1298 October 27, 2025 Savannah Charm

Tim was awake very early.  I heard him get up but it was still dark outside.  I rolled over and went back to sleep.  I woke up after 8am.  It was grey and misty.  It has rained during the night and the forecast was for rain today.  Tim got all of his stretching done and he went to the gym.  He returned and e left for his walk.  I was slow moving but I finally got out there to walk.  I didn’t finish because it began to rain…just a little at first and then it really rained.  I had no umbrella.  I got wet! I tried to take shelter on the porch of the police department.

This hawk was hunting in the dunes.

The squirrels scrambled about in the branches of the live oak tree above our site.  The acorns ping against the roof at regular intervals.  Tim thinks that maybe the squirrels are collecting the acorns and carrying them back up into the tree to drop them again.  At night, the squirrels settle and the pinging becomes occasional.

We wanted to drive to Savannah today but there was drenching rain for much of the morning.  I looked up stuff to do in Savannah on a rainy day.  Because it was Monday, our options were limited.  We decided to drive into the city anyway and we took our raincoats and umbrellas.

It took a little while to find parking.  We walked toward the riverfront.  We love historic Savannah.  It is a city full of parks with fountains and huge old trees dripping with Spanish moss.  There are beautiful old buildings.  Many of the streets are cobblestone, made of the stones used as ballast in the ships that came here from Europe.  The red bricks that were used to construct many of the old houses were fashioned here in Savannah with sand from the shore and red Georgia clay.  The riverfront area has lots of shopping and dining choices.  We walked for a long time, wandering through the market place, along the river, and in and out of shops.  There was some intermittent drizzle but not enough to stop us.  We stopped for a late lunch at Huey’s and it rained while we enjoyed our meals.  The rain had abated by the time we were ready to walk back to the Jeep.

Tim saw this woman having trouble negotiating the steep and slippery steps. He ran to assist. The other day, he helped a young mother carry her baby in the stroller down the steps in Charleston. He is always quick to step up and help…a gentleman!

We had a nice afternoon…better than we thought! 

This evening was damp and chilly. We had a small snack for our dinner. Then, I sat bundled in a blanket!

1297 October 26, 2025 Jeff Allen Comedy Show

This morning it was very windy.  Tim chose to take his walk on the beach.  I walked to the beach ramp but I found it too windy to walk out there.  There was a huge flock of thousands of swallows swooping and soaring.

I made my way to the lighthouse.

The lightkeepers house.

I walked to Jaycee Park.

I love these giant and twisted and gnarled live oak trees.

Turtles around town.

Wood stork.

I spent a large part of the day catching up with family.  I talked to my mom, my sister, my aunt, and my uncle.  I also worked to puzzle together reservations for the next week or two and then also planned a trip to Stone Mountain in mid-November.  Then, I worked to make reservations for January at Florida RV parks.

This evening, we had tickets to a comedy show:  Jeff Allen – The Human Condition:  We’re Still Not There Yet at the Tybee Post Theater.  He calls his show a story of brokenness, addiction, redemption, and hope.  He spoke his own truths about life and love and marriage and he was very funny.  I did not agree with everything he said. There were moments that made me cringe. I am not sure it is possible to go listen to a comedian and not have something strike a nerve. His message though was honest and positive and clean and we enjoyed his show.

We went to Sting Ray’s for dinner.  We shared mussels.  Tim had fish tacos and I had a fabulous softshell sandwich.

1296 October 25, 2025 Tybee Island

Happy Birthday, Kyle!  We love you and we are so proud of you!

This morning, I walked on the Spanish Moss Trail.

We left Beaufort at about 10:30am.  We had a short drive to Tybee Island.  We traveled on 95S from South Carolina and into Georgia.  The campground gave us very specific directions so that we could avoid the congestion and low hanging trees in Savannah.  Finally, we were on the Tybee Scenic Route.

We arrived in early afternoon.  It was very windy.   Tim wanted to go for a bike ride.  Unfortunately, his tire was front tire was flat…again!!!  He found a bike shop nearby and he left to get his tire repaired…again!!!  When he got back, he cycled to the water’s edge.  He saw this container ship headed to the Savannah Harbor.  There is a warning in the campground brochure.  These large ships can produce huge waves that can come ashore and cause harm.

I spent the day doing domestic stuff.  I put oatmeal in a crockpot and then took all of the laundry to the campground laundromat.  When I finished, I grilled chicken, roasted butternut squash, and made quinoa bowls for dinner.  I prepped some turkey meatballs for later in the week and boiled some eggs.  Then it was time to clean up the gigantic mess and put away the clean clothes.  Sometimes, its is nice just to have a normal day and do normal stuff.

1295 October 24, 2025 Highway 21 Drive In

Yesterday, when Tim walked, he went to the northern end of the island and there were hundreds of birds.  I decided to walk that way today.  Designated as a Critical Shorebird Sanctuary, no golf carts or pets are allowed.  Only pedestrians.  There were very few people.  It was another great fall morning and I was walking on firm sand.  There were lots of shells on the beach.  I was almost to the point when I began to see birds…thousands of birds…lots of different species.  What a pleasure to see them in a protected place, feeding and flying and free.

