Russia…The Trans Siberian Railway ~ Friends Update!

Two of our friends, who follow my blog, responded with pictures of their adventure on the Trans Siberian Railroad. Sean and Lee are world travelers. They have done all of the continents and have been to every major points of interest in the world. Helen and I met them on our trip to New Zealand and Australia.

Trans Siberian Train

They did not travel the entire length of the railroad, but enough to get a flavor of this railroad. Sean said that the railroad schedule and times are very accurate. In one of the pictures, a kilometer/stone marker reads 5613, which I believe is 3,498.08 miles to Moscow. His comments on the train follows…


Does anybody read Russian?

I just read your blog. I think we told you that we took a short 8-hour ride on trans-Siberian train from Ulan Ude to Irkutsk in the Lake Baikal area early September last year. Our portion of the trip on the train schedule is highlighted in one of the pictures. The fall colors were beautiful. Since we did not stay overnight on the train, we did not use the blankets provided in the cabin. The bunk beds (4) in our cabin were reasonably comfortable, but no one in our group (total of 11) wanted to nap or sleep. I think there are "business class" 

Railroad Crossing...Rusian Style!

or "first class" cabins, but not sure. We had coffee in the diner car. Almost no locals went there to eat or drink due to the steep prices. There are hot water dispensers on the train and most locals brought a lot of food and drinks with them. The are also food vendors on the platform at most stops.
The only person we know who covered the entire route was a good friend of our younger daughter. She was between jobs and she decided to do it about six years ago. Not sure how her father would have let her do it as a single woman. As far we are concerned, I don't know if we can survive the entire length in our current physical conditions. By the way, the train was on-time almost to the minute all the way while we were on it. There are small "kilometer markers" along the way and the "railroad crossings" are quite interesting. I think you will enjoy the ride. I wish we would be able to visit as much of the world as these two Texan friends have. They say that they are running out of stamina, but after all, they have seen a majority of this expansive planet! They should be slowing down a little. Thanks for the information on the Trans Siberian Railroad. Oh yes, we have another friend “George” who is also running out of stamina. I am trying to convince him to travel a little more and also see this great planet!   That is what we plan to do and see!

Russia… The Trans-Siberian Railway! May Be?

Well… I’ll bet the header might get a few people’s attention. Actually, the subject has come up a couple of times. Just tonight, as I was checking my stats and audience on the blog, I have noticed that I’m getting a small following from Russia.


Map Showing Military Installation with
RV Campgrounds

Russia, our cold war enemy. Now that the cold war is over, I often think of traveling from Vladivostok to Moscow by train. I met a fellow camper in Key West who did this trip. He gave me a lot of information about the train accommodations and what to expect. It is a far fetched idea, but it is doable. Once in the mid 80’s, on trip to Alaska, on a KC 135 Air Force Tanker, I had another long discussion with some people who were in the process of flying around the world. They would fly a good part of this trip on USAF “Space A “ flights. They had made connections to fly from Japan to Vladivostok , Siberia and board the Trans Siberian Railway all the way to Moscow. From Moscow, they intended to fly (commercial Russian Airline) to Germany and resume their “Space  A” flights back to the States. It is not a big money issue, but an issue of patience and time to catch the right flight. One needs a lot of time to accomplish this adventure. Time on the Trans Siberian Railway took this guy in (Key West) a month. He said to try  and get a top berth, apparently someone on the lower berths always seem to have a bottle of Vodka and no one leaves until its empty!  I know there is a “Space A” flight that goes to Europe four times a week and it is not full  most of the time.
Oh well, enough of that wild dream for now. I need to get back to America and explore around here. I am thinking of going back where we left off and continue the Civil War trail. One of the biggest things on the Civil War, this summer, is the 150th Anniversary. I’ve been told that there will be some major reenactments. Some truck campers are getting together for a jamboree centered on these reenactments. It might be very busy with tourist, but that only means that we would make new friends and hear more great adventure stories.
Today,

This "Live Oak" was about 150 years old
when the Civi War Started. It was 300 years old when cut down

I upgraded the camper. I now have a permanent TV cable connection on the outside. That means that I don’t have to snake the cable in anymore. It isn’t that we watch a lot of TV, but more and more campgrounds offer Cable TV with their full hookup sites. My next upgrade will be a new “front of the truck” generator mount. I want the mount to be closes to the truck grill. The two mountain bikes will be further outbound and the bike carrier will be removable without interfering with the generator mount. It sounds complicated, but I can tell you I’ve slept on the idea for a few nights and its coming together. The Honda EU2000i generator will make us more independent in the dry camp environment. The Solar panel will recharge the camper battery, but the computers are power hungry and unless I’m running the truck they won’t last more than a day. We are on them several hours a day. (Checking emails, blogging, searching sites to visit the following day and so on).
That is what we plan to do and see!
 

