Getting Out Of Harms Way–Sandy Is One Wacky Hurricane

Lake City, FL (86 degrees, humid, grey skies)

 

 

We stayed in Charleston, S.C. for just a short time.  The hurricane Sandy quickly changed our plans. Having a home on wheels sure comes in handy and driving along the east coast did not seem like a very good idea.  John always says our plans are in jello – there is lots of wiggle room. 

 

 

Foster Creek RV Park (near Charleston, SC)

 

A couple of days ago we stayed at a military navy campground near Charleston called Foster Creek RV Park.  It is well maintained and quiet.  However, there are only ten  sites and reservations are highly recommended.  There are other sites but these are used for folks staying for extended stays. 

 

This has caused a lot of controversy  with  the military campground community since the original intent was for the campgrounds to used for recreation not for what is called homesteading.  It is up to the commander of each base to make this decision. 

 

We also checked out the Air Force FAM camp.  Two years ago it was under construction and we were amazed at how nice it looks now. 

 

Charleston Air Force FAM camp

The sites were all very level and nicely paved.  It is very shady and satellite would most likely be impossible.  We will probably stay there next time.  This campground is located on the base. 

We have satellite TV again.  :) During our stay at Watkins Glen the trees blocked our ability to get a signal.  We really missed being able to watch programs at our leisure and especially liked being able to zip through all the commercials.  Right now avoiding all the political commercials is a real plus. 

 

As soon as we left New York we called Dish to set it up again. Shortly later we found out our DVR had a hard drive failure.  Sheesh.  They sent a new one  to a UPS Store in Charleston for pick up. After we arrived John spent a few hours getting it set up again. We are happy TV watchers again. 

We had a nice reunion with someone we met at Buckhall National Forest two years ago.  This is a lovely campground near Charleston that we highly recommend.  During our last visit Cheryl and her sister and brother in law (Bliss and Eddie) took us on a wonderful tour of the island (Isle of Palms) where they grew up, Sullivan Island,  and Mt. Pleasant.  We laugh and say they kidnapped us for the day  but it was a really memorable day.  We've kept in touch and met today for breakfast with Cheryl.  Unfortunately, Bliss and Eddie were out of town.  These special moments are priceless.  Here is a link to our original visit. 

 

We listened to the news this morning and decided to change our plans and route to Port Charlotte, Florida.  Moving inland seemed to be a good idea.  It was a long travel day for us but we are now safe and sound in Lake City, Florida at a Passport America campground called Oaks and Pines RV Park.  It’s a convenient campground and very crowded tonight.  I guess a few other folks had the same idea. 

 

Oaks & Pines RV Park (Lake City, FL)

 

Tomorrow we will watch the hurricanes progress and decide whether to hunker down another day or go towards Tampa.  Stay safe.  Our prayers and thoughts go out to all that may be affected by this hurricane. 

Beautiful Ferry Ride From Ocracoke Island and Visit With Blogging Friends

Ocracoke National Park, NC (76 degrees, clear blue skies)

Loading onto ferry

 

We got up way too early in the morning (5:30am) in order to take the ferry from Ocracoke Island to Cedar Island. However, after some initial grumbling on my part it turned out to be a fantastic trip all from the comfort of our motorcoach. 

 

 

The ferry ride lasts about  2 1/2 hours (cost $45 for rig and toad) and being able to enjoy it looking through the window of our home was amazing.  The ferry quickly filled and we were on the way.  With the love of my life, a cup of coffee, and a pretty sunrise life doesn’t get much better than this. 

 

View out our front window

Most folks stayed in their cars, however, there was a deck up at the top with  vending machines and chairs for enjoying the view. 
















The map below shows the route from Ocracoke Island to Cedar Island.  Click on map to enlarge. 



View Ocracoke to CedarIsland in a larger map

 

Cedas Island in the distance





Ferry waiting on other side to go back to Ocracoke

 

 

The drive through the low lands was very scenic after we got off the ferry.  Along the road someone was selling shrimp for $2.50 a pound. Stopping for some was imperative. The shrimp had been caught the night before. Now that’s fresh!!! Later on I realized the heads were still on them.  It's rare I get to do something for the first time now, but this was such an occasion.    Remember I'm from Indiana and our shrimp come out of the freezer.  Hopefully the squeamish feeling will be worth it. 

 

We were thrilled to meet up with a blogging couple who noticed our paths were crossing.  Dee and Jim write a great blog – click link - (Tumbleweed) we have followed their blog even  before we  started full timing. They inspired us as we were preparing to leave and we have learned a lot from them. Check it out.

 

We had a nice lunch together in Beaufort and shared stories, favorite campgrounds, and experiences.  Jim is retired Air Force too. 

 

We hope to meet up again in Florida.  They are organizing a get together of bloggers who hang out in sunny Florida. They hope to plan it  around the Tampa RV show. If you are in the area let us know. 
 

We then continued on our way to Wilmington, NC to spend the night at an Elks Lodge. It’s a handy place to overnight or spend a few days.  I forgot to take a picture but there are ten sites at the back of the lodge with 30amp service, water, and a dump on site.  There is a big picnic area and large grassy backyard.  The beach is very close by.  Cost is  $15/night and the bar also offers reasonable meals. Our only complaint is smoking is allowed in the bar. The members were very welcoming to us and we love staying at Elk Lodges especially for short stays.  It’s much better than a Wal-Mart and very reasonable. 

We are on our way to a military campground in Charleston, S.C.  Thanks for stopping by.