Pirates ?‍☠️, Ghost ?, scandals, Southern hospitality, sweet tea, fried chicken ?, drinks ? to go (yes, To Go cups), riverwalk, manicured parks, horse ? drawn carriages, night life ?, fine dining, cemeteries, ice cream ?, and antebellum homes unlike anywhere in the South. Savannah has something to offer everyone. Consistently named one of the “world’s friendliest cities” by Condé Nast Traveler readers, this coastal town has a world-class reputation for hospitality and grace. Stepping into a time machine and enjoy where the old South meets the 21st century.

In lieu of skyscrapers and busy traffic noise, Savannah offers twenty-two squares and parks sprinkled throughout the Historic District. The movie Forest Gump used one of these squares as the setting for our protagonist to weaver his life tale. People watching is a great activity under the live oak tress covered in moss. I also recommend reading the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” ? for a scandalaous true story of the shooting of Dan Hanford by his employer Jim Williams and the four mistrials and eventual acquittal of Mr. Williams. The story tells of the voodoo from the Gullah community and the ever lovable Lady Chablis. This Book ? is deep in southern culture which makes an endearing story of Savannah.

After a day spent walking the city, let the kiddos run through the water fountains ⛲️ in City Market (you could join them too!). The restaurants surrounding Ellis Square are also a great place to end the evening with good food and great company.

A visit to Savannah would not be complete without exploring the Birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, creator of Girl Scouts of the USA. At this unique house museum, visitors can learn about Low’s life and the movement she founded.

Hop on board a trolley tour to get an overview of Savannah! Both Old Town Trolley Tours and Old Savannah Tours have daily trolley tours that will help you get better acquainted with Savannah’s historical sites and history. 

No, trip to Savannah is complete with out a walk down River Street. Enjoy the local artist and restaurants while watching the tankers berth at the Port of Savannah. A free river boat ride that will allow you to cruise up and down the Harbour and view Savannah from the river.

Quick link to Savannah Website

To really beat the heat and enjoy some cold ? AC during the more intense summer afternoons, explore ? the museums and house tours that Savannah has sprinkled throughout the squares. Whether you want to spend the day learning the unique history at the American Prohibition Museum or roam through old mansions like the Davenport House, there’s a museum waiting for you and you never know when you may see a ghost.

Savannah boast a world ? famous recipe of shrimp ? and grits. However, I am personally more fond of a good olde fashion Low country bowl ?. Robin does the best home made boil but the restaurants are not bad either. I must mention that the oysters ? in the low country are some of the tastiest in the planet. The reason I believe is due to the tides which fluctuate between 8-10 feet ? twice a day. The rocking of the oysters in the bed create a scrumptious flavor. If the oyster bed ? is rocking then don’t come a calling ?

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Low Country Boil with Family is the Best

While waiting for the reopening of America from the COVID-19 ? scare. Robin and I decided to leave GG on the main land and spend several nights on the Island ? of Daufuskie. This island is located off of Hilton Head in South Carolina and Tybee Beach ? in Georgia. You must take a ferry ⛴ or have your own boat to get to the island. Remoteness has its rewards as this Island is magical.

Without a bridge ? to the mainland, and only a few paved roads, Daufuskie Island is steeped in a simpler time. White sand beaches, ancient oaks, Spanish moss and historical landmarks all lend a rural, “back-in-time” feel, while an eclectic arts scene keeps the spirit of the island alive and thriving. Chase Allen, the iron fish artist, gallery is worth a stop ✋ while touring the island. Elegant homes nestle against white sand beaches, And life-long residents greet you with hospitality reserved for friends, not strangers. This fascinating combination of new and old, tradition and progress means Daufuskie is the perfect destination to step back in time, unplug from the everyday and reconnect with friends and family.

Daufuskie Island has been inhabited for thousands of years and possesses a rich, interesting history and a culture that’s truly unique. In fact, artifacts found on Daufuskie suggest the area was inhabited 9,000 years ago! From European settlements and the spirit ? and culture of the Gullah people, the story of this little island is a remarkable one. Discover Daufuskie Island’s historic sites during a walking ?? tour, or simply stroll around the island’s rustic roads and immerse yourself in Lowcountry mystique and voodoo.

