The Road West

We have turned the truck west and are beginning the long road home.

We got off to a late start on our first day - not unusual for us. This time we were actually on track until a neighbour came in for a visit and a look at our trailer. Oh well, meeting the people is what RVing is all about!

For our first day we planned to go back on the route we traveled often before - north to I-10 and across the Panhandle. This time we stopped at the Blackwater River State Park. It was a lovely place to spend time at the end of a long day of driving.

We arrived just after the ranger at the gate went on a one hour dinner break. Oh well! We sat in the truck at the gate saving our place in any line that might occur so we would get a spot for the night. As we sat there a local drove by us and called out as she passed. “Thanks for coming. Spend lots, we need it!” I laughed and said we had been here two months and we had tried!

Once we had registered we pulled in to a lovely wooded campsite. Each space was large and made private by a good buffer of trees around it. Our allotment had a pair of cardinals providing music and entertainment. I don’t think they were really happy about our occupation of their home. Our coming and going obviously disturbed them. The male was not impressed by the other cardinal in the large side mirror on the truck. We left them on their own and went for a walk down the boardwalk to the river. It has a lovely wide sandy beach where small children were playing in and out of the water. The water was a deep tea brown. It sure felt good after such a long hot drive. I happily kicked off my thongs and went wading.

We had some leftover Chinese food for dinner and I wanted to try the recipe Evelyn gave us when we visited Merritt Island. Abe had stocked us up with wonderful fresh vegetables so we had fresh Japanese eggplant and jalapeno pepper. I was able to put the stirfry together very quickly to fill out the menu.

3 Japanese or Chinese eggplant chopped into chunks.
1 medium onion, also in chunks
3 large cloves of garlic chopped
1 jalapeno pepper chopped coarsely
4 green onions chopped in medium lengths
2 teaspoon Soya sauce
2 tablespoons Oyster sauce
Heat oil
Sauté garlic lightly.
Add onion and sauté lightly. Add eggplant and pepper.
Add soya sauce.
When just about done add oyster sauce and green onion.
Heat and serve.

It was very good!

A quiet night and then on to Mississippi.

Day 2:

We got up early - the sun was just rising! The usual morning activities; make the bed, pack up the bedroom, clean up the people, breakfast, clean up the kitchen, sweep the floor and bring in the slide out. We were on the road by 7:30 AM and it was hot already!

The GPS reassured us of our position and we found our way out of the park. As we drove toward the highway, Dan pointed out sections of the old brick road that crossed the Panhandle. This was the old Florida Highway Number 1 built as a nine foot wide brick road in 1921. Soon we were out of that rural area of days gone by, back on I-10 heading west to Mobile.

My plan was to head northwest from there to Hattiesburg and then west to Natchez so we could see a portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway. I missed the turn while playing with the computer map! No problem. We continued west to Gulfport and turned north to Hattiesburg. This road was much bouncier. Somehow, working our way through the bypass of Hattiesburg we turned south again by mistake. It was 8 miles south before we could turn again and make our way back. By the time we got to the west turn to Natchez, we had had enough of the bouncing. We decided to scrap Natchez, Vicksburg and the Civil War history and go straight north through Jackson so we could stay on the Interstate highways.

We pulled off the highway to have lunch in the Dry Creek Water Park. We found the park and there was no one there. We know why. The lake is a mess. The washrooms unkept. Toilets and urinals no longer flush. There did not appear to be any staff present. Nothing about it was as pleasant as the D’Lo Water park we stopped at on the way down.

Opening the trailer we saw the result of the rough roads. The mattress was nearly off of the bed. The drawers had bounced out of the bedside tables and the contents were strewn on the floor. The television had been well packed in its original packing but had bounced along the floor and was laying at the opposite end of the bed. I replaced everything and carefully packed the TV tightly into a corner. At this point, was I saving the new television or a box of trash? It was too hot to enjoy the stop. We ate quickly and carried on.

We drove straight through Jackson and stopped at the Movietown RV resort in Canton, Mississippi. Nothing “Movie” about it but it is a nice clean park pleasantly situated in the midst of farmland. I felt a bit down at missing the Natchez Trace Parkway and Vicksburg yet again. We have been this way four times now and have yet to explore this area. Oh well, one day I will make it a major stop on our trip, unhook and tour the area as we did in Tucson.
A spectacular sunset and a good night’s sleep would cheer us up again!

Day 3:

Once more we got up at dawn. Dan was bright eyed but I was a bit slow to surface. Once the morning preparations were done we were on our way. We headed north to Memphis cutting through that corner of Tennessee into Arkansas.

