April 25-26
Hueco Tanks State Park, Texas
We were so pleasantly surprised by this State Park. We didn't think we get so much out of it. Jose our park host,, in the red shirt and black dog in the album, was very pleasant man. He introduces to the park by showing us 15 minute video on the history of the park. Well we hit it off cuz we hung out with him and his wife Imelda at their site for the evening. They told us about Sparky's restaurant and La Paloma Hot springs since these were both on our way to our next destination. Well we followed through on both counts and enjoyed a world famous green chili burger as well as indulge in some natural hot springs to soak our achy bones after all we did a 5 hour hike earlier in the day.
Here's a brief summary of the history of this park:
The rock was formed beneath the earth's surface 34 million years ago, as magma pushed into and older limestone formation and then cooled. Over millennia, weathering processes eroded the overlying limestone and sculpted the now exposed igneous rock into its present forms. Hollows (huecos) capture precious rainfall.
these formations rise above the Chihuahuan desert floor to mark an oasis of nature and culture. thousands of pictographs left behind by prehistoric and historic native Americans.
The next day we took a 5 hour tour to explore 30 of these masks. Our guide Jorge was very knowledgeable and passionate about the history of this magical place, It was supposed to be a 3.5 hour hike but he kept saying ok....one more bonus mask....one more bonus mask....you're such a special group so i'm gonna show you 1 more mask...let's just slide down this rock into this cave....that's pretty much how dialogue went all afternoon....no breaks whatsoever. As you can see from the photos we had a blast and are blessed o have been a part of this place.
In the evening we went to have that delicious burger and hot springs....what a day....another 10/10
love always
Mary and Peter.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Friday, April 28, 2017
12. Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
April 24. 2017
We were so excited for this trip so we got an early start and left the beautiful Balrmorhea park behind us and hit the road again. The drive was straight and narrow as far as the eye can see!!! As we saw the Guadalupe Mountains in the distance we notice at the vey top some buildings ... the entrance to the bat cave!!!!
There are 2 options to enter the cave ... a natural entrance which is a mile long walk on a steep path deep down into the bowels of the earth and the 2nd option is an elevator . We opted to walk down ... an what a treat it was ... it was kinda scary and creepy but the path is well maintained and you immediately start to see the stalactites and stalagmites that were lit up. I'm sooooo glad we decided to come on a Monday cuz yesterday was the last day of free national parks day and this place was crawling with visitors .... instead we had the cave to ourselves which added to magical feeling of exploring the cavernous spaces below. Peter and I couldn't stop taking photo after photo because we were in such awe.... every corner we took a new vision of wonderful formations greeted us . The walk down was about 1 hour and we opted to rent the audio tour which was fantastic because then narrator would tell us some facts about the cave at specified numbered locations.
We finally arrived down into the big room, which is really three rooms and once again we were like kids a at a candy shop ... look at this !!! Look at that!!! Wowwww... it took us about another 3 hours to explore the whole cave . The lighting was sublime !!! They hired a Hollywood lighting company to setup the lighting ,they were really good emphasizing certain formations with lights. The photo album includes all the facts, such as how it was formed , when , etc about this cave so have a quick peek at the photos ! The only way out today the cave is to take he elevator up ... no one is allowed to walk out !!!
At first we were daunted being so deep below the steer level but we wouldn't have missed it !!! It was by far one of the highlights of this trip !!
Love ❤️ always
Mary & Peter
Thursday, April 27, 2017
11. Balmorhea Sate Park, Balmorhea, Texas
Good morning,
We got an early jump because we had a 5 hour drive ahead of us towards west Texas to balmorhea. We found this state park on the internet that everyone raved about. The park has a natural spring fed pool with Crystal clear 💦. The drive from San Antonio to Balmorhea was equisite. As we drove we saw the terrain change from lush green forest 🌳, which we're familiar seeing at home, to this dry, arrid , barren landscape with beautiful mountains. Approximately 25 million years ago volcanic activity took place here and molten rock was exposed with erotion and created these beautiful rock formations ... they are absolutely gorgeous... peter couldn't stop taking photos !!!
