A day for gratitude

November 30, 2013--The sun is shining; it is cold outside. But our hearts are warm. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

We had much to be thankful for this year. My greatest thanks was that my husband not only survived his accident in May, but has healed. It was a miracle (in my book) that he did not die on May 23, when he fell from the roof of the RV. Now, here he is, again transporting us across the countryside, in good health.

Another of my thanks was to be with half of my family. My son is a source of great pride for me. He is following a passion to do some good in the world. We don't know where this will lead yet, and we may not see the fruits of his long labors for a period of time. But his thinking and his work have caused a change in how he sees the world. It's been a tough journey to this point, but who said life is easy?

I am thankful for Rob's wife Corky, who is a loving and supportive woman. We've known each other for around 18 years. I believe we are now good friends.

I am thankful for my grandchildren (all four of them). Each has his or her talents and blossoms on their personality. Campbell is effervescent and deep into her ice skating. Ben is a little wit and is thoroughly taken up with gymnastics. Maddie is a beautiful teenager/young woman, who absorbs what is going on around her with a quiet curiosity. And Jackson, full of energy, is astoundingly knowledgeable about computers and Ipads. I love them all with my whole heart.

We didn't do as much "tourist" stuff around Raleigh as we had planned, but we had a wonderful time.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant Rover,
Linda

Brrrr

November 27, 2013--Brrr...it's cold here in Raleigh! But I get ahead of myself.

We left Jacksonville on Monday and had a pleasant if not long (as always, about nine hours total) journey here. The previous day, Sunday, was u-g-l-y in Jacksonville--overcast with high winds. Fortunately, the skies cleared and the wind died down. We had no problems driving up here.

We arrived after dark. Our plan was to stay at the North Carolina State Fair Grounds, a hidden camping gem for RVers. Except for October (when the State Fair gears up), the State Fair Grounds offers more than 300 full hookup spots for a bargain price of $25/night. And best of all, it is only 5 miles from Rob's house!

No amenities, of course, but who cares? Camping is on a first-come basis. According to the security guard I had talked with a few days ago, he said there shouldn't be any problem getting a space this time of year. He said to call him when we got in.

I did that, and would you believe he called me by name? He had programmed his phone to accept my name! He met us, led us into the campground, and checked us in.

Again, we had a minor problem (we hope) with our electrical hookup. (Jim will check it out fully when we get home.) But not to worry: We have full electricity, water, and sewer. We are snug as a bug in a rug.

Good thing, too. Because it is darned cold! It is dropping to 22 degrees tonight. Jim will disconnect the water hose so that it won't freeze. Our heater and multiple blankets will keep us warm.

Tuesday we spent with Rob and Corky, just catching up. (The kids were in school.) Today, though, Corky, Maddie, Jackson, Jim and I spent the day at the North Carolina Museum of Science as well as the N.C. Museum of History. (Rob had work to do--the hazards of getting a business off the ground solo.) Good day. Everyone enjoyed the museums, especially the special exhibit of birds of paradise. (The museums were free! Just a small charge to see the special exhibit.)

 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I've brought everything with me for a gluten-free dinner, from the turkey to a cheesecake. Jack and I mixed up a pumpkin pie, which he and Corky baked in the pie shell I made a couple days ago.

We have a lot to be thankful for. I'm glad we are here. My family is glad, too.

Until later (and Happy Thanksgiving to you!),

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

Practice Makes Perfect

November 25, 2013--By George, I think we've got it!

By "it" I mean this packing up and going thing.

The first time we traveled in our RV (about three years ago), it took us quite a while to pack up and get going. And even with that, we forgot some essential things, such as pillows. I didn't let that happen again; I took a set of pillows and installed them as permanent fixtures  in the bedroom.

We also quickly learned that it would be best to let the RV have its own coffee pot, dishes, pots and pans, silverware, etc. Junior even has its own iron! (Not that it has been out of the box yet, but you never know.)

Our latest permanently installed items are two new litter boxes. Now we don't have to transport them every time we want to travel.

I think my goal is to duplicate everything in my house that I could possibly need on a trip. It would be great if we could each have an RV wardrobe so that we wouldn't have to pack clothes, but I don't think that will happen. However, because we have duplicated many of our basic needs (from sheets to toilet paper), when we took off this morning, we only had to pack perishable foods and the cats.

Xena and Charlie, surprisingly content with each other. 

 Forty-five minutes after getting up, we were on the way to Junior. And 90 minutes after arising, we were on the road. (It should be apparent to you that we did not have any lost-cat problems this trip. In fact, they came almost willingly. Almost, not quite.)


Like I said, I've think we've got it!

Until later,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

November 25, 2013--By George, I think we've got it!

By "it" I mean this packing up and going thing.

The first time we traveled in our RV (about three years ago), it took us quite a while to pack up and get going. And even with that, we forgot some essential things, such as pillows. I didn't let that happen again; I took a set of pillows and installed them as permanent fixtures  in the bedroom.

