First Beach Day!

Although the forecast only called for 19, we needed a day at this gorgeous beach on Jekyll Island. Packed up the beach chairs and a picnic lunch, and off we went. 

I had three layers on as we walked the beach and was still cold thanks to a strong wind coming off the ocean. Didn’t deter Coco though, who was in her glory chasing flung balls in the soft sand. 

Then we spotted a little inland island of sand, sheltered by low palms and taller trees. Within a minute of setting up our beach chairs, we had to strip off all outer layers in the wind-protected hot pocket. All of a sudden it felt like a 30 degree day - heaven. 

Time to read, throw the frisbee for Coco, have a lazy lunch and bevvies, and bask in the heat. THIS is why we are here!

Sweet Georgia sunshine...and ticks :-(

I’m not going to even try to capture Savannah in words or pictures. Savannah is to be experienced. 

We spent the first two nights in Georgia at Skidaway Island State Park just a few miles south of the city, but truly worlds away. Skidaway Island is a barrier island that shelters the mainland and the only bridge there was built in 1960, so it remains undeveloped and natural. During Prohibition, it was the site of hundreds of moonshine producers who used boats to carry their contraband up river inlets for sale. 

We (especially Coco) enjoyed hiking and running through the miles of trails, and gathered downed logs for evening fires (allowed!). I took in one of the park’s lectures at their Interpretive Centre about life in the tidal flats. This area is so unlike our western coast with the landmass basically jutting directly out of the ocean. Here there are vast tracks of shallow swamp riddled with brackish water, a mixture of salt ocean water and freshwater rivers that supports a unique host of plant and animal life. 

Sadly for Coco, we also learned that it’s no joke about this region being endemic for ticks. We took a well-fed one off her nose after driving into the park, then luckily found two more after hikes before they had a chance to latch on. Then today in Savannah, after buying prescription-strength repellant/killer, we discovered three more that had lodged themselves into her muzzle! Thankfully, all removed successfully and we talked to a local who said they’ve never heard of a dog getting sick from a tick bite. 

(Aside: I HATE parasites!!! I don’t know where this deep retched disgust comes from, but the things that give me the most heebie-jeebies in this world are ticks, tape worms, ringworms, etc - UGH! The idea of something feeding off you....grosssssssssnesssssss! Unless it was a hot vampire like Lestat). 

Okay, back to topic. Today we rolled into downtown Savannah under clear sunny skies and found our home for the night at the Visitors Centre parking lot - $16 for 2 spots (truck + trailer) X 24 hours. And then off to stroll away the afternoon.

I said it in Chicago and I’ll say it again here - cheers to city planners who provide for a ton of public green and waterfront space. Every second block in the historic district features a small public square with trees, benches, fountains and monuments. And I noticed the first one dedicated to a Native American - Tomo-Chi-Chi - regarded as a co-founder of the state of Georgia. 

Everywhere I noticed signs for “Drinks to Go”. Our lunch server informed us that the historic district in Savannah is one of only four places in the USA you can legally drink in public places, the other three being Las Vegas, Key West, and Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Huh - who knew?!

We sauntered down to the riverfront steps below the main part of town over cobbles that must have been there since the 1700s and read plaques describing Savannah’s part in the slave trade. And took in the setting sun with a brew in a plastic cup bought across the street from the park. Again, words can’t capture it. Or at least not my fumbling ones. 

However, we’ve always found that one day in an urban centre is enough - especially when travelling by RV with a dog. It’s a different matter when you’re in the heart of Manhattan and want to visit all the museums, posh eateries and Broadway. In the RV, the focus is more on nature and living simply. So our next two weeks will be at nature parks in southern Georgia and northern Florida, and the forecast is looking good :-)

It’s raining history

As those of you following us on Facebook saw, our introduction to the Carolina Coast was decidedly wet. After pimping out over $70 Cdn for a night’s stay at James Island County Park, we were only able to leave the trailer for about an hour. During that time we enjoyed the park’s amazing dog zone - a huge grassy area, littered with discarded tennis balls, on the edge of a small lake. However, there are signs warning entrants that alligators may be present in the waters, so I almost had a heart attack when Andrew flung the ball out into the depths for Coco to jump in and retrieve! Later, safely back in our “home”, I told Andrew that I would have fully expected him to wade into the water if Coco was under attack and sacrifice himself! 

