Winter Excursion 5, Day 90

We drove down to Fort Benning today. Checked out the campground and hit the Class VI store. The campground is very large and the sites are nicely spread out. It is right on the Chattahoochee River.

Back at camp we just enjoyed the afternoon sun and relaxed.  

The campground is full but will clear out tomorrow. Rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 89

Temps went below freezing last night. As usual the propane ran out sometime during the night. It seems it always runs out on the coldest nights. After breakfast and saying goodbye to Dave we drove to LaGrange to the nearest Tractor Supply and got the tank filled. 

Back at camp we played a few games, watched some TV and just relaxed.

Later in the afternoon my phone rang. The number calling lit up as Twin City, GA. It took me a second, but then I remembered Twin City was where our last campground was. I'm glad I didn't refuse the call or mark it spam as it was from the Assistant Park Ranger at George L. Smith State Park! They want us to host next year! We are both really jazzed! We will be hosts from 

1 Jan 22 to 30 Apr 22. This gets our foot in the door for hosting positions in the future as long as they like us and we want to do it. We will keep everyone posted as we learn more.

Dinner and a movie then off to bed.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 88

We left camp around 1000 headed for Andersonville, GA, but first we drove back to Warm Springs and the Soggy Bottom Mercantile. We stopped here yesterday, but they were out of their worlds famous Gourmet Pork Skins. The clerk told us yesterday that they would be cooking a new batch today. The pork skins we got were so fresh that they were still hot and sizzling in the bag!

We arrived at the Andersonville National Historic Site around noon.

The museum is closed due to COVID, but the grounds are open to walk and do the driving tour.

This is the fountain behind the museum.

We were a little disappointed that the museum was closed, but it was worth seeing the grounds and cemetery. The old town is still there just like it was in the Civil War.

On the drive back to camp one of our turn signal bulbs blew. I went into Pine Mountain and got a new bulb.

We spent the evening yakking with our neighbor, Dave, the retired helicopter pilot and stayed up until after 2200.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 87

We hung out at the camper this morning until the rain stopped. Then we headed out to do a little exploring in the area.

First stop was The "Little White House" in Warm Springs, GA. Interesting place, FDR spent a lot of time in this area.

Just outside of Warm Springs is this National Fish Hatchery. The place was closed due to COVID, but we did get to walk around and check out some of the many ponds .

We stopped at the FDR overlook & favorite picnic spot. Some really nice views from here.

Here's Cath and Kaylee with FDR!

This is a statue at the park office of a CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) worker. There is a lot of stone work in the area that they did.

Back at camp we had a nice afternoon and battened down the hatches as high winds and temps in the 30s are forecast.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 86

It started raining last night around midnight and didn't stop until around 0600 this morning. At times it rained hard! The camp site was soaked but dried up quickly.

We had a lazy morning and then headed to the store for a few supplies. It was a nice drive from Pine Mountain, GA to West Point, AL. We will explore Pine Mountain some more later this week.

Back at camp our neighbor happens to be a retired Army Helicopter Pilot. We spent much of the afternoon and evening swapping stories.

Tomorrow we plan on visiting some of the local historical attractions. Rain is forecast for most of tonight and tomorrow, but after that weather should be nice.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 85

We left George L. Smith SP around 1000. The host came over to say goodbye. We hope to see them next year if we get to host at this park.

We took the backroads to FD Roosevelt SP and had a nice drive. At times it was a little windy, but all in all it was an uneventful drive.

We arrived at our new park around 1500 and just did minimal setup as it is supposed to rain tonight. Thunderstorms are forecast.

Here's a few pics of the site.

Our view from the camper.

This is a really nice park. We will do some exploring tomorrow.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 84

We had a nice last day at George L. Smith State Park. We took a nice walk along the lake to the museum and back. Got a few pics along the way:

Cath snapped this pic of some cypress knees.