Sometime after noon, we stopped at a rest stop. Dan went right to sleep while I quietly got lunch prepared. It was 94 (34.4 C) inside when I went into the trailer and the thermometer outside quickly rose to 114 (45.6 C) outside in the sun and there was no shade! You can imagine what inside felt like in no time at all. No problem taking butter out of the fridge - it was ready to spread in seconds!!!

We had a flat, or rather shredded, tire on I-40 just before we left Arkansas. It was a hot wait for road service but I must say our insurance company in Canada really delivered! I called a 1-800 number. The young woman took my information, location and cell number. She went and arranged a provider then called me back with an update. Two employees of the "OZARKO Tire Service" arrived as promised, replaced the tire efficiently and we were on our way. The young woman called again to be sure we were safe, that we were back on the road and to let me know where to send the bill.

We ended the day in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. I had a wonderful time in the pool at the KOA RV park. It was wonderful to cool off and to visit with fellow campers. I put a good dinner on the table with a chilled glass of wine as a special treat. After this day, we deserved it!

Day 4;

We left Sallisaw after checking all the tires! Today is a straight run through Oklahoma to Amarillo, Texas.

We stopped at a Texas rest stop for lunch. Once more it was too hot to linger.

We were making more fuel stops than usual. With a stiff head wind, our fuel mileage was dropping steadily, 9 miles/gallon, then 8, then 7!!!!

We arrived at Amarillo much earlier than usual. It was fortunate because the park was very busy and was turning people away by the end of the day.

We had a quiet time. We decided on a light dinner as we were too hot and tired to prepare anything time consuming. The evening was cooler than we have had for a while. We went for a walk.

The sky was spectacular as the sun set. A huge cloud formation got our attention. We continued to watch it as the sun set. Then it broke up, surprisingly quickly, as the evening cooled.

There was a water park on the corner with one long drop designed like a skateboard park. Fall over the edge and then fly up the other side! Up and down, up and down until the energy is dissipated.

A sliver of the moon shone in the darkened sky.

Tomorrow, Colorado Springs!

Day 5;

We did not get on the road until 8:00 AM this morning. Now we are turning north on secondary roads. Here in the panhandle, the countryside is flat and sparse. There are cattle and oil rigs. In Walmart, older men still dress in straight legged jeans over cowboy boots, doffing their Stetson hats as they pass their neighbours.

We were surprised to see pronghorn antelope running across the land. Another unusual sight was a dead cow, swollen in the heat, feet in the air. I would not want to be the clean up crew for that one!

We crossed into Colorado and turned west again. We stopped for lunch at a State Park and actually enjoyed the visit. The day is still hot and sunny but not unreasonable. Yucca were in full bloom at the information center.

Now we were on the last lap. We reached I-25 and turned north to Colorado Springs. The GPS directed us right to Bear and Trish’s front door. We have moved in for a good visit!

Last Days in Florida

After we returned from Charleston, time seemed to speed up. What seemed like a long visit was now quickly coming to an end. There was still so much we wanted to do!

The Governor of Florida declared two free days of fishing for all visitors. We did not need a license. Off we went to Cape Canaveral National Seashore for two days on the beach. Abe showed me how to use a screen in the surf to get sand fleas for bait. I even got a two inch pompano - my contribution to the catch! Dan and Abe were surf fishing and caught whiting and croaker. None met their standards for keepers so after two days of fishing we had nothing to show for it but a good sunburn! I enjoyed being on the seashore. That really seemed like summer to me.

One day we got the call that the night blooming cereus was about to put on the yearly show. Abe and Frances have this unusual plant growing up their pecan tree. It only blooms once a year and it is only for one night. The last time we saw it there were well over a hundred blooms. What a spectacular sight! This time we could not be there for the big bloom but caught the late arrivals the following night.

We were invited out to our friend Dan’s home for a barbeque. Dan and I had worked together while I was in Lake Mary, Florida. It was the first time I had managed to fit in a visit to the Douglas Lake Ranch. Dan and Luke are seasoned hosts. We had a lovely evening touring the property, meeting the four legged residents and visiting good friends. I think Dan had been hiding the fact he was in the food service industry for a number of years. If I had known he was such an accomplished cook, I would have been on his doorstep much more often! We talked long into the evening. (sorry Luke - I know you had an early morning the mext day!) Then we got a little lost driving home. It was the latest night we have had for a while!