Today was moving day.  We were only traveling about 20 miles.  We left before noon and stopped at Walmart and did a couple of other errands.  We arrived at the Highway 21 Drive In by early afternoon.  This is a Harvest Host site.  There is no charge for boondocking here.  We needed only to purchase our movie tickets and our dinner from the concession.  We chose Screen 3. 

The movies didn’t begin until 7pm.  We rested for a while and then we were going to ride our bikes.  The Spanish Moss Trail is adjacent to the theater.  Tim took the bikes off of the Jeep and returned with “bad news.”  He had a flat tire.  Fortunately, we were 5 miles from an open bike shop.  Tim called and the guy said he would fix the tire “on the spot.”  The bike shop was a bit chaotic but the man knew what he was doing and the tire was quickly repaired.

We got back to the drive in and hopped on our bikes.

This evening, we ordered cheeseburgers. This spooky scarecrow spoke to me as I walked by, startling me!

We watched the Springsteen movie from our front seats. The movie was mostly about Springsteen’s struggles with depression. It was intense. I agree with the New York Times review that was posted Saturday morning.

I really enjoyed this experience. I have such fond childhood memories of going to the drive in. We would put on our pajamas. My mom would make a huge Coleman jug of red Kool-Aid and a brown paper bag full of Jiffy Pop Popcorn. We would drive to the Edmonson Drive In and the three of us kids would snuggle up in the backseat with the pink blanket with red roses on it. We would watch Woody Woodpecker and then at least part of the first feature and the we would be asleep. We would arrive home drowsy and happy!

Get out there and try something new!!

1294 October 23, 2025 Beaufort And Gullah Grub

Tim was going to the beach to walk.  I was going to the dumpster to take the trash.  I decided to walk to the end of the park road.  As I walked back, I passed the beach access path.  I went to look at the water and then walked down to the shore.  In the far distance, I could see the lighthouse.  I made it my goal to walk to the lighthouse.  It was a lovely fall morning, perfect for a good long walk!

We too the Jeep and drove into Beaufort.  We parked at the waterfront lot and walked in the park. 

We passed the marina.

We walked through town.

For lunch, we had wanted to go to Gullah Grub.  We had eaten here years ago and remembered the good home cooked meal that we had.  Gullah culture is an important part of low country history.  These are descendants of enslaved West Africans.  There is a strong community of Gullah Geechee people here.  At the restaurant, our server was talking with us about our travels.  We mentioned that we had been here many years before and we particularly remembered the potato salad.  He told us that the same guy was making the potato salad and we were sure to enjoy it today as well.  The chef, who had overheard the conversation, came out from the kitchen. Mr. Green is 75 years old.  His greatest joy is cooking for people.  He has a program where he recruits high school students.  He takes them to his family farm and teaches them about growing food and then he brings them to his restaurant and teaches them how to cook.  He does everything with four basic tenants in mind:  love, kindness, tolerance, and respect.  It is his belief that we are meant to be helping one another.  He also believes that educating young people and giving them skills is the most important thing we can do.  The world needs more men like Bill Green.  This is not a fancy place and this is not fancy food.  The ambiance is unique.  We had a great meal of ribs and potato salad but the best part of our experience at Gullah Grub was chatting and sharing values.

 After lunch we went for a drive in the country.  We took Eddings Point Road to the end where we came upon a farm with lots of donkeys. 

There was also a large pig laying on the pasture…we never know what we are going to find!

This evening, we drove to the Visitor Center and then found a place to sit by the lagoon.

We went to the lighthouse but it was closed for construction.

We went to sit on the beach.

We took a small picnic to the Marsh Boardwalk.

We saw a bald eagle.

We stayed for sunset.

1293 October 22, 2025 Island Hopping To Hunting Island

We found 2 sets of raccoon tracks right beside the steps to the RV…small ones and larger ones. 

I finished my walk and did some cleaning and then got the rig ready to go.  We stopped at the sanitation station and then went to fuel up.

Today’s destination was Hunting Island State Park.  It was just 13 miles from Edisto…as the crow flies.  In order to get there, we had to drive inland and then back east.  The road trip was 97 miles and took us about two hours. 

The park is beautiful but nothing looked familiar.  We were here more than ten years ago.  Since then, there have been a lot of changes.  This barrier island loses 20 feet of sand/land every year.  It is eroding more quickly than any other barrier island.  Consequently, the beachfront campground that we remember no longer exists. 

This afternoon, we drove to the Nature Center and then walked the pier. 

This heron was clearly accustomed to being around people.  A fisherman there told us that the bird had just eaten 3 fish.

We took our bikes and rode the trail to the “boneyard.”  This beach has a lot of driftwood and fallen trees. 

There was a section of cabins along this beach.  They have been destroyed by storms over the years.  There is still evidence of their existence.  There are great piles of concrete.  These cabins were actually built in the woods…far away from the shoreline…until they weren’t.

I saw a pair of large birds in a tree quite a distance away.  I saw that they were eagles.  I moved closer and took dozens of pictures.

We biked back to the Jeep and drove to the Marsh Boardwalk.  We saw hundreds of tiny crabs moving through the mud.