Upon arrival we quickly went to check out the famous pool which is fed by Solomon springs. The water was perfect ... crystal clear and very inviting ... there were lots of fish and even soft shell turtles 🐢. But we couldn't indulge ourselves because we had a game to watch ... a crucial game 6 ... it could be the Habs last game !!! So we went to a local bar Jo's Bar and grill and asked if we could watch the game . Norman the owner was super sweet and said " I know nothing about hockey but I'll put it on for you" ..... thank God!!! cuz there were no other bars in town. So we watched the game and started talking to the Norman and his wife Diana, then to more locals like Nick and his 12 yr old son Logan who showed us their super cool rock collection !! They find rocks in the hills clean and polish them ... they were very impressive rocks ... who would have thought rocks could be so beautiful 😍 so they gave me a handful of rocks as a souvenir of Balmorhea Agate rocks.
As the night went on and our beloved Habs got eliminated ... Norman bought us a round of drinks .. we obliged .. then karaoke broke out.... followed by a crew of real cowboys coming in for a drink at their local. How cool it was to see real cowboys .....one even arrived on a mule into the bar ... he nearly took his own head off cuZ he banged in it so hard on the door frame ... it was hilarious... so they asked if I wanted to have my photo on the mule... how could I say No... so on I go with cowboy hat and all!!! It was a wonderful evening spent with some really down to earth good old fashion Texans ... sidebar .... Logan was so fascinated with our 20$ bill that he wanted a trade with his American 20$ ... so there you have it ... we traded $20's ...
The following day we went to Fort Davis yes I know another fort.... so we visited the fort ... went for a nice hike to the top of the mountain took some pretty nice photos then and came back to the pool to spend the whole afternoon swimming in the springs.... once again we highly recommend this Park ... tomorrow off to Carlsbad caverns !!
Love always
Mary and peter ❤️
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
10.Guadalupe River State Park, San Antonio, Texas
Must admit it's getting harder to keep up with this blog because we're on the go sooooo quickly and state parks are starting to blend into one another .... but I am resolved to do this as it's definitely a diary of sorts of for us look back on and they'll be accurate as this all fresh in our minds !!!
Okkkkkkkk ....this Park is in the middle of NOWHERE!!!! But worth it !!! It's another real gem 💎. After we checked in at #20 campsite we hopped on our bikes and decided to go find the Guadalupe River..... found a trail and meandered through woods until we saw the sun shining on a beautiful stratified limestone canyon wall... what a sight to see at a distance!!! So we biked right down to the river and explored the area.... wet our feet ....chatted with a lady and played pitch and catch with her son Josh... then explored some more. Our 👀 were feasting on the immense beauty surrounding us ... we're sooooooo grateful and lucky to witness these beautiful natural wonders.
On our second day here we decided to go to San Antonio to visit The Alamo and the Riverwalk. I was really touched by the Alamo's history not to mention how beautiful the the grounds are. I had no idea that the Alamo was a church with a religious mission trying to convert the natives. Many years later the Alamo was converted to a fort and saw a lot of bloodshed which ultimately led to the independence of Texas as a republic. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Alamo.
We decided to end the day with a stroll along the Riverwalk..... that's what San Antonio's famous for. This is a very creative riverfront which hosted many, many restaurants, we even saw a wedding and managed to find a geocache as well. The people were super friendly and the city was very clean. As you can see from the photo album we enjoyed our stay tremendously.... now off to Balmorhea State Park in west Texas !!
Sunday, April 23, 2017
9. McKinney Falls State Park and Austin, Texas
9. McKinney Falls and Austin, Texas Album
We arrived at McKinney Falls State Park, and at first glance it was super nice ...spent the first day biking and geocaching and exploring the park. We went to the upper and lower falls ... these were a huge hit with thrill seekers and sun worshippers as the young-uns would jump off the rocks then suntan on the rocks ... well peter had to impress as well so he jumped off too ... we love exploring and finding these hidden gems.
The landscape at this park was pretty spectacular, especially the falls and the eroded rock it carved through to get to the lake below. We spent the afternoon there and enjoyed an lovely evening at the campsite. Sleeping in the van is getting much easier i.e. that we bought a FAN, it was much needed. Oh! Sidebar... we bought the fan at a Walmart in Baton Rouge, Louisiana... well let's just say there was a permanent cop stationed there... yep bought then fan and skidaddled out of there quickly !!!
