The thought of sea breezes, soft sand, the sound of the ocean, and sensational seafood was more than we could stand. Helen had some time between treatment, and my mom was much better, and in a good place, so we went for it. It was time to take a trip to the beach. We left Knoxville last Wednesday.
We spent the first night at Weston Lake, an Army Campground on Fort Jackson. That stop is a five-hour drive from home, which is about my limit for one day of driving. Around ten the next morning, we were on the road again to reach Huntington Beach State Park at the check-in time of 2:00 pm. Our timing was perfect, and we arrived a few minutes past two.
Huntington Beach is in Murrell’s Inlet, SC, an area famous for its seafood between the beach towns of Myrtle Beach and the very popular Pawley’s Island. This state park is perfect for beach-loving RVers, and last-minute reservations are difficult to come by. We scanned the website for availability. The best we could do was obtain a seven-night stay using three different campsites—not ideal, but we were up for it.
After leaving Fort Jackson, Helen rechecked the website, hoping to find a cancellation that opened a site, reducing our number of moves. She found one and immediately called the Park reservation center. Bob answered the phone and was extremely helpful. By moving our reservations around, Bob made it possible for us to stay the first two nights at campsite 24 and the following five nights at campsite 68. Both sites are large, shaded, and a short walk from the beach.
We set up quickly at campsite 24, then did our favorite thing—took a long nap. After the rest, I was eager to walk the beach. Sunset was near, and I wanted to take advantage of the lighting conditions with my camera in hand. We walked out at low tide. Fresh salt air greeted us.
The pictures above and below are from our first afternoon and illustrate well that everything we came for (except seafood) was right in front of us.
The marsh which protects Huntington Beach is a bird sanctuary and is home to many species of waterfowl and sea birds. Helen and I walked the boardwalk through the marsh on our first morning. The tide was receding, and birds scampered through the sand and the mud in search of minnows and small crabs. I captured several birds in flight.
We’ll have more to report in our next post. The weather forecast looks promising, and we will take every opportunity to soak up the beauty surrounding us. Oh, a seafood platter would be lovely too!
One more thing…
A few days before we left Knoxville, we enjoyed a visit from Mary and Alan, who were passing through Knoxville on an RV trip through the south and southwest. Many bloggers are familiar with Mary and her blog Reflections Around the Campfire, a very well-written blog detailing their love of and travel to the State and National Parks throughout the country. We had a delightful time together and hope to have the chance to meet again in the future.
We’re Easin’ Along.
Joe, a week at the beach sounds about right. Glad you were able to rearrange your reservations to something a bit more manageable. I hope you get your seafood platter!
Suzanne,
Everything worked out perfectly, including the weather. We got our seafood platter last night…fresh, tasty (and fried, but don’t tell anybody). Have a great week! Joe
Sound like a gorgeous location
! Hope you get to eat outside at Chive Blossom! And get whole friend okra (not on menu but they’ll always do it) at 217 Bistro.
Hi, Carolyn,
We went to Pawley’s yesterday to meet some great friends from the old neighborhood. We’ll return but can’t decide whether to go to Chive for lunch or Frank’s for dinner. Great options either way!
I love the way you can just go.
It looks beautiful and I know you will enjoy it. Have some seafood for me!!!
Good afternoon, Ann,
The next time we come, we’ll have to bring you along. I’m certain you’re well suited for the RV lifestyle. Have your guard up, however–it’s addicting! We’re into seafood for the rest of the week. Thanks for checking in! Joe
Wow, fabulous, Joe…I do miss the beach at times. Gorgeous images you shared, everyone looks great! I’m embarking on a road trip to Portland, OR this week to meet up with some bloggers. Enjoy that fresh salt air.
Good morning, Terri,
I’m sure you’re looking forward to your meetup, and I’m looking forward to reading about it. Have a safe trip and thanks for checking in! Joe
Makes us wish we were at the beach as well!
Good morning,
Sitting by the sea is a pretty good gig!
Joe, your beach photos are gorgeous! It makes me feel peaceful just looking at them. I’m so glad you were able to get a week at the campground. We’ve had a couple of week-long stays on this trip where we had to move mid-week, and it wasn’t too bad. I like those short trips, LOL.
I hope you’ll decide you need a beach fix in the fall or winter…I know just the place. And I happen to know they have availability for friends. :-)) Oh, and how fun that you got to meet up with Mary and Alan!
Good morning, Laurel,
Short trips…that’s a good one, LOL! We found a great seafood market and enjoyed fresh Snapper on the grill; it was fabulous. We’re still here and loving it. Mary and Alan are a delightful couple. We really enjoyed meeting them. Hope you and Eric have a great trip. Looking forward to reading all about it. We’re working on our winter beach fix–save us a spot!
Joe, Alan and I had such a delightful time with you and Helen! Thank you for your warm welcome and charming company! We’re certainly looking forward to the next time our paths cross. And we were happy to hear your mom is doing better – that’s good news, for sure.
We had never been to Huntington Beach State Park until this spring, and I fell in love with it. Your photos are captivating, and you captured all of what’s best about the Park. Enjoy your downtime – and your seafood! (SO envious!)
Hi, Mary,
Even though our time together was short, Helen and I enjoyed it enormously. Hopefully, we will meet again. We’re on our second visit to Huntington Beach and having a wonderful time. It’s a bit warm, but the breeze on the beach is perfect for early morning strolls. I caught fish yesterday, and we enjoyed fresh Snapper last night. All in all, things are going swimmingly! I hope you and Alan are doing well. Send me a text and let us know where y’all are now. Safe travels. Joe
Hi, Joe – Your week at the beach sounds like it was perfect. I am glad that your Mom was well enough for you to travel and that Helen has been feeling well.
I am also glad that you mentioned that your location. About two weeks ago I swear that I saw Helen at a casino in Las Vegas. Good thing that I didn’t go and introduce myself! 😀
Good morning, Donna,
As much as Helen would have loved to be in Vegas and to meet up, it wasn’t her. That would have been fun. I hope your casino visit was as fruitful as her last experience because she did well. Sadly, our beach trip is passing quickly, and we leave tomorrow. We’re already counting the days until our next trip in a month. Always great to hear from you…I have a dish I want to post for an upcoming “What’s On Your Plate?” Have a great weekend!