We also quickly learned that it would be best to let the RV have its own coffee pot, dishes, pots and pans, silverware, etc. Junior even has its own iron! (Not that it has been out of the box yet, but you never know.)

Our latest permanently installed items are two new litter boxes. Now we don't have to transport them every time we want to travel.

I think my goal is to duplicate everything in my house that I could possibly need on a trip. It would be great if we could each have an RV wardrobe so that we wouldn't have to pack clothes, but I don't think that will happen. However, because we have duplicated many of our basic needs (from sheets to toilet paper), when we took off this morning, we only had to pack perishable foods and the cats. Forty-five minutes after getting up, we were on the way to Junior. And 90 minutes after arising, we were on the road. (It should be apparent to you that we did not have any lost-cat problems this trip. In fact, they came almost willingly. Almost, not quite:>)

Like I said, I've think we've got it!

Until later,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

Home again

October 26, 2013, Jacksonville, Fla.--We're home.

This trip we put 906 miles on Junior. We traveled up to Atlanta, across Georgia to Augusta, across South Carolina to Charleston, and then back home to Jacksonville. 

We saw beautiful rolling countryside, antebellum mansions and plantations, and the Beach Boys. We drank Coca Cola soft drinks from around the world, ate Gullah cuisine, and mastered Atlanta's mass transit system. 

This trip we didn't drive on any levees, get stuck in sand dunes, or follow bad coordinates around an oxbow lake. 

We did learn that we could dry camp for a week on 100 gallons of water, our solar panels, and our generator. We also learned that we didn't miss TV too much. We did not take our satellite system, and the antenna failed to pick up many TV stations. Good books make good traveling companions. 

Our only real "excitement" resulted from two electrical electrical problems. One was a faulty GFI breaker in Junior; the other was a faulty breaker at the last RV park in South Carolina. These problems took away from our tourist time and were troubling for a while, but as usual, my husband was able to figure out what was wrong and fixed it. 

Our cats even became good travelers. Although Xena left unwanted "gifts" three times outside of the litter box, she and Charlie got along pretty well. They didn't hide; they found comfortable places to sleep while we traveled. Charlie even sat in my lap most of the time while we were driving.

We had a good trip. Even though we didn't go far, we saw a lot. We are even thinking about Georgia or South Carolina as possible places where we might relocate to. Time will tell on that issue.

All that said, I'm glad to be home. It is a beautiful evening here. Our little lake is still as a mirror, reflecting the setting sun. I've topped off the swim/spa and turned up the heat, so tomorrow I'll take a swim. And then I'll get ready to take my next trip--to Chicago. I leave Wednesday. The trip won't be as comfortable (I'm going by air), but I'll be seeing grandkids, and that will make up for the couple hours of discomfort in the cattle-car environment of the airplane.

Until later,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

Charleston: Mansions, slaves, and Gullah cuisine

October 25, 2013, Charleston, S.C.--Charleston, S.C., has been on my list of places to visit. Now I can say I have been there.

In some ways, Charleston reminded me of New Orleans, with its grand old homes, riverfront views, narrow streets, its history, and its traffic. Yes, traffic. For a city that isn’t really that big, Charleston has a real traffic problem.

Yesterday, while Jim was trying to solve another electrical problem (it turned out to be the RV park’s problem, not ours), I went into Charleston on my own. The day before, we had driven into the historic downtown area and gathered brochures at the Visitors Center, where we discovered that the city offers three free trolley car rides to tourists (as well as to residents). I intended to park in one of the public lots somewhere along one of the main streets (Meeting St. or King St.) and catch a trolley for an unguided tour.

The fountain in Battery Park was dyed pink in honor of breast cancer awareness.

I drove around for at least 30 minutes (maybe longer), looking for a place to park. Every lot was full. My dilemma reminded me of the last time I had gone into New Orleans before moving back to Indiana: I had wanted to take some final pictures, and drove into the city. Unfortunately, I could not find a parking place, so I gave up and went back home. I never did take any pictures of landmarks in New Orleans.

I didn’t give up so easily yesterday. Instead, I drove back to the Visitors Center and parked there. I caught the Green Line Trolley and rode it around until it arrived at Market St. I wandered the four blocks of open-air market buildings, which have stood there since 1807, bought some excellent pralines for dessert, and then re-caught the trolley and headed home.

The open-air market extends for four blocks and has stood in the same place since it was opened in 1807.

The old mansions in Charleston are quaint and beautiful. We noticed that many of the mansions face inward. We later learned that they were built with their front porches either facing west or south to catch the best sun as well as the sea breezes. 

A mansion whose front porches face inward rather to the street.

Jim and I are not “into” mansions and plantations, so we did not take a city tour. Instead, we took a Gullah Geechee Culture Tour.

Gullah (also known as Geechee) is a culture and a language spoken by the slaves who were brought to the area from Africa. This invented language is a hodgepodge of English and African languages. It is still spoken by some Gullah peoples who live on the barrier islands in South Carolina and Georgia, but it is a dying language and culture.