The last weekend we went for a drive with Abe and Frances to visit their son Kenny on Merritt Island. He works on a lovely estate growing avocado, mangos and lychee. He must have developed his green thumb alongside Abe! The grounds are beautiful, wonderful gardens looking over the Banana River. We met his employer and were invited in to visit. Evelyn made us very welcome. Looking over her kitchen bookcase, I was delighted to see we had many of the same cookbooks. We pulled them off the shelf and got involved sharing favourite recipes. While we were visiting, her housekeeper was busy in the kitchen, using Chinese eggplant in a stirfry that was delicious. I brought that recipe away with us as well!

We fit in last visits with friends as we could. That is always the hard part about leaving - saying good-bye. We did not get to see everyone we wanted to see but the day had come and it was time to go. We will be back….

Sullivan Island

I have not been blogging for some time. Life got in the way! I will do a quick catch up by continuing with our stay in Charleston. Then I will finish our stay in Florida. So you can join us on the trip home.

Touring Sullivan Island

Wednesday, May 26th;

We had a good night in our lovely accommodation. We decided to make a full breakfast of eggs and liver mush! Over breakfast we planned our day.

The valet brought our car around and we drove over the bridge we could see from the Battery Walk and stopped on Patriot’s Point to see the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV10). Abe and Frances had toured it before so Dan and I went on board alone. We walked down the pier toward the ship and took note of the submarine berthed in front of it. The USS Clamagore was dwarfed by the larger ship. Both ships sit on tidal flats and are not always fully afloat. The action of the sea and the sea life have taken a toll on the Clamagore. In many places her outer layer has been eaten away by rust.

We walked across the gangplank and climbed down the forward hatch into the forward torpedo room. We always hear how tight the quarters are in a submarine but you have to see it to get some understanding. Berths are crammed into spaces you would not think could hold them. And who could sleep there in the midst of all the activity? In the engine room, under and around the torpedo tubes, even being one of the officers does not give you much space. How do five or six men fit in that room at the same time?

The radio/sonar room seemed like a good place to hang out. It appeared to have less people and was comparatively quieter. The galley was impressive. Even with that great Hobart mixer, I don’t think I would want to cook the number of meals that must be required day after day. The officers mess was the nicest space on the ship. The enlisted men had a less formal space with four tables.

I only counted one toilet??? Could that be right? I read the instructions to use it. I suggest you would not want to be in a real hurry when you got there. There were two sinks and one shower. How many people were required to share this space?

We worked our way through two engine rooms. Apparently they were identical setups for redundancy. The differences were the names on the engines - “Speedy Gonzales” and “Mabeline”. Aft of the engine rooms we entered the aft torpedo room. Here the main space was taken up by torpedo tubes. Above and below them there were bunks hidden away like so many trundle beds. Imagine sleeping in such crmped quarters with people working around you, the din, the action, the smell of a bunk used by two other shifts of men besides yourself. “Hot bunking” would never appeal to me. You had to be tired!!!

We climbed out of the rear hatch onto the dock once more and moved on to the aircraft carrier. From a distance it was not as large as I expected. But standing on the flight deck, the size was more obvious. From there we had a view of Charleston and the Battery we had walked the day before.



We did a quick tour not staying to examine all that was on display. I climbed into a fighter to get the feel of the cockpit. A tight fit for anyone who was too much larger than I. With the canopy closed it would have been a little claustrophobic. It would be exciting flying such a small and probably responsive plane - even more so if someone was trying to shoot you!

We walked back to Abe and Frances. It was time for lunch so we drove across to . Frances had been told about a good seafood restaurant overlooking the water. We found the Boathouse and stopped It looked like a place that would be pretty lively on a weekend with many pleasure boats tied up in the marina.

After lunch, we carried on to Fort Moultrie. This fort has been armed from the Revolutionary war until World War II. Fort Moultrie on one side and Fort Sumpter on the other guarded the entrance to Charleston Harbour. Fort Sumpter is gone now, only a marker is left. Fort Moultrie is the remaining sample of history. We found the enlisted men’s quarters or rather the foundation of them. They were torn down by the men living in them so that the more sophisticated firepower of the civil war would not turn the wooden buildings into splinters that would kill and maim men inside the fort.

As we walked, the rain that had been threatening all day began. It was time to return to Charleston and the comfort of the hotel. Our last night here.

In the morning we headed south stopping briefly in Beaufort for breakfast. We drove out past the US Marine base at Parris Island. Abe told us what it was like when he arrived here as a teenager getting ready for World War II. A train brought them in and there was no way out until they finished their training. He made it through, hiking through the heat of a southern summer with heavy packs and no protection from the mosquitoes, deer flies and other voracious insects of such a swampy land. No wonder he became an Entomologist!