During the night, Andrew had to use earplugs to drown out the noise of pummelling rain. Too bad we didn’t come straight into downtown Charleston upon arrival, because it has an UNDERCOVER parking garage you can stay overnight in for $16! 

Anyway, that’s where we are now. We were able to use a 2-hour break in today’s downpour to walk around the Charleston peninsula. For me, being raised in “young” western Canada, the history here is fascinating. There are plaques on many of the buildings marking their construction back to the 1700’s. One large estate in the middle of downtown Charleston boasted how the property has been handed down for 10 generations, making it the longest family-owned home in America. Can you imagine...inheriting an estate? It’s just something inconceivable for us, with Kelowna being barely 100+ years old. Then again, I guess the East Coast has nothing on Europe with lords passing on estates over millennia.  

Please note: I am being totally colonial here. Of course I know and acknowledge that these lands were inhabited by First Nations for time immemorial before Europeans came and f’d things up. From what I’ve seen so far, there is more recognition for the aboriginal peoples in the Midwest. Here, nothing. Except acknowledgement of the slave trade and African Americans, which happened post-colonization. It’s like the local indigenous community has been completely wiped out. 

Guess I am going to experience more of these epiphanies on this journey. 

Hello Atlantic Ocean!

We’ve reached the Atlantic! Haven’t touched it yet...just saw from the bridge as we drove onto James Island west of Charleston for the night. Unfortunately our timing reaching the coast coincides with a predicted 24 hours of rainfall so we’ll see what it’s feasible to enjoy over the next day. Right now, holed up in our trailer waiting for the precip to subside enough so we can explore the park we are camping in. 

It’s James Island County Park - a huge region complete with lake, dog park, campground, walking paths, waterpark and challenge course. And it’s popular! We didn’t make reservations and they only had one site left for tonight, and none tomorrow! And it cost $54.70 US! So I’ve been madly using their Wi-Fi to make reservations for other stops in this area. 

On that note, we’ve also noticed on this trip that more Walmarts are prohibiting overnight parking. Many assume it’s allowed at all stores, but much depends on who actually owns/services the parking lot and local bylaws. Not that camping on pavement is fun, but after long travel days, it’s nice to be able to just pop into a store for dinner and not have to worry about unhooking the trailer. Plus it seems criminal to be charged $30+ to use a camping spot for 12 hours when you arrive late at night and plan to head out early in the morning! I think we’re going to start relying more on Pilot and Flying J stops which welcome all RVers for overnights and even have showers! 

That said, we do now have reservations at state parks for most nights over the next 2 and 1/2 weeks so we can slow down the driving pace and enjoy our surroundings. So far the southern coast is just what we imagined....palm trees, Spanish moss, and humidity! In shorts and a tank top in 27 degree weather even in the rain! Ahhhhhh......

Southern Kentucky to the Coast

We thoroughly enjoyed our week in Kentucky. After leaving “the bourbon capital of the world”, we headed south to a campsite in Big South Fork National Recreation area. 

The area’s claim to fame was coal, with an active mine operating in the early 1900’s. Now they’ve turned the coal camp into a park with displays about how the mine worked and how the workers lived - it was actually really interesting! 

On Andrew’s Bday, October 20, we did an awesome 10-km loop hike through the area and saw many sections of rock with coal layered underneath the limestone. I wish I could have chipped some away for our fire! Coco brought home an unwelcome visitor in the form of a tick - luckily Andrew felt it and we were able to extract it before it got too much of a meal. 

The region has been enjoying an usually late fall season so most of the trees were still green and temperatures warm. We left Kentucky to drive through parts of Tennessee and North Carolina on our diagonal southeast, enjoying the views of puffy hills over the Appalachian Mountains near the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway. I had originally intended to spend some time in these areas too, but am glad we didn’t bother as they looked the same as the mountains in southern Kentucky without all the crowds, costs and rules that go along with national park status. 

Tennessee, at least what we saw of it driving through, is visibly much poorer than other states. Dilapidated buildings, faded signs, broken windows, and cars in all sorts of disrepair on front lawns. The number of Baptist churches are slightly outnumbered by the liquor stores and gun/ammo depots. 

