Thursday, November 27, 2008
November 19, 2008
Not all campgrounds have wifi so that we can get on the computer. Lakewood Campground here in Myrtle Beach
has internet but it is called Tengonet and you have to pay $9.95/day to get on and we won't pay that kind of fee.
So, when we got ready to head out for a day of exploring, we packed up the computer and drove to various
motels and parked near the lobby. Many signs say free wifi and some are open so we found one to use and
did our email this way. I have also set up this blog so if you want to follow our trip, you can do so. We spent
about and hour in the parking lot and a goundsman came to the car - it is very quiet here because it is the off
season so we are noticed. He asked if we were all right and we said we were just using the wifi and he said
that was OK.
We found an Outlelt mall and did some shopping - some things are cheaper here despite the poor Canadian
dollar. Lunch was at the Olive Garden and we had leftovers for tomorrow. Boy - we are starting to sound like
the old folks we used to laugh at! We went for a long beach walk and I found some interesting coral but we
really had to bundle up - temps were about 8C and very windy - still too cold for us!
November 20, 2008
Today, we drove farther south following the coastal road. We had to drive inland a bit and were skirting along
the edge of Camp Lejune Marine Corps Base.The road on the map looked like it was for general use but we were
stopped about half way because they had live fire training exercises and the road was closed. So that meant
a rather long detour but eventually we got back to the coast and arrived at Hilton Head Island by 3pm. After
settling in the campground, we drove around the island and decided this was NOT a place we liked. Every
time we tried to get to the beach, we were blocked by security huts of large exclusive hotels and private
gated communities. Lots of golf courses and even the Wendy's and McDonald's were hidden among the
trees and constructed with muted colours. A very snobby place.
November 21
On again to the south - the RV must be fed also - stop for refueling - prices are getting better so we could
get diesel fuel for $2.69/gal - still it adds up to $180USD for a tankful but that will take us 700 miles. We never go above
60mph and often more slowly on smaller roads so that improves mileage. We will spend the next 2 days on Jekyll Island
off the coast of Georgia. The campgound is one that friends of ours go to every winter (but they will not arrive
til January) It is a State Park and priced reasonably but it is under lots of trees and we prefer more sun.
It is still COLD!!! We are tired of heaters at night and warm coats when we go out. We walked to Clam
Creek Park at the end of the island for the sunset - spectacular! You can see our pictures by clicking on
the icons next to the blog.
November 22
A day of discovery - I like to pick up lots of brochures at information centers so today we are following a tour
route to St Simons Island. There is a beautiful fan/cable suspension bridge from Jekyll to St Simons. This area
had numerous plantations in the mid 1800s with slaves helping to grow rice and sea island cotton. In 1858, a
ship, the Wanderer, landed on Jekyll with 408 enslaved Africans from Sierra Leone. They had left with 480 - it
was a terrible voyage. There is a memorial in a local park - 150 years ago. We saw several remnants of slave
homes in the area - built with "tabby" walls - crushed shells and sand to make a cement that has lasted this long.
Near the north end of St Simons Island is Christ Church - and a memorial to John and Charles Wesley who
came here in 1734 from Oxford and preached for a year. The old church yard was very interesting to poke
around in - some graves go back to that time when John Wesley said the burial service! A beautiful
magnolia tree was blooming in the garden. We also visited Fort Frederica - built in 1758 by the British to
protect themselves against the Spanish moving northward from Florida.
November 23
Finally - it is getting warmer - we are in Florida - the Welcome Center is still handing out free orange juice and
it is 18C and the sun is shining. We phoned the visitor info at St Augustine and asked about parking for RVs and
she told us about a nearby large lot for us - when we arrived we saw a sign for overnight parking allowed with
a permit - so we asked - we like cheap camping! but no one knew about it or where to get a permit. So we went about
exploring America's oldest city - 1565. The old Fort put on a demonstration of cannon firing that was fun - we met
a deaf couple and their 2 kids and only the children (hearing) jumped when the cannon went off! They were friendly
and nice and we had a pleasent chat with them. When we returned to the RV, we still were hoping to stay overnight
but finally an answer came - "only for leaving it there and not to stay in it" and the permit was $25. We headed out
to Daytona to a campground and arrived after dark (6pm) - not what we like to do.
