Chasing our Dreams, Dream on

November 4th, 2024
We are drinking the local water at Colleton State Park. There isn’t any problems with the mineral in it or it’s purity.
Always level the trailer. Don’t say “it’s good enough”, “it’s a short stay” or “we won’t notice it”. Always level the trailer. That way, when you get up late at night, half awake, you won’t lose your balance and putting your pants on is easier.
We went to Old Santee Canal Park. They say that it is the site of America’s first Canal connecting the Santee River to the Cooper River. The canal was used to transport rice to the Cooper River and down to Charleston.

The park is also the site of Fort Fair Lawn. The fort was used during the American Revolution. The British manned the fort until 1781, when they retreated to Charles Town, currently known as Charleston.
To see this fort is amazing. The fort walls were made from dirt (clay) roughly six feet tall and a moat surrounded the fort. They actually slept in tents outside the walls of the fort.

Fort Fair Lawn was not maintained over the years. The walls are only a couple feet high and have been taken over by nature.

Our country has an amazing past with a lot to be proud of and a lot to be ashamed of.
Appreciate what you have.

November 5th, 2024
The Forcast was right, it rained lightly throughout the night and into the morning.
We had a visitor last night around 2am, an owl. Woke Buddy up and he woke us up. I took him out to explore the sounds of the night. He enjoyed his walk and listening to the owl. The rain was light so we didn’t get very wet. That was our excitement for the day.

November 6th 2024
We spent the day in Charleston. We walked the Battery, famous for its defensive seawall and stately homes. We ended up downtown and did some shopping. We enjoyed seeing the area again. Next time, King and Queen streets looks to be an interesting area.
They are expecting about seven inches of rain in the next twenty four hours and have had flood warnings in the area for the past twenty four hours. We are about one hundred yards from the Edisto river but I don’t think that we have to worry about flooding. Savannah is only two hours south of us and expecting the same weather. They are expecting a possible seven inches of rain and flooding in addition to the hurricane damage they had from Helene.
I enjoy listening to the rain, it’s very relaxing. When Buddy was a puppy we were in the U.P. tent camping, with thunderstorms and cold weather. He had to sleep between Carol and myself to stay warm. Now we are in a warm dry trailer with everything we need. Interesting how things change. Even with all the problems we have had with our trailer, it was a good move.

November 7th, 2024
We took Buddy for a walk last night after dinner. It was barely sprinkling and I’m glad we did it then. Later that night it started raining hard and continued raining throughout the night.
We started our travels in the rain this year. I think we setup more in the rain than not. Going to Key Largo it rained the whole way down. We set up in the rain, we tore down in the rain. Then it quit raining for about a half hour on our way to Everglades National Park. We left the everglades and spent the night at Suwannee River Bend RV Park on our way to Emerald Beach RV Park where it rained while I setup and tore down the trailer then it rained the whole trip home.
I was reminded of backpacking through the Smoky Mountains, twenty years ago. I left a shelter in the morning and a woman yelled that there was a ninety-nine percent chance of rain today. Within twenty minutes it started raining. After walking all day in the rain I got to the next shelter. This was March but the temperature was in the sixtys. I was wet with no dry cloths. My rain gear had failed. I ate and then got into my sleeping bag on the top bunk. The rain came down hard that night, and I listened to it fall on the metal roof of the shelter all night. Great memories!
Now you think I would be wise enough to know to get the rain gear out which is neatly stored in the front of the truck bed where it’s hard to access with the cover on, but NO, it’s in the truck.
Our bed in the travel trailer is fairly high. So in order for buddy to get up to our bed we have a set of steps beside it and lead up to what we call the night stand for him to get up and down. There is a night stand on each side of the bed.
It was about 2 AM and we were all awake because of the rain and Buddy got up and sat at the foot of the bed, which normally indicates that he wants to go out. I told Carol I would take him out so she could stay dry. I got my clothes on and Carol put Buddy’s collar and leash on him. I opened the door for us to go out and as I headed out the door Buddy turned and headed up the steps back to bed, he had enough. We think he just wanted to hear and see what was going on outside and after that he didn’t want any part of it.
After Buddy decided he didn’t want to go out. I thought, well, I might as well get the rain jackets out for the three of us because we were going to need them later that day. So they are in the trailer now and as usual I got thoroughly soaked getting them out.
Morning now and it is still raining hard and Buddy doesn’t want to go out.