The Reality Sets In…Home Sweet Home…Where Do We Keep the Silverware?

It is always a mild shock to arrive home after a long stay away. I literally had to think for a second where we kept the silverware. We had been gone 61 days on this adventure… 77 days this past summer to Alaska. In a years’ time we traveled from 207 miles North of the Artic Circle (Inuvik, NWT) to Key West, Florida. 90 miles from Cuba (15,000 miles last summer and 5,105 on this winter trip) .God, there is so much left to see!
The temperature here in Berlin, NH is till cool, but in another week or so the leaves will start to bud. I will get back outside and tackle the yard. ( I love doing yard work) That is no joke! In the mean time, I have the truck camper to clean, the truck needs to be serviced and a special front mount on the truck for a future generator. Just maybe, in June, we’ll be able to sneak away for a couple of weeks up to Nova Scotia and into Labrador. Remember that new road from Happy Valley Goose Bay, Labrador posted in a  previous Alaska blog? I always have to have something in the planning stage. It keeps me young and crazy!


Home of the "Fried Green Tomatoes"

Back to the camper... I spent this morning emptying the rest of the clothes and everything else that we had packed. The rest of the day I cleaned all of the bugs off the nose of the camper. It is accessible now that it is off the truck. The sun was shining into the shop and with the radio broadcasting the man hunt in Boston, the afternoon seemed to go by very fast. When I called it quits for the day, I had waxed 3/4 quarters of the camper. The worst was done.
The weather this Saturday morning was again cool, but I did manage to rake a little in front of the house. The sand that is spread in the winter months, in the street that is, makes a mess on the lawns. That is all part of living in the North Country here in New England.
Now that we are home, I can reflect on our trip, re-read some of the blogs and realise that I didn't have time to include so many little details that made our voyage so interesting. For an example; in Savanna, GA. We had stopped at a "Whistle Stop Cafe" famous for their Fried Green Tomatoes. Some of you probably have seen the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" partially filmed in this cafe.

Fried Green Tomatoes!

That is what we did and saw!

 

The Bolt to the North!!

New York after the GW Bridge!

So far on this winter getaway, we have visited many friends and relatives. Visited countless attractions both natural and historic. I am glad that I took the time to write this nearly daily blog. I will in the coming months re-read the blogs, remember and possibly add more detail to the daily events. We have so many more experiences to recount with fondness. After all, with the type of  travel we do, meeting people and seeing places is our joy.
Now back to where we are today. The weather for this week so not looking too good. Rain and cooler temperatures. I didn’t want to spoil the first impressions that I get when we visit a new site. The cold and rain would not do it justice. Like a wild horse, I felt like bolting and hitting the road. That is what we did! I knew that I could easily drive from Virginia to somewhere in Connecticut in one day. We left Yorktown before dawn, around a quarter to six in the morning. The computer said we were around 850 miles from home. In a half hour, we were on I-95 North bound. I-95 is not my favorite route, but being close, I selected this path home. I did plan on diverting inland using I-81 and I-84 avoiding the New York area. The traffic wasn’t too bad going through the heart of Washington, DC and we shelved the alternate route and stayed on I-95. It proved to be a little costly in  road tolls, but the joy of seeing all that traffic, and especially the bumper to bumper traffic on the north side of the George Washington bridge was an adventure.

The George Washington Bridge... Upper deck!

After all, being in bumper to bumper traffic gives one time to get good photos of the New York skyline! Oh yes, then there’s the NY metro police that pulled me over on the Cross Bronx Parkway. He said to me "why didn’t you turn off when I pointed to you"? I actually though that he wanted to go to the right and I got out of his way. He said “you can’t be on this Parkway with your camper. The arched overhead bridges are to low”! I knew I *@#^ up. I asked, “How do I get out of here now”? He said, “Take the first exit, go down the ramp, take a left and the next left, get on the Cross Bronx Parkway ‘West’ get off on I-87 North, take the I-287 East and the I-84 East to Danbury, Connecticut. I think I lost him right after “Take”. I said to Helen, "give me the map"! He pointed you are here and repeated the above instructions. When I see it on a map I got it clearly in my head! No problems from here on. We stopped for dinner at the Blue Diner in Newton, CT. After talking to the owner, he said we could stay the night in his parking lot. It was a 24 hour diner and we didn’t get bothered with traffic the rest of the night. Newton, CT... remember was the town that was the site of that terrible school shooting!
That is what we did and saw!

