01.16.15 – Riachuelo Ranch, Mountain Home, TX

I’ve made it to familiar territory!  I left Natches in the pitch darkness and rain.  Crossed the Mississippi into Louisiana – big river – early and was through that state quick!

Other than crossing the river it was a pretty basic drive to College Station where I stayed the night with our good friends Bonnie and Peter.  Bonnie and went for a hike around the property with the dogs, we had great conversations, and at Peter’s insistence we grilled steaks.  Bonnie at lettuce…

The next morning, after a lovely walk around the lake with Peter, I took off for the ranch!

Next – John Flaherty is flying out to copilot the Guppy back to California on my final leg of the trip!

01.15.15 – Natchez, MS

I left Seminole early in the morning as I like to do and spent a long day crossing briefly into Florida (snagged the sticker) and then into the rolling hills of Alabama.  Tight roads with tall trees and no shoulder.  No good towns, in fact, almost no ‘towns’ – just trees.

When I hit the Mississippi border the road instantly was 4 lanes and cleared back so it was like a parting of the sea!  I arrived early at my next stop Clarko State Park, MS.  The temperature had fallen suddenly and the air was damp so I decided to jump ahead three hours to my next destination at Natchez State Park, MS which is just over the border from Louisiana.  Again this was a great spot – once I found it.

GPS took me down a dirt road heavy with trees to the back side of the park which, to say the least, was not where I wanted to be.  Let’s just say the neighborhood was not war and fuzzy – I think I heard banjos.

I’ve been dealing with logging trucks all day and then suddenly find myself back in a deciduous forest.  Short hike down to huge lake and lots of late season hunters.  I was outta there early!

Not only are we in the land of Piggly Wiggly but we are also in the land of the Broaster!

 Does anybody else see Ron in this?

01.14.15 – Thomasville, GA

I bugged out of my camp early in route westward to Seminole State Park located at the south west corner of Georgia and tucked into the notch of Flordia.

Traveled through the Georgia countryside which was basically flat, heavily treed and very wet.  It’s basically a step-up from the swamps of Florida.  I arrived in Thomasville around lunch and, just by chance, it turned out to be a treat.  The historic downtown had brick pavement and stone curbs, the buildings were nicely restored, and the trees were old and mossy.

I then continued westward to my next camp at Seminole S.P. which was, once again, fantastic.  It’s a big lake with great facilities and sweet camp sites on the water.  Very few people there so I had my pick.  Did a long hike and admired the setup.

  Alligator warnings but they were hibernating so I didn’t get to see any.

Mostly Long Leaf Pines in this area with three ‘leaves’ to a group.  Also a lot of deciduous but mostly pines.

Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention that I found myself in the middle of Piggly Wiggly Country – Long live the Piggly Wiggly!

Note that gas is always around $2.00

Lowest was been $1.78 in Oklahoma.

01.13.15 – Valdosta, GA

Yesterday I awoke to heavy rain drops – not the steady shush of an even rain but, rather, the pounding impact of large individual  drops of precipitate.   I left the beach at Hunting Island traveled a short while to a little coffee shop.  Then I was off to Savannah and, after my last post, I was taken by the polite nature of that southern city.

I parked adjacent to a park with a coffee house that had caught my eye.  When the rain stopped I jumped on the chance to explore.  I also noticed that almost everyone was carrying umbrellas so I enquired as to where I too might purchase one.  The young lady came from behind the counter to present me with a nice blue one from the lost & found.  It had been there a week and, she insisted, it was now mine.

I strolled down the cent of the park under a canopy of moss covered oaks, to a statue, around a fountain and on again over brick, stone, and cobble walks.

The downtown is low scaled and arranged in a classical european grid with small parks, or squares, around which residences, churches, government buildings, and business were arranged.  Each park now has a theme with a statue or fountain dating from pre-revolution through the civil war.  All are beautifully kept and equally captivating.

  Kids & dogs welcome!

I ended up with a pub lunch and was, of coursed, offered a ‘to go’ cup for my beer!  Now that is polite.  Leaving the city was a not the usual  trudge through run down neighborhoods but rather a progression from city living into larger rural properties that eventually yield back into the country (see trees).

The roads of Southern George are cut out from the southern pine forests, they are flat, and they are very straight.  I am a hundred miles from any coast and only at 100 ft of elevation.  Water is everywhere still.  The shoulders are low and submerged almost continuously.