November 8th, 2024
Since we weren’t expected at Rivers End Campground & RV Park (150m) until 1pm and it was only a couple hours away, we had an easy morning.
The park is very crowded. We were lucky to get a site. The site is small but we don’t mind because we came here to see the island not the park. This is like living in a vinyl housing neighborhood, houses (RVs) crowded everywhere.

November 9th, 2024
Let’s get rid of my complaints first.
I believe the mapping app on my Android phone is provided by Google. This is a really bad app. We have gone the wrong way and missed more turns than ever before. They should worry less about stalled cars and radar traps and do a better job mapping. Just a poor job providing information. They should also realize that the driver should focus on driving, not telling them about stalled cars or radar traps.
Complaint number two: The problem with the weather down here is that it doesn’t cool off at night. We might end up using the AC to cool down. I might try leaving some windows open to see if it helps.
I took Buddy out this morning, he is adjusting to the new area, finding the best place to leave his tweets (mark his territory).
We went to the post office to mail a birthday card. Not to worried about it, at his age he won’t remember if he got it or not.
We are going to spend the day learning the park, shopping at the camp store and going to the ice cream social. Busy and exciting day.
Long, busy, stressful morning, think I’ll take a nap before the ice cream social
Today is our one month anniversary for being on the road.

November 10th, 2024

November 11th, 2024
Yesterday was a day off.
We walked down to the lighthouse because the parking lots weren’t designed for trucks and they charge four dollars an hour. No free parking on the island. The lighthouse, museum and surrounding area must be government owned. “NO PETS”. Glad we didn’t waste four dollars on parking.

The Tybee lighthouse was built in seventeen seventy three. This was the third lighthouse to be built on Tybee. It was burned in eighteen sixty one by the confederates and rebuilt in eighteen sixty seven after the civil war. The bottom sixty feet are the original seventeen seventy three lighthouse and the top eighty five feet were reconstructed in eighteen sixty seven.

The police station is next to the park we are in

We have started spending more time outside. Very relaxing sitting in the shade with a cool breeze, listening to the sounds of kids playing, birds singing and cars in the distance.
This is a nice park. Very small and some of the sites are small, like ours, but it works. We can even have our mail and packages delivered here. I give Rivers End a big ol’ five.⁹

November 12th, 2024
We went to Savannahs historic district today.
It truly reflects the city’s past. Sitting on the Savannah river the cobblestone streets and gardens are the setting for a relaxing day. Be ready for a day of shopping with restaurants and bars throughout the area.

The view on the river is constantly changing

Be prepared to spend more then one day to take in the area, for we saw little of what it has to offer.

The cobblestones were originally ballast on the ships that sailed into the harbor.

I am surprised to see how many people in the south are wearing face masks.

November 13th, 2024
We did the tourist thing today and went out exploring the area. We found some great places to take pictures, restaurants and bakeries. It is a beautiful area with very friendly people. What else could you want.

Future bakery on the marshlands between Tybee island and Savannah, where we took the above pictures

Above pictures are on the Lazaretto Creek that leads to the south channel of the Savannah River and flows into the Atlantic ocean.

The lighthouse is on the south channel of the Savannah River where Lazaretto Creek flows into the channel.

November 14th, 2024
We went back to the historic district in Savannah and started at the west end. We stopped at Paula Deen’s shop and bought my sister Carol and her friend some cooking utensils and a cookbook. We had just been talking about her cooking show.

While we were eating lunch at an outdoor restaurant it rained but we were under cover. Seems to rain on us alot but we don’t mind because we know how to dance in the rain.

Buddy and I are eating lunch

Buddy guarding our stash from the candy store

There is so much more to see, we will be back.

When we left there we headed to an ACE Hardware using Google maps and ended up at Home Depot. We left Home Depot and headed to the Bonaventure cemetery and Google maps got us there. This is a very interesting old cemetery that will take more then a day to explore the grounds and the history behind it.
We went back to the park and started to pack up and it started raining so I had to stop and finish in the morning.

