February 13, 2022
During our stay here at Skidaway Island State Park we had a chance to meet and work with 2 other couples. We decided that since we all were leaving in about a week, we needed to have a party. So Nancy and I hosted a cookout at our site. We provided cheeseburgers and hot dogs cooked over the campfire. Our friends, Betty and Ken and Terri and Mike, provided delicious side dishes. We ate, talked, had a few adult beverages and enjoyed the fellowship, conversation of each other all the while we sat around the campfire. Absolutely awesome evening.
February 10, 2022
Today was our day to explore the beautiful city of Savannah. We purchased tickets online to do a on/off tour of the city. We arrived at their office/stop at 9:00. We traded in our e-tickets for paper version. We also decided to get tickets to the Prohibition Museum. The tour is great. This is actually our 2nd time doing this tour. The first time was August 2017. Nancy was going through chemo and we took a few days of recovery to Hilton Head Marina RV Park. One of the things we did was to take a boat from Hilton Head Lighthouse up the Savannah River to Savannah. We got off the boat and did the tour and then on schedule we got back on the boat and back to Hilton Head. Great day.
We planned our day so that we could eat lunch at Lady and Sons. That’s the Paula Deen restaurant. I have been looking forward to this for some time. Before lunch, we had time so we went through the Prohibition Museum. It was really neat. Very educational. We even paid for an authentic drink Speak Easy Drink at their Speak Easy which was at the end of the tour. Nancy had the Mary Pickford and I had the Chatham Artillery Punch. Quite tasty!
From the museum we walked the 3 or 4 blocks to dine at Lady and Sons. I was expecting so much. Maybe that’s why we were disappointed. The food was good but not exceptional. You do a family style dining. We chose 2 entrees with 4 sides. The price included all you can eat plus beverages and one dessert for each person. We took our desserts to go. For our entrees we chose fried chicken and chicken and dumplings. Our sides included candied yams, broccoli and cheese casserole, collard greens, and tomato and cucumber salad. Again, they were good but not outstanding.
After lunch we walked around the Market Center and then hopped on the trolley to go to River Street. We walked around River Street for about an hour. While Nancy was in a store I sat on a bench outside and watched a container ship sail up the river to the port. It was very close and very cool. We caught one of the last trolleys and went back to our truck. Another wonderful day in the books.
February 9, 2022
Today was the day we took a ride to Richmond Hill, GA to visit Fort McCallister. We visited the Fort and also toured the campground. The campground was okay but not one we would put at the top of our list. We really preferred Skidaway Island State Park. The Fort was really neat. We entered into the Visitors Center/Museum. We paid our admission, I believe it was only abut $8 per person. The first thing we did was to sit and watch a brief movie titled Exceptional Valor. It can be found on YouTube at https://youtu.be/L-2utZ-Iskw. After the movie we wondered around the indoor portion of the museum. It is not very large but very informative. Great history lesson. Then we spent a few hours walking around the Fort on a self-guided tour. It was a great day. As we had spent the afternoon at Fort McCallister and had no lunch, we decided to stop at Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub. Great meal!!
February 5, 2022
Had a wonderful evening. Betty and Ken made hog chops. These were huge, much bigger than pork chops. They use their own marinade and boy were they juicy and tender. To go along with the chops we had scalloped potatoes, pea salad, and rolls. Great meal. Afterwards we taught them how to play Five Crowns. In the middle of the game was time for coffee and dessert, a strawberry cream pie. Yum!! Great evening of good food and great fellowship.
February 4, 2022
Today turned out to be a very productive day. I first tackled the ceiling fan. I used my new ladder and climbed up to see what the issue was. It was missing a bolt out of one of the fan blades. I went to look at the bolt Nancy had found a couple of days ago. Viola! Using my new screwdrivers I reinstalled the bolt and tightened all the others. Problems solved. I need a drill to install the closet latches. More on that later. The next issue was to lube and adjust the compartment door locks and latches. Another job completed. Overall a good day.
Betty arrived at the campground today. Ken and Betty dropped by so we could meet Betty. We had a good conversation and they invited us to there place for dinner tomorrow night.
Nancy and I learned a new card game, Five Crowns, from Chris and Jim. We thought we would find the game and take with us tomorrow evening. Found it at a Wally World.