November 24
We spent a couple of hours "noodling" our way down the coast on US 1 - we prefer secondary roads instead of the
interstates. Lots of hotels, condos, and businesses on the road close to the beaches, All that stopped as we
got onto Merrit Island - a wildlife refuge just north of Cape Canaveral. But we had to turn around and go inland when
we got to the NASA site - the map indicated we could go through but the friendly guard (with a gun) said we
had to turn around - which we did! Tomorrow we will go to the NASA visitor center. We are in a campground
called Jetty Park and it is a real find! Right on the beach and along side a ship channel - cruise ships head to sea
from here. We watched dozens of dolphins playing in the surf and pelicans swooping after fish or sunning on the
rocks. And it was a lovely warm day in the 70s!
Not all campgrounds have wifi so that we can get on the computer. Lakewood Campground here in Myrtle Beach
has internet but it is called Tengonet and you have to pay $9.95/day to get on and we won't pay that kind of fee.
So, when we got ready to head out for a day of exploring, we packed up the computer and drove to various
motels and parked near the lobby. Many signs say free wifi and some are open so we found one to use and
did our email this way. I have also set up this blog so if you want to follow our trip, you can do so. We spent
about and hour in the parking lot and a goundsman came to the car - it is very quiet here because it is the off
season so we are noticed. He asked if we were all right and we said we were just using the wifi and he said
that was OK.
We found an Outlelt mall and did some shopping - some things are cheaper here despite the poor Canadian
dollar. Lunch was at the Olive Garden and we had leftovers for tomorrow. Boy - we are starting to sound like
the old folks we used to laugh at! We went for a long beach walk and I found some interesting coral but we
really had to bundle up - temps were about 8C and very windy - still too cold for us!
November 20, 2008
Today, we drove farther south following the coastal road. We had to drive inland a bit and were skirting along
the edge of Camp Lejune Marine Corps Base.The road on the map looked like it was for general use but we were
stopped about half way because they had live fire training exercises and the road was closed. So that meant
a rather long detour but eventually we got back to the coast and arrived at Hilton Head Island by 3pm. After
settling in the campground, we drove around the island and decided this was NOT a place we liked. Every
time we tried to get to the beach, we were blocked by security huts of large exclusive hotels and private
gated communities. Lots of golf courses and even the Wendy's and McDonald's were hidden among the
trees and constructed with muted colours. A very snobby place.
November 21
On again to the south - the RV must be fed also - stop for refueling - prices are getting better so we could
get diesel fuel for $2.69/gal - still it adds up to $180USD for a tankful but that will take us 700 miles. We never go above
60mph and often more slowly on smaller roads so that improves mileage. We will spend the next 2 days on Jekyll Island
off the coast of Georgia. The campgound is one that friends of ours go to every winter (but they will not arrive
til January) It is a State Park and priced reasonably but it is under lots of trees and we prefer more sun.
It is still COLD!!! We are tired of heaters at night and warm coats when we go out. We walked to Clam
Creek Park at the end of the island for the sunset - spectacular! You can see our pictures by clicking on
the icons next to the blog.
November 22
A day of discovery - I like to pick up lots of brochures at information centers so today we are following a tour
route to St Simons Island. There is a beautiful fan/cable suspension bridge from Jekyll to St Simons. This area
had numerous plantations in the mid 1800s with slaves helping to grow rice and sea island cotton. In 1858, a
ship, the Wanderer, landed on Jekyll with 408 enslaved Africans from Sierra Leone. They had left with 480 - it
was a terrible voyage. There is a memorial in a local park - 150 years ago. We saw several remnants of slave
homes in the area - built with "tabby" walls - crushed shells and sand to make a cement that has lasted this long.
Near the north end of St Simons Island is Christ Church - and a memorial to John and Charles Wesley who
came here in 1734 from Oxford and preached for a year. The old church yard was very interesting to poke
around in - some graves go back to that time when John Wesley said the burial service! A beautiful
magnolia tree was blooming in the garden. We also visited Fort Frederica - built in 1758 by the British to
protect themselves against the Spanish moving northward from Florida.
