Due to battery limitations, connectivity headaches, and the amount of time that has passed since I last posted, this post will consist mostly of captioned collages. That's all the best stuff anyway, right?
We enjoyed our second peaceful stay at Petersburg COE, where I finally took advantage of the free laundry.
We motored to North Augusta (SC) for a drive-thru order of the best BBQ we've ever had from The BBQ Barn. I'm pretty sure I could eat burnt ends every day forever, amen.
Because you can't let even really good BBQ loiter in your blood vessels, we knocked out another section of the Bartram Trail. Our map only reflects half the distance since the app didn't start at the start.
We moved over to the adjacent Wildwood Park for the remainder of our stay, where we completed three more sections of the Bartram, and where we hastily made a reservation at an RV park to the north when tornadoes threatened but, fortunately split around us saving us the move, but costing us the fees.
Everything I've ever told you is true, I've just not told you everything that was true. We didn't just cancel two of our four North Carolina stops solely due to wanting to stay in warmer weather longer. Just prior to heading into Augusta the first time, we learned we were eligible for our Covid vaccines there -- no line-jumping, no lying, all legit. Because we travel, and due to the unavailability of the same vaccine at future stops, we had to return to Augusta to complete it.
By the time we reach my family and best friend in Ohio, we will ALL be vaccinated. Having not seen them in three years, you can appreciate the Shamrock Shake celebration. Hugs will be happening!
Finally we left Georgia behind, and headed to our first (nee third) North Carolina destination east of Charlotte at Morrow Mountain State Park. After getting settled into site #77, we took a leg-stretcher walk, and then proceeded to spend the rest of our time there hiking as many of the park's trails as we could.
Tornadoes seem to want to mess with us everywhere we go, and Morrow was no exception. We pulled in the slides, gathered our go-supplies, and waited it out in the bathhouse. It was a soaker, but the winds bypassed us -- again. After the storm blew itself out the next morning, we headed up for the namesake hike, which would be our last of this stay.
See you in Asheville!
Spring in the south can be beautiful and treacherous all at the same time. Glad that the Ts have missed you so far. Great pics as always. Especially the one of your rig in the trees and moonlight. Safe travels.
Sigh, too true. I feel like a broken record repeating that this is not the time of year we wanted to be over here. Then again, if we only experience places in their prime, we won’t get a real feel for them as future home possibilities, so we’ll just keep dodging!
So glad those tornadoes bypassed you. That’s one thing we’ve never experienced on the road, and I would like to keep it that way. Despite the crazy weather, it looks like you enjoyed lots of good hiking and many beautiful wildflowers. The woods are filled with spring ephemerals here, too. It’s such a hopeful time of year.
Your trailhead photos crack me up. And I love your excellent photos of the Carolina Wren and the Red-headed Woodpecker! The barbecue makes me hungry. Glad you balanced it with that healthy mint ice cream and kale milkshake, LOL. We’re so happy that you guys got your vaccines! We’re on the list…hoping in the next couple of weeks we’ll get ours!
Wind, the bane of an RV existence! Grrr. Spring is definitely a hope-filled season, as you say, and when it’s not trying to kill us, the bright sprinkling of the emerging flowers and so many birds have kept us smiling through it. Ha, the TH pics! We crack ourselves up trying to be creative. I hope your vaccines come in soon and that you celebrate with a treat, too! It’s ok to get a huge (minty kale) milkshake because Eric is like TBG, and you’ll only get about four sips anyhow 😂
I follow several RVers traveling in the southeast this year and they’ve all been having a hell of a time with the weather. That is some scary stuff. I’m glad you’ve had access to storm shelters and made use of them. I’m even more glad you’ve only dealt with rain and the real bad stuff has bypassed you. Hopefully things will settle down soon.
It’s also awesome that you’re vaccinated and everyone you want to see this summer will be vaccinated too. It’s going to be so nice for everyone to just exhale. And hug.
So. Many. Hugs.
Stay well and stay safe!