Spent the afternoon riding the E-bike, people watching, and talking to the host and park asst. manager (a little smooshing may get us a host job next year).

Here's a good story: One of the campers (5th wheel) around the corner from us had a sewer hose hooked up from the camper to near the pedestal. Problem is this campground has no full hookups. I asked the host about it and they were shocked! They called the park manager to check this camper out. Seems this guy is new to camping and thought the 12" X 12" cover for the inground water valve (so they can turn it off when freezing or do do repairs) was the dump! About 2 minutes after the manager left the sewer hose disappeared. Best part of this story is next day when the camper checked out he left (forgot) the sewer hose at the dump station. Talk about a novice....LOL. I'm glad we were not the next campers at that site. I wonder what he dumped on the pedestal shut off valve? YUK!

Put a few things away before we hit the sack in preparation for the trip tomorrow.

All is well in our camp!

Winter Excursion 5, Day 83

It got a little chilly last night with temps down in 30s. The sun came out and everything is drying up from yesterdays rains.

The campground is not full, but quite a few campers came in yesterday for the weekend. We were able to practice our people watching skills. One couple in particular was fun to watch. they must have backed their camper back and forth 20 times trying to get it in just the right position at their site. This went on for almost 30 minutes. The site was a pull-thru and after all this jockeying around the husband drove it around the loop and pulled into the site! I'm sure they filed for divorce as soon as they got it set up!

Cath did our laundry at the campground laundromat. The machines were clean and very cheap compared to some places we've been.

Kaylee seemed to bounce back. She spent almost the whole day outside with us and had multiple walks. Here she is waiting for her dinner.

We continue to love our new E-Bike, and we both took numerous rides. It is a big hit with the other campers mainly due to it's small size.

One more day here then off to another State Park.
 

Winter Excursion 5, Day 82

The rain started last night around 2300 and didn't stop until around 1500 this afternoon. It was never a really hard rain, just steady. We spent the day playing cards, watching TV, and just relaxing.

After the rain stopped we got Kaylee out for a walk. She has not been feeling well since yesterday. She did not eat her dinner last night which is very unusual for Kaylee. We think she may have eaten something on one of our walks or maybe she is starting to have a reaction to her tick meds. Time will tell.

We talked to the  Assistant Park Manager and the current Camp Host about hosting at Georgia State Parks. I think we got it figured out and we have applied for hosting positions Jan - Apr 22.

We have been watching an episode a day of "The Crown". We are on S1 E3, it's starting to get interesting.

All in all it's been a quiet day.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 81

After a nice Fat Omelet for breakfast we decided to drive to Claxton, GA to pick up some fruit cake and possibly a new T-shirt. Google said the store at the factory is open, but upon arrival we found it closed due to the virus! We stopped at the local grocery store and picked up our fruit cake, but we were bummed the store was closed.

Took the long way back to camp and continue to be amazed by some of the homes (trailers and mansions) we see along the way.

We spent the afternoon playing cards and relaxing.

We started watching "The Crown" and I'm sure we are going to get hooked. So far it's a great show.

Rain is forecast to start tonight and last through most of tomorrow. Guess we are camper bound for a little while. Camper life is good!
 

Winter Excursion 5, Day 80

We slept in a little then had a light breakfast. We headed to Metter, GA around 1100 to check out the Metter Farm Market. It is a nice grocery store that has some specialty things. Across the street is the town water tower which reads "Everything is better in Metter". We got a kick out of that.

From Metter we drove over to Swainsboro, GA to check out Pinetucky Country Meats. This is a really nice butcher shop and grocery store. It features a lot of local stuff, smoked meats, and local produce. We scored some smoked pork chops, beef filets wrapped in bacon, and some sweet-hot sauce.

Back at camp we were visited by this hawk. He was around yesterday also. He's in the center of the pic.

We played some cribbage and then Cath road the E-bike over to the boat ramp and fishing pier. She forgot to take her phone so she didn't get any pics, but she was so impressed she sent me over to get a few pics.

