Easin' Along

I had never visited Savannah, GA.  Helen (adorable wife) on the other hand, had been there a few times while on gal-pal trips to nearby Hilton Head Island and was eager to return. Therefore, when we planned our Bertha and the Beach road trip, we made certain that Savannah would be one of the stops. We were not overjoyed about leaving Parris Island and Beaufort, SC because we had a great experience while there, but it was time to hitch up Bertha and move on.

We made a reservation at River’s End Campground in Tybee Island, GA, an hour and a half drive from Parris Island and about 15 miles east of downtown Savannah.  We arrived in mid-afternoon and were met by the campground staff and escorted to our campsite. The check-in process was very efficient and we set up quickly.  It was a very humid afternoon. The temptation to sit inside Bertha with the air conditioning running was strong, but Helen was in a rush to see the ocean so, to the ocean we went.

Tybee Island beach is wide and very pretty.  There were not many people out, but it was late afternoon and most beachcombers had departed for the day.  I was able to take a few pictures of the Tybee Island Lighthouse, a historic landmark that was originally constructed in 1773.

We had made reservations for three nights at the campground and had planned to spend the second day of our visit on the beach and exploring Tybee.  However, as we got into the news on our first evening, there were some projections that Hurricane Irma, now looming in the Atlantic, had Savannah in its path. We changed our plans and decided that we would explore Savannah instead.  That was the right call; it was sprinkling rain when we got up the next morning.

The town of Savannah, GA is charming, beautiful, and, as Georgia’s oldest city, is steeped in history. Wanting to see it all, we booked a trolley tour sponsored by the Visitor’s Bureau that allowed us to get on and off at various stops along the way. The trolley was full when we left and our energetic young tour guide was as entertaining as he was knowledgeable. 

We passed through the historic district at our guide pointed out some of the notable landmarks such as Forsythe Park, the home of Girls Scout founder Juliet Gordon Low, and The First African Baptist Church.  When we arrived at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Helen and I got off the trolley to go inside.  The cathedral is stunning. The sanctuary is pictured here.

Soon, it was time for lunch and as we browsed through a gift shop we asked a manager where he liked to go for a good noon meal.  Without hesitating, his answer was Paula Deen’s restaurant, The Lady & Sons. “It’s real food and lots of it!” was his reasoning as he pointed us in the right direction. We found it easily and were sent to the elevator for our seats on the third floor.  This place was buzzing with activity. We were seated and chose the buffet primarily for the fried chicken and baked pork chips as well as the selection of green vegetables. Everything was well prepared and delicious and the dessert selection equally good. We could have taken a nap right there, but wanted to finish the tour. Back to the trolley stop, we went.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tour guide and trolley driver for the afternoon was a Mr. Hayes who had a sign on the back of his seat that declared him the “Conductor of the Year” for 2003.  He conducted the tour with well-rehearsed bits of information, punctuated with an abundance of one-liners that made for good entertainment.  We passed the Owens-Thomas House, built in 1819 and considered to be one of the finest examples of English Regency Architecture in America.

 

We also drove by the Pirate’s House where it is said that blood-thirsty pirates from the Seven Seas had gathered there since 1753 to drink their grog and share their exotic adventures while sailing from far off places like Bombay and Singapore. It is now operating as a restaurant.  We enjoyed the entire day tremendously, but it was time to go home and check on Bertha.

At the campground, there were many campers beginning to pack up and leave the area.  It seemed that Irma had chosen Savannah for a direct hit and campers were telling us that gas was getting scarce and the routes out of low-country Georgia were filling with Floridians. We checked with the campground staff and were told that evacuation was recommended, but not yet mandatory. Helen and I decided that since we would eventually be driving over the always congested North Carolina mountains to get home, that we would leave for Charleston in the morning and then on toward Knoxville early the day after. The winds were picking up.

That evening we made one last trip to the beach and watched while surfers took advantage of the heavy surf to catch waves.  They were very good, and the lovely beach made us want to stay even more, but common sense prevailed and we vowed to stick to the plan.

