Sweet Savannah

It has not been difficult to fall in love with Savannah.  From the Spanish moss to the sweet pralines, Savannah won us over and I am only wondering when we will get to come back.

We stayed on Skidaway Island in the state park.  We didn't arrive until after dark, so we didn't get to appreciate the full beauty of the campground until the next morning.  We set up camp relatively quick so Dave made a small fire and we sat out under the canopy of trees and Spanish moss.  We also received a visit from a very friendly raccoon who had quite the belly.


After walking around downtown and visiting some of the shops, we headed back to camp and made dinner.  I've noticed that we are eating much later than we ever did in York.  We are lucky to eat dinner by 7pm!  Unfortunately, we haven't been able to spend as much time outside as we'd like, because the mosquitoes and little invisible bugs are so bad.  Apparently this is due to the unusually warm weather.  The temperature has been in the 80's which is about 10-15 degrees warmer than what's expected this time of year.


On Thursday I got up and went for a run through the campground and park. It has felt so amazing to be exercising regularly again.  The kids still practiced their instruments and managed to do school.  After my run, we got on our bikes and did a 3 mile trail ride.  It was so incredibly beautiful!  I took pictures, but I don't think they could ever truly capture how beautiful it is here.


After lunch we went to a boat launch picnic area along the intercoastal waterway.  We took our kayaks out in shifts and the girls played in the mud as the tide went out.  Dave cooked us another amazing dinner of local shrimp, crawfish, chicken, and asparagus.  It was amazing!


Today we started the day by visiting the local laundry mat.  I got my laundry done and Dave was able to work.  We picked up Little Caesar's Pizzas and had lunch at a local park.  


We spent the afternoon on Tybee Island which is the local beach.  It was a cool little town.  The beach is much flatter than what we're use to at O.C. Maryland.  There were also very little waves today.  Grace and I went shopping while Dave played with Cam and Lauryl.  It was a fun afternoon and a great way to keep cool on an extremely warm March day.


We came back to the camper and spent the rest of the evening preparing for a travel day tomorrow.  Florida...here we come!

Travel Day

 After a morning walk on the beach, we packed up and made our way down to Georgia.  We didn't rush and just enjoyed the sights around us.  We stopped at a Nature preserve and saw our first alligator.  Granted, he was barely 2 feet long, but it was still exciting!  

The picture to the left was the bridge in Charleston, SC.  There were several places along the drive we wished we could have stopped, but with our home in tow it was slightly more challenging.  There are definitely places I would like to come back to though.

As we made our way into Savannah the GPS guided us through the historic district of the city.  So with a 30 foot camper behind us we navigated through the streets of Savannah at 8 o'clock at night.  It looks like an amazing city and I simply can't wait to explore!

Once we got to our campsite in Skidaway Island State Park we set up in record time.  Dave made a fire and my evening concluded under a canopy of trees and spanish moss, a campfire, and a visit from a very friendly raccoon.  Tomorrow should prove to be very exciting!

Small Fishing Village

Yesterday the kids got up and did their school work.  It took some coaxing, but they got do in record time and still managed to learn something.  Prior to school, Lauryl and I went for a 3 mile walk/run on the beach.  It was a wonderful way to start the day!

 

Before lunch, we went for the walk to the little park in the campground.  The girls climbed a tree and they played tag.  

After lunch, we went to a little place called Murrell's Inlet, a few miles south of Myrtle Beach.  It is a small fishing village nestled in a marsh.  Supposedly they have some alligators in the area, but we didn't see any during our visit.  We enjoyed fried pickles, hush puppies, and drinks at a restaurant called Creek Ratz.  Creek Rat is the name given to children who grow up in Murrell's inlet and come home covered in mud from playing in the water all day.  Sounds like the perfect place for us!  

Once we got back to the campground, we went out to the beach to take in the beautiful weather.  It was warm and the water was so calm there wasn't a wave in sight.  Grace and Lauryl saw a large jellyfish the size of a large pizza while jumping waves.  Needless to say, they spent the rest of the time up on the sand.