Reminds you of a spooky swamp!

Spent the late afternoon at camp people watching. There is only three campers here including us! It's really quiet!

Winter Excursion 5, Day 79

After a quiet morning we drove into town for a little shopping. Cath hit the Wally World and I gassed up the truck and got some ice.

I also picked up a new seat for the E-bike as the original one was to skinny and was hard on the butt! Got a nice padded, wide one, Cath was particularly happy!

Back at camp we did a little riding on the bike, checked out the entire park, and got a new magnet at the camp store.

Here's a pic of Kaylee begging for her dinner at 1500. She doesn't get fed until 1530, so we held her off until 1515..LOL

Here's a pic of Kaylee and I after her after dinner walk. She is happy now and will sleep the night through.

Cath used the shrimp our neighbor Tony from Buck Hall gave us. She's making a spicy shrimp dish with pasta. We used the new 'Toadfish Shrimp Cleaner" that Santa brought and it works great! (Google it for the YouTube video).

As usual all is well in the Boss camp. We heard from Jacob yesterday and we're looking forward to seeing him in a few weeks.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 78

We didn't leave Edisto until 1030 this morning, but today was a Holiday so there was lots of campers leaving this morning. When we got to the dump station there were three campers in line ahead of us, we had to wait about 30 minutes. I will have to revisit my planning as I forgot this was a three day weekend! Us retired folks can leave on any day...NO WORK!

The drive to George L. Smith State Park in Georgia was a breeze. A little windy, but not bad. After towing this camper for over 25,000 miles we are getting pretty good at it. As usual we took the backroads and saw some sights, some of them actually were scary in the Georgia back country..

Cath took some nice pics of our site. The lake is right behind us.

Here's the view from our rocking chairs at the camper. And yes I said Rocking Chairs!

Tomorrow should be nice enough to put the kayak in, but it's going to be around 31 degrees tonight. 

Winter Excursion 5, Day 77

The winds died down over night and everybody is happy. There was lots of activity in the campground this morning. It reminded me of everyone coming out of hibernation.

We haven't posted a pic of our Eco Garden in awhile so here you go. Cherry tomatoes should be ready to munch in a few days.

We spent the afternoon saying goodbye to friends. After staying at Edisto for our fourth year we are seeing the same folks year after year. We made some new friends this year and are looking forward to next year to spend time with everyone again.

Got most of the stuff packed up, but we are not in a hurry to leave in the morning so we will finish up tomorrow, it's only a 3 hour drive to our next campground in Georgia.

As usual it's been a fun two weeks at Edisto State Park Beach Campground and we already have our reservations for next year.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 76

Woke up this morning to sunny skies, but howling winds. Temps are in the 40s, so it feels like 30s with the wind. We had gusts around 30 mph!

We did take a walk on the beach as Kaylee needed some exercise. With the wind at your back it wasn't too bad, but walking into the wind was brutal.

After everything dried out from the rains yesterday we got the E-bike out. Here's a pic.. This thing is really fun to ride and it folds in half for storage. It only weighs 37 lb.

Cath had a blast riding, it will be more fun when the weather is not so cold and windy.

Kaylee says she likes it also, but is a little wary of it.

Spent lots of time in the camper today as did all the other campers. Winds are supposed to die down tonight, but temps will be below freezing.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 75

We did a little camp maintenance this morning and then got everything put away before the rain hits.

The new E-bike is really nice. I did a ride this morning. We didn't get any pics, but I will post some soon.

Cath insisted that I put in the blog that she won playing cribbage this afternoon. I guess she wants that news here as it is very unusual that she beats me!

We spent the afternoon watching TV and listening to the rain.

Grilled some of our Sea Trout for dinner, it was yummy!

Winter Excursion 5, Day 74

We left camp this morning enroute to our favorite laundromat (not!). Cath did the laundry and I ran some errands in town. I did get back in time to help her with the folding.