For dinner, we went to the highly recommended Crab Shack and it was awesome. The Crab Shack is basically an outdoor restaurant much like a covered porch.  The evening was hot and sticky, but every few minutes a fine mist was discharged from overhead piping and cooled the guests.  It was delightful.  Also, we enjoyed watching the many feral cats that hung around looking for a shrimp that might be tossed in their direction.

We chose Captain Crab’s Sampler platters of crabs, shrimp, crawfish, corn, potatoes, and sausage. The food was served quickly and served hot. It was perfect for our last evening at the beach. Outside the Crab Shack was a holding tank with live alligators. A few can be seen in the picture below…just look for the eerie eyes in the photo.

The next morning we were up and on the road early.  It was hard to leave a day early, but we knew it was better to be safe.  At the first service station, we topped off our gas tank but had to wait through a crowd of thirsty cars to do so.  Almost every car had Florida license tags.

Ultimately we made it home although by that time Irma had shifted to the western coast of Florida and was more of a heavy rain event when it hit Savannah.  Nevertheless, we still believed that with the information we were given, leaving early was the prudent thing to do.

Amid all of the history lessons we received in Savannah, the lesson we received most loudly was that Savannah and Tybee Island are beautiful places to visit. A great beach and wonderful food are the things we thrive on and we eagerly look forward to a return trip in the future.

We had a wonderful time on our Bertha and the Beach trip. Thanks for coming along with us. We hope to see you again soon as we go Easin’ Along the retired road.

We knew it would happen, but it happened sooner rather than later.

In April of this year, after we returned from our trip across the country in a rented RV (Sherman), we purchased a travel trailer that we named Bertha.  Both Helen (adorable wife) and I agreed that the laid-back RV lifestyle was something that we both enjoyed enough to want to pursue it further. We love traveling, seeing new places, and being outdoors as much as possible.  We enjoyed planning our cross country excursion as well as the anticipation of making the trip.  For future trips, we would have the privilege of using the wonderful (and inexpensive) campgrounds on military bases throughout the country and, finally, we felt that traveling by RV would be a great way to stay active during our “Golden Years”.

We found Bertha on the lot at Camping World. She had been used, but well cared for by her previous owners. Bertha was a small trailer (16’) but had all the essentials for comfortable travel such as a bathroom, queen bed, refrigerator, microwave, sofa, a television, and air-conditioning. Being small and previously owned meant that we did not have to make a large investment while making certain that RV travel was “our thing”. It didn’t take long to decide that this was meant for us.

We took a couple of short trips at first to get the hang of our new trailer. In Nashville, we met some very nice people that we enjoyed getting to know and we loved sitting by the lake and having the time to relax. In Cherokee, NC we discovered a small campground by a beautiful creek that has become our favorite “go to” place, and we have returned twice since the first visit. Helen enjoyed decorating and equipping Bertha with small appliances, bedspreads, space-saving organizers, and the like and did a great job with all of it.

I had fun outfitting Bertha with gear although she didn’t require much more than a Coleman Roadtrip XLE portable grill…oh, and a Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi to pull her around. Sophie, my Dodge Dakota got the job done, but she was at the outer limits of her pulling capacity. Sophie was traded for Bert and I became a happy camper.

After three short trips, we decided that we were ready to take Bertha on an extended journey. We made reservations at several campgrounds and state parks along the coast of North and South Carolina and extending to Tybee Island, GA near Savannah. This trip would run for a little over three weeks. The trip was a large amount of fun and only served to increase our enthusiasm for the RV lifestyle, but one thing did become apparent to us…we wanted a larger RV.