Yorktown,VA…The War of Independence…The Battlefields

The first thing that we did this morning was to take the Colonial Parkway over to Colonial Williamsburg. Now you can make Colonial Williamsburg as simple or as complicated as you want to as far as visiting. Admission is free. If you want to just walk the town, you can see period dressed people who talk to you like you were back in their time frame of the Revolutionary War period.

Colonial Williamsburg

If you want to go into specific houses and get detail reenactments, then you need to pay the admission. We wanted to see the general layout of the town. This is no small area. One mile long by 3/4 mile wide. A 1/4 mile walk along working period farm and flowering forests will take you from the Visitor Center to the outskirts of Colonial Williamsburg. It was an interesting forenoon and about two and a half miles of walking and we had covered the entire town. It was interesting enough, but I’m glad we didn’t pay for the tour.


Matt our Park Ranger
standing next to a 24 pound cannon

Next, on our marathon day, was to get back on the Colonial Parkway heading in the opposite direction to Yorktown Colonial National Historical Park. The National Park Service never fails to do a good job in their presentations. The American Revolution’s last major decisive battle was fought here in Yorktown. I won’t go into details, but I have to keep reminding myself that this is “The American Revolutionary War” and not part of “Civil War”. Here is the twist… while visiting the battlefields in Yorktown our Park Ranger mentioned several times that the Confederate Army used a lot of Revolutionary War defensive positions. They simply reinforced and replaced whatever was needed. I was happy to have visited Yorktown and its history!
That is what we did and saw! 



Virginia Beach…Fort Story and the rest of the Story



Cape Henry Light House
 

The storm had passed last night with very strong wind rocking the camper. I reached over and got the remote and let the camper jacks anchor us to the ground. It helped immensely. All of this took place around 3am. It was funny that it didn’t rain at all.
The road was calling us to see what’s beyond the sand dunes. I wanted to head north and west towards Gettysburg and stop at what ever aroused our curiosity. The first thing on the map was Fort Story. It had the oldest building commissioned by the government of the United States. It happened to be a lighthouse. The history here doesn’t go back to the Civil War, but the War of Independence. A big Naval battle took place here involving the French Armada and the British Fleet.

 

The French won the naval battle isolating British troops in Yorktown. General Washington was able to move his army and defeated British General Cornwallis, which eventually lead to our Independence from Britain. Fort Story is an active military base with full security in place. We were able to access many historic spots that are not generally opened to the public. One of the placards read that we should visit Yorktown and Williamsburg up the road.

St Bede in Williamsburg, VA

 

Tonight we are on the outskirts of Williamsburg at another military RV campground. We are at Cheatham Annex/Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, Williamsburg, VA. After a visit to the Visitor Center we were overwhelmed with the amount of things and places to visit around here. There are 52 historic places close by. We, I think, have narrowed down to six that we will try and visit in the next day or so. Boy, it’s a good thing it is still snowing back home. We are not rushing back!
Tonight after selecting our camp site we made it over to St Bede Church for mass. What a church! It is modeled after a Greek Orthodox Church that we visited in Saco, ME. It has a large Atrium that leads you into the larger circular main part of the church.
Later this evening, we settled into our campsite. I setup the BBQ and we celebrated with a nice T-bone steak. Life is rough on the trail!

 
That is what we did and saw!

