2019 - Blog #6 - Yes, we finally did make it home!

Yes, we actually did make it home despite Hurricane Dorian menacing the east coast and messing up our returning home itinerary.   The following is our last blog for this trip.

our campsite at Fort Hamby Campground, Wilkesboro, NC

Jerome checking out Bushwacker Falls in Fort Hamby Campground

After leaving West Virginia, we truly headed south, deviating only a bit east to the Georgia coastline on our way home.   We first stopped in Wilkesboro, North Carolina and stayed in the Fort Hamby Park, a nice Army Corps of Engineers campground.   This was a great stop for Jean especially because she was able to get in to a nearby urgent care clinic for a follow-up appointment, get some much needed Prednisone, then some recuperation time.   Also, we stocked up on groceries, baked, cooked dinners to put in the freezer, read books, and painted a bit.   The only downside to our stay here was that our campsite was way too close to the next campsite, we had no privacy, and the campers next door were chain smokers who sat outside smoking all of the time.  Needless to say, we were glad to leave this campground.

our campsite at Sesquicentennial State Park, Columbia, SC

beautiful waterlilies on the hike around the lake at Sesquicentennial State Park

We were really looking forward to our next campground, hoping for a campsite that was peaceful and that didn’t smell like an old ashtray.   Jerome often says “Jeannie, be careful what you wish for” and this time he was oh so right!  We pulled into Sequicentennial State Park in Columbia, South Carolina to find a pretty, older park in much need of a whole lot of TLC.   We were pleased to see that our campsite was in a nice spot without anyone in the campsites next to us.  HOWEVER,   just three sites away sat a dilapidated trailer that looked like it belonged in a low-rent, down-and-out trailer park. It was a bit freaky when Jerome found a used syringe in our campsite, but we decided that we were supposedly in a reputable state park, so we gave the syringe to a park ranger and hoped for the best.  It turned out that the time we spent at this campsite was like being in a Jerry Springer show.  We noticed a young woman with a tiny baby and two young men pull up to the trailer, then we watched as they fought, screamed, yelled, and cursed at each other.   Cars, trucks, and people came and went at all hours and at 4:30am one morning the banging, fighting, etc. started up again, only stopping when she screamed at the 2 guys to “get the F*** out!” and they left.   The next morning, while Jean was out walking Carly, she found a drug scale box sitting on the ground behind a tree - minus the scale but still with the weights and tweezers in the box.  Then, that afternoon one of the young men came over to talk to Jerome.  He wanted to know if we had noticed anyone around their trailer while they were gone because his gun was missing!   Boy were we more than ready and glad to be leaving that campground!   This time though, we made sure we stopped to let the park ranger know how sketchy this campground had been for us and how unsafe we felt being here.

Jean & her sister, Barbara, in Layfette Square, Savannah, GA

Jean & Jerome, Layfette Square, Savannah, GA

the historical Cathedral of St. John, Savannah, GA

inside the Cathedral of St. John

 Thankfully, our next stop was at Skidaway Island State Park, just outside of Savannah, Georgia.   Jean’s sister, Barbara, came for a short stay with us and we spent a day in Savannah riding the hop-on-hop-off trolley tour, sightseeing and learning about the history of this special place.  We finished off the day by having a wonderful dinner at the Chive Lounge downtown.  What a wonderful visit we had.  The next day, Barbara headed for Atlanta, and we went to see the nearby Wormsloe Historical Site.  There is so much history in this area! 

the tree-lined entrance to the Wormsloe Historical Site

   A word of caution though, Skidaway is a great state park but it is “chigger-city” and the grass here is not pet-friendly… it has sharp edges that can cause serious intestinal damage to your pets if they ingest it.   This was the first time Jerome has suffered chigger bites and Jean looked like she had the measles by the time we left there.

our campsite in Crooked River State Park, St. Marys, GA

the view from our campsite - that's the Crooked River just past the pine trees

With Hurricane Dorian heading towards the Florida east coast, we headed next to Crooked River State Park in St. Mary’s, Georgia.   We were thrilled that we could still follow through with our plans to take the ferry to nearby Cumberland Island National Seashore.   The ferry had a little bit of difficulty docking on the Island due to the rougher than normal water and the weather was overcast and rainy but we had a great trip.   We took our bikes over with us and rode down to see the Dungeness Ruins.  The wild horses were everywhere and a treat to see.  We even saw a wild turkey.  What fun.  Jean hopes to return some day and take the time to get to the north end of the island and take a tour of the old plantation there. 

our "welcome party" of wild horses as we got off the ferry onto Cumberland Island

Cumberland Island - the dirt road to the ruins

that's Jerome riding his bike down the dirt road as a wild horse grazes nearby

Jean & Jerome at the Dungeness Ruins on Cumberland Island

a wild turkey on Cumberland Island

 Remember that we mentioned the saw grass at Skidaway?  Well, it was a very expensive “gourmet meal” for Carly that made her very sick, costing us $300.00!!!   Carly had to stay 2 days and 1 night at a nearby veterinarian's for IV fluids and medications  while we stayed at Crooked Creek State Park.   We sure did learn the hard way that we can’t let her eat grass unless it’s the kind that we grow for her ourselves!   Meanwhile, we tried to stay where we were until Carly was feeling better and until we could figure out just if and where Hurricane Dorian was going to make landfall.    Just as we were deciding that we should leave a day earlier than we planned, as we were packing up to leave, the camp hosts knocked on our door to say that a mandatory evacuation had been ordered and we had to be out of the campground within 2 hours.  We had already received notifications that Silver Springs State Park, in Ocala, Florida, which was to have been our next stop, was closed due to the impending hurricane and we were having trouble finding another place to go.   Luckily, at the last minute, Rainbow Springs State Park, in Dunnellon, Florida, reopened  “just for one night, for hurricane evacuees” and told us that we could stay only if we agreed to leave on a moment’s notice at any time that night if they got a tropical storm notification.   We had a beautiful campsite and there were only three other campers, other than the host, in the whole campground.   The next morning, instead of packing up to head home, we were in the park office asking if we could stay one more night.  Yep, one more night even though we were so very close to being home and out of any threat from Dorian which was now skirting up the coastline towards Jacksonville.   The reason why?  Because, unfortunately, we had suffered a flat tire only 30 minutes before we got to the campground and were now traveling on our spare tire.   We really wanted to try to get our tire repaired or replaced so we would have a spare again for the rest of our trip home.   Luck was on our side because we were able to stay that extra night we needed and get the tire repaired.   Finally, as Hurricane Dorian was heading north towards the Georgia coastline, we headed home to Venice.

home sweet brick and mortar home!

We are saddened at the devastation in Bermuda and the Abaco Islands yet so very thankful that we made it home safely and that all of our friends and loved ones remained safe and sound.   We wish you all a Fall Season with cooler weather for you southerners and a colorful, comfortable season for everyone else.   ‘Until our next travels,  we also always wish you the best in life.

Jerome & Jean (and of course, our furbaby, Carly, too)