Now we were on the road back to Orlando. It was hot and tiring. We were all glad to get to our homes and relax once more.

Walking Charleston

Tuesday, May 25th;

It looked like a stormy day so we wanted to get on the road in good time. We have experience driving through torrential rain and it is not fun!

To keep it simple we went to the motel buffet for breakfast. They have fruit, cereal, juice, sweet bread, toast and a really easy waffle maker. I made Dan and I waffles. The coffee was good and that is a perfectly fine start to the day. Soon we were packed up, checked out and on the road again.

It was really simple, south on SR-77, east on SR-26 and straight into Meeting Street, Charleston. Turn left on South Market Street, a quick right onto Church Street and we have arrived at the Church Street Inn. This was a find through my timeshare connection. It is a lovely old building of hotel suites. We have the Fraser room. It is a two bedroom, two bath suite overlooking the courtyard. Each couple has a king sized bed and private bath so no one had to draw straws for the better room! Abe and Frances take the room on the lower level so they do not have to carry everything upstairs. We are upstairs off of the living area. Wow! It is very nice if somewhat over decorated. We moved some of the kick knacks so we can use the tables and settle down to relax and plan our day.

The valet has taken the car and we have no need of it. We are right by the Market and in the very heart of the French Quarter. We can walk anywhere we want to go. We start out by strolling up Market Street looking for lunch.

After lunch we stroll down Church Street. We can see St Phillip’s Episcopal sticking out into the center of the road two blocks away. There is a graveyard surrounding the church and a cemetery across the street. Apparently a “graveyard” is by the church whereas a “cemetery” is separated from the church. At one time, this was all a graveyard but the street and even the sidewalk was built over the graves. As we were to hear a number of times touring the town - “They are dead - they don’t care.” When building the town, it was a case of “needs must” and many graves are below current structures.

Abe and Frances headed back to the hotel. Dan and I continue down the street to the French Huguenot Church and over a block to Meeting Street. The rain catches up with us and we shelter under the Portico of the First Scots Presbyterian Church c. 1814. It was quite comfortable sitting on the doorstep watching the storm pass by. Once a break appeared, we continued around the block and back to the Church Street Inn.

It is the kind of day to enjoy our hotel and an afternoon snooze. I am a born tourist. I can’t bear to be in a new town and not investigating. I went out quietly, got directions to the nearest grocery store and borrowed an umbrella from the concierge. I walked the length of the market - all items for the tourist trade not the farmer’s market it used to be. Market hall was originally built over the space where butchers slaughtered their animals for fresh meat. Now it is all merchant stalls while the Hall holds the museum of the Daughters of Confederation. The market ends at East Bay Street and the waterfront. Not far up East Bay Street is a very modern Harris Teeter Grocery store. I wandered up and down the aisles picking up things for “happy hours” and breakfasts. I can spend a lot of time in new grocery stores but I have to have the young lady’s umbrella back before she goes home so I try to keep on track.

Back at the hotel everyone is in the living room visiting. I spread out the first of the snacky foods and we enjoy the leisure of “staying in”. We decide to order pizza and watch the “Dancing with the Stars” finale. Tomorrow we should have better weather and a full day to examine the city.

A good way to get to know a new place is to take a tour. It gives you an overview of the area and fills in some interesting facts. The concierge has recommended Palmetto Carriage Tours. It is just down Market Street two blocks in a large red barn. We purchase our tickets and wait for our turn to climb aboard. Our guide is Jackie. The wagon is pulled by two mules, DVG and Battery. Assault is taking time off! If you look through the slide show, you will see Jackie with DVG and Battery. DVG stops, legs apart and urinates copiously onto the street. Jackie is forced to halt, throw down a marker with an orange flag and call dispatch to alert them a street cleaner is required. Street cleaners patrol with pressures hoses shooting cleansing foam to clean up any call of nature that may occur. We saw the street cleaner when we first entered the city and wondered what that was all about!

There are so many carriage tours in the city, each one is given a route number as they start off. Spread out in different areas, they cause less congestion to the traffic in any given spot. We are on Route 3. Jackie turns our carriage down Church Street past our hotel and on to St. Phillip’s pointing out the tilt in the spire from an early earthquake. We enjoy the stories she tells and make note of as much of the information as we can remember.

