamp!  Cockspur Lighthouse is here even if it is off in the distance.  Love this little shorty and had to really zoom in to get it.

Cockspur Lighthouse

Another State On the Travel Map!

We leave the Savannah area and enter a new state.  Day 5 brings with it two “firsts” for us.  First stay in South Carolina and we have to find a place to stay in two days.  This is our first campground reservation on the fly and feeling so flexible.  Well to be honest, we researched and check RV Park Review and then made the call.  But is it our first time to be at the end of the advanced reservations.  Not so hard and hopefully how it will mostly go in the future.

We’re in Little Pee Dee State Park for 2 nights and, yes, still blazing hot.  A big storm last night did cool it off a teensy tad, but also freaked out the dog.  He may just be a little too neurotic for this lifestyle, but he does love being the trail dog.

Today we’re in search of a laundromat, church and post office.  Had to mail a few birthday cards – check.  Scouted out church for Mass tonight – check.  And found the laundromat for the mound of the sweaty laundry we’ve generated.  Found all 3 spots and had an impromptu lunch at a lovely roadside pull-over courtesy of the local garden club of Dillon, SC.  Had us some KFC – Real meal for 5 bucks and finger-lickin’, finger-lickin’ GOOOOOD!  I think some of these unexpected stops and pleasures are the best.

On to North Carolina next. Stay tuned for hang-gliding adventures at Kitty Hawk.  Hearing the theme from Deliverance….See you down the road!