The next day we went to the city of Austin, population 900,000. We kicked off our day visiting the state capital building. Our eyes 👀 were greeted with the splendid view if this building made of sunset red Texas granite. You'll see many photos of this in the album attached to this blog. Anyway we signed up for a free tour which we enjoyed tremendously... does that make us geeks?!?! After the tour we had a picinic lunch on the congress lawn before we headed out to 6th street where are the live music 🎶 happens. Next we drove over to Zilker Park where we saw the naturally spring fed Barton Sorings pool... we continued to bike 🚴 down the path zig zagging though a plethora of joggers running near Lady Bird Lake .... wow these Austonioans really take their fitness seriously... very impressive !!! Finally, we biked over to the south Congress bridge where a nightly phenomenon occurs ..... 1.5 million bats 🦇 take to the skies at dusk ... many people lined the top of the bridge and well as gathered below to witness this natural occurrence ...apparently they sleep in between the bridges' expansion joints then come out at dusk .... we waited with anticipation... then it happened ... it wa a sight to see ....but what was very peculiar about it was that all the bats flew out of one area ... hhhhmmm is there an order to this ... pecking order so to speak? Anyway all 1.5 million bats was quite something to see even though it was quite dark 👍
Once again driving in Austin Texas is like driving in the formula one... everyone scooted past you in all directions ... oh well 😔 I just nodded and said nothing !!! Some were downright lawless ... going through a full red ... bold !!!! Finally , we HAD to have some of Gus's world 🌎 famous fried chicken 🍗 it was so scrumptious.
Overall impression of Austin is a positive one even though we find it to be it past paced .. had a big city vibe unlike Savannah had more of a laid back southern hospitality vibe ... we enjoying visiting so many new cities and national and state parks ...we also enjoying the in between stuff such as Ms Bedroll giant squirrel on the side of the Highway and her pecan pie vending machine ... wow now I've seen it all!!!!
Love ❤️ always
Friday, April 21, 2017
8. Village Creek State Park, Texas
8. Village Creek State Park, Texas April 17th, 2017
Village Creek State Park, Texas Photo Album
Well we finally made it to Texas !!!! And let me tell ya the drivers are crazzzzzy!!!! Compared to all the other states we've been to , where drivers are courteous, respectful and laid back , these drivers are impatient , aggressive and a little loco 😜 ... seriously!!!! One guy actually passed me on my right!!! on the shoulder!!! on a highway!!!! ....whowwwwww la ....didn't expect that AT ALL!!! Anyway I switched to my Quebec driving skills and joined the crowd 🤣
Village Creek State Park, Texas Photo Album
Well we finally made it to Texas !!!! And let me tell ya the drivers are crazzzzzy!!!! Compared to all the other states we've been to , where drivers are courteous, respectful and laid back , these drivers are impatient , aggressive and a little loco 😜 ... seriously!!!! One guy actually passed me on my right!!! on the shoulder!!! on a highway!!!! ....whowwwwww la ....didn't expect that AT ALL!!! Anyway I switched to my Quebec driving skills and joined the crowd 🤣
Thursday, April 20, 2017
7. Davis Bayou, Mississippi
7. Davis Bayou State Park, Mississippi
Davis Bayou Photo Album
After an 10 hour drive we finally arrived at this state park. This was only a one night stay. First order of operations was to try to find a bar to watch the habs......sooooo we googled it and Val's Sports bar was our spot....a real down to earth kinda place where the locals embraced us and got a talkin' with us. Had a philly cheese steak which, was delectable, as recommended by the owner and enjoyed the game tremendously since our habs won....we also met a super nice couple, she's from Quebec but moved to Texas in the 70's....gave us a quite few tips about vising Texas....
Davis Bayou Photo Album
After an 10 hour drive we finally arrived at this state park. This was only a one night stay. First order of operations was to try to find a bar to watch the habs......sooooo we googled it and Val's Sports bar was our spot....a real down to earth kinda place where the locals embraced us and got a talkin' with us. Had a philly cheese steak which, was delectable, as recommended by the owner and enjoyed the game tremendously since our habs won....we also met a super nice couple, she's from Quebec but moved to Texas in the 70's....gave us a quite few tips about vising Texas....
