Having started the year with a new part time status at work, I was anxious to get on the road again and get away from the cold dismal January weather in New Jersey. The week before we left, the weather in Savannah was in the 70’s. We were thinking we’d get that far South and unwinterize Spud, if not sooner. In reality, we never had weather warm enough to unwinterize. Still we had some lovely days, wore our winter clothes a lot, slept under heavy covers and learned some great winter camping lessons.
We were all packed up and ready to go on Thursday morning, January the 8th. The plan for the day was to drive, with few stops and arrive at our friends home in North Carolina in time for dinner. Besides rest stops, we stopped at the Bethesda Co-op in John, Maryland for some dips and veggie cabbage rolls to eat on the road for lunch. We got to our friends, just in time to share a lovely dinner of homemade vegetable soup. Then while one of our friends went to an art class we got to see a little of downtown Durham.
We saw the Liberty Warehouse with the Durham Food Hall. Our host also pointed out The Liberty Arts Center down the street, which hosts an event know as the Iron Pour, once a year, where the massive outdoor furnaces are fired up. The public is invited to develop a mold with their choice of subject and then over the course of the event molten iron is poured into the molds, giving the creator a one of a kind piece of art. It would be worth a trip to Durham in November, one year to be a part of this cool community happening.
Next, we made our way around a protest going on in the City to the 21 C Museum Hotel Durham. What a cool place. A working hotel, but there is an art museum that is free to visit, spread out over several floors. The exhibits are unique and many focused on the way workers are treated around the globe. I’m not really a regular visitor to art museums but this one I would definitely recommend. Another feature of this hotel/museum is an old bank vault in the basement that is also open for touring.
Remaining with our friends, the next day we headed out for a walk at Old Reedy Crook Road Trailhead in Cary, North Carolina. Ran into this handsome fellow on our way back up the trail. Worn out from our hike, we decided to have dinner out and try a new restaurant in Durham, Abol Ethiopian. The food was very good, the server was very helpful in choosing foods that met everyone’s needs. A really nice find. We headed back to our friends house to share a bottle of blueberry wine from Cedar Rose Vineyards, we had brought from NJ and teach our friends Quirkle, a game we brought along. Easy to learn, lots of strategy and friendly competition, especially as the wine took hold.
After breakfast the next morning, we continued on our way South. Our next stop was Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, where we also had some friends to meet the following day. We checked in at the Mount Pleasant / Charleston KOA and then went to enjoy a near by dinner at Carmen y Juan. We had our first meal of ceviche for the trip and it was good, though not as good as some we enjoyed later.
In the morning we had a little time to explore the campground before meeting our local friends for breakfast. We soon learned that every campground in South Carolina and Georgia seemed to have at least one or two interesting resident birds and warning signs for alligators. We never did see alligators, or thankfully the snakes that the signs warned of.
We met our friends at the Acme Lowcountry Kitchen on Isle of Palms. It was a bit of a struggle for gluten and dairy free but we worked something out and had a tasty breakfast. Mine was avocado toast without the toast. After eating and catching up, our friends drove us into Charleston and gave us a tour. We walked along the waterfront, where we could see Fort Sumter across the water. We also saw pelicans flying over the water! We visited the lovely Pineapple fountain, which is a symbol of welcome to the city. Strolling down the streets we saw the beautiful homes that look just like the many scenes of movies filmed in the South, probably because many of the movies have been filmed on location in Charleston.
We visited the Charleston City Market. Though not a farmer’s market, for those of you who follow my adventures which always include de touring for farm markets, close enough.
Back at the van, we again headed South. We stopped and picked up some lunch at Earth Fare grocery store and ate it from our fancy table set up as we traveled. More on this set up later, as we actually replaced it with a better one.
Next we headed to the Charleston Tea Garden and took the self guided factory tour and the trolley tour which showed us where and how the tea is grown and harvested. The trolley tour guide was lively and fun and told many “tea riffic” jokes. Who knew there were so many tea puns.
We made a quick stop to check out the Angel Oak on the way off the island and back to our route. It is the largest live oak tree east of the Mississippi River and estimated to be between 300-400 years old.
Pulling into the campground at 6:30, we spent a quiet evening. Steve worked the next day and I spent a quiet day exploring the campground a little and enjoying my logic puzzles and reading. 