The Southeast surely didn’t get the memo that 2021 was supposed to get off our asses. I thought of you while we were in that pictured bathhouse/shelter because there was a fat spider in there with us because OF COURSE THERE WAS.
If anyone thinks my tears when I got my shots were from fear or pain, they will be happy to know they were tears of pure joy and relief. Hopefully lots of big hugs are also in your very near future!
You wrote….”That’s all the best stuff anyway, right?” to which I reply not by a long shot, on your regular blogs your writing adds flavor and understanding to the photography.
Pete, I am once again humbled by your kind words, and I promise more prose in the next post!🙂
Great news about vaccine eligibility and availability for you two! In our household we are 25% of the way to inoculation and will increase that to 50% this week — second shots to be received 4 weeks later. I am daydreaming about the wonders that await us in the future: eating inside a restaurant, having friends visit us in our home without wearing masks, hugging people, and more amazing things!
I’m happy to hear you evaded the tornadoes as well. Severe weather seems a lot more threatening when you’re living in a little RV than in a sticks and bricks house, and the hysterical tone of local weather reporters describing upcoming dangerous storm activity is alarming if you’re not familiar with the area and its weather patterns. These are the sorts of things I never thought about before we hit the road, and learned the hard way during a spring/summer on the Great Plains living in fear of impending hail storms.
I’m so happy to hear you’ve begun your vaccines. How cool that your place will be ready for visitors just as visiting becomes safe!
I wish there was a tornado vaccine. Gah!!
Loved all the photos! You are definitely in the worng area for this time of year. So glad you have been able to move around the storms and tornadoes. Stay safe out there. It’s not over yet. Glad you were able to get your vaccination!! It will make family time so much more enjoyable. Latest honey update…their honey is intense in flavor. I do believe this is the best honey I’ve ever had. The wildflower got to be a little to flowery for me, but the blackberry was to die for. I think I ate half the sample just on a spoon. It was so blackberry forward. Yum!!! I will be ordering more.
Oh boy, you ain’t lyin’ about it not being over. We’re due for some sub-freezing nights now, which is at least better than wind but not by much! Then it’s going to warm a lot quickly, and all the bears will wake up and bring their babies out. Yay! 🥺
What a great honey update! We’ll have to order more ourselves when we’re stationary for the summer. I like your recommendations 😊
Hugs….I really miss hugs. I never considered myself a “huggy/touchy” kind of person, but now that I can’t hug my friends I realize that I must have become that kind of woman when I wasn’t looking! I miss hugs! What I don’t miss, however, are those go bag moments, those running to the storm shelter in the middle of the night moments. We’ll do our best to avoid them from now on….no more “east” on our compass in the spring, no more. I love your collages and especially liked seeing you celebrate with a green shake. I prefer wine, but whatever floats your boat as far as celebrations I say!
Hugs are essential! I’ve felt so bad for those who have had to go through the pandemic with no one in their bubble. Here’s to lots of happy hugs! Speaking of hugs and go-bags, having to think about cramming into a storm shelter during a pandemic…yeah.
I think you could put creme de menthe in your shake!
When we experienced our first historic storm in AL(2014), we were warned not to be east of the Mississippi River at spring time. But what they also forgot to tell us is not to be east of the same river during Fall when we were dodging tornadoes on our way to FL (2018). Well, we can’t predict the weather we can only be constantly looking up at the sky and be prepared to run and hide 🙂 Im just glad that you dodged these spring storms and tornadoes and live to tell us the story.
TBG must have ran out of poses that he has to be on his butt on this one 🙂 or did he fall trying to pose?
Love those bird pictures especially the wren singing his heart out.
We are on to Dose 2 on Friday!
We could always go back to the earthquakes and tsunamis on the west coast 🥺 Why can’t someplace be perfect and uncrowded? Is that too much to ask? Oh, well, something’s going to take us out someday no matter where we are, so I guess we’ll just have to keep stomping around enjoying whatever Mother Nature throws our way! At least that’s the rah-rah speech I give myself 😂 Yay for dose #2!! I hope that goes smoothly for you both.
Great news about the vaccinations and adore your photography skills. These are some beautiful captures!