Blogs, random thoughts, travel
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You Meet the Nicest People
The man in the Ford Transit van came out and we struck up a conversation. I was as mesmerized by his Minnesota accent as he may have been by my southern drawl. (Asking ‘where y’all headed?’ tends to indicate I ain’t from around there). -
Writing on the Road
Writing on the road is difficult. First, there’s the lack of reliable internet and no WiFi. You would think that would be great for ‘going off g... -
Turtle People
A legion of highly trained volunteers, affectionately referred to as the Turtle People in our conversations that week, patrol and protect the beach all in the name of encouraging the propagation of the species. I understood that they were granted certain powers, such as the right to knock on your door to remind you “lights out” if your house lights were too bright and, thus, disorienting to newly hatched turtles. They also monitored any holes that were dug in the sand since a baby turtle could get trapped. -
Oops I Did It Again
With much less trepidation than the first time around, I published a second book this week. “Living With Wanda 2: Campervan Adventures Continue” is now available on Amazon as a Kindle eBook or in paperback. -
Great Planners
All this activity had Annie super excited! She followed every step we made. About 2 PM we loaded her up and left. She was panting and trying her best to put down the window as we drove out of the driveway. After the first twenty yards we looked at each other and remarked that we had forgotten our wedding rings. We decided it wasn’t worth turning back for them. But that must have gotten Jenni thinking about other things we forgot. Less than a mile from home, she asked if I had packed Annie’s leash. I had not. -
Pilot Cove
Pilot Cove is a 20 cabin complex tastefully constructed at the gateway of the Pisgah National Forest in Brevard, NC. In fact, their website describes them as the “Gateway to Adventure” and that they are.Jenni and I, along with our dog Annie, had the privilege of spending a few days in one of their two-bedroom units. (They also have efficiency and one-bedroom to meet a variety of needs.) We used the cabin as a springboard to the hundreds of waterfalls in the Pisgah Forest and Transylvania County, as well as exploring the fabulous City of Brevard.
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Decisions, Decisions
Before going to sleep that night at Hunting Island SP, we tried to make plans for the following day. It was our intent to backtrack a little and visit Edisto Beach which is back towards Charleston. As the crow flies, the distance from Hunting Island to Edisto is relatively short, but crows can cross water and Wanda cannot. It would be close to a two-hour drive to get there. -
Oaks and Palms
As we first turned on the dirt road we were met by a young man driving a BMW and I remarked to Jenni that he had probably just completed a drug deal because beamers don’t camp on dirt roads like big white candy vans. At the campground there were already several established campers. This was a campground primarily used during deer and turkey hunting seasons. -
Cherished Places
Huntington Beach State Park was the go-to beach destination for our family when we lived in the area. Sunday evenings were a perfect time to visit. All the tourists had either checked out of their hotels at 11 AM to drive back to Ohio and New Jersey or they had just arrived for a 3 PM check-in and were now looking for a place to eat their first all-you-can-eat seafood buffet of the week. The beach was always deserted on Sunday evenings. -
Back to the Ultimate Outsider Challenge
When Jenni and I purchased our state park pass in February 2021, we never imagined we would only be a third of the way through the forty-seven parks after two full years. Of course, in those two years we logged nearly 30,000 miles visiting another forty states. But it was time to get serious about checking off a few more South Carolina state parks.
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Miss B
There was a family reunion at her farm as well as other reunions in other places. I reminded her of the time Jenni and I were watching the Conway Christmas Parade and she drove an antique tractor down Main Street. (That’s the kind of Southern woman she is!) That brought whole new tales of the tractor club she and her husband had enjoyed. With each story she told, she would lovingly say “Thank you for reminding me of this memory.”
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Gut Punch
We just sat there, in the middle of a street hardly anyone would need to travel. We stared at the empty lot, trying to visualize where the sidewalk ran, where the steps began, and where the white picket fence once stood.
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