Wilmington KOA

KOA'S  are definitely different than gov't parks. Pools, Playgrounds, and ALCOHOL allowed. I know it is Memorial day weekend but it is crazy crowded here. Lots of kids. Free pancakes tomorrow morning. I am there.

Shitter's full Clark! - Charleston

Charleston, SC.    
We had to move the Trailer to a new spot due to a clogged pooper. Glad it wasn't a problem on our trailer.

The waterpark at James Island County Park is awesome. Great to see friends there yesterday. This park also has beautiful trails to bike and walk.



Grilling out Trailer Style with old friends Keri, Kurt, & Oscar - JICP, Charleston



Shuckin' corn with Barclay

We had a near miss coming back over the Cooper River Bridge today when 2 kayaks and 2 surfboards flew out of the back of a truck. I was behind them but thank goodness far enough back to slow down before the boats and boards landed. We stopped behind and kept traffic from running over them. 2 college kids ran back barefoot to retrieve them. It all seemed to go in slow motion.



"The Edge of America", Folly Beach, SC



So far so good.

We spent the first day on a short visit with my 90 yr old Aunt Helen in Orlando and then on to Ponte Vedra, FL. We parked in our friend, Roger's, driveway. I know his neighbors were appalled when they saw us in our pajamas hanging out drinking coffee in the driveway this am.
He will be the talk of his block. They are probably thankful it was for one night.
We shorted out the a/c and I went into panic mode thinking I would have no a/c last night. It was only for a moment!
On the road to Charleston after a little beach time. Ponte Vedra is beautiful and it was so nice to hear the waves. I miss the East Coast.

Stopped at the welcome center in Georgia and did the lunch in the trailer and then ran over to the picnic area to play BUT some people do not clean up after their dogs so we had to play on the concrete instead. There were not signs to pick up after dogs but isn't it a given these days?

After a sloooooowwwww drive we finally made it to Charleston. The trailer makes driving fast impossible with the weight. At least we won't be getting speeding tickets this trip. We figured out our gas mileage is between 9 and 10 mpg. OUCH. I downloaded the GasBuddy app on my phone so it helps find the deals.

4 days and counting

We are shopping and packing. This cookbook looked awesome so we picked it up to keep us from eating all the bad things you usually eat on the road. I am sure I will crave some Chic Filet every once on awhile. Most of the recipes use dried parsley flakes for seasoning. Guess I need to go back to the store.

We also joined the Good sam club. Great for lists, tips and road itineraries.

Getting ready

We are preparing for a 2-3 month trip in our new (used) Travel trailer. It is a 2005 18' Fleetwood Pioneer. I knew NOTHING about RVs before this idea popped in my husband's mind. He wanted a sailboat cruise up the East Coast for the summer.
All I could think about was my son jumping out of the boat while we were asleep.
Not fun sleeping with one eye open all summer long.
When he awoke one morning and suggested the RV instead
I jumped on it with full gusto to get the idea of my 2 1/2 yr old drowning out of my head. So the hunt began with Craig's List and used RV dealers in the area. The really cheap ones were cheap for a reason. I wouldn't let a dog sleep in some of the ones we saw. Have these people never watched an episode of Get it Sold on HGTV? There was one with dirty dishes in the sink and dog hair all over the cushions. Another one I saw online was so scary it looked that the unibomber lived there or a serial killer.

We finally found one in a nearby town that a Methodist minister was selling. He showed us every little thing piece by piece while his 8 yr old granddaughter entertained my child.
There has to be some good Karma that goes along with this trailer. He was eager to take our offer for less than his asking price. He wanted a family to enjoy it like he had. After coming back the next day with cash in hand and getting even more tips and tutorials we exchanged handshakes and hugs.

We took it out last week for a trial run and to see what we needed to pack. After a one night stay at Oscar Scherer State Park we decided it wasn't such a bad purchase after all. Everything works well except for a burned out left signal light.
My son was not easily convinced to sleep that night but after musical beds we finally got some sleep. 2 women from Savannah happened upon us when we could not remember how to unfurl the awning correctly. They were pros and put us to shame with their knowledge. I love Southerners. They can be nosy but sure do come to help at the right times.