Charleston has been through wars, fire and earthquakes. Many of the older houses have had their foundations shaken and their walls have become unstable. The solution, run steel rods along the joists between the floors. Add bolts to the rods outside the walls. When necessary, tighten the bolts to straighten the walls and hold them in place. It is recommended not to tighten the bolts more than required, pulling the walls inward!

Another feature of a Charleston home is the “piazza”. When you look at the houses, a porch will be at the front of the house by the main door, a verandah will wrap all the way around the house on the main level and the piazza will run along the side of a home front to back and often one on each level. Abe told us a story of a boy coming to the door of his grandmother’s boarding house in Tampa at the beginning of the depression. He was looking for odd jobs so she set him to work cleaning the piazza. She passed by the window while he was scrubbing and she could hear him saying in a disgusted tone, “Piazza, piazza, that am the ugliest word I ever did hear!”



We saw many examples of the Charleston Single House. It is only one room wide so the façade on the street is narrow and the length is front to back. With the piazzas down the length of the building the air flows into every room keeping them cool.

As we travel the streets we see houses of all types and styles. When I could, I liked to get a peak at the gardens as well. You will see them scattered in among the pictures I took. This is the area “slightly north of Broad” . Back in the day, home owners living in this area had one goal - to move or marry south of Broad Street, changing their location from “SNOB” to “SOB”. As a play on that, there is a very nice restaurant called “SNOB’s” or “Slightly North of Broad” on East Bay Street. Charleston is a gastronomic heaven with all manner of very good restaurants.

Once the tour is over we go in search of one that has been recommended to us - Blossom. It is one of the group including Magnolia, Blossom and Cypress restaurants. Abe and Frances have been to Magnolia before and enjoyed it. Blossom is less formal. We walk over to East Bay street and past many more interesting places, find Magnolias and next door, Blossom. It is lovely and ideal for a leisurely lunch.

Next on the agenda, I am looking for a Sweetgrass basket to use as a bun basket at home. I have been looking for something special and the traditional Gullah basket from Charleston would make a good keepsake. Weaving baskets here is a tradition brought over from Africa and the Mount Pleasant area of Charleston has long been famous for its basket weavers. Dan and I saw many of them in the market. More interesting are the weavers set up in front of the Gibbs Art Gallery. The four of us walked over to Meeting Street and I looked at the baskets each lady had on display. They are a beautiful combination of pine needles, sweet grass and palmetto. Each person has their own style though the baskets are very similar. Prices are flexible as well. I choose the one I want from Laurie Bonneau. She marks the bottom of my basket with her name and the date. I took her picture with one of her baskets and a sheaf of grass she was carrying. Shopping done, Abe and Frances take a pedi-cab back to the hotel. Dan and I continue the walk back to meet them there.


Frances has walked enough and decided to stay around the hotel for the remainder of the afternoon. She has seen the Battery before. Abe, Dan and I start out again this time down South Market Street to the harbour and along the Waterfront park to Battery Park. The first building we see on the waterfront is the very imposing United States Custom House. Building began before the Civil War but did not continue until the war was over. In front of the Customs House is a very modern walking pier giving a wonderful view of the harbour and back over the city. There is a lovely fountain at the start of the walk where small children were cooling off by running in and out of the water. Parents relaxed around the perimeter watching.

Turning south, we walked along the water side taking pictures of the marvelous homes across the street. One huge new building looks very out of place. The City Gallery is beautiful but it is the only modern structure on the street. One feature of a number of houses is the rope trim around the entrance door. It is supposed to be narrow and unobtrusive, apparently an ancient symbol of good luck. The house we pass has very noticeable rope trim. It was built by William Roper, a ship’s chandler so it was a play on his name and profession as well as the usual good luck sign.

East Bay Street ends in Battery Park. There are statues, cannons and a gazebo - the usual park things. But the most interesting to me was a pair of Yellow crowned night herons and their nest. I spent my time trying to get a good photograph of them. From the park we walked back down Meeting Street. Two Meeting Street Inn is right on the corner and would be a wonderful place to stay. It was one of the most elegant mansions of the area in the 1800’s as it still is today.
Soon we were back at the hotel and joined Frances for Happy Hour in our lovely living room.

After giving our tired feet a rest, we went out looking for “She Crab soup” for dinner. A cross between a bisque and a chowder, made with the famous blue crab meat of the area. This soup/bisque/chowder is considered the city's signature dish. Abe found one version but it did not measure up to his memories of the Francis Marion Hotel restaurant. I was not brave enough to try it, I ordered crab cakes and Caesar salad once more.

Tomorrow we are taking the car for a tour of Patriot’s Point and Sullivan Island.