Many people believe cars are not allowed on Daufuskie. This is a common misconception. There are some car restrictions within the private communities, but many folks outside of the resorts drive cars. That being said, 99% of all visitors to Daufuskie rent golf carts.

Although the island is small, dirt and paved roads weave throughout the community. Golf carts allow visitors to explore the galleries, eateries, and natural and historic spots that line Daufuskie’s scenic roadways.

Tour Daufuskie offers 4-passenger golf cart rentals for self-guided adventures.

Quick link to Tour Daufuskie Website

Pat Conroy  an American author who wrote several acclaimed novels and memoirs; his books The Water is Wide (about Daufuskie), The Lords of Discipline, The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini were made into films, the latter two being Oscar nominated. Pat began his early years as a school teacher on Daufuskie Island. Conroy was fired at the conclusion of his first year on the island for his unconventional teaching practices, including his refusal to use corporal punishment on students, and for his lack of respect for the school’s administration. One of my favorite writers so I recommend buying one of his novels and hit the beach for a good read.

Daufuskie Rum Company offers an escape from the heat and a shot of spirits that we recommend. Completely made, from start to finish, right on Daufuskie Island, Daufuskie Island Rum has the distinction of being one of the world’s only rums actually created on an island. Additionally, not only the rum itself, but all of its ingredients, equipment, and even packaging are 100% American produced and supplied. They are open Wednesday through Saturday from 11am to 5pm. Temporarily closed for Covid-19 so call before you arrive.

What is it like to drive a golf cart around Daufuskie?

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Drone Flight down the Beach of Daufuskie at High Tide

Participating in a morning Turtle Watch and driving the beaches of Daufuskie Island

Found an Osprey’s nest while flying drone down the ? beach

Blow up the video to get a close up ?

Sunset ? at high tide overlooking the inter coastal towards Savannah

Friends of ours from Kennesaw, GA read our blog and insisted we join them for three days of camping. After determining all adventurers intending to camp had been practicing stay at home ? orders with limited access to any Covid-19 carriers, the plans began to come together. A weekend of debate and strategy led us to pick a park near Augusta on Lake Thurmond. Wow… were we impressed with this little gem ?. Located in Plum Branch, South Carolina, Hamilton Branch State Park occupies a peninsula on the 70,000-acre Lake Thurmond. Thanks to activities such as fishing, boating and lakefront camping, the park is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts looking to spend time on the water ?.

We stayed at campsite ? 102 and our friends stayed at site 103. We were very serendipities as these campsite were close; however, there can be large gaps between the sites. All 150 campsites are on the water and very spacious. One can fish ? for bass, bream, striper, catfish or crappie. There are 12 miles of trails but we did not do any hiking as the trails were closed on our visit so we just kayaked and floated in the lake.

The camp grounds were well maintained. There is train ? noise along many of the sites but is was more soothing than a nuisance. We drove around the park and honestly could NOt find a bad campsite. Very good cell phone ☎️ service within the campgrounds.

Quick link to Hamilton Branch Park Website

One word of caution, the restrooms are clean ? but beware there can be a half mile between sites and restrooms. Ok maybe not that far but it seems like it if you have to go so plan accordingly.

• Bicycles are available to rent at the park office. Bikes are $10/day M-Th, $15/day F-Su and $25/weekend. For more information, please call or visit our park office.
  
  Games are available for check-out in the park office. Our games consist of: horseshoes, bean bag toss, washers, kickballs, soccer balls, footballs, frisbees, board games, puzzles and playing cards.
  
• Biking Trails:  The park provides an access point for the Steven’s Creek Bike Trail.

Homemade meditation ?‍♀️ video of the waves ? landing on the shore prior to the storm.