We saw this wood stork soaring above.

This evening, we were tired.  We decided to stay in and just had eggs for dinner.

1292 October 21, 2025 Environmental Learning Center

I walked the Cabin Road again today.  There were no new bobcat tracks but there were lots of raccoons out and about last night.

Some cool fungi.

There are lots of live oak trees and therefore there are lots of acorns and therefore there are lots of squirrels.

This huge spiderweb was awesome!

I felt good and so I continued my walk on a smaller trail.

This afternoon, we took our bikes and rode the trails from the campground to Spanish Mount.  This was as shell mound built by Native Americans more than 4,000 years ago.  The shell mound has deteriorated over time due to flooding and erosion.

We cycled on to the Environmental Learning Center.  This is a beautiful building that houses displays and information about the ecology of this area and the importance of conservation.  The center is well done and we enjoyed our time there.

We took one last trail spur to the Bache Monument.  In 1850, Bache was assigned the task of mapping and measuring the east coast of the United States from Maine to Alabama.  He used a system of triangulation with concrete markers to calculate the miles.  In the 1990’s, modern global positioning was used to test Bache’s measurements.  He was 2 ½ inches off.  That’s pretty remarkable. 

We biked back through the forest to the RV.

This evening, I grilled salmon, made asparagus salad, and cut some fresh mango.  We took our dinner to the picnic area at the boat ramp.

When we were finished eating, we drove into town and stopped at the beach.

We went to the Jungle Road Park to watch sunset.

1291 October 20, 2025 Wandering In Edisto

We each took walks on the trails in the state park.

Bobcat tracks in the sand.

Later this morning, we jumped into the Jeep and we went for a drive.  We started with a ride into town and to the beach.

We drove out of town to King’s Market.  We browsed and bought some more fig preserves.

These painted turtles are displayed all over Edisto Island; each unique and beautiful.

There are lots of sweetgrass basket stands here in low country.  I bought one years ago that I still love and use.  Now the smallest basket was $160.00.

We stopped at Dawhoo Landing and had a great view of the bridge to the island.

We went to the seafood market for fresh shrimp.

We stopped at George and Pinks; another small market off the beaten path.

We drove down Palmetto Road to the state park boat ramp.

This evening, we went to Waterfront Restaurant which was NOT on the waterfront.  We both ordered shrimp and grits.  Before our meals came, the server brought us a basket of hot hushpuppies…YUM!!!  Then, we couldn’t finish our food.  We were too full!

We drove back to the boat ramp to watch the sunset over the salt marsh.

1290 October 19, 2025 Edisto Beach State Park

I walked in the area surrounding the campground.  I noticed that the Firestone was open and I went in to ask if we might be able to use their air compressor for an RV tire.  They were very gracious and I told them that we would be by later in the morning. 

We did a couple of errands and then got ready to go. 

Some Halloween dump station humor.

We were able to pull up right in front of the Firestone and get our tire inflated.

We left Charleston, crossing over several bridges. 

We traveled another 1 ½ hours to the south to Edisto Beach State Park.  The last 10 miles of our drive was on the Edisto Scenic Byway.  I love driving through the tunnels made by the old live oak trees.  The branches were draped with Spanish moss.  We were now in low country.

Our campsite is nestled among trees.

This afternoon, we got on our bikes and rode into the town.

We stopped at the Jungle Road Park, situated on the salt marsh.

We continued on a newly paved bike path all the way to the end of the island.  We pushed our bikes on the last bit of trail to the beach.

We sat for awhile on this very crooked bench, watching the water.

We biked back.

This evening, I made flatbread with a glaze of fig preserves, thinly sliced fresh pears, goat cheese, prosciutto, and a drizzle of honey.  It was delicious!

1289 October 18, 2025 Exploring Charleston

I walked the nature trail adjacent to the campground.  I passed the lake and headed into the woods.  It was slightly chilly and peaceful.

Tim found a nearby gym, brand new and well equipped.  He was able to get a free three-day trial membership.

Later this morning, we took the Jeep and drove to Charleston.

We parked at the Charleston Visitor Center.

We took our bikes and cycled through the city.  We spotted a farmer’s market at Marion Square.  We browsed the selection of tasty foods and fine crafts.  We found a loaf of orange, walnut and cranberry sourdough bread.

We biked along Meeting Street.

We turned onto Market Street.  We walked our bikes for a short distance inside the market but quickly realized that it was too crowded and we went back out to the street. 

We found our way to the waterfront.

The famous pineapple fountain.

We biked on along the Battery. There are some beautiful old houses here in the city.

We passed the Bloom Festival.

We stopped at a small taqueria for lunch.

On our way back to the car, there was an olive oil store.  We bought a bottle of almond cream balsamic vinegar to go with the fresh sourdough bread.

I wish that we were staying longer.  There is a lot of history in the City of Charleston and I would like to learn more…next time!!

This evening for dinner we packed a picnic.  We put everything on our bike bags and rode back onto the nature trail to a picnic table.

This deer walked across the sandy path.

We biked the remainder of the trail past the lake.  Several turtles were enjoying the last vestiges of sunshine.

What a great day we had!