Ciao all
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
6b. Siesta Key and other beaches
6b. Siesta Key and other beaches
Siesta Key and other beaches photo album
Wow it's hard to believe that we'll be on the road again in a couple of days or so. Our stay here in port Charlotte has been a very relaxing and recharging one. As mentioned in the previous post we have been hanging around the pool for the most part but occasionally we have ventured off to go do some geocaching and beaching. Here are some of the beaches we went to.
1. Englewood beach; known for its petrified shark teeth and shelling. My sister in law Mindy is so good at finding these teeth, she's found hundreds....then she creates her own artwork with the teeth. This shark photo is made from these shark teeth ....pretty cool huh?
2. Munche Beach and Pine Island : Not much to say say about this one except to say it smelled probably from rotting seaweed or something....so we had a quick picnic lunch and departed....We also ventured off to Pine Island on the same day.
Well as you can see from the map IT IS AN island, so we thought we would find a bike trail or some beaches we could swim at....well the bike trail is parallel to the main road..not my idea of a leisurely bike ride to enjoy the views so we DID NOT cycle and no public beaches to swim at ....for the most part the tips of the island are well maintained with expensive homes with private ocean front piers. It was quite apparent this island was not commercialized at all so there weren't many tourist type amenities.... in fact all we saw were palm tree nurseries up and down the main drag on the island.....needless to say we turned around and left the island....
3. AHHHHHHH.....Siesta Key Beach: it's no wonder this beach has been voted America's #1 beach for many years ....it's by far my favorite beach of all. Last Monday was a very special day..... we met Andreé Anne and her family at this beach for an afternoon and evening of fun, laughter, dancing, singing, love and the pièce de résistance......the MOST spectacular sunset I have ever seen.
Siesta Key Beach , which provides free parking and shuttle service to all three beaches on the island, has the finest , whitest sand which feels soooooo good and cool under your feet because it's made up of 99% quartz. What's special about quartz is that doesn't heat up like regular sand, soooooo you never need to run like a chicken when you're barefoot on this beach. Siesta Key also has a very active tourists' village lined with restaurants, shops and nightlife!!!! We had so much fun we actually closed the beach down ....we left around 10:30 even though sunset was around 8 ish ...the moon provided enough light for us to enjoy ourselves til then...wowwwww amazing day.....
4. Turtle Beach and Point of Rocks Beach: these 2 beaches are south of Siesta Key and still considered to be part of Siesta Key. Turtle beach is the most southern one and oddly enough it doesn't have the same white sand, although it is a lot more secluded if you want privacy. We then moved to Point of rocks beach which is in between.....yeahh back to the white sand and snorkeling to boot off a point of rocks that just out from the beach. Welllllll it wasn't exactly the Great Barrier reef but we did see lots of fish....I managed to get a video of them check it out in our photo album...Off in the distance on the beach , a wedding was taking place during the sunset. It was pretty special for the bride and groom. All in all another great day at the beach...although Siesta Key remains my absolute favorite of all.
well that's all for now folks...how are you doin? send us your news, we love hearing from you!
much love
Mary and Peter
check out our route
https://roadtrippers.com/map?a2=t!16932610&lat=35.99811076838691&lng=-108.70921762785633&utm_campaign=trip&utm_medium=share&utm_source=copy&z=3.7296873068619467
Thursday, April 6, 2017
6a. Port Charlotte
6a. Port Charlotte
This is our first post since we arrived last Saturday. In a nutshell, we've been trying to relax as much as possible before we head west. We've been doing a lot of sitting by the pool reading, doing Sudoku and crosswords etc. It feels soooo good to sleep in a real bed and to have the luxury of a real home for 2 weeks. Occasionally we head out to buy groceries and check out the local stores. They have such different stores than we do....Bealls, Dillards, DSW Shoes, JC Penny and so on ....BUT since our dollar is soooo weak right now we are refraining BIG time from buying more running shoes and clothes....
We decided to do some velo caching....ok geocaching but on our bikes. We headed out towards Englewood Beach and ended up at this trail ... It wasn't too hot to begin with but mannnnn did it ever shoot up to 94 degrees pretty fast. So we found as many as we could and decided to go to the beach to cool off a bit.