Our original plan was to keep Bertha for a year in order to determine the features we wanted in an RV and then decide if we needed to upgrade. We saw a lot of trailers on our trip that had some really nice features and even got somewhat nosey about asking if we could see inside some of the trailers around us. We learned a lot and met a bunch of great people along the way who were willing to put up with us and our questions. Helen and I settled on the features that were “must-haves” if we were to trade Bertha for something else. We both wanted space for at least two grandchildren on future trips. We felt that we needed a larger refrigerator. More sitting space on the days that rain or heat (or bugs) forced us indoors would be nice. Helen demanded two items–plenty of windows and a large bathroom with a vanity. I agreed to all of that, but didn’t want to increase the size to the point that I couldn’t pull it with Bert…another truck was out of the question.

While staying at Kure Beach, we met a nice couple who owned a 24-foot trailer that they pulled using a Ford F-150 with less pulling power than Bert.  We didn’t go inside his trailer, but I did look up the floor plan online. That started the ball rolling.  Over the next few weeks of our trip, we looked over many floor plans and found several to our liking. We agreed that once we returned home we would just go out and look around. Once again, with the help of the internet, I scoured the local dealerships and found several with the models and floor plans that we were interested in and printed off those plans.  Three days after returning home we visited those dealers.

The first visit was to look over a previously owned trailer with a very attractive price. The floor plan was great, but not enough windows. At the second dealership, no one came out to greet us so we walked around on our own and couldn’t spot the model we were interested in. By this time, we were a little tired, but since we would be passing Tennessee RV, the third dealership on our list, we agreed to look around. I had spoken with one of their salesmen earlier in the week and I asked for him when we arrived.

Kelly was in the lobby and greeted us with a warm smile.  I showed him a printout of a model we liked and he took us right to it. It had everything we wanted—big windows, including one in the rear next to a spacious sitting area; a nice, large refrigerator; a very roomy bathroom with a vanity; a couch that folded out to a bed large enough for a grandchild, and a dinette that also made a bed; two televisions, plus an air-conditioner and an electric awning. At 22 feet and only a thousand pounds more than Bertha, we could tow it with Bert easily.  Kelly walked out of the trailer and I took one look at Helen…this was it.

Among the many things we learned during our research was that the time to buy trailers was in the fall when camping season slowed somewhat, but we had agreed that we would wait a year before buying another trailer.  Sometimes the best-laid plans have to be altered.  We went back to the office and negotiated the purchase.  Three days later Bertha would be traded for Betty. Less than a week later we were back at our favorite Cherokee campground to get acquainted.  Helen’s smiles below say it all.

Easin’ Along the retired road just got a little more comfortable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: Helen and I both agree that our experience with Kelly Cubbedge, Roger Sellers, and Nancy Harvey, as well as everyone at Tennessee RV, was one of the most pleasant sales experiences we have ever had.  They were wonderful to deal with and we left certain that we were treated fairly and that they truly cared about our business. I would recommend Tennessee RV to anyone.

After leaving the beautiful surroundings of Huntington Beach State Park in Murrell’s Inlet, SC we went Easin’ Along to the south to our next destination, the Marine Training Center at Parris Island, SC. We were looking forward to exploring the installation as well as nearby Beaufort, SC.

We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and although we made it shortly before the check-in time of 2:00 pm, the office closed at noon. We were assigned to campsite nine when we made reservations several months earlier and found it with no problem. To our delight, the campsite was adjacent to the shower and bathroom facility and we had it pretty much to ourselves. The other eight RV’s in the camp were either unoccupied or so large that the occupants showered in their RV.  Bertha’s shower is a little tight for someone 6’4” and I use campsite showers whenever possible.

After a run to the commissary and Exchange for a few essentials, we set out to explore the Marine Base a bit. My first impression of Parris Island is that for a military installation, it certainly is a scenic one. There are vast stretches of the marsh with birds soaring overhead, much like Huntington Beach.  It was near the end of the day and the setting sun over the marsh offered a lovely view. Back at campsite nine, I prepared a simple dinner of hot dogs and grilled onions and Helen (adorable wife) set up her puzzle table and went to work.  I settled into Bertha and watched my Tennessee Volunteers squeak out an overtime win over Georgia Tech.