November 23
Finally - it is getting warmer - we are in Florida - the Welcome Center is still handing out free orange juice and
it is 18C and the sun is shining. We phoned the visitor info at St Augustine and asked about parking for RVs and
she told us about a nearby large lot for us - when we arrived we saw a sign for overnight parking allowed with
a permit - so we asked - we like cheap camping! but no one knew about it or where to get a permit. So we went about
exploring America's oldest city - 1565. The old Fort put on a demonstration of cannon firing that was fun - we met
a deaf couple and their 2 kids and only the children (hearing) jumped when the cannon went off! They were friendly
and nice and we had a pleasent chat with them. When we returned to the RV, we still were hoping to stay overnight
but finally an answer came - "only for leaving it there and not to stay in it" and the permit was $25. We headed out
to Daytona to a campground and arrived after dark (6pm) - not what we like to do.
November 24
We spent a couple of hours "noodling" our way down the coast on US 1 - we prefer secondary roads instead of the
interstates. Lots of hotels, condos, and businesses on the road close to the beaches, All that stopped as we
got onto Merrit Island - a wildlife refuge just north of Cape Canaveral. But we had to turn around and go inland when
we got to the NASA site - the map indicated we could go through but the friendly guard (with a gun) said we
had to turn around - which we did! Tomorrow we will go to the NASA visitor center. We are in a campground
called Jetty Park and it is a real find! Right on the beach and along side a ship channel - cruise ships head to sea
from here. We watched dozens of dolphins playing in the surf and pelicans swooping after fish or sunning on the
rocks. And it was a lovely warm day in the 70s!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Home to Washington DC to Myrtle Beach, SC
Jack and Mary's Adventures - Winter 2008 - 2009
We are on the move again after a summer of spending most of our time at home because of the sale of our
home of 28 years and the purchase of a condo in Brantford. When we had a light dusting of snow on our deck
in late October and had to turn the fireplace on, we knew that it was getting to be time to load the RV, hitch up
the tow car and hit the road. Because we spent some time with Derek getting a diagnosis of obstructiove
sleep apnea and fitted with a CPAP machine, we did not leave home until Saturday, November 8. It was a gray
day with the last of the leaves blowing around so we knew we were ready to head out.
A four hour dirve took us to my sister Jacque's farm. Derek followed us back to his "home". We celebrated an
early Christmas with Jacque and Chuck since we will not see them this year as usual over the holidays. Jack got
a digital picture frame that we can load with pictures of family and friends (and past trips, too) so we will not get
too homesick for them while we are away.
On November 11, we began our trip taking the Ohio and Pennsylvania Turnpikes (WOW are the tolls expensive
when you are towing a car - triple the cost of just a car!) toward Washington, DC. The first night we pulled into a
Walmart in the small town of Greensburg, PA. As ususal, we asked at the Courtesy desk if we might stay in the
parking lot. They said "NO" because of a city ordnance against it. We were pooped and hungrey so we had supper,
bought a few groceries and decided we'd risk it. Went to bed early in case we got rousted in the middle of the
night - then slept well and woke to a new day and began our drive again toward the capital of the USA.
Washington was under a gloomly cloud the whole time we were there. The first day it rained HARD all day so we
spent the time in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Jack loved the exhibits on meteors, volcanos and
astronomy. The sun sets early in the Fall, so when we left the museum at 5pm it was getting dark but the lights of
the Washington and Lincoln Monuments as well as the Capitol building at the end of the mall were really pretty in
the misty rain. Our campground was near the end of the subway and bus system, so we could easily get downtown
from our RV and did not have to use the car. The next day we took public transit to Arlington Cemetary, saw the
changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unkown soldier. While we were there, we saw a funeral of a general
with a 6 horse drawn caisson. After walking across the Potomoc River bridge, we walked around the Mall looking
at the Lincoln, Korean War, Viet Nam War and World War II Memorials. Because Veteren's day was just 3 days
previous, there were many wreaths at the monuments - poignant reminders of the horrors of war and the sacrifices
of the young men and women who fought in them. We met a couple from Cape Cod in our campground and they
recommended "Old Ebitts Grill" for lunch. Lots of atmosphere and many White House staffers and Congressmen
go there. But we did not recognize anyone - at least Barak Obama was not there that day for lunch!