Virginia Beach… Sea Mist RV Park

Life is rough on a rainy day!
Sea Mist RV Campground... Dam Neck Annex

This morning the predicted storm held off just long enough for me to disconnect the sewer, water and electrical. It rained all the way to Virginia Beach, VA. We took back roads to get here and I had to do some fancy dead reckoning. I knew about where I was going, but not exactly to the RV campground. Oceania Naval Air Station is a big place with many major roads around it. Finally we made it, only to find the campground gate locked. A camper was coming out and gave us the code to enter. The registration office was unoccupied, but instructions were by the door for registration after hours. We selected a site, not too impressed so far. It was still raining. I was to fill the paperwork out and drop-it into a drop box. We had lunch and decided to leave and go to the State Park campground. A camp worker showed up and we asked if he knew about other campgrounds to stay at. He mentioned that he stays at Sea Mist at Dam Neck Fleet Training Center Atlantic. We left to check it out. Bingo! “nice as apple pie”. This RV park is practically new. It has a clubhouse with Direct TV, laundry, restrooms, wide concrete pads, full hookups. The registration attendant took time to give us a golf cart tour of the  park and part of the Navy base. Two items that stood out here…One is that they launch drones right off the beach. The other notable thing is that the north end part of the base is off limits. USN Amphibious Base is there along with no other than Navy Seal Team Six!
The rain subsided early afternoon, it was sunny for an hour and a half. The clouds returned and the forecast was for showers tonight before clearing. After an “in camper” dinner, we went next door to watch the nightly news. We were in there alone for a while until the Camp Host came in to register a late arrival. She mentioned that they had gone up to Alaska. Well that was enough to spark a wonderful long conversation about our past Alaskan adventures. It never fails when we are at a military campground to meet some wonderful people with wonderful stories. They all seem to have that sense of adventure, the sense to see what’s on the other side of the hill! It’s a great country with plenty of places to visit and learn about.
That is what we did and saw!

Elisabeth City,NC…The Largest Coast Guard Base in the US!



Onslow Beach!... Marines in Action!

Leaving Camp Lejeune fairly early, we encountered a column of marching Marines on the side road to Onslow Beach. I could tell they had been marching from the main part of the base some ten miles away. It was already in the mid-seventies. They were sweaty, but in good spirits! I had pulled over to let them march by. I talked to them making encouraging comments!
Approaching the Main gate, we were warned that the traffic inbound would be heavy. Well let me tell you, the cars were backed up for fifteen miles! I was sure glad were we going the other way. Jacksonville and the Marines are putting a four lane highway and a major bridge to alleviate the traffic problem.


Redneck Marine With His Tank
On His Snow Machine Trailer

20 Mile March!

The road north on NC 17 is a good road for us to be on. It wasn’t an interstate, but we could move right along. The road took us into farm country, small towns and such. I like seeing how people live in the countryside. Today’s target was Elizabeth City, NC. A fellow camper at Camp Lejeune told us about a campground at the US Coast Guard Base. It only has about 20 sites. We gambled and drove in. Got a full hookup site. Real nice sites with concrete pads, lilac trees, waterfronts, sandy beach and of course a runway just yards from the campground. So far, only four aircraft have come and gone. We had originally planned on making it to Virginia Beach, but the distance and the weather would change our plans. The weather for tomorrow is for thunderstorms and we really didn’t want to ruin our first impressions of Virginia Beach. Now, I’m told by another camper that I might not be able to get on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel because of wind restrictions. Plan “B” will go into effect. We will go to Virginia Beach, s

tay a while and than head west on I-64 to I-81 North. What this will do for us is put us in the Gettysburg area. I will continue my hands on education of the battles of the Civil War.

Back in Elizabeth City, we spent the afternoon downtown in a large museum. It was very hot today (96*) and the AC in the museum did the trick. Interesting thing about the museum is the history of the locals. They were split in there loyalty between the Union and the Confederacy. Many joined and became guerillas in their areas to harass the other side. The war here was not pretty!

After the museum, later in the afternoon, we explored the downtown waterfront district. We sat in the park and watched sailboats come in and docking. To us non-sailors, it was interesting to see the husband navigate the boat and the wife manhandle the ropes. Whoops, that should say woman-handling the ropes!

The grill came out tonight for our evening meal. The wind picked up after dinner and for the first time, I extended the camper jacks to ground for added stability. In the event of really severe weather, I am told that the security forces would notify us to move to the gym. After all, who would know more about the weather than the US Coast Guard. They probably will have to respond to a rescue situation at sea!

That is what we did and saw! 

 

Onslow Beach…MCB Camp Lejeune…The Marines have Landed!

Marines in Training!