So we went to BLind Pass Beach in the Lemon Bay area, it soooo nice out here...the beach was really busy today so we stayed for a little while.
Had a picnic lunch then headed back to Port Charlotte. Upon arrival we were super sweaty Again so we jumped in the pool to cool off . More of the usual, reading etc....
After supper we decided to go chase down the gorgeous sunset. As we got an extremely late start, we barely had time to head over to a beach so I took the sunset photos off a canal overpass..... "better than nothing" I thought, as it turns out the sunset pics are stunningly beautiful....breathtaking actually!!
Soooooo, I'm really excited for Andree Anne to arrive today !!! She's spending a week at her parents' condo nearby...it'll be super seeing her....stay tuned!!!
we are enjoying ourselves in this relaxing environment
Hugs and kisses to all
6a. Velo Caching, reading by the pool and sunset chasing album
So we went to BLind Pass Beach in the Lemon Bay area, it soooo nice out here...the beach was really busy today so we stayed for a little while.
Had a picnic lunch then headed back to Port Charlotte. Upon arrival we were super sweaty Again so we jumped in the pool to cool off . More of the usual, reading etc....
After supper we decided to go chase down the gorgeous sunset. As we got an extremely late start, we barely had time to head over to a beach so I took the sunset photos off a canal overpass..... "better than nothing" I thought, as it turns out the sunset pics are stunningly beautiful....breathtaking actually!!
Soooooo, I'm really excited for Andree Anne to arrive today !!! She's spending a week at her parents' condo nearby...it'll be super seeing her....stay tuned!!!
we are enjoying ourselves in this relaxing environment
Hugs and kisses to all
6a. Velo Caching, reading by the pool and sunset chasing album
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
6. DeBary and Port Charlotte, Florida
#6. DeBary and Port Charlotte, Florida
April 1 -April 16
#6. Debary and Port Charlotte Arrival Photo Album
Got up bright and early because we had a lunch date with my cousin in Debary Florida. I hadn't seen my cousin in 16 years so this was gonna be special, plus my aunt would be there too!! It's a 3 1/2 drive from Savannah to Debary. The drive went smoothly and we pulled in on her driveway around 11:30. Garrett, her son jumped into our arms as soon as he answered the door. Wow!!!! what a fantastic welcome. We were greeting very warmly and had a wonderful lunch. Chit-chatted with my aunt, then with Mickenzie , she's 16 , a very good softball player, and my cousin Toni. Mickenzie and I went out back to hit a few balls while Peter played guitar in the house. Garrett is a sweet boy who's really into Pokemon Go and video games. After a 2 1/2 stay we said our goodbyes as they had commitments in the afternoon. What a special detour this was.....off to Port Charlotte, our home for 2 weeks.
A huge shout out to Mindy, Peter's sister, and Bryan, her husband, for graciously allowing
us stay in their beautiful home.
#5. Debary and Port Charlotte Arrival Photo Album
check out our route
https://roadtrippers.com/map?a2=t!16932610&lat=35.99811076838691&lng=-108.70921762785633&utm_campaign=trip&utm_medium=share&utm_source=copy&z=3.7296873068619467
April 1 -April 16
#6. Debary and Port Charlotte Arrival Photo Album
A huge shout out to Mindy, Peter's sister, and Bryan, her husband, for graciously allowing
us stay in their beautiful home.
#5. Debary and Port Charlotte Arrival Photo Album
check out our route
https://roadtrippers.com/map?a2=t!16932610&lat=35.99811076838691&lng=-108.70921762785633&utm_campaign=trip&utm_medium=share&utm_source=copy&z=3.7296873068619467
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
5. Fort McAllister and Savannah, Georgia
5. Fort McAllister and Savannah, Georgia,
March 30-31
check out our photo album ... send us your comments!
