As I walked the dog over the frosty leaves and through the gently frosted weeds and grass this morning knowing I needed to embrace the inevitable change of seasons- I was reminiscing about our recent trip knowing full well what I would be writing about today.

Cotton fields with factories looming in the distance at 50mph led us to a delightful old plantation.  This was definitely a vacation that was filled with all kinds of “must dos” and one of those was see a plantation in Georgia.  We found ourselves on this rainy day heading toward Callaway Plantation in Washington, Georgia.  We were heading from the campground outside of Savannah toward home and this is where the roads led us. 

 We pulled in up the muddy lane past the plantation in our old RV and stopped in what we thought was a suitable area.  I made Mr. Trent and I a sandwich before we got out but no sooner did I put the sandwiches on plates this wonderful woman approached the RV.   She came to us from a small gift shop (general store) with umbrella in hand.  I asked if we could park where we did and she said that was fine and asked if we would like a tour and I said of course as soon as we have our lunch we will be right out. 

I have said this many times before but I can’t reinforce it enough that in our travels we really meet some wonderful people.   We met Susannah –what a wonderful tour guide- we could tell she had a deep love for this old place and all it’s history.  The structure and the furnishings were incredible, it was very easy to go back in time and imagine people bustling in and out and the soft breeze blowing through the main hall, the rustle of skirts and petticoats, and the deeper thud of a man’s shoe and maybe a cane or two.  I have to say by far this is one of the most enjoyable tours we have been on and a lot of that is owed to our delightful hostess.

This week brings us to beautiful Savannah Georgia.   Our first stop in Savannah was the incredible railroad museum-this title does not do justice for this unbelievable experience.  There are multiple buildings including steamworks and roundhouse.   We found a wonderful campground –Red Gate Farms RV Resort- close enough that we could unplug and travel back to town.  We decided a historic ghosttour was a great way to check out the city and decide the areas we would most likely visit with our one long day in Savannah.  We rolled into town early so we could find optimal parking for the RV.  We settled in and headed out and around the neighborhoods to find a restaurant to have dinner at.  We ate at  B & D Burgers  It was yummy then we walked a bit more and kicked our feet up in the RV till it was time for the tour.  The tour was fun and helped us to pick our must tour homes and how we wanted to explore the area.

Historic Savannah is a beautiful mix of architecture and greenery.  I think we hit most of the 22 squares.  The squares are brilliantly designed parks that break up the city streets and create a cooling oasis of large oaks and Spanish moss.  We walked over 6 miles total during our day in Savannah we visited many beautiful and interesting places.  We were thrilled to have lunch at the Pirate’s House, delicious gourmet food, fun atmosphere, and an abundance of history.  The Pirate’s House has been part of Savannah’s history since 1753.  We also went down to the river front and explored the shops.  By the time we got back to the RV I was ready to drop, it was delightful to get back to the campground and swim in the saltwater pool cool down and put our feet up!

I will continue on with our vacation adventures!  We stayed on Tybee Island, Georgia for two nights.  We arrived on Tybee with dreary skies and drizzly rains-not the ideal for a little bit of beach time but we decided to make the best of it.  We stayed at Rivers End Campground and RV Park.  We had a great spot and prepared for lots and lots of walking.  We were hungry so we started walking but to our dismay several of the restaurants were closed so we ducked in and out of little shops that were open until we found ourselves at Huc-A-Poos bites and booze, one of the shops we stopped at recommended their pizza so we got a pizza and an order of nacho’s with incredible chilli on them-what were we thinking-we were stuffed –the service was great and the atmosphere was really fun.  We took our leftovers and our umbrella and headed back towards the RV.  Well we still walked down to the beach in the rain but we were beat so we went to bed early.  The next day was our wedding anniversary, Steve had his heart set on renting a golf cart but I myself was hoping for the bicycles!  I won we walked up and rented our bicycles from Tim’s Bikes we hoped on our beach cruisers with baskets on them and started whizzing around the island we zipped by the lighthouse which was closed until the next morning and headed down the road for lunch and to pick up snacks.  We ate lunch at Spanky’s Beachside restaurant we both had great wraps but before we got there we rode right by the film crews setting up to film scenes for Magic Mike 2, all the locals were talking about it.  We went back to the campground changed clothes and headed to the beach, good times but our suits filled with sand quickly and we decided by now it was time for showers and heading out for the old Anniversary dinner- All the bike riding made us extra hungry so we were ready to eat –and the pick was MacElwees Seafood House. 

It may seem like we did a lot of eating on this trip but most days we only ate breakfast and one other meal with a few snacks.  And of course there were a lot of activities.  One of the things we saw were the dolphins playing in the water off the island it was an unexpected surprise.

The highlight of course was Tybee Island Light Station.  Now I love lighthouses but I am terribly scared of heights so one of the taller lighthouses in Michigan we went to I was scared to go up and I really regretted it.  I was bound and determined I would climb to the top of this one.  Tybee light stands 154 feet and there are 178 steps to the top-remember we had been riding bikes all day the day before and rode to the light so we knew it would be a bit of the challenge – we were there when they opened and were the first up the light which worked out well for me.  No crowds yet so I could take my time and it was worth it.  The view was breathtaking.  I even ventured out and walked around to see everything and capture some images.   Everyone was so friendly and we really enjoyed our time there.  Next time –Savannah 

We started our trip rolling south through the colorful hills of Ohio.  Corn fields scattered amongst the woods.  The color in Ohio is starting to show reds, yellows and oranges.  As we drove south the colors lessened and the land scape was speckled with some yellow and dark green.  Once we got into West Virginia the green was deeper and more lush, less brown and yellow, and we kept heading south.  Of course we stopped at Tamarack in Beckley WV stretched our legs and had a delicious gourmet meal at their little cafeteria.  Steve got a book about the history of Appalachian Music.  I am waiting although they had a lot of very interesting ghostly tales that were intriguing but I shied away from them.  Staying in very dark places with a crescent moon shining overhead in a RV made me get the heebie jeebies so I thought-“No not reading those if I want to sleep ha!”  Saturday night brought us to a Walmart in Wythville, Virginia where we stayed, it was a bit noisy for my taste and my sleep lacked.  Sunday we continued south through Virginia and into North Carolina-still a lot of steep grades-but things leveled out.  If I squint my eyes and look through the trees I can see some rolling hills and some farm fields-although not clearly enough to see what is growing.  The end of the day brought us to The New Green Acres Campground-woo hoo!  We had electric, a hot shower and a slow steady rain.  We had lights, air conditioning and didn’t have to tinker with the generator-which does work but needs a little love to run smooth.  After a peaceful night’s sleep we went into the town by the campground-Walterboro, South Carolina.  We enjoyed darting in and out of shops through the rain-starting with Washington Street Antiques.  We also visited the South Carolina Artisans Center.  Everything was going well until an unexpected insect bite-yuch and ouch! Back to the RV to get Benadryl and jump on the road again.  We arrived at Tybee Island around 3 O’clock and that gives you some insight into next weeks adventures.