In the evening we ventured into the city of Savannah. We had dinner in a spot recommended in a local gluten free group, Coco & Moss. Doesn’t sound Asian but it was. We both had bowls with raw fish and other foods, it was okay, definitely not one of the best meals we had on the trip. We made our way to see some of the sites and before returning to our campground picked up some Leopold’s vegan ice cream for dessert later. This was one of the highlights, so good we went back for more pints later in the week.
The next day I relaxed again while Steve worked. By the middle of the day it was nice enough to wander around, take pictures of the birds and sit outside to read. We did our first campfire of the trip that night, and cooked dinner over the fire. Later we went to the lovely clubhouse which we had all to ourselves. We did the dishes and took advantage of their game room with ping pong, billiards and more.
Late the next afternoon I was joined by an old friend from Jersey. Once Steve was done working our friend drove us to dinner, where we met up with another old Jersey Boy. Dinner was at Tio’s Latin American Kitchen, a decent Mexican restaurant. Afterwards the four of us went to see our friend’s home in a massive retirement community and learned all the perks of retirement in South Carolina. But they lost us when they got to the heat in the Summer and the gators in the backyard. A very pleasant evening.
Thursday was a work day for both of us, followed by a great dinner in Savannah at PJ’s Thai.
We had campground reservations through Friday morning. Originally we had planned to move to a campground that would have been a bit further North for the second week of the trip. Fortunately we had not made a firm reservation and decided going where it was going to be even colder would not be pleasant. Instead we made reservations for a few nights at Spacious Skies Savannah Oaks.
Before going to the new campground I had first my daytime adventure. Steve needed a place to work for the day, so we got up early and headed to Hilton Head Island. We had time to order breakfast takeout from the Watusi Cafe which had a lot of very cool gluten and dairy free options. We had looked at the parking lot across the street that was public parking for Coligny Beach and the sign said no RV parking. Although we doubted that anyone would care in the off season, we were grateful when the helpful server at the cafe pointed out there was a smaller public parking lot just down the road.
After breakfast I went to peruse the shops at the massive Coligny Plaza. Since it was only 9:30 and many of the shops didn’t open until 10, I decided to at least go check out the beach. It wound up that it was actually warmer on the beach, without the chilly breeze in town, which worked out well, because that reversed later in the day. The beach has a wide strip of packed sand and it was delightful walking in the sun. I was hardly alone, which made me feel safe and comfortable taking a long walk, going some in each direction.
Finally I did go back and check out the shops. Unfortunately some of the most interesting were closed – but I had a good stroll. Later in the afternoon, our friend who had suggested a great Indian Restaurant on Hilton Head during our meeting earlier in the week, joined me for a cup of tea and company. Then the three of us had a superb dinner, mostly appetizers, at Masala Mantra Indian Bistro. As we sat and talked we realized a line had formed and they were probably anxious to have us out of there. Obviously a very popular spot.
Saturday wound up being a very busy day. Steve had an important meeting for work that had been added, so I was on my own again for the morning. We drove to Tybee Island off of Savannah, so I could explore. I got myself a breakfast sandwich at The Surfing Goat, because how can you not go to a restaurant named “Surfing Goat”? The beach here too had wide hard packed sand and beautiful scenery. The pictures below were mostly taken into the sun, so I wasn’t sure if I had captured the lovely colors of the sky until I got to look at them back in the van later. As I rounded the curve on the peninsula, the scenery became more magnificent and the area less crowded. Loads of gorgeous shells were untouched in this isolated spot. The last few pictures were in a random yard on my walk back into town.
Once Steve’s meeting ended and I showed him a bit of the local area, we drove over to the Tybee Island Light House, deciding not to pay the admission after seeing it, as we wanted to move on. We had planned to drive the coast further south to Jekyll Island and other points of interest the following day but since rain was predicted we decided to make the drive at least to Jekyll Island on Saturday afternoon. With a few stops to look for thrift items in honor of our daughter’s birthday and a big pile of denim for her to upcyle, we made it to the Island just in time to spend a half an hour at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.
The Sea Turtle Center is a rescue organization where you can see the turtles currently being treated in their tanks and read about them and visit a small exhibit about the turtles and the center’s work. If you are there on a day when the staff is doing surgery or other treatments, there is a viewing area to watch as well.
Next we visited Driftwood Beach, the pictures say the most. All of these haunting trees are due to the one side of the island eroding, as the sand builds up on the opposite side. The big fluffy bird is a wood stork, identified by some of my friends through Facebook.