We are not big city people so after 2 days we were ready to leave. We took the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to
the eastern shore of Maryland. From Chincoteaque Island we crossed several saltmarshes to Asseteque Island to
see the red and white striped lighthouse - badly in need of new paint. But we were treated with the sight of two wild
ponies on the roadway. Traffic came to a halt while we all took pictures. These ponies are descendents of horses
that swam ashore from shipwrecks in the 1600s. We spent the night at Kipoteke State Park. Their fishing pier was
made up of 9 cement boats from WW 2. Morning came with bright sunshine - something we had missed over the
past 5 days and it made our crossing of Chesapeake Bay on the 17 mile bridge/tunnel a lovely experience.
But our radio antenna on the top of the RV rubbed that top of the tunnel the entire way - fortunately it did not break!
Skirting around Norfolk, Va, we crossed into North Carolina and headed to Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks.
Wilber and Orville Wright made the first successful manned flight here on December 19, 1903. A monument on the
top of Kill Devil Hill was quite impressive.(the Kill Devil name comes from rum washed ashore from shipwrecks that
was so awful tasting that the locals said "it would kill the Devil!") After a stop at the beautiful black and white stripe Bodie
Island Lighthouse we found a campground near Rodanthe on Hatteras Island.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, beautiful with a fresh paint job, has an interesting recent history. The land around it
was washing away over the years and it was in danger of falling down so in 1999, they loaded it on a mover similiar to
the one used by NASA to move the space shuttle and wheeled it 2900' to a new location - safely away from the sea.
We took a 40 minute ferry ride from Hatteras to Ocracoke Island. We met a couple as we waited for the ferry who have
been full timing since 1998. They were on 2 BMW motorcycles for 7 years in Europe, Turkey, North Africa and Eastern
Bloc countries. When the euro went too high last year againt the USD they came back to the US and now have an
Airstream trailer pulled by a truck with a flat bed where they carry the BMWs. Lots of interesting stories - after driving
the 12 miles of Ocracoke Island and seeing some more wild ponies (Banker Ponies) - we traveled with Verna and Jim
on the 2 1/2 ferry ride to Cedar Island and then by bridge to the mainland.
Another Walmart stay in Morehead City, NC brought us to Bogue Island, We are trying to follow the roads closest to the
coast. We are now in Myrtle Beach, SC and it is COLD!!!! Tonight the temps are predicted to get to 26F. We are parked
right next to the ocean and the sunset was lovely and we are cozy and warm in our RV tonight. We'll spend a couple of days
here and then head south again toward Hilton Head and Savannah, Ga. More later........
Jack and Mary
We are on the move again after a summer of spending most of our time at home because of the sale of our
home of 28 years and the purchase of a condo in Brantford. When we had a light dusting of snow on our deck
in late October and had to turn the fireplace on, we knew that it was getting to be time to load the RV, hitch up
the tow car and hit the road. Because we spent some time with Derek getting a diagnosis of obstructiove
sleep apnea and fitted with a CPAP machine, we did not leave home until Saturday, November 8. It was a gray
day with the last of the leaves blowing around so we knew we were ready to head out.
A four hour dirve took us to my sister Jacque's farm. Derek followed us back to his "home". We celebrated an
early Christmas with Jacque and Chuck since we will not see them this year as usual over the holidays. Jack got
a digital picture frame that we can load with pictures of family and friends (and past trips, too) so we will not get
too homesick for them while we are away.