I pulled into yet another beautiful campground – Laura S. Walker State Park, GA.  What a treat to be in rural America and encounter such well kept scenic parks!  I had a hike and a shower and then a long practice followed by the installation of a new water pump (ending the aforementioned ‘water incident’).   The weather remains overcast and damp but much warmer being in the early 60s.  Very polite.

01.12.15 – Savannah, Georgia

Yesterday I left Carolina State Beach camp early to catch the ferry at the end of the point.  It was about a 20 min. drive to the station and I was the only one there.  Great ride across/down the river to Southport, NC.

The Guppy on the water!

Southport was a cute town to say the least.  Headed to a Lowes and spent a quality 1.5 hrs in the parking lot doing repairs.  Then in Myrtle Beach I hit a Camping World for more supplies before heading down into Charleston.

This is a big city with a big city feel coupled with a strong historic ethic.  The main downtown street was closed off for Sunday and people were everywhere.  Just when I was ready to head out a parking spot presented itself to me, I had no change…  Turns out Sundays are free to park – so what the heck I hiked down into the swarms and enjoyed the promenade.

Leaving the city behind I headed again for the banks and a little state park on Hunting Island.  Pulled in late but not a problem – I did have to share this park with others unlike the previous night.

Reflecting on my drive down:   NC has hills and terrain in the interior, deciduous trees are the norm.  As you approach the coast things flatten out and you start to incorporate pines into the mix.  Heading into SC it becomes low and FLAT – the trees are thick southern pines.   The roads are walled in, or rather cut through, the trees.  The high points are man made – mostly bridges – so the ‘views’ are limited.

Hunting Island is situated amongst a strewn landscape of islets lush with vegetation.  This is my first encounter with tropical plants – lots of palms, thick moss on the trees,  huge magnolias everywhere.  It’s quite a change in just two days of driving.

   Hunting Island

 my spot to blog

Savannah, GA

01.11.15 – Southport, North Carolina

Yesterday I left Kellie with her new life in Durham and headed SE to the coastal town of Wrightsville Beach where I touched the Atlantic.  It was a beach town reminiscent of the Balboa Peninsula.  Houses packed in side by side on a narrow strip of sand with beach and ocean to the East and Inland water way 100 yds to the West.

I then headed down to Carolina Beach State Park and enjoyed a fantastic hike along the water and through dense forest.  Enjoyed the sunset on the point.

 I had a nice evening in camp – nobody in the entire campground!  Really nice.  Then the ‘water incident’ but that’s a story for another time.  To say the least, it’ll all sort out tomorrow.

A brilliant first day on the road.  Tomorrow I start heading South through Myrtle Beach, then Charleston, and down to Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina.

We’ve been in Durham for about 10 days.  Rye had to fly back to SLO on business but that is now behind us.

For the next phase of the trip – Durham back to the Ranch in Texas – Rye will be solo so the blog will continue on in first person.  I’ll do my best.

Plan is to set off tomorrow, Saturday for the North Carolina Coast!

12.31.14 – 01.01.15

Happy New Year!

We spent a quiet New years eve watching movies and catching up on sleep.

New years day we toured the Duke University gardens and chapel.

Meg lit a candle in memory of her fathers passing just before Christmas.

12.27.14 – 12.30.14

Three long days of travel overnighting in Arkansas and Tennessee.

We arrived in North Carolina on the 30th in the late afternoon.  Cleared out the Uhaul in an hour and Kellie was moved in!

Mission Accomplished!

We rewarded ourselves with a great meal and experience at a Tapas Bar not far from Kellie’s new home.  Downtown Durham has old brick and stone buildings, a cosmopolitan feel,  and new construction everywhere!

12.27.14

Meg spent the day in the hotel recovering… Rye and Kellie got the Uhaul hooked up, made our delivery to Goodwill, returned the Uhaul for a larger unit, and loaded that trailer with her stuff.

We headed out Eastward around 1:30 pm!  Meg and Rye in our camper (The Guppy) with Kellie and Petie following close behind.

We spent the night in lovely Garden City, Kansas which has a definitive odor de cow poop.

It was well below freezing over night…  Resulting in frozen bananas and water in the camper kitchen.

Bugged out early the next morning!