February 3,2022
First day on the job. We were up and ready to go a little after 8:00. First thing we did was go to the office in the provided golf cart to pick up our keys, radio, and list of campers leaving today so we can clean their sites. We also got a chance to meet several more of the park personnel. In addition to cleaning sites, here at Skidaway Island we also have to clean one or two bathhouses, depending on the day. We are paired up with Ken and Betty so we take Sites 1 thru 52 and they have sites 53 thru 87. They also have a bathhouse near their site and we will alternate cleaning the third one. Whoever only cleans one bathhouse will be responsible for the evening tags. We finished up around 13:30 hours. Thoroughly exhausted. Because of the necessity of repairs, we went to Lowe’s Home Improvements and I purchased a small ladder and a small screwdriver set. Tomorrow is our day off so it will be repair day.
We work Monday & Tuesday, then off Wednesday & Thursday, then work Friday through Sunday, and off Monday & Tuesday, work Wednesday & Thursday, then off the weekend Friday through Sunday. Not a bad schedule at all.
Since Ken’s wife Betty is still away, we had Ken come over for dinner. Our children took care of us very nicely. We had a great time talking and getting to know one another.
February 2, 2022
We met two of the other hosts. First was Terry. She was on duty today by herself. The fourth host has not arrived yet. Apparently having RV troubles. She is very pleasant and seems to be a hard worker. Then we met Ken, his wife Betty, was at work back home for a couple of days. He was also very nice. We did meet one of our supervisors, David, and it was decided that we were going to start work tomorrow. So Ken offered to show Nancy around the some of the ropes for what our responsibilities are going to be. Later that evening around 4:00 Ken back and I rode with him to the office to pick up the site tags for late arrivals. Had a good introduction.
January 31, 2022
We got up and moving around 8:30 Ideally we wanted to be packed and loaded and leaving Huntington Beach by 10 ish. Took us longer than we anticipated. 11:00 we were on the road. Uneventful trip. Took US 17 to Charleston, picked up I 526 around Charleston and then back on US 17. Just north of GA we hopped on I 95 and took it down to Exit 94 and then GA 204 to Skidaway State Park. I did have to hurriedly brake for a red light but did so from a slow speed. No problem. We arrived and checked in at the office. Everyone was busy so they showed us where to set up and said someone would be visiting us tomorrow.
Set up went as usual until I noticed that the bedroom slide on the driver’s side was not open all the way. I had Nancy pull them in and then back out again. I was at the back of the RV when I heard a loud thunk like something dropping onto the floor. She immediately stopped and I went into the bedroom to investigate. Did not like what I saw. Apparently the sudden stop pushed our hanging clothes off of the bar. Which in turn pushed my closet door open just about an inch. That was an inch too much. When the slide opened, it caught the closet handle, which then bent the handle and the slide facia bent outward. Which in turn popped off a piece of the trim. After a few choice words and some work, we got the slide out to where it should be. As soon as I can I am putting positive latches on the closet doors. Also sprung the hinges a little. And to top it all off, Nancy found a bolt when she opened the slides. Has happened before. We set it aside as the rear slide took precedence. Also the ceiling fan was not working. And the park had not replaced the 50 amp. outlet yet. So we were going to be running off of 30 amp service. Pictures are here.
January 30, 2022
We had temperatures into the 20s last night. No surprise we had no water this morning. This was the second time this month. By about 10:00 the sun was out and the temperatures were on the way up. We had water. Today was our last day of working here at Huntington Beach State Park. It was better than last year. Had a chance to see old friends and make new friends. Our work is completed. It has taken me all afternoon to catch up on this blog. But well worth it. Tomorrow we will leave for Skidaway State Park near Savannah, Georgia. However, we will be back to Huntington Beach on 2/21 to camp for 5 days with some friends. All play and no work for that week.
January 28, 2022
We’ve been watching the weather all week. Even here in SC they are calling for snow Friday night and ending by Saturday morning. Jane and George are from Dover, Delaware. Upon checking their weather they were expecting 6 to 10 inches of snow Friday and Saturday. They decided to pack up and head home. They had a couple of very important appointments on Monday or they would have stayed and waited out the storm here. It was very sad to say good bye to our friends but we wanted the best for them and leaving early was the best thing.
