We finally made it to Florida! But - so far, the journey has not been stellar. Truck problems, rain and Tornado Warnings
have all threatened to destroy our enthusiasm for this trip. The sun is shining now and the birds have
resumed their incessant singing and chattering - so the tide has turned, so to
speak!
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| Downtown Charleston S.C. |
Last Wednesday morning, with our checklist complete, we
joined up with dear friends, B&C to head to Florida together. Our spirits were high but fell flat, really
quickly when the truck’s acceleration/power quit before we even reached the
expressway. Coasting to the side of the
road and turning off the shuddering vehicle, H then turned it back on again.
The engine was running and power was restored but for how long and should we
even attempt to keep going? We did keep
going and the truck kept losing power throughout the day without any rhyme or
reason as to how long it would last or when it would stumble and then
quit. Coast to the edge of the road,
turn off the key, count to 3, restart and then catch up to Bud once more – all
the way to Kentucky! On Thursday we
found a Wal-Mart and H purchased some Throttle Body Sensor Cleaner and after
spraying it on the affected part – off we went again. Now it was much easier to keep up with B&C and I could even
take the chance and look out over the expanse of Virginia mountains - layered
with mist and fog and enjoy their gray beauty.
At our next stop for the night, H took the sensor apart and thoroughly
cleaned it! South Carolina brought
US26, which meant heavy traffic, bad roads and . . . rain.
Lake Airy Campground is in Hollywood SC, just outside of
Charleston. We’ve camped at this park
before but never when it rained this much. The park is a swamp that has been
filled in with dirt and camp roads formed with gravel. It still needs a bunch more than a few tons
of each! The campsites are lower than
the water filled potholes in the “roads” so they are either full of water or
are muddy and rutted – as was the one we were assigned. H was more than a little concerned about
pulling out of it if it kept on raining!
It was only sprinkling when we drove downtown the next
morning. We parked at the visitor center and then hopped on the free trolley
and rode to the other end of the line to explore the lakeshore, historic old
houses and storefronts. We walked to
the old market and strolled thru the vendor filled old buildings and re-boarded
the trolley as the rain began AGAIN.
That night it turned to a deluge and continued into the morning. By now the pond that is called Lake Airy was
getting closer and closer to the top and the new 2-unit bathroom on the other
side was no longer useable. EUGH!!
B&C finally decided to make a break for it. Within a half an hour – so did H.
From Charleston SC to Brunswick Georgia it rained! At one
point it came down so hard that we exited the 3 lane, semi filled I 95. It was time for lunch anyway! The Golden Aisles RV Park was also
waterlogged but at least when the rain did let up the blacktop camp road
drained fairly quickly. Their rain gauge registered 4 inches! Then came the tornado warnings that set off
our weather radio before the sun even had a chance to come up!
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| Lanier Bridge |
Brunswick is the busiest cargo port in Georgia. We watched from the base of the double cable
spanned, 200 ft high, Lanier bridge as a car carrying freighter - the NOCC
Oceanic, came into the river and was greeted by two tug boats that were to
guide it to it’s berth at the Colonels Island International Terminal. We learned that this complex had 500 acres
of storage land that was leased or owned by the auto industry. As of October there had been 630,000
vehicles unloaded in that terminal during 2018! BMW’s, Audi’s, VW’s, and even KIA’s were lined up row after long
row!
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| Brunswick Marine Terminal |
The day after the NOCC arrived, unloaded and departed, there
was the Horizon Highway moored there and according to the internet – the
Freighter Freedom had arrived too!
It was too cold and windy to enjoy much of historic
Brunswick or St Simon Island but on our 2nd day in the area we drove
over the toll bridge to Jekyll Island the state owned island that used to be
the home of the rich and famous. The homes of the Rockefeller’s, the Goodyear’s
and others have been restored and are decorated each Christmas Season. Because we arrived just after 5pm the quaint
little shops were closed but the magnificent mansions and the
stately hotel
were arrayed with garlands, wreaths and a plethora of lights. We ooh’d and awe’d all the dazzling displays
and then turned around to the west to ooh and awe at the even more dazzling
golden color of the magnificent sunset!
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| Jekyll Is. cottage |
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| Jekyll Is. |