Around 1300 we got to the Kid's house and picked up the Kiddos at the bus stop. They were excited to see us again.

Nicole picked up some roller blades for Wesley. He did really well and after about an hour he was doing fantastic. Here's a few pics.

We had our new E-bike delivered at the Kid's. I got it set up and will post some pics tomorrow. We stayed at the Kid's for dinner (pizza), Wesley ate four pieces!

After dinner we did the drive back to Edisto after some dramatic goodbyes with the Kiddos. As usual we will miss them, but will get to see them at the Family Reunion in July.
 

Winter Excursion 5, Day 73

It was an interesting morning. We were sitting in the camper watching a little TV and the GFCI tripped for no reason! I reset it and did some troubleshooting, but could find no reason why it kept tripping! I did clean out some bugs and cobwebs from the behind fridge and it hasn't tripped since. Hopefully that fixed it.

Bob came by again and asked me to go fishing, but I was busy with our electrical problem.

We took a walk on the beach in the afternoon. It was a little chilly. Here's Cath all bundled up and Kaylee with her tail tucked.

When Bob got back I helped him clean his fish and he gave me two to grill "Hawaiian Style". 

Winter Excursion 5, Day 72

We settled in this morning for a lazy day of TV and cards. Bob came over around 1100 and wanted me to go fishing. That was all it took to get me moving!

The fishing was excellent as usual and we caught a few fish 19 - 20 inches! Most were around 15 - 16 inches. We got all the fish cleaned up by 1600.

Cath and I watched a few shows and had a nice dinner. Off to bed for a good nights sleep.

Winter Excursion 5, Day 71

After a really fun weekend we both slept in and then enjoyed a lazy morning.

Around 1100 we left camp headed to Hunting Island State Park. We wanted to grab lunch at the "Shrimp Shack", but it is closed! The campground at Hunting is still recovering from the hurricane a few years ago. The beach has been cleaned up from all the downed trees and new dunes have been built and planted.

Here's a pic of Kaylee and me with the lighthouse in the background.

Back at camp we watched some old western shows and had pizza for dinner. The pizza at "Coots, Bar & Grill" is very good!

After dinner we tried to do a movie, but we were both falling asleep, so off to bed we went.

 

Winter Excursion 5, Day 70

 The silliness started early, but we finally got the beds put up and some breakfast on the table.

After breakfast it was off to the fishing hole with the Kiddos!

We caught close to 20 fish and most of then were keepers. The Kiddos had a blast. I think Wesley liked playing with the bait (minnows) as much as catching fish. Kennedy just liked catching fish!

We fished the low tide for about 2 hours then headed back to camp, shell hunting all the way back.

Brian and I with help from Wesley cleaned up the days catch.

Kennedy crawled into the hammock with Riley and two ponchos liners. We didn't get them out until dinner time.

We had yummy Sea Trout on the grill for dinner. Then had to say our goodbyes as the Kiddos have school tomorrow. Our time in the Charleston area is almost over and as we do every year we will miss the Kiddos!

Winter Excursion 5, Day 69

We spent the morning getting ready for the Kids and Kiddos. Dumped the tanks, got propane, went to the store, and Cath cleaned the camper. 

The Kids and Kiddos arrived around 1330. First order was a walk on the beach, well maybe not the first, Skittles and M&Ms were first!

It was a little chilly on the beach so we all bundled up.

Here's the whole family to include Riley the Wonder Dog. 

After the walk Mom needed to warm up!

Here's Miss Kennedy the cutie!

And Riley!

Granddad and Grandson.

Back at camp we had a nice snack platter provided by Grandma. Then we started getting dinner ready. Brian brought some really nice steaks. We Sous Vide them and then finished them on a super hot grill. Dinner was great!

Got all the beds ready and then everyone settled in for a Harry Potter movie. No one made it more than an hour into the movie as we all fell asleep.

It was another fun day with the Kiddos.