Meanwhile, we started getting ready to depart on Monday. Filled the truck with fuel, filled our propane tanks and loaded some items that we were not going to be used. I had put dinner in the crockpot for us and our friends but since they left early we came up with Plan B. We contacted Chris and Jim and went to their place with our dinner. Again after dinner enjoyed some beverages and a lot of fun playing cards and socializing.
Nancy and I decided that this month has gone by faster than last year. The big difference was twofold. First, our friends, Jane and George, started camping this year. We suggested they come down to visit us at Huntington Beach while we worked. Thankfully they came. We would alternate camp sites for dinner and spent a lot of time with them. Had a great time.
The next reason is that we met and really get along with the other Campground Hosts, Chris and Jim. One of the first questions I asked once I found out they were from Michigan was “do you know how to play Euchre?” The rest is history. They are very nice people and we get along fabulously. We also work well together. So nice to meet new friends. They introduced us to a new card game, Five Crowns. Lots of fun. An example of how nice they are was that they volunteered to come over to take Bree out while we were in Charleston. They came over and took Bree out not once but twice. They walked her around the park and all was good. That was really appreciated. Ashes on the other hand was not happy but that is Ashes.
January 27, 2022
Today’s trip we went south to Charleston. First on the agenda was a 1 1/2 hour bus tour of the city, Very informative and educational. Not to mention entertaining. We got off the bus at the Charleston City Market. We walked all the market. Some very nice items were for sale by various craftsmen. Sawgrass baskets, jewelry, fudge, spices, and a lot of other items. Just before we reached the end of the Market, a couple of locals were asked for their recommendations for a good restaurant. They both recommended Fleet Landing. It was only a couple of blocks away so we walked to the harbor.
We got a nice table by a window and had a great view of Charleston Harbor. Right next door to the restaurant the Carnival Sunshine was docked. Amazingly large ship. The food was amazing. Very delicious and the service was excellent. Very friendly staff. Over lunch it was decided to tale a tour of the Aiken Rhett House. That was suggested by our bus driver and looked interesting. After a conversation with an employee of the restaurant, they recommended a cab company. For $10 we got a ride from the restaurant to the Aiken Rhett House.
The draw to this particular house is that it is not restored. The house and out buildings and contents are exactly as they were left over a hundred years ago. The house has no heat or air conditioning so be prepared. The only exception is the Art Gallery. That room is temperature controlled to preserve the artworks. The tour is self guided. They will provide a media device with headphones or you can download the app. Jane, Nancy and George used the devices. I downloaded the app and used it as my hearing aid bluetooths with my phone. The tour is about 45 minutes to an hour long, depending on how much time you spend in the various areas. It was awesome. The app is Historic Charleston. You can go on the tour and they even provide a few photos of each room or area. We finished the tour right at closing time. As it turns out, we were only about 3 blocks from the Visitor’s Center, where we parked. So we walked back to the truck and drove back to our campground.
January 26, 2022
Today was lunch at our favorite Myrtle Beach restaurant, The Sea Captain’s House. Chris, Jim, Jane, George, Nancy and I gathered for a delightful lunch. Of course we had a great view of the ocean and the food never disappoints. Turns out Chris had been there once before. Everyone enjoyed their meal. After the good food and great conversation Jane, George, Nancy and I took a trip up to North Myrtle and walked around Barefoot Landing. A neat shopping area with some unusual shops. Also several restaurants. Everyone was still full from lunch but we did try Molly’s for some delicious ice cream.
January 25, 2022
Over dinner Sunday Jane and George and us discussed our plans for the upcoming week. It was decided that today we would drive up to Wilmington, NC to check out the Battleship North Carolina (BB 55) and then go on up to the NC Aquarium. The Battleship was awesome. We couldn’t go on the port side or the upper decks as they were doing repairs. Still a really awesome time. This was my 3rd or 4th time on board. Had a wonderful time and learned a lot. We spent about 3 hours on the Battleship which didn’t leave us enough time for the Aquarium. was decided that we would drive to Southport and found a great place to eat on the waterfront. It was called Oliver’s. The food was delicious and plentiful. We also discovered that Mel Gibson was using Southport to film a movie which will be based in Martha’s Vineyard.