Quick stop to check out Greenville, North Carolina and on to a Walmart south of the city for a night’s rest before heading to the coast! 

The best Barn I’ve ever visited!

Those who know me know I like my occasional (LOL) glass of vino, so I do have to share the most amazing store I’ve ever been in today....a Kentucky Liquor Barn! This is what every store selling tipple should aspire to. It’s Eataly for alcohol! 

First, it was HUGE and carried a dazzling array of over 4000 wines, 1000 beers and 200 kinds of bourbon! Every kind in every size you could imagine, from thimble-sized mason jars of moonshine to ultra-magnums of champagne. But while any big box retailer can do quantity well, most don’t do presentation well. Liquor Barn was clean, well laid-out, with funky signage and interesting displays. 

Then there were the extras - it’s marketed as a full party resource - complete with celebratory supplies, unique cheeses and artisan nibbles, bar equipment, and upscale juice and soda mixers. 

The BEST was, in the middle of the store, there was a tasting bar with a dozen local craft brews on tap and too-numerous-to-count bourbons. There was even a schedule highlighting the store’s classes on tasting, pairing and cooking! 

I regret we didn’t give more time to enjoy this Disneyland for adults...it was just a quick stop off the highway on our way south and Andrew stayed in the truck with Coco. But probably for the best, or we could have been there all afternoon and not been able to drive afterwards ;-)

Right now, enjoying the spoils of said pit stop in a beautiful campsite in Big South Bend National Recreation Area.

My Old Kentucky Home...

What a difference a few hours makes!! We left Chicago during a massive downpour with flash flood warnings, and within an hour were under clear skies and a rapidly rising temperature gauge. Driving into Louisville, it registered 30 degrees Celsius and felt several degrees warmer with the humidity. 

We only planned a brief stop in downtown Louisville and I’m glad that’s all it was. There were some interesting historic buildings to view, but Louisville IronMan is tomorrow so the place was bunged with lean, muscular people. Fourth Street with its concentration of bars, restaurants and the Jim Beam Urban Distillery looked like Vegas’ Freemont Street - and I’ve only had to see that once to get the gist! Tourist trap! 

We did stop for some refreshments away from the crush of people at the Against the Grain Brewery. And “when in Rome”...we had to try the pork rinds! 

__________________________

Three days later....

Rural Kentucky is absolutely what I’ve always envisioned...rolling hills and swaths of manicured grass punctuated with neat brick homesteads, complete with swings on the front porches. Utterly charming. There must be more riding lawnmowers here per capita than anywhere else in the world! Plus everyone calls you “darling” in the cutest accent. 

Yesterday we hiked around the grounds of the Bernheim Arboretum and Forest, a huge plant research park. Today was a visit to Maker’s Mark distillery for a fascinating tour to learn about Kentucky’s sacred beverage. Apparently this area is ideal for making bourbon because the local spring water leeches through underground limestone to add calcium and remove iron.

The grounds of the distillery are gorgeous, and to add to it, there happened to be an exhibition of Dale Chihuly glass art going on. Walking into the cask aging warehouse was one of the best smells I’ve ever experienced. I think I’ve become a bon-affined bourbon fan. That is...until we get to Baja and switch to my beloved tequila ;-)

Charming Chicago

Leaving Dubuque, Google Maps routed us through a slice of rural Wisconsin and Illinois, dotted with quaint little farmhouses and corn fields as far as the eyes could see. After a week on sparsely populated byways, driving into Chicago looked like chaos. Thankfully, the highway system here is so well-organized, and with the route programmed into the iPad, it was a breeze to navigate. 

So, where does one actually camp in the middle of the third largest metropolis in America? The convention centre of course! Self-contained RVs can stay in the parking lot at McCormick Place, a massive convention space just south of downtown. No services and it backs on the railroad, but within a 5 minute walk of the Lakefront Trail that heads 5 km up to downtown, all for $35/night.

Our first full day in town was overcast so we decided to hit the Wicker Park neighbourhood, strolling along the elevated Bloomingdale Trail to Humboldt Park and taking in the quintessential tall narrow brownstones. Then lunch at Big Star where dogs are welcomed on the patio. The taco joint featured some of the most interesting fillings I’d ever heard of, including a taco of mole-seasoned carrots with date sour cream. In the afternoon we took in our server’s “hidden gem” recommendation - the Garfield Park Conservatory. 