Camp Lejeune is a massive land area of a base. The Onslow Beach Recreation Area is 10 miles in on the base. The paved highway crosses many tank trails. It wasn’t long before we started meeting mechanized Marine units in their armored vehicles. It always leaves an impression on me to see our military in action! Soon, we arrived at the Intercostal Water Way (IWW), to a draw bridge. The bridge traffic was stopped for a sail boat going by. On the other side, we saw the RV Campground to our left. We checked in and got a spot about 150 feet from the IWW. The distance to the ocean from the IWW is about 750 feet.

Me Doing what I Love to Do!

We immediately parked and started for the ocean view above the high sand dunes. WOW, off in a short distance is some sort of air craft carrier. V-22 Osprey aircraft were taking off vertically, others were circling around the carrier. While all of this was going on, sun bathers were taking it the sun on the beach. As far as adventures go, this very exciting for me. To have the privilege just to view this is very gratifying.

That is what sunrise looks like!

The RV campground has full hookups, cable TV at every site, good WIFI, clean restrooms, laundry room, Mini Mart. We were going to leave this Marine Base this morning and head north, but after doing groceries, getting a haircut, the day was too far along to leave. We headed back to Onslow Beach for another night stay. This evening I was able to take pictures of the amphibious armored troop carriers that were live firing just down the road. It was another great day. Oh, by the way Helen got a Marine haircut too! Now she’s ready for inspection!

This is what sunset looks like!

That is what we did and saw! 

Fort Fisher…The Rest of the Story



View of the Union Blockade 

Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area is a postage size area. It does meet all of your overnight camping needs. Here is the secret! It is located mere minutes from the real Fort Fisher (Civil War Era).
What is Fort Fisher in relations to the Civil War? Let me tell you a little history. The Union or Federal forces knew that the only way the  South would capitulate would be if their supplies were cut off. Other than food, most of the supplies came from around the world by ship. The Union affectedly did a blockade of  sea ports from Virginia to Texas. Towards the end of the Civil War, General Lee said, “if we lost Fort Fisher we would loose Jacksonville and the war”. Fort Fisher was the last port opened to the Confederate Army. One of the reason that it held for so long was that it was a state of the art in fort construction. Most other forts were made of brick and mortar. 

View of Cannon Battery from
 Confederate side

This type of construction was easily demolished by cannon fire. Fort Fisher was constructed with heavy wood bunkers and 25 feet or more of sand on top. The shells could not penetrate the bunkers. Fort Fisher was assaulted twice. The first time the Union troops landed, but were unable to sustain a long campaign. Two week later they were prepared. The Union forces took the fort. One month later Jacksonville fell. The war was over in 90 days after Fort Fisher was defeated. A foot note here is that the Union commander was from New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Volunteers were some of the

View from the Union side

land troops in the campaign). So, in our Civil War explorations we have seen where the Civil War started and very close to where it ended.
Later in the day we moved our camp to the famous “Camp Lejeune” United States Marine Corp Base.
That is what we saw and did!

Wilmington, NC…Ft Fisher Air Force Recreation Area… The Chanced Encounter!

Brookgreen Gardens..
National Historic Landmark

This morning were we to head North, but Helen made the comment that we should checkout Brookgreen Gardens. Cousin, Chris Marcotte (Columbia, SC) had said this would be a must see attraction. Brookgreen was located some 15 miles south of Myrtle Beach State Park. We had passed the entrance yesterday, but getting a site for the night was then a priority. OK, we are not in a rush to get home with snow still in the back yard! Brookgreen Gardens is big! Like 9000 acres! The admission is good for seven consecutive days. Brookgreen is divided into sectors; The world-renowned sculpture complex, The Low Country Center, The Domestic Animals of the Plantation, Butterfly House just to mention a few. We touched on the major attractions, and I, who is not a sculpture expert was totally impressed with the presentations, the flowers, the water fountains, the lawns, the natural wildlife.
Back at the visitor Welcome Center, 

Sam and Helen...A Chance Encounter!

we were walking and I said to myself at first, “Boy does that person remind me of Sam Cordwell” Helen, I said “is that Sam Cordwell? “No” she said. I called out “Sam” and she turned around! Yes, it was Sam! She came over and gave us a hug! Her husband Dave, who had gone to get their car drove up. We had a good chat. We talked about seeing their grandson Zachary at the Citadel Parade Review. Talk about going down the river in a canoe without a paddle. Here is an example of destiny. Sam and Dave come to Brookgreen very often for their walking exercise!

Two Art Experts at Work!

We finished the gardens and left midafternoon going north to settle close to Wilmington, NC. Fort Fisher is an Air Force Recreation site.
That is what we saw and did!

