Stephen Foster State Park (Okeefenokee Swamp) - Fargo, GA

The morning started out with a short hike, and the realization that the clinky noises we were hearing were coming from the rear hubcap which was in need of a few pop-rivets.  With our maintenance issue resolved, we headed out.  At lunch, we tried our first Crock-pot meal on wheels, a slow cooker meal in the sink, with the lid well secured.

Stephen Foster State Park was a place we visited four years ago, we had a memorable canoeing experience.  This time, we decided to rent a small motor boat instead, hoping that we could go a little further in the limited time that we had.  Unlike last time which was fairly cold, and mostly bird watching, this time we saw hundreds of alligators swimming all around us.  So first of all, the mandatory life jacket did not seem the most critical item if I accidentally fell overboard.  Second, there is no way I that I wanted to take a tippy canoe anywhere near this place.  Beautiful, yet exhilarating is the way I would describe it.

Santee State Park (Cypess View Campground) - Santee, SC

Santee SP, SC

Our first day out on our Jubilee Trip (I googled it and Jubilee can be anything special - not necessarily 50 years - in our case our fifth year).  Today was the “get out of Dodge day.”  Deb is okay with long days as long as she has some warning.  This was a 420 mile day, all interstate driving but non the less a fairly long day.  Fortunately for me, the campsite was in a gorgeous park, and right next to Lake Marion (site 39).  On arriving, Deb said we should do this again!  Either I brought the wrong wife, or my dasdardly plan worked!

We are breaking in a new rug for our patio area.  The rug that survived several years at the Bay School and then four years on the road finally gave into a burning mosquito coil last year.  We are also breaking in a couple of solar panels, we check them every so often to make sure they are still there. So far, so good.

Tomorrow, we plan on taking a short hike before heading out to the Okeefenokee Swamp.  This year we are trying out a tiny crock-pot that we can put in the sink while driving,  Tomorrow night, we will be having Brunswick Stew (in Georgia) or peanut butter sandwiches depending on how things go. And maybe boiled peanuts!

Jubilee Trip (2018)

We are all packed and ready for our last cross country RV trip.  The plan is to end the trip just before Father's Day and visit with family for a few days before heading home.

Comfort Suites - Lumberton, NC

It’s our last night out.  The drive has been in the rain the entire day, and tomorrow is suppose to be more rain...we are thankful that it’s not snow!  Dinner at the Outback, again...with Drex waiting patiently for his piece of prime rib.

All in all, a great trip.  It was a little cool, with temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s.  Will we do it again?...only the blog can tell!

Jekyll Island State Park - Jekyll Island, GA (2)

Driftwood Beach

So just for context, Jekyll Island IS the State Park...the whole thing, taken by eminent domain in 1947.  The campground is a money maker by packing in as many RV’s as possible.  For day two, we rented a couple of bicycles and circumnavigated pretty much the entire island.  The trail winds all through the island, sometimes on the beach, sometimes in the woods,  and sometimes next to alligator infested waters.

Cottage in the Historic District

Close to the end of the trip, we biked through the historic district, with 6,000 sq ft “cottages,” and an interesting old hotel that has been restored.  Deb pulled lame as we were passing the cafe and bar at the end of the pier, so we stopped to resuscitate her with a glass of Chardonnay.  It got her almost back to the RV, but I thought I might have send Drex out with a cask hanging from his collar, to get her the last few yards.

The Wharf Bar & Grill

Back at the RV, we are dealing with our new “free range” eating.  We have learned that laying hens don’t necessarily make the tenderest meat, and at $13/lb there may be a different solution in our future.  We had chicken and root stew (after boiling for 40 minutes, the chicken was more tender)
Then we watched “Pacific Rim!”

Tomorrow, the Comfort Suites in Lumberton, our last night before home.

Jekyll Island State Park - Jekyll Island, GA

We have been doing two night stays at each campground on this trip.  So on the travel day, we stop along the way for something interesting.  Today it’s the Butterfly Rainforest, part of the University of Florida in Gainesville (Go Gators).

There is a small visitor parking lot ($4) next to the exhibit, but there are two problems, 1) we are too big to fit in the lot and 2) the lot is full.  While the attendant is focused on the first problem, I am more focused on the second.  Finally she directs us to another lot a few blocks away.  We make it over to the other lot which has exactly the same two problems.  Across the street is a Hampton Inn hotel and convention center which has neither problem. A short visit to the front desk gets us permission to spend an hour or two for free.  Thanks Hampton Inn, we owe you one!  

The butterflies are amazing, there are hundreds of them, many of them quite exotic, plus a few birds and lots of bromeliads and ferns.  We also saw where they hatch the butterflies for the exhibit, and where they pin them to boards for archival.

Back to the RV for a quick lunch, and off to Jekyll Island.  It’s Friday night and that means we go out to dinner.  The Driftwood Bistro is only a mile away, but because it’s getting dark we drive, found a little parking spot pretty close.  Had a great dinner at the bar, eavesdropping all the way.  I had scallops in a lemon sauce, Deb had a burger.

Tomorrow we plan to bike around part of the island.

Manatee Springs State Park - Chiefland, FL (2)

Day two, and still no outdoor furniture.  It was cold enough for our warm coats.  We walked the dog around the park and saw the campers all huddled around the little cafe they have at the Springs. Seemed strange, must be something there...ah ha...Internet. Bunches of people holding phones or typing at their laptops.  Once Drex was exercised, we dropped him off to take a short walk at something faster than the geriatric pace that Drex sets.  A short boardwalk led to a short path which led to a longer path, which led to a “ScenicTrail.”  It was a lovely walk, but we finally turned back, with no particular “Scenic Trail” stuff ever discovered.

Small alligator on shore

After lunch, we went canoeing.  This has been on Deb’s must-do list since we came here in 2015. With a brief trip down the Manatees Spring Stream (the spring produces over one million gallons of water a day, so the current is pretty fast), we were on the Swanee River, actually “way down upon the Swanee River!”  We paddle against the mild current and the wind for about an hour until we were well upstream of the campground, turned around and Huck Finned our way back.

At the mouth of the stream there were at least a hundred buzzards up in the trees.  The water was so clear that Deb saw a 4’ catfish... “How big Deb? “.... “Honest, it was this big!  On the shore was a small alligator, maybe 3’ long, honest!

Back to the RV for some BBQ, and a good Doctor Who episode.  Tomorrow, the Butterfly Rainforest in Gainesville, and then to Jekyll Island, our last campground on the way home.