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Here comes the rain ☔️

We journey into the lush landscape of the Table Rock State Park. This is total tree ? immersion. One may NOT receive a cell phone signal; albeit, this is one of the best state parks in SC. Table Rock State Park fits the bill for the natural beauty attributed to scenic Highway 11 which was the old Cherokee foot path to the towering mountain, which gives the park its name, serving as a backdrop for the 3,000 acre park and its facilities. 

The Table Rock State Park hiking trails take hikers past mountain ⛰ streams and waterfalls to the tops of Pinnacle and Table Rock mountains. We hiked Carrick Creek trail and the 2 mile trail was outstanding with waterfalls and constant access to the flowing water. This trail is considered easy. Several years ago we camped here and hiked to the top of Table Rock. This is a strenuous hike so the park offers easy to challenging hikes and a swimming ? area with a high dive as a reward after a morning on the mountain.

The camp grounds were well maintained. There is traffic noise along many of the sites. We liked sites 40, 43, 44, or 45 and all the White Oak campgrounds. Washers & dyers are available at the camp store along with free Wi-Fi. Very poor cell phone ☎️ service within the campgrounds. It is worth a drive to the observation area via car ? for some great views of Table Rock and building the courage to climb ?‍♂️ that mountain.

Quick link to Table Rock State Park Website

One word of caution, it seams around 1 pm it is common for thunderstorms ⛈ to form over the mountain and the swimming area will be closed ?.

Pinnacle Lake is a nice cool dip after a day of hiking ? assuming there are NO storms.

One of South Carolina’s most unique and earliest wildflowers flower ? , the Oconee Bell, can be found blooming from mid-March to early April.

The Oconee Bell is a rare flower of the southern Appalachians found only in a few locations in the mountains of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia in moist wooded areas along streams. Although the flower has a very limited range in the wild, it grows well in gardens and is commercially available. 

You can recognize the Oconee Bell by its white and yellow blossom with red stem and red-tinged leaves

Colonies of the Oconee Bells blooming in their entire splendor can be seen along the Oconee Bell Trail at Devils Fork State Park, a gateway to the Jocassee Gorges.

Homemade meditation ?‍♀️ video of the waterfalls and streams of Carrick Creek

It’s Mother Day Week ?. Yes, you heard correct. Robin received a week of special attention at Elijah Clark State Park. The Covid-19 has slowed and Georgia and South Carolina State parks are open. We were able to secure a camp ? site on Lake Thurmond outside of Augusta Ga. We loved ❤️ the campground;however, across the lake sits Calhoun Falls State Park on the SC side and we liked it a little better. If one ☝️ Park is full try the other side you will NOT be disappointed ☹️.

This park is located on the western shore of 71,100 acre Clarks Hill Lake, one of the largest lakes in the Southeast. With its boat ?‍♂️ ramps and accessible fishing ? pier, it is especially popular with anglers and boaters. We enjoyed the swimming and kayaking. We stayed at Site 105 and had full shade. Most all the sites also had full shade.

The camp grounds were well maintained. We did feel that we were a little bit close to our neighbors on both sides but economy of scale makes squeezing in an extra camp site on the water ? but we still recommend.

Quick link to Elijah Clark State Park Website

Elijah Clark State Park is named for a frontiersman and Georgia war hero who led pioneers during the Revolutionary War. A log cabin replica of the Clark home displays furniture, utensils and tools circa 1780 and is open weekends April through November. Visitors can also view the graves of Clark and his wife, Hannah.

I am an early riser ? and I love a cup of coffee ☕️ to wait for the sun ? to come up. I was not disappointed when the sun appeared at the park. What I was disappointed ☹️ in was myself for falling off the Weight Wachers plan and eating so poorly but it was Mother’s Day. I know it is only a hamburger ? but Robin knows how to pack the burger so tight in the prep stage that the results are incredible.

Watch how Robin preps the Hamburger ?

We stayed 2 nights nights and I can not think of a better meal ? when on the lake than fried fish ? and shrimp ? with grits. The fish is “whiting” that we picked up from a local fisherman on the way to the lake. Support you local fisherman. You will not be sorry.