January 21 & 22, 2022
Friday morning we got up to go to work and it was pouring rain and heavy winds. Apparently Jim Cantore went to North Carolina but he has nothing on Nancy. The weather forecast was for sleet and freezing rain later in the day. We had a relatively light day. The weather was so bad we used our truck to get around the campground. No one was out. The freezing rain and sleet arrived overnight. Limbs were coming down all over the campground. The Rangers gave us the day off on the 22nd.
When Nancy went out to walk Bree on Saturday, she noticed a limb had come down on our RV. Fortunately, it did not come crashing down but when it fell it kind of hung up on another branch. There was a crew nearby so she reported the limb to them. They came over and removed the limb. No RV damage was spotted.
What does one do when it’s nasty outside. Well, Jane and George hunkered down and read and just enjoyed a cozy day in the RV. We went to Chris and Jim’s with some stuffed peppers and enjoyed a meal, some beverages.
January 20, 2022
Our golf cart was returned to us. It runs so much better now. They replaced the 4 batteries and a diode. We were told the cost was $1,400.00. It’s nice not to have a Flintstone golf cart.
This is the day for a mini high school reunion. Jane and I graduated in 19XX from the same high school. As it turns out there are two other graduates that live in the area, Karen and Donna. We’ve reconnected through Facebook and have been communicating the last few years. So we decided to have a little cookout today. Everyone came to our camp site. We had beautiful weather. We had a nice campfire going and cooked hamburgers and hot dogs over the camp fire. Had a wonderful time catching up and seeing each other after all these years.
January 19, 2022
Yesterday our friends Chris and Jim happened to run into George on the beach. They talked for a while. You meet the nicest people in the campground. So we decided that since Chris and Jim and us were both off, we’d all go out to breakfast. So this morning Chris, Jim, Jane, George, Nancy and I went to Johnny D’s Waffles for breakfast. We have been here a few times and love the place. We had a great breakfast getting to know each other better and the food was great. Of course, Nancy had to take pictures of each persons’ breakfast.
January 18, 2022
Today we are back in the side by side. While backing up it felt very strange and did not feel right. There was a Ranger in the area and she wasn’t sure what was going on either. We nursed it back to our site. It just happened that a couple of maintenance guys were going by. We stopped them and they knew the vehicle and it’s idiosyncrasies. Apparently sometimes when you back it, it puts itself into 4-wheel drive. The cure, put it in reverse and its good. We finished the day in it but the Rangers called and said not to use it.
A high point of the day was when we were inspecting the primitive sites. On the road, as we were heading back, three gentlemen with large cameras, were standing on the road side and looking up and every so often clicked a few pictures. We stopped and they showed us a large Eastern Barred Owl. Very cool. We watched for a few minutes and then went on our way. Pretty cool day.
January 17, 2022
Not a great day. We had just started working and were in the South Campground when our provided golf cart decided to die. We had been telling the Rangers that it was acting up, no power, etc. Nancy got a ride to our truck from the very kind camper next to the site where we died. Meanwhile, I called the Ranger on call and she came out to troubleshoot. No go. We only had a few to do so we used our truck for a brief time. We went back to our site to have coffee and wait for the remainder of the sites to clear out. The Rangers brought us a gas powered side by side. It ran well.
January 15, 2022
Today our friends, Jane and George Murga, arrived. We had completed our work for the day and as they were checking in, we went down to their campsite to greet them. We started a fire in the fire pit as a welcome. After a little conversation, Nancy gave Jane a tour of the campground and the beach. Meanwhile George set up their travel trailer and I assisted when possible. We left them to finish up and we went back to our site to prepare dinner for them. Our kind friends brought us a couple of gifts. For Nancy they got a travel wine cup and for me a travel coffee cup. And for the RV, a set of really cool coasters. Pictures of each are available. It was a great night catching up with our friends.
January 14, 2022
Just another normal day. Not a lot to report. One aspect of our position is to be an ambassador for the park. Over the last several days, we have gotten to know a couple, Sandra and Chris Brown and their Standard Poodle, James Brown. They are from South Dakota and they graciously offered us several places to camp, eat, and see for our summer journey. I gave them this address and our email. I hope our paths cross again. It was great to meet y’all.