On Sunday morning we decided to do some exploring away from the Marine base.  Helen had written postcards to the grandchildren so our first mission was to locate a post office as we drove off the base.  We didn’t find the post office but we did encounter hundreds of Marines assembling for a day of training. I grabbed my camera and jumped out into the street to take pictures of these dedicated young people. My eyes were drawn to a platoon of female trainees marching to class.  They were erect, in step, with eyes forward, and filled with purpose.  No could watch them without feeling a sense of pride and deep gratitude for their service.

Helen had done her usual research and determined that our destination for the day would be Hunting Island State Park Beach, about 45 minutes away.  Our route would also take us through the town of Beaufort where we planned to catch a meal on our return to Parris Island. I was ready for some shrimp and grits.

The campground at Hunting Island was located right on the beach.  Since this was Labor Day weekend, the campground was full, but we made a mental note that this would be a good place to camp on a future visit. An overnight storm was creating some water problems in the area so we quickly passed through the campground office for some brochures and drove on toward the beach.

Hunting Island Beach was as busy as the campground, and we were fortunate to find a place to park. After purchasing a pass we took the camera and made the short walk through the woods to the beach.  The day was a bit muggy and buggy, but the scenic walk made everything bearable. Huge live oak trees covered with resurrection ferns filled the forest as did low-lying palm fronds.  I’m glad I had a camera.

When we reached the beach I was struck by the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew the year before.  There were uprooted trees scattered all over the sand as if they had been plucked up and discarded by a giant hand. Even more interesting was how beach visitors were using the trees. One family found the root ball useful for a canopy, while another visitor used a tree as a balance beam. Helen and I walked the beach for a while looking for shells, but soon succumbed to the heat and the bugs and decided that it might be best if we found a cool place for lunch.  The road back led us to the Foolish Frog in Beaufort.

This charming restaurant was recommended by our friend Mary, a Beaufort native, as her favorite place. The parking lot was full (always a good sign) so I found a place across the street and we settled in.  The host led us to our seats beside the Bloody Mary buffet and pointed out that the days special was Oysters, Crawfish, Shrimp, and grits. It didn’t take long for me to decide.  Helen had a meal of Crab Cake Eggs Benedict. Both selections were delicious.  The grits concoction was full of flavor and the crawfish were cooked to perfection. This was a lot of food, but I had little trouble finishing it off.

On Monday we were off to meet our friend Mary for a day of learning the history of Beaufort.  Mary’s knowledge of the history of Beaufort is unequaled and made for a fascinating tour of South Carolina’s second oldest city, founded in 1711. We met her at her charming home on the marsh to begin our tour.

Beaufort has done much to preserve its history and historical structures and we began our tour along some of the older streets and homes as Mary gave us a detailed of many of them including the home of Robert Smalls, civil war hero and first black congressman from South Carolina. Our tour took us by a home named the Castle, a large beautiful antebellum that was used as a hospital during the civil war.  Helen and I stayed in this home with a group of friends about five years ago.  At that time it was owned by the brother of someone in our group.  Supposedly the house is haunted by ghosts of the hospital’s deceased, but we never met any of them.

We passed the home where Pat Conroy wrote some of his novels as well as the locations where movies such as The Big Chill, Forest Gump, The Prince of Tides, and The Great Santini were filmed. The old homes are stunningly well preserved and the Spanish Moss that surrounds them adds a touch of the low country to each.  We ended our day confident that we were now better educated than before we arrived. Our day also ended with another visit to the Foolish Frog followed by a trip to Beaufort’s famous Chocolate Tree for some awesome dark chocolate.

 

 

We gave Mary a big hug for being so incredibly generous with her time and her incredible history tour then waved goodbye. Unfortunately, our time in Beaufort and Parris Island was nearing an end. The next day we would drive south toward Savannah and Tybee Island, GA. Once again, we’re Easin’ Along.