Charleston and Myrtle Beach…A restful Sunday



Yatching in Georgetown!

The State Fishing Pier... Myrtle Beach!

Everyday can’t be an adventure, at least that’s what I was thinking this morning. The plan today was to head up towards Myrtle Beach. No military campgrounds here. The Air Force Base closed in the earlier round of base closures. So, here we go leaving JB Charleston around 9:30 this morning. It was just about 120 miles up the road. We would take our time, after all it was Sunday, (a day of rest). Halfway to Myrtle Beach, we pulled into Georgetown around lunch time. We were a little surprised to see how touristy this town was. It had a dockside boardwalk the length of Main Street. The main street (named Front Street) also had many restored buildings, art galleries, restaurants and sports bars. We had lunch, took a power nap and off again to the Myrtle Beach area. I was not excited about being able to find a reasonable rate RV Campground. Our first stop was to a State Park campground (Huntington Beach State Park.) It turned out to be full. They said to try the State Park in Myrtle Beach. I tried to call ahead, the line was busy. Finally, we arrived and were really surprised to see that they had a lot of sites available. A bigger surprise was the location (on the Ocean, with wooded sites). 

Myrtle Beach skyline from State Pier

We were able to select our own site, registered, paid, parked the truck at the site and went for a nice long walk on the beach. The sun was warm, the breeze was cool, perfect for a beach walk. The State has a long fishing pier, we took pictures of the guys fishing, soaked in more sun before heading back to our site # 81. That is one of 350 sites!
Before digging out the BBQ grill, I had noticed that our neighbor had Quebec license plates. I said to Helen, “let’s go over and ask them where in Quebec they lived”. He said Quebec city in a French accent. I started talking French to him, he responded and before I knew it we had talked for an hour. He is a retired Canadian Navy Captain, like captain of a war ship. We had a lot to talk about including accessing US military RV campgrounds.
For a quiet Sunday, it was quite a full day! I am happy with today’s unexpected adventures, both people and places.
That is what we did and saw!

Charleston…Boone Hall Plantation…FT Sumter… The Civil War!



Very Crafty!

Boone Hall Plantation

South Carolina was the first to secede from the Union, yet Union forces still occupied Fort Sumter at the entrance of Charleston Harbor. The South demanded that Fort Sumter be vacated. The North refused. Finally, on April 12, 1861, South Carolina Confederate troops from nearby Fort Johnson fired on the fort…the start of a two day bombardment that resulted in the surrender of  Fort Sumter by Union troops. With the North’s withdrawal, the South held the fort until it was finally evacuated on February 17,1865. During that time, the fort experienced one of  the longest sieges in modern warfare. For almost two years 46,000 shells, estimated at more than seven million pounds of metal, were fired at Fort Sumter. For these reasons and more, Fort Sumter remains one of the most significant historic monuments in the United States. 

View from Camper Driving into Plantation

The above description of Charleston's’ Fort Sumter is to set ones’ mind into the geographical location. This is where the Civil War began! We didn’t take the ferry over to see Fort Sumter. Instead, we went to Boone Hall Plantation to see and learn about slavery and a major factor in the “Civil War!”
Boone Plantation had many, many slaves. They worked 4,000 acres of farming land. They also made bricks, four million bricks a year actually! Once the Cotton Gin was invented, the production of cotton swelled and the plantation owners became wealthy. More slaves were bought! The slave lived in crude brick buildings which still stand to this day. A lot of slave history was gained by us today.

In 1681, Englishman Major John Boone came to Charleston and established a plantation and gracious home on the banks of Wampocheone Creek. In 1743, his son Captain Thomas Boone, planted live oak trees, arranging them in two evenly spaced rows. This spectacular approach to his home became a symbol of Southern heritage. It would take more than 200 years for the trees to meet overhead to form the present-day scenic corridor that welcomes visitors to America’s most photographed plantation.
That is what we did and saw!

Charleston, SC…The Citadel…The Mighty Eight Air Force

This morning we left Hunter Army Air Field and soon were on I-95 North. I had seen information about “The Mighty Eight Air Force Museum” on exit 102, just up the road. When I saw the sign, I was compelled to exit. The Mighty Eight was the US Army Air Force in the European theatre during WW-II. The museum was informative, well displayed with artifacts and many volunteers, who made the self guided tour personal. One of the facts that stayed with me was that the Mighty Eight had 26,000 airmen that didn’t make it back. This is the most casualties of any of the armed forces. There were 28,000 men captured. Well done to the Mighty Eight Air Force!


