I liked our bike ride at Clam Creek to Driftwood Beach so much yesterday; I decided to take my walk along the same route today. It was a sunny and glorious morning!
Wading birds roosting in the trees along the path.
We packed our lunch and drove the Jeep around the perimeter of the island. We saw these beautifully restored historic cottages.
We stopped at several beaches to get out and walk.
We biked through the Village Square shopping area but we didn’t stop and shop.
I was tired and so we went back to rest.
Tim took his bike out again late this afternoon and went for a long ride. He called me to get him!
We grilled shrimp and tortillas and had guacamole and sweet papaya as well.
Jekyll Island is really a great place to stay and I wish we could be here longer…but it is moving day again tomorrow!
Happy Birthday Andrea! We hope that you have the very best day!
I took my morning walk along a dirt road that led to the Jaycee Park where there was a nice walking path.
Today was moving day again. When we altered our plans, we had to put together a patchwork plan. We were off to Jekyll Island for a two-night stay. It was only 100 miles. We stopped for some groceries and then when we realized we were still going to be too early for our 2pm check-in, we stopped at the Golden Isles Rest Area.
We arrived at our campground and within 30 minutes, we were on our bikes, exploring.
We began at the Clam Creek Pier.
We rode on to Driftwood Beach. We saw dolphins right away. They were fairly close and coming out of the water in beautiful arcs.
I walked for a while with Tim but then I just wanted to sit and watch the water. He walked on and we were both happy.
We watched the wedding of a young couple.
What a gorgeous day in a gorgeous place. I am already looking forward to biking more tomorrow!
It rained hard for much of the night. There was still light rain this morning. I got a later start than I usually do. I was determined not to get wet today. At last, the sun made an appearance and I got ready to go.
I took a morning walk in the community surrounding the campground. There are so many sweet little beach cottages. This is a very quirky and cool little island!
We took our bikes and found the bike route to the other end of Tybee. We stopped at the Back River fishing Pier.
We hopped back onto our bikes and rode to Inlet Avenue. We left our bikes and walked along the beach.
The wind picked up and the sky began to darken. We decided to get back to the RV before the rain began. There was a little bit of spit but soon the sun was out again. 69 degrees and mostly sunny!
I tried to get my morning walk done. As soon as I began, the rain started. It was a gentle rain. I did a lap or two in the campground and then went back for a raincoat. I did another lap or two as the rain increased in intensity. I went back to get an umbrella. It rained even harder and when my shoes and pantlegs were soaked…I QUIT!!!
I drove to the grocery for a few items while Tim finished his workout.
We packed the RV and the bikes and dumped tanks. We were on the move today. We had only a one-hour ride to Tybee Island. We arrived by lunchtime.
After lunch, we took the bikes and cycled to North Beach. We locked the bikes and went for a long walk beside the ocean.
Royal terns.
Coopers hawk.
This evening, we went to Salt Island Fish and Beer for dinner. We shared some she crab soup, some brussels, some mussels and some elote. I left my wallet in my bike bag in the RV. Tim had left his wallet in the RV as well. We scrounged through our pockets and came up with enough cash to pay the bill but we were short the tip. I remembered that I had $20.00 in the console of the Jeep! Perfect!
I donned Tim’s bright yellow raincoat and set off on my morning walk. It was amazing to me that although it had been raining for several hours, the canopy of trees is so dense that there were still dry patches on the pavement. It did stop raining while I was out.
I stumbled upon small pond where I found three birds hunting in the water; a great egret, a snowy egret, and a wood stork. I had fun watching them and taking pictures. They took off one by one to roost in the treetops.
I walked the gravel trail along the park road.
It wasn’t a very nice day to play outside. We tried riding our bikes but it was chilly and raw and spitting rain.
We decided to venture into Savannah and go to the movie theater. We saw Killers of the Flower Moon. Martin Scorsese directed the film. He spoke on camera before the showing. He talked about how the crew worked very hard with the Osage Indian Tribe and with historians to tell the story as accurately as possible. In the 1920’s, at least 20 Native Americans and probably more than 100, were killed in Osage County, Oklahoma. Oil was found on reservation land and the Osage Indians became very wealthy. Neighboring ranchers became greedy and carried out plots to inherit the oil headrights. This movie was an intense 3 1/2 hour sobering tale of murder and avarice. Another chapter in our nation’s history dictated by materialism, self righteousness, and selfishness. This was a moving and powerful story.
We grabbed dinner on the way back to the campground. The movie stayed with us and we had lots to talk about. It really made us think.
School pictures; Oliver second grade and Austin kindergarten…sure to bring you smiles.
What a peaceful place to take my morning walk! I planned at walk the Sandpiper Trail. There was a notice saying that a bridge was out on the trail but I figured I would walk as far as I could. I didn’t get very far at all. The trail was flooded!
I finished my walk on the paved roads in the campground. I love the tall live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss and the low growing palmettos.
We drove to the nearby Publix for fresh water. We also bought mangoes, papaya, beets, figs, snap peas, and avocadoes. As I out our groceries on the conveyor, I thought that we had purchased an unusual combination of foods!