On November 11, we began our trip taking the Ohio and Pennsylvania Turnpikes (WOW are the tolls expensive
when you are towing a car - triple the cost of just a car!) toward Washington, DC. The first night we pulled into a
Walmart in the small town of Greensburg, PA. As ususal, we asked at the Courtesy desk if we might stay in the
parking lot. They said "NO" because of a city ordnance against it. We were pooped and hungrey so we had supper,
bought a few groceries and decided we'd risk it. Went to bed early in case we got rousted in the middle of the
night - then slept well and woke to a new day and began our drive again toward the capital of the USA.
Washington was under a gloomly cloud the whole time we were there. The first day it rained HARD all day so we
spent the time in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Jack loved the exhibits on meteors, volcanos and
astronomy. The sun sets early in the Fall, so when we left the museum at 5pm it was getting dark but the lights of
the Washington and Lincoln Monuments as well as the Capitol building at the end of the mall were really pretty in
the misty rain. Our campground was near the end of the subway and bus system, so we could easily get downtown
from our RV and did not have to use the car. The next day we took public transit to Arlington Cemetary, saw the
changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unkown soldier. While we were there, we saw a funeral of a general
with a 6 horse drawn caisson. After walking across the Potomoc River bridge, we walked around the Mall looking
at the Lincoln, Korean War, Viet Nam War and World War II Memorials. Because Veteren's day was just 3 days
previous, there were many wreaths at the monuments - poignant reminders of the horrors of war and the sacrifices
of the young men and women who fought in them. We met a couple from Cape Cod in our campground and they
recommended "Old Ebitts Grill" for lunch. Lots of atmosphere and many White House staffers and Congressmen
go there. But we did not recognize anyone - at least Barak Obama was not there that day for lunch!
We are not big city people so after 2 days we were ready to leave. We took the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to
the eastern shore of Maryland. From Chincoteaque Island we crossed several saltmarshes to Asseteque Island to
see the red and white striped lighthouse - badly in need of new paint. But we were treated with the sight of two wild
ponies on the roadway. Traffic came to a halt while we all took pictures. These ponies are descendents of horses
that swam ashore from shipwrecks in the 1600s. We spent the night at Kipoteke State Park. Their fishing pier was
made up of 9 cement boats from WW 2. Morning came with bright sunshine - something we had missed over the
past 5 days and it made our crossing of Chesapeake Bay on the 17 mile bridge/tunnel a lovely experience.
But our radio antenna on the top of the RV rubbed that top of the tunnel the entire way - fortunately it did not break!
Skirting around Norfolk, Va, we crossed into North Carolina and headed to Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks.
Wilber and Orville Wright made the first successful manned flight here on December 19, 1903. A monument on the
top of Kill Devil Hill was quite impressive.(the Kill Devil name comes from rum washed ashore from shipwrecks that
was so awful tasting that the locals said "it would kill the Devil!") After a stop at the beautiful black and white stripe Bodie
Island Lighthouse we found a campground near Rodanthe on Hatteras Island.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, beautiful with a fresh paint job, has an interesting recent history. The land around it
was washing away over the years and it was in danger of falling down so in 1999, they loaded it on a mover similiar to
the one used by NASA to move the space shuttle and wheeled it 2900' to a new location - safely away from the sea.
We took a 40 minute ferry ride from Hatteras to Ocracoke Island. We met a couple as we waited for the ferry who have
been full timing since 1998. They were on 2 BMW motorcycles for 7 years in Europe, Turkey, North Africa and Eastern
Bloc countries. When the euro went too high last year againt the USD they came back to the US and now have an
Airstream trailer pulled by a truck with a flat bed where they carry the BMWs. Lots of interesting stories - after driving
the 12 miles of Ocracoke Island and seeing some more wild ponies (Banker Ponies) - we traveled with Verna and Jim
on the 2 1/2 ferry ride to Cedar Island and then by bridge to the mainland.
Another Walmart stay in Morehead City, NC brought us to Bogue Island, We are trying to follow the roads closest to the
coast. We are now in Myrtle Beach, SC and it is COLD!!!! Tonight the temps are predicted to get to 26F. We are parked
right next to the ocean and the sunset was lovely and we are cozy and warm in our RV tonight. We'll spend a couple of days
here and then head south again toward Hilton Head and Savannah, Ga. More later........
Jack and Mary
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