The Citadel...Cadets in Review!

On to Charleston, South Carolina... Our daughter Lori had been down earlier this past winter to visit friends and they took her to the “Citadel” South Carolina Military College. Their grandson is a cadet. On Fridays, there is a military retreat on the parade ground. We happened to arrive in Charleston at 3pm just 45 minutes before the marching Cadets did their review in front of a three star Air Force General. The general wasn’t the only staff officer there. Every branch of the armed forces were represented by at least two full bird colonels! I was impressed with the precision marching, the band, the cannon fire and everything. The grandson, mentioned above, is the grandson of Dave and Sam Cordwell of Berlin, NH. We knew that he was in “Tango Company”. I set my Nikon camera on burst and “I think” captured every Cadet in Tango Company. Time will tell if I actually got their grandson.

AirForce...Three Star General..Impressive!

Tonight, we are at JP Charleston (Joint Base Naval Weapons Station and Charleston Air Force Base). It was the first time that coming on base, I had my whole truck camper X-rayed. You drive right through this large device that sees all of your dirty laundry! The RV Campground here is looking very good.

That is what we did and saw 

Savannah, GA…Sparklingly Even In Rain!

The rain started last night and drizzled off and on most of the night as well as today. We made the decision to stay another day and navigate the puddles around old town Savannah. 

St John the Baptist Cathedral

It wasn’t a cold rain, with an umbrella, water proof jackets and a couple of hats, we were off on a walking tour. The historic section of town is about a mile across and a mile in the other direction. We walked towards the Cathedral, this would take us past Pulaski Square, Madison and Lafayette Squares. These squares are so inviting, if not drizzling one would sit and admire these inspiring places for hours. People were walking around oblivious to the rain.
The Cathedral of  St. John the Baptist is getting a face lift on the outside. There is scaffolding covering the entire front façade. Now our tour guide,  yesterday, said that all would be finished by the end of the month. You see the contractor’s daughter  is scheduled to be married on the first of May. The inside of the church is one of the nicest churches that we’ve visited in the United States, and we’ve visited a lot of them! In colonial days, Catholics were banned from Savannah. The authorities believed that Catholics were of Spanish decent and if war came they would favor Spain their arch enemy.

Its Not Snow!

A note here about churches in the old town…I believe every denomination has a church in this district of town.
From the Cathedral, we strolled down Abercorn Street passing the Colonial Park Cemetery. Normally, we would give it a second look, but the wet lawn made us pass on this side exploration. Chippewa Square, one street over, was used for the filming of “Forrest Gump”. The scene in the park where Forrest recalls his past while sitting on a park bench… 

“and that’s all I’ve got to say about that!”
Our walk brought us to River Street and the Savannah River. Here is where one can go crazy smelling all of the home made chocolates, candy apples, taffy kisses, caramel popcorn with pecan nuts! “Helen,” I said, I’ll never make it up all those cobble stone steps from the river bank, if I buy any of this “look, but don’t eat merchandise”.
One last stretch to the visitor parking lot and it was time to bid farewell to this wonderful Southern Bell of a city.
That is what we did and saw!

Savannah… Sherman’s March to the Sea

I can not leave the State of Georgia without mentioning the Civil War. There are 350 Civil War sites here in Georgia. To me, the one campaign that stands out is Gen Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” I wouldn’t have enough time left in my life to study all of the campaigns and battles of the Civil War. The article below was copied from Wikipedia,  and will give you a sense of how the war effected the people on both sides in this area.