Before heading back to the campground, we had dinner at Wee Beach Pub. We were glad that by sitting outside we could not only avoid a long wait but the very noisy inside space. Another dinner that was tasty but not memorable.
Sunday morning we woke to the predicted rain, so it was a great morning to hang in the van and relax with our various pursuits. By noon we were thinking about getting out for a bit. I looked on the Roadtripper app and saw there was a large flea market, which in Summer probably has a lot of local vendors as well. Being a cold day and going in and out of the buildings at Keller’s Market, seeing a lot of the same usual merchandise at these big markets, we didn’t stay that long. As we were getting out the van I heard people in the next vehicle talking about a local Goodwill store. We had some time to use before dinner so we went over to check it out. As usual I headed for the records and tapes our daughter uses for our art. Finding nothing interesting I headed back to see what had kept Steve. I found him closely examining a folding /adjustable table. He though it might work for our in between the front seat table in the van and maybe for some other van uses but it was of course not in perfect condition. After some more deliberation, we decided to spend the $8 and see if it would work. It seems to be serving our needs and folds up well behind the driver’s seat.
When searching the local gluten free app. I found a Peruvian Restaurant, enough said, we had to go. When we got there, there were restaurant signs in the front and back by the driveways, no cars, nothing with their name “La Casita” visible, so we were a little skeptical. Our doubt was quickly replaced by the friendly owner and his grand daughter who was the server. The owner’s wife was in the kitchen making the best ceviche we had on the trip. If you find yourself in the Richmond Hill, Georgia area, definitely give this place a try.
The next day was a hangout at the campground, including an early campfire dinner. When we had arrived at Spacious Skies, there was an sign about Trolley Tours of Savannah with a shuttle pick up at the campground. So Thursday I took the shuttle in, armed with a coupon for $5 off the tour. It was a hop on hop off but not as well organized as some. I got off a few times and quickly found that some drivers were better at narrating then the others. When I got to the final ride for the day, the driver was such a good story teller that I would have liked to have stayed on and done the whole route with “Red” but I had a stop I wanted to see before it closed. When I say they were not as organized as I would have liked, it has to do more with the signage for their stops which was very generic. It also seems in this day and age they should have an app to direct you to the nearest stop. At the end of my day I would have like to take the trolley back around, as my feet were getting tired, but I couldn’t figure out where to go. Still I learned a lot about the history and legends of Savannah. I had brunch near one of the stops at The Urban Deli, very good vegan breakfast sandwich with coconut bacon. I walked along the River Front, through a number of Savannah’s famous squares and that final stop I mentioned was at the only Gothic Synagogue in America where I got a bit of a private tour.
Instead of taking the shuttle back, Steve came in and met me for dinner which we had at the Kayak Kafe, followed by round two of Leopold’s ice cream for back at the campground.
The next morning we headed out early to Beaufort, North Carolina. Steve parked the van and set to work while I explored the historic town, it’s museums and businesses. I started at the Visitor’s Center, located in a revolutionary war arsenal, to get some guidance. The lovely lady working there mentioned that the National Park Center across the street had some tours, so I headed there next. It seems I missed the formal tour but the ranger there launched into a 15 minute story on the part the Beaufort played in the Civil War, when it became occupied by the U.S. forces looking for a hold between Charleston and Florida. By the time the U.S. army occupied the city, all of the landowners had fled, leaving behind thousands of formally enslaved people. The story of those people became the basis for the resurrection and rebuilding after the Civil War as the formally enslaved gained their freedom. It was a fascinating story that I knew little of before my visit. The town was lovely but the waterfront disappointing. There was a fence blocking the view of most of the waterfront, which I later learned was because of the seawall which needs several years of rebuilding to be safe. One of the locals said they are looking into a more attractive fence for the duration of the project. Later when I wandered the neighborhood on the other side of town from the shops, I saw much nicer scenery. I also stumbled upon another historic synagogue, quite by chance.
We had decided to drive further North that night as we learned of an impending storm for the weekend. We were supposed to return Sunday, but decided to move it up a day so as not to have to drive in bad weather. Those last few days became day to day planning.
We choose another Spacious Skies campground near Fayetteville, North Carolina and later wished we had not chosen that much driving at the end of a long day, but we made it work. We picked up takeout from Papaya Thai and Sushi, which was okay, again not the best of either of those foods, but worked. We ate on the road using our new table. We needed a break along the way and since we had been seeing signs for Buc-ee’s for miles and miles, and had heard about this chain from one of our friends we decided to check it out. It is like a cross between your average rest stop and a department store. They have every imaginable snack, an over abundance of jerky (the case is only the fresh department, plenty of bagged too), clothing, gifts, camping items, art and on and on. We were glad when we finally made it to the campground, some showers and a good night’s sleep.