If you find yourself traveling ? down A1A near Flagler Beach ? then we recommend stopping by High Tides Sanck Jack. Yes, it is a mouth ? full to say the name but the atmosphere and location will not disappoint.

On our way to Tomoka State Park, we took the scenic route and had to stop ? at this iconic restaurant.

High Tide at Snack Jack in Flagler Beach was written up in Coastal Living Magazine as one of America’s great seafood dives. High Tide at Snack Jack has been serving up delicious food with great views since 1947. 

This charming Florida beach bar offers beer ?,wine ? and a great atmosphere. The food is good at Snack Jacks. We sampled the Coconut Shrimp with the Raspberry Sauce and it was yummy. Parking at this Florida beach bar is limited which made parking GG tricky; however, there is a valet who will make sure you have a place to park. The valets are cordial, friendly and efficient. We parked a block down the street and were glad Not to be towed.

Music ? comes from the jukebox, and at 2 PM in the afternoon Snack Jacks was lively and fun. We were treated well by the wait staff who do seem to have a good sense of humor. The wait staff is also extremely hard working. 

Quick link to High Tide Snack Jack Website

Most tables afford a good view of the roaring Atlantic Ocean ?.You might catch sight of a surfer ?‍♀️. The water is a beautiful shade of blue. You will find yourself mesmerized by the waves and reluctant to leave this eclectic Florida beach bar. 

Native Americans once dwelled here, living off fish-filled lagoons. Today, these waters are popular for ? canoeing , boating ?and fishing. ?

Tomoka is a bird-watcher’s bird ? paradise, with over 160 species sighted, especially during the spring and fall migrations. Visitors can stroll a half-mile nature trail ? through a hardwood hammock that was once an indigo field for an 18th-century British landowner.

The camp grounds ⛺️were well maintained as we have found in ALL the Florida ??‍♂️ State Parks. We did feel that we were a little bit close to our neighbors on both sides but gave us a good reason to share ?,?,and ?.

Quick link to Tomoka State Park Website

Unbeknownst to us we stumbled upon a group who called themselves the Tear Jerkers. This is a group of campers who all have teardrop trailers. Wow ? did we stumble into the right campground at the right time. Timing is everything.

We had a fun time meeting these quality people and will look ? into joining as the organization has meet and camp all over the nation.

Map of this road trip

Finding the Manatees on Roadtrippers

This map is interactive and we recommend the Roadtrippers app.

To all of our fellow campers, RV er’s , adventure seekers and travel lovers …. we are all in this together.
As stated , we were supposed to begin our wonderful trip May 1st, unfortunately due to the nations pandemic we are forced to postpone the trip until our country is safe and healthy.

Fortunately we are able to postpone without any difficulty. Our hearts go out to the roughly one million full time RVer’s. We can only imagine the difficulties they are having ! We would hope all of the families out there without a place to retreat to find safe places to shelter in place. With the problems these people are dealing with, we are hoping they make it through this unscathed.
As for now, may people be generous and caring and help in any way they can. Be safe, courteous and kind !
Our best to all !

What a journey we had …. We were heading up to Atlanta from the southern coast of South Carolina to pick our girl up , we had an appointment at 9 am the next morning. Our dear friends Susan and Don, who live just north of the city had graciously invited us to stay with them the night prior due to the 4 hour trip, We gladly excepted and had a wonderful night with them. We woke up early and gave ourselves 1 hour to drive 38 miles … well almost 2 hours later,( Atlanta traffic ) we arrived at Southland RV. We were very excited, couldn’t wait to see her in person ( we had been dealing with everything via online and over the phone up to this point. ) So yes , we bought her site unseen. Dave our very patient salesman took us around back to see her. William’s first thought was … I love her but Robin is going to think she’s too small ! Boy was he wrong ! It was love at first sight !
After paperwork and some expert training, we were hooking her up to take her on our 4 hour journey home . To say the least there were nervous grins ear to ear !