For dinner we cooked the seafood we bought at Murrell's inlet.  We had fresh clams, shrimp, she-crab soup, and stone crab claws.  I have to say the stone crab was one of the best things I've ever tasted!  It far surpasses lobster in my book.

We truly enjoyed our time here in Myrtle Beach.  Even in the midst of the commercial craze, we managed to find things to do that suit our family.  I would definitely come back here!

Day at the Beach

Hi, this is Grace. Yesterday was so much fun! We are in Myrtle Beach and it was a really nice day. It wasn't crowded which was very different from what I'm used to at Ocean City, MD. There were several other differences too. The waves are smaller and more gradual here. The sand doesn't just drop off, but  instead it gently slopes down to the water. Plus, everything is really close!  The beach is within walking distance of our camp site and the pier is a short walk down the beach. There is even a store on the pier! It was very nice to be able to walk everywhere. 

What I can't believe is I went swimming in March! The water was cold, but not unbearable. After a little while we walked up to the pier. There was a store you had to go through before you could get to the pier and I bought a hat. They even sold ice cream! The pier was really awesome. I loved watching the waves roll in. We saw a couple jellyfish in the water and they were real nasty looking. We also saw a bird that kept diving into the ocean. 

When we left the pier, we stayed at the beach a little longer before heading back to the camper. My dad made us bacon and eggs on the grill for lunch. Yummy! We were going to take a bike ride, but before we did we saw these ginormous lizards. They were 6-8 inches long! At first we thought they were snakes until we saw the legs. 

Later, we went on a bike ride. There were so many flowers growing. There were white ones that looked like lily's, orange ones that I really liked, and bright purple ones. We even rode our bikes on the bike path next to the highway and we made it to some shops. 

When we got back we got back,  Dad and Camden went fishing while my mom, Lauryl, and I went back to the beach. This time I just dug holes since it was colder outside. Camden and dad didn't catch any fish so we went home. We took a drive around town and we saw the boardwalk. We really didn't want to walk along it because it looked like every other boardwalk we've been to so we came home. The day was so much fun! I love Myrtle Beach and can't wait for tomorrow's adventure!

First Stop Myrtle Beach, SC

Hi this is Lauryl.  We just got back from an amazing adventure, but first let me tell you about when we got here.  My job was to help stabilize the camper while we set up.  I work very close with my dad.  We put out the new mat from Granddad and Grandmom and we put up the awning.  Unfortunately it started raining so we were stuck inside for awhile.  Right before dark, my mom and I went for a walk.  We found the beach!!!!  It was only a short walk from our site.  Momma and I walked along the beach to the fishing pier.  I think Camden's going to love that!  We watched the sun go down and we said we would come back in the morning to take a run and watch it rise.

This morning, momma got me up real early to head to the beach.  We took Dempsey with us.  It was amazing and very beautiful.  We walked and ran along the beach toward the fancy hotels.  It was cool.  After awhile we turned to head back and we had breakfast on a blanket we brought.

On our way back mom took my picture hugging a palm tree. Can't wait too see what else we do today.

May the Travels Begin!

So, after many weeks of preparation, we have finally hit the road!  We left yesterday evening around 7:30pm to begin our journey toward Florida.  The truck does amazing and Dave seems very comfortable dealing with the added tow of the trailer.  I-95 going around DC is not the most pleasant road to travel, but we managed.  We decided to stop at aWal-Mart just below Richmond, VA, allowing for a few short hours of sleep before we hit the road again this morning.  

Today's destination is Myrtle Beach, SC.  The kids have never been there and I was only ever there once.  I'm hoping it will be a nice addition to the trip.  The weatherman is calling for showers on and off.  We are a creative bunch though, so I'm sure we'll find something to keep us busy.

Signing off for now since we are ready to hit the road once again.  Stay tuned for more later!