I monitored the Weather Network to pick our major sightseeing day for downtown Chicago, and was not disappointed! It was a massive walking day - I think we clocked over 18 km between 9 AM - 5 PM (like a regular working day LOL) - and thanks to Chicago’s great network of public paths and parks we enjoyed pretty much every minute. Except for Coco getting freaked out in the really busy city streets, and getting ripped off paying $12 US for a tiny plastic cup of wine along the Riverwalk...I digress. 

In Kelowna, people are marching for public access to foreshore. This is one thing Chicago has totally done RIGHT! Though I imagine it wasn’t a given, just like in Kelowna, it developed over time as the city grew. Here there is over 16 miles of pedestrian trail along Lake Michigan and it connects to all the major city parks and a path leading into the Chicago River. And it’s all ALIVE with art, sports fields, and the city’s major attractions. One of the best cities we’ve visited!

Places I never thought I’d be....

Minnesota and Iowa! All my best laid plans for reaching Chicago were (happily) altered and we’ve stayed at some places we had no intention of visiting. 

Take Blue Earth, Minnesota for example - home to the world’s largest Jolly Green Giant statue. The thought of overnighting in a Walmart next to this imposing beast was oddly comforting. However, plans were dashed as the store there had recently closed. Yes, Walmarts do actually die and close! A boon to the mom and pop shops in Blue Earth. 

So we pressed on to the city of Albert Lea and splurged on a site at the Myre-Big Island State Park. It was beautiful! Rustic, in the middle of a lake, with tall trees in full autumn blaze, and practically empty! Coco loved walking in the open nature. At one point, I thought we had a natural-born truffle hunter as she madly dug at the base of a tree. 

The environment so reminded us of one thing: The Walking Dead. It was exactly like all those episodes where the characters are traipsing through what Georgia considers a forest...so foreign to us in the west as it’s completely lacking in hills and pines. And then I realized how practical it would be to have Coco as an alert after a zombie apocalypse, and wondered why the characters on The Walking Dead never found any guard dogs - ? Hmmmmm....

Today’s journey was short, bringing us to Dubuque, Iowa - another place I’d never thought I’d see. The forecast called for light rain throughout the region today, so we thought might make it a longer driving day and get closer to Chicago so the drive tomorrow would be minimal. But....thank you Weather Network for your accuracy!...we hit a torrential downpour complete with lightening and thunder so thought it best to get off the freeway. Right now relaxing at the Mystere Casino which sits on an island in the middle of the Mississippi River. 

Driving through Dubuque to get here, it was like the actualization of all those midwest suburb scenes in the movies. Just like the Minnesota forest, so different and foreign to the look of the neighbourhoods I’m used to in the west. Old brick buildings, neat little lanes, nostalgic looking shop signs that look like they’ve been there 80 years, and probably have! 

I consider myself fairly well-travelled. But I’ve never been to the eastern US (save NYC) and this is home to so much that pervades our culture. It’s been imprinted on me through books, movies, news, history, but I’ve never SEEN it. And experiencing it on the ground, driving through the towns and walking along the streets, will be a so much more authentic experience. Cheers to Chicago tomorrow! 

Though if we hit the jackpot at the casino tonight, there may be a private jet to Fiji happening instead ;-)

An Ode to Freecampsites.net for getting us through South Dakota safely!

We had a wonderful night at Red Shale campground, complete with  campfire and tunes outside. In the morning, the rolling hills of Montana gave way to the prairie flats of South Dakota. We gave Coco a dose of gravol before hitting the highway and it made all the difference - she was able to calmly sit in the backseat showing no distress. So we were able to put in seven hours of driving and get midway through the state.

Thanks to the great website Freecampsites.net we were able to find another free camping gem for the night - Bryne Lake near Kennebec (pop. 284 or 240 depending on which sign you trust). We had the whole lake and grassy field to ourselves, only disturbed periodically by the crack of gunshots from the nearby hunting lodge. 