Sherman's "March to the Sea" followed his successful Atlanta Campaign of May to September 1864. He and the U.S. Army commander, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, believed that the Civil War would end only if the Confederacy's strategic, economic, and psychological capacity for warfare were decisively broken.^[2] Sherman therefore applied the principles of scorched earth: he ordered his troops to burn crops, kill livestock and consume supplies. Finally he destroyed civilian infrastructure along his path of advance. This strategy is one of the components of total war. The second objective of the campaign was more traditional. Grant's armies in Virginia continued in a stalemate against Robert E. Lee's army, besieged in Petersburg, Virginia. By moving in Lee's rear and performing a massive turning movement against him, Sherman could possibly increase pressure on Lee, allowing Grant the opportunity to break through, or at least keep Southern reinforcements away from Virginia. The campaign was designed by Grant and Sherman to be similar to Grant's innovative and successful Vicksburg Campaign, in that Sherman's armies would reduce their need for traditional supply lines by "living off the land" after consuming their 20 days of rations. Foragers, known as "bummers," would provide food seized from local farms for the Army while they destroyed the railroads and the manufacturing and agricultural infrastructure of Georgia. In planning for the march, Sherman used livestock and crop production data from the 1860 census to lead his troops through areas where he believed they would be able to forage most effectively.^[3] Cotton gins and storage bins were to be destroyed because Southerners used the cotton to trade for guns and other supplies. The twisted and broken railroad rails that the troops heated over fires and wrapped around tree trunks and left behind became known as "Sherman's neckties".  That is what we did and saw!

Savannah, GA…Southern Charm at its Best!!

Finally, we are at an Army facility RV Campground! We are at Ft Stewart, Hunter Army Airfield.

One of 22 Squares or Parks

The campground is actually located on Lott’s Island Recreation Area, Marina and Pier. I am NOT knocking the Navy or Air Force. I am just glad to see Army uniforms again. To be truthful, this facility does have full hookups, but that is all for amenities. The Wi-Fi is slow and the sites do have concrete pads, but the surroundings look like they would be wet if it rained. Speaking of rain, the forecast for tomorrow calls for rain all day. (If it does rain it will be our first rainy day in 48 days on the road).
Arriving here around 11am, we selected a couple spots before going to the MWR Office (Morale Welfare and Recreation) to sign in. We had been advised back at Kings Bay that if it rains it would be wise to be on high ground. Those of you who remember (Hotel California at Fort Drum will know what I mean)

Savannah...Full of Life...Past & Present!

The weather today is fine. With that in mind, we set out for the old downtown just a few miles down the road. The campground location is prime for this exploration. We didn’t fool around and went directly to “Old Town Trolley Tours”. They would show us all the highlights and in case of inclement weather tomorrow we would of at least have seen a glimpse of the best!
A brief description of Savannah… It is a city that was well planned from its beginning. It was Georgia’s First City! It had 24 squares or parks in the old town area. There are 22 remaining squares. Savannah is adorned with extraordinary architecture, lush botanicals gardens. Historic, Colonial and Victorian districts were included in the Trolley tour. I took many pictures, but they don’t do justice to the squares! They are the jewels of the city! Most have abundant Live Oak trees, the flowers are in bloom and many many statues of famous people who have made their mark on the city as well as the country. As I write this blog this evening, I really hope that tomorrow’s weather will still enable us to walk the town and justly explore this Southern Bell of a City!

That is what we did and saw

Cumberland Island, GA…National Seashore



This is the only sub picture I was able to take,
it is unclassified... actually it's made of concrete!

According to the “Travel Channel”, “America’s Most Beautiful Wilderness Beach”, St Marys is the gateway to spectacular Cumberland Island… the largest of the Georgia Coast Barrier Islands. The Cumberland Queen ferry shuttles people to the Island. Unfortunately for us, it was at capacity and we were unable to explore the Island. We missed the historic mansions, wild horses (I’m told 107 of them) running along the beaches and trails. We did take in the National Park Service Visitor Center for a good overview of Cumberland Island.
Not giving up the ship of adventure, we decided to explore St Marys in greater detail. At the St Marys Visitor Center, we learned a little more of its history. The Civil War played a nearly unknown part in St Marys. The Union Forces took Fernandina Beach, Florida which is just across the St Marys River. The Union Forces had not planned on attacking St Marys, but someone from St Marys side of the river shot and killed a Union Captain. All hell broke loose, the Union Army destroyed and or took everything that was not nailed down in St Marys. All of this happened five days after the Civil War ended, but neither side knew!
It was a good day for walking and a visit to the cemetery was a good choice. The large “Live Oak Trees” lined the side street to the cemetery.

The camper is dwarf by the giant Live Oak trees!

The grave stones dated back to the early 1800’s. It is a very large place with some stones that are just a year or two old. One really gets a sense of a town’s history looking at grave markers. I always ponder…”Um, I wonder what this person died of or was that person killed in a war”? We left looking back at all those Live Oak Trees with the moss hanging from branches. Time marches on and we’ve got places to visit.
That is what we did and saw