At lunchtime, we packed our bike bags and rode the rough trail back out to the observation tower. We enjoyed our picnic but because it was windy, we didn’t climb to the top.
Tiny crabs skittered in the sand beneath the raised boardwalk.
This is the remainder of a shell midden. Hundreds of years ago, this area was inhabited by Native American peoples. One of the main components of their diet was oysters. They discarded their shell into great piles or middens. These middens leach calcium into the ground. This allows plants to grow in the less acidic soil. Often, cedar trees will thrive near middens.
We biked the remainder of the Big Ferry Trail because we enjoyed it so much yesterday.
We rested for a while this afternoon and then took our bikes and rode from the campground and into the surrounding neighborhood. This is a very ritzy area, with lovely large homes and beautiful churches. The bike path was marked with NO TRESSPASSING signs at several of the gated communities, forcing us to turn around.
It was cloudy and windy today. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for a chance of rain. We will see what the new day brings!
I walked the commercial parking lots while Tim did his yoga and strength workouts. We left Lumberton at about 8am.
We shortly crossed into South Carolina and then a couple of hours later, we were in Georgia. We did not expect to be so far south so quickly.
We arrived at Skidaway State Park in early afternoon. We rested and then we took our bikes and cycled through the park. The trails are hardpacked sand, albeit with lots of live oak roots, and we rode through the woods.
We biked to the overlook tower where we had expansive views of the tidal marsh along the Skidaway Narrows.
Cool neon orange fungus.
We saw no gators although they are known to live in the slough ponds here. We saw no bobcats either. Nor did we see dolphin in the river. We did see lots of squirrels still hustling to horde acorns.
I was prepping dinner when Tim caught sight of this beautiful buck walking across the road and into our site.
Rain and wind persisted throughout the night. We were lashed by driving sideways rain and the wind was howling with wind speeds at 25mph.
When Tim looked at the weather forecast for the Outer Banks, it showed rain and high winds until Friday. UGHHH…what a nasty forecast! We had planned to hang out in Hatteras for several days and then we wanted to take the ferry to Ocracoke. Now what? We were disappointed but it was not worth staying at the beach if we were not going to be able to enjoy it.
We decided to drive inland and head south on 95. While Tim drove, I was looking at forecasts for Edisto and Hunting Island. I was also searching for campsites. I finally found a site at Skidaway State Park beginning on Monday.
As we approached Fayetteville, the rain stopped and we had a few glimpses of sunlight. By the time we arrived in Lumberton, it was warmer and we had actual sunshine.
We parked for an overnight at the Lumberton Walmart and we are looking forward to being near Savannah!
I took another walk around the Cherrystone Campground before we continued our journey.
We began the day with a trip to the Cape Charles Farmers Market. We found a nice fresh loaf of sourdough bread.
We continued down Highway 13 and filled the RV with diesel fuel…only 3.99 a gallon!!! Tim drove through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
We stopped in Virginia Beach to go to the Office Max. I really hate doing stupid things. The first day in Cape Charles, I intended to work on the blog. I searched everywhere for the power cord for my laptop. There are not that many places it could have been. We live in a really small space and it is important to put things away; where they belong. I just could not find the charger. I thought I remembered using it in Kyle and Allison’s house. Apparently it had been laying in their living room for days. Life on the road has a few disadvantages. There was no place for me to receive mail. I did finally google how to charge a laptop without a power cord. I was able to use our power bank. It was however painfully slow. This was not a sustainable solution. I chose to get a USB C charger. I took it out into the RV in the parking lot and plugged it into the laptop…BINGO! Now I have a way to charge!!! Sometimes it is the little things!
We drove another hour or so into North Carolina and to Morris Farms. We always stop here. Today we got some cider and a few stocking stuffers.
While we were driving, I worked online to get a Off-road Vehicle Permit and a Beach Fire Permit. We stopped at Bodie Island Visitor Center and got our maps and paper copies.
We arrived at Oregon Inlet at around three in the afternoon just as the first raindrops fell.
We rested while it rained. At 4pm we let air out of the Jeep tires and took a ride on the beach.
Nice hot tomato soup with salad and crusty sourdough bread was a perfect end to a good day.
1044 November 10, 2023 Kiptopeke and Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge
I took a morning walk in the campground. It was 57 degrees but the sky was leaden and there was a bit of wind that made it kind of nippy! I did 2.25 miles.
We packed the cooler and drove the Jeep to Kiptopeke State Park. We walked the pier and then walked 2 miles along the bay.
Before we left Atlanta, Austin gave each Tim and I a lovey. We were to take them with us and sleep with them and then we were instructed to bring them back in December when he will give us each new lovies to take. We thought it might be fun for the lovies to go adventuring with us. We sent this picture to Austin today.
We took the Jeep to the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. We had our breakfast and then got on our bikes.
We had a nice headwind and it was chilly. We really missed the sunshine today! I did 3 miles before turning back. Tim continued another two miles to the end of the paved bike trail. We both had a nice gentle push from behind and the tailwind really helped on the way back!
We enjoyed some quiet time this afternoon.
We headed back to Cape Charles to The Shanty for dinner. Friday is date night!