November 15th, 2024
We left Rivers End and went to Sapelo Island Visitors Center on our way to Suwannee River Bend RV Park. We wanted to see what we could find for a friend of my sister Carol. She wanted to go there and things didn’t work out. We bought her some books on the history of the area. FYI: Blackbeards island is right next to it.

November 17th, 2024
We spent a couple of days at Suwannee River Bend RV Park. We haven’t found a lot to do in the area but the shopping is good. We had a great site overlooking an inlet off of the Suwannee river.

Buddy, waiting in the truck for us

There is a Walmart down at Chiefland, about eleven miles away. We took Buddy and went to pickup a few items and I went in first because I had to get some tools. I came out without buying anything and told Carol that it was almost as bad as Walmart on Black Friday before they had specials before Black Friday, so we didn’t go shopping there. Walmart is always best at 6am. We ended up going to Dollar General.

We are starting to adjust to and enjoy living on the road. I am more relaxed then I have been and I can see in Carol’s face that she is too. Savannah couldn’t have been better. We really like the Suwannee River Bend RV Park. I know we will enjoy the Energlades NP and then we will be at Key Palms RV Resort for seven weeks before returning to Avon, IN.
Driving on interstates makes me realize how relaxing driving on the back roads can be. We normally drive the back roads unless we are short on time.
Nine hours, and we are at Long Pine Key in Everglades NP. And setup!
Good Night!

Site one

November 18th, 2024
A number of the pictures I have used were taken by Carol. She takes great pictures.
From the beauty and complexity of civilization to the beauty and complex ecosystem of the everglades.
Carol found a frog hopping around the women’s restroom, but that’s all the wildlife we have seen other than the usual birds.
Long Pine Key is a wooded campground. We are isolated from the other campers not only because of the woods but the lack of campers. Very peaceful.
Flamingo is a open field campground and it is close to the lodge, restaurant and Marina located on Florida Bay. With the brackish water, there is an opportunity to see crocodiles in the canals and crocodiles and manatee in the bay area.

November 19th, 2024
We went out exploring the area today and watched a Barred owl take a fish from a Great Egret and then fly up to a branch in a tree. Carol was able to take a great picture of the owl.

He has a fish in his talons

It’s late and Buddy wants to go out before bed. We’ll go for a walk around the grounds and call it a night.
They have solar showers, which are great if the sun is out. Carol decided to use their shower instead of ours and found out she needed more sun. Yes, she had a cold shower.

An Anhinga

View from our site

We had great weather, low eightys during the day and low seventies at night. We had a lot of bugs at sunset and had to close up the trailer. With no electricity and no generator after 8pm, it was warn and hard to sleep.

November 20th, 2024
We are off again. Headed to Flamingo campground about thirty four miles farther in the everglades. We will have electricity there. Carol hasn’t been sleeping well in the heat so I hope this helps. The evening temperature is suppose to start dropping too.
I am currently sitting at the marina at Flamingo waiting for 3pm to get our site. No early arrivals allowed.
We did see some Manistee in the marina while we waited.

Carol helped me setup the trailer. She knows how to do everything so that makes it a lot easier.
We have a nice cool breese here, our site is in an open field down here.
Carol helps me setup then she goes in and sets up everything. She gets the plants out, the hand soap and towels out in the bathroom, the dish soap out in the kitchen, sets up the TV, along with setting the circuit breakers, water heater and water pump if needed.

November 21st, 2024
72° with a cool wind. Turn the AC off and open the windows. Cool enough I might have to turn the heat on. Great weather!
NOAA weather report for the area calls for low to high seventies with fifteen to twenty mile per hour winds with gusts. Small craft warnings are out throughout the Keys with coastal flooding in the upper Keys due to high waves and tidal changes. Waves will be anywhere from three to six feet. This will effect Keys with lower elevations. There are no signs of cyclone formation within the next seven days.
Buddy fell out of bed the other night and hurt his left hip. We believe he was walking around on the edge and missed a step. No power, no nightlight. He landed on the steps and came down the rest of the way on his paws. He seems to favor his left hip.
Decal day. We have four new decals for the wall of travel. Also, clean the outside of the trailer day, so we look good when we pull in Key Palms RV Resort. We are the poor kids in the neighborhood.
I also cleaned and organized the back of the truck and the crawl space in the trailer.
The work is complete so it’s time to explore the park.