Since Thursday was a work day for us both and we wanted to continue our progress North, we found a rest stop where we parked and worked all day. It gave us a chance to get our and stretch our legs every once in a while, as the day was quite mild. For dinner, we found a Mexican place with vegan cheese options, as well as gluten free on our path, San Marcos. When Steve saw they had ceviche he went for that. It was very different, in a stack and very heavy on the avocado. It was good, but I’m glad I decided on a veggie enchiladas instead.
Our stay that night was a KOA that is very close to 95 in Emporia, Virginia. Looking for a place for Steve to work in the morning and me to hang, we chose Petersburg National Battlefield. When I went into the visitors center and spoke with the ranger, who seemed to be having a bad day, at least I hope someone who interacts with the public isn’t always so grumpy, he offered to run the 20 minute movie about the site for me. The details of the battle that happened at this site and the horrific loss of life on both sides was extremely disturbing. At first I went back to the van and didn’t want to walk around or take pictures. A few hours later, I did a little looking around, but was glad when we decided to move on.
We were just a little South of Richmond, so I called Records and Relics RVA to confirm they had some bargain records and Steve was able to park the van right across the street. I spent a lovely afternoon, not only picking some records and tapes for our daughter’s business but also conversing with the shop owner’s wife who was minding the store and also an artist.
Since we had one final night and felt we could be without showers for the one night, we looked for a Harvest Host in the area to spend our last night and wound up with a lovely surprise – a the winery on the map just North of Richmond. We messaged James River Cellars Winery and were approved within minutes. We then called to confirm closing time, so we’d have time to buy some wine. The pleasant person on the phone said they would actually be open late for a “music bingo” event and that we were welcome to join. We got there as the event was started, sampled a few wines, made our choices and preceded to have a really fun evening playing the game, drinking a bottle of their wine and snacking on our own food. That last one is important, as many wineries where we live won’t let you bring your own food, despite our food allergies. The game was a great bonus way to end our trip, as the lively crowd sang and sometimes danced along to the many tunes from the Bingo Game.
The next day we wanted to arrive at home but since the storm was not predicted to start until the early morning hours of Sunday, we took our time and made some of our famous De Tours.
Our first foray was into Fredericksburg for breakfast. The Mercantile had a number of really interesting vegan and gluten free items on their menu online, but when we arrived the options were much less limited. The server told us they update the menu seasonally. Before we decided to go somewhere else, he went and talked to the chef about options and came up with some tasty choices. We did a little walking around Fredericksburg after breakfast but it was super cold. There were a lot of antique stores, and we visited a few, but decided it would be a much nicer place to explore when it was a bit warmer.
Next we decided to also stop in Alexandria, Virginia. Crooked Beat Records there recently suffered a flood. Our daughter had read about it and asked us to stop in if we could. It wound up, any records that may have been affected by the flood and could be rescued had to be held until insurance claims are through and couldn’t be looked at. Their regular discount selection was very small, so nothing that would work for our daughter. I was glad to see lots of people trying to support them by shopping their regular price records and the women who answered my questions was very nice and said she’d follow Hillary’s Handmade on social media and we can do the same to see what the fate of their damaged records is.
There wasn’t too much to see nearby and again we were dissuaded by the cold to search too long, so we decided to go to the historic Old Town Alexandria. Once there we bundled up and explored for an hour or so, ducking into shops as much to warm up as to look. Another place that we’d definitely like to see more of when it’s a warm day, but a nice short adventure ending with a lovely cup of vegan hot chocolate from Lily’s Chocolate and Coffee.
Part of the reason for the stops throughout the day on the way home was to allow us a dinner stop at Mi Sabor Peruano, in Joppa, Maryland. I had come across this spot as a good place for ceviche in a search before and had been waiting for an opportunity to make it work. The ceviche was good, the lovely server was sweet and Steve bonded with their pet llama. 
Finally it was time to go home and face the weather, which as predicted arrived when we were sleeping that night in our home bed. We never did unwinterize Spud. We learned many lessons about Winter camping, including that it’s not as scary as we were worried it might be. And now we just wait for some days that are above freezing to head out on a next Spudventure.