Which brings me to my thoughts on South Dakota...it’s a pretty creepy place. Signs like “No Hunting” at the entrance to a rest stop are apparently needed. Anti-abortion and Bible verse billboards every few miles. Roadside attractions such as the Corn Palace (“Your eyes won’t believe our 275,000 ears!”) and Petrified Gardens. A good percentage of the local population in camo gear. 

On our way to Bryne Lake, we got a friendly wave from a fellow in his yard cleaning his assault rifle. The outhouse at the campground looked like it was used for assassin practice. Not to mention the mind-numbing flatness. Which, to be fair, allowed us to blast through the state pretty quickly. Phew!

In southern Minnesota now scooting along the I90. First impressions - better cell coverage but worst roads. It’s a toss-up. You can always tell when you are crossing state lines as the highway conditions change. 

Crossing Montana

I’d never realized how wide of a state Montana is. After leaving Spokane and crossing the 70 miles of northern Idaho (which is surprisingly beautiful!), we entered Montana and only got about a third of the way across before pulling in for the night at the Walmart in Butte. 

Who knew Butte sat at such a high elevation? The night was so chilly Coco came up and snuggled under the blankets with us, and when we woke, we realized it was sub-zero! Everything was covered in a thick layer of frost. Thankfully no precip! 

Before leaving Butte, we stopped at a T-mobile shop to get a SIM card for the iPad. Now, everyone assured me that there would be no issues with getting a Canada-bought iPad hooked up with a US cell carrier, but they were WRONG! Almost 90 minutes later we finally were set but lost the morning and are still having problems accessing certain services. But at least we are connected (somewhat...learning that Montana has some of the poorest coverage in the nation). 

Just east of Butte we crossed the Continental Divide at 6400 feet and started down into rolling hill country. The temperature went from -1 to 22 C within 30 minutes! Towns and services are few and far between here so we had to take advantage wherever we could. Lunch and exercise in Bozeman, and another Walmart night in Billings - hitting all three “B”’s in Montana. 

Bozeman is a nice little town with a beautiful nature park and trail connected right to Main Street and the gorgeous public library. Billings is a bit more industrial but we still enjoyed a nice walk on their linear trail next to the Yellowstone River. 

Overlooking downtown Bozeman

Sunrise over Billings and the Yellowstone River

After three longer driving days, we decided to make today a shorter one. Sadly, it seems Coco is not as comfortable with long drives as we thought. When we drove home from Baja last spring when she was 5 months old, she handled it without problems. But now she is panting and shivering within an hour of hitting the highway. Frequent breaks and some gravol may be needed. Fortunately our itinerary will not include so many long driving days in a row after we reach Chicago. 

2 hours east of Billings, we have hunkered down at a proper campground - Red Shale inside Custer National Forest. Yes, THAT Custer - a few miles back we passed Little Bighorn Battlefield, scene of Lt. Custer’s infamous last stand. A beautiful treed site with lots of space between other campers - and free! The sun is shining, Coco is merrily meandering in the tall grass, and we are having Coors! Bliss!

Day One!

After last minute scrambling to finish packing and cleaning (and an unexpectedly delay waiting for some late mail), we hit the road at noon on Oct. 4. It was a bright clear day in Kelowna but the temperature was only registering a chilly 9 degrees, testament to the fact it was time to vacate Canada. 

The last time Coco had been in the truck for such an extended amount of time as our return to the Okanagan last spring when she was 5 months old. Now, at over 10 months, she’s not used to being confined for a good chunk of the day and it’s evident. She never fell asleep, despite her head nodding off constantly, and clearly was not happy. We stopped in Greenwood for some ball chasing and a potty break, and will always need to find breaks every few hours so she can stretch her little (but powerful!) legs. But that’s a good thing for us too and I’m sure we’ll discover some cute towns, parks and rest stops thanks to this “enforced” schedule. 

Speaking of Greenwood, I do think it’s the cutest of the Boundary Country towns (Grand Forks a close second). Sadly, this time through we noticed many of the cute historical shops sat vacant. 

There were beautiful fall colours bursting through the valleys. For anyone who has never gone through the Cascade border crossing, the drive hugging the Kettle River south is gorgeous and has many nice campgrounds. 

So, first night in a Walmart lot east of Spokane with a roast chicken and bagged salad - the dinner of camping champions! And, it goes without saying, some vino ;-)