Our tour guide took us around the city and two of the barrier islands and explained slavery and the Gullah culture in Charleston. It was a very informative two and a half hours.

Slave quarters on one of the barrier island plantations.

A cemetery for blacks. This tombstone is for Porgy, upon whom the opera Porgy and Bess was based. His mother's tombstone is behind his. The cemetery began as a slave cemetery. However, slaves did not have tombstones.

The 1400-year-old Angel oak, which stands on land that was part of Abraham Waight's 1717 land grant. The tree is really probably about 400 years old. Legend has it that ghosts of slaves dance around the tree. 

After the tour finished, we found a Gullah restaurant the guide recommended. I had a Gullah specialty of rice, sausage, chicken, and shrimp. I would liken it to jambalaya, although the spices were different and it was not tomato-based. Jim had a seafood bisque with Gullah red rice (a spicy rice; Gullahs eat rice with all their meals). The lunch was typical low-country and excellent.

With lunch under our belts, we found Patriot’s Point, a park and sports complex area that is home to the USS Yorktown (a WWII aircraft carrier). We also found a memorial to South Carolinian submariners--a replica of a submarine with the sail (conning tower) and the rudder from two different boats.

USS Yorktown aircraft carrier

The submarine memorial In Patriots Point

Charleston has a lot of museums and is a repository of history. It is where the Civil War began, with the attack on Fort Sumter. If I were to come back, I think I would want to visit some of these museums. But for now, we passed on them.

Tomorrow we head on home.

It has been a good trip.

Until later,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

Augusta--Georgia and South Carolina

October 22, 2013, Augusta, Ga.--I’ve written Augusta, Ga., as my dateline, but in reality we are across the Savannah River in a small town called Beech Island, S.C. We found this RV park through Passport America, a membership group that gets us a 50% discount on RV park stays. I have to tell you, this has been the friendliest stay we’ve ever had.

Usually when you pull into an RV park, the first thing you do is check in at the office, give your name and perhaps some other information, and pay up front.

Not here.4

This is a small park, developed on someone’s home site many years ago. The owner lives on site. He met us as we pulled up and guided us to a spot to park our rig. After we got settled in, we had a nice conversation. I actually brought up payment! It was only $20--for two nights. Mind you, this is for full hookups: electric, water, and sewer.

Jim asked our host what there was to do around here. (We are five miles from Augusta, Ga., across the river.) We also asked about a good South Carolina barbecue place. He said he’d check out a couple of things and get back to us.

A couple hours later, the host knocked on our door. He handed Jim a bag of pecans (complimentary; he also has black walnuts for the asking), as well as several brochures his wife downloaded. This was very helpful. And how thoughtful!

Our first destination was just down the road from our RV park. It was the Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site. Unfortunately for us, the plantation house was not open for tours today. However, the park ranger gave us a very informative talk as she pointed out a number of artifacts housed in the visitor center.

The Redcliffe Plantation was built by James Henry Hammond, who had been a senator and governor of South Carolina. He was not an admirable man. He was someone who micromanaged everyone around him--and abused them. However, he kept meticulous records, and from his written records, a great deal is known about how slaves lived, ate, and were treated. He actually had written a job description for his slave overseers!

Our next stop was lunch. We found downtown Augusta, and drove down Broad Street where most of the retail stores and restaurants seem to be located (aside from shopping centers, of course). We ate at a Mexican restaurant where we shared a large plate of delicious nachos.

Our next tourist destination was the Augusta Canal, the only industrial canal still in use in the United States. Built in 1845, it harnesses the water of the Savannah River and powered the mills, which were built as the canal was finished. The canal is clean. Augusta’s drinking water comes from it. Along its banks is a wildlife refuge area. People kayak and canoe and fish along the 82 mile canal. We took an informative hour-long boat tour down the canal. For the price of a boat ride, we also were able to browse through the canal’s museum.

Down the Augusta Canal in a Petersburg boat replica. This type of boat carried goods (mostly cotton) and people down the canal to the Savannah River.

A now-closed mill. Today, because of the canal, it still generates $400K income, through electric power generation.

The smokestack of the Confederate Armory. This is all that remains of the armory, where all munitions were manufactured for the rebel troops.

The only lock on the canal.

The oldest bridge in Augusta, designed after bridges in Venice, Italy.

Wildlife (turtle) sunning in the canal. We also saw a river otter.

After the boat tour, we drove around a bit, just taking in Augusta. I looked on our GPS for other attractions and found one that said “Creighton Living History Park.” Curious, we decided to check it out. It was located in North Augusta, S.C., just across the river from Augusta.

This park had a number of original buildings, which apparently are manned by re-enactors at specific times. I’m sure the park is used as a learning tool by teachers and enjoyed by students. The old buildings were not open, but the park was open to stroll through. It was charming and peaceful, with its bubbling spring that ran throughout the area.

It was a full day, and a nice one. Tomorrow we are off to Charleston. (We decided to postpone a visit to Raleigh until possibly November.)

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,