Fort McAliister and Savannah, Georgia Photo album
"Oh Savannah you did not disappoint ... giant oaks, Spanish moss, St. John the Baptist Church , Tybee island , Forsyth Park, Fort Pulaski, botanical gardens and Wormsloe Plantation ... oh and we found the coolest geocache ever!!! What a day ❤️
Off to Florida tomorrow for a 2 week hiatus
This was our Facebook Post ..allow us to elaborate;
We arrived at this very secluded campsite after a 4 hour drive from Myrtle beach. Then it hits you why it's so remote, it was a fort used in the civil war in the 1860's between the Union and the Confederates. The campsite itself is very well maintained and the sites are very spacious. Our site overlooked the salt marsh which we drove across on the causeway. I've included a brief history of both forts below FYI.
Our first night we decided to hang out here at camp and realized there were a ton of geocaches. Time to hop on our bikes and head out hunting, and hunting we did....we found 5 out of 7 caches and were attacked by noseeums.....arghhhh.... we also found a baby tick on us sooooo off we went to hit the showers...I am super paranoid about ticks. We decided that tomorrow we were gonna go check out Savannah, which I heard so many good things about.
"A breathtaking avenue sheltered by live oaks and Spanish moss leads to the tabby ruins of Wormsloe, the colonial estate of Noble Jones (1702–1775). Jones was a humble carpenter who arrived in Georgia in 1733 with James Oglethorpe and the first group of settlers from England. Wormsloe's tabby ruin is the oldest standing structure in Savannah."
Got an early jump on the day. Drove about 45 minutes to our first stop, Wormsloe Plantation. We arrived to this beautiful site of oak trees draped in Spanish moss lining the plantation. It's the only plantation left with its descendants still living in it, they are the 9th generation. We took many photos, as did many other people, then headed out.
After the Wormsloe plantation we went to Fort Pulaski where we took a guided tour. Our young tour guide gave a very good animated version of the history that took place here. I guess this place is significant because it marked the first time that rifled cannons were used instead of smooth-bore ones. These rifled cannons were extremely accurate in comparison and the union soldiers were able to rip through the fort wall with relative ease resulting in the Confederates' surrender. We walked on the top layer of the fort walls and took several photos..... thoroughly enjoyed this fort...now off to Savannah!
Arrived in this beautiful city of 136,000 people ( way smaller than I had perceived) and tried to find parking. Apparently their meters are designated 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, 3 hr!!! So we had to drive around until we found a 3 hr one cuz we wanted to bike around the city. Turns out we parked on one of the prettiest streets, Jones Street. There were many other gorgeous streets such as Oglethorpe etc.
This city is surrounded by 22 squares (parks) of famous places or people. It's a wonderful place to go sit and have respite from the biking. Wowwwww what a beautiful city....we biked up and down the streets, felt super safe on the roads as the cars are very respectful of cyclists and they would stop for you....a far cry form Montreal. We cycled to most of the popular attractions such as Forsyth Park, St. John the Baptist Church, the riverfront, which reminded me of old Quebec, they have an upper and lower sector. We also went to city market and the botanical garden, where we found the coolest geocache I have ever seen. It was a birdhouse with a very clever system. Have to admit I need help from google to open it..... but wowwww it was cool...it involved a balloon to release the latch!
After a full day of cycling and visiting, we called it day and headed back to camp. Indeed Savannah did not disappoint, we highly recommend visiting this very historical city.
sending love and hugs to all!
check out our photo album ... send us your comments!
Fort McAliister and Savannah, Georgia Photo album
The First Battle of Fort McAllister was a series of naval attacks that took place from January 27 to March 3, 1863,[1] in Bryan County, Georgia, during the American Civil War. The commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron Rear Adm. Samuel F. Du Pont decided to test operation of new monitors against Fort McAllister before conducting a major naval operation against Charleston, South Carolina.[2]
check out our route
https://roadtrippers.com/map?a2=t!16932610&lat=35.99811076838691&lng=-108.70921762785633&utm_campaign=trip&utm_medium=share&utm_source=copy&z=3.7296873068619467
March 30-31
check out our photo album ... send us your comments!
Fort McAliister and Savannah, Georgia Photo album
Forsyth Park |
Off to Florida tomorrow for a 2 week hiatus
This was our Facebook Post ..allow us to elaborate;
We arrived at this very secluded campsite after a 4 hour drive from Myrtle beach. Then it hits you why it's so remote, it was a fort used in the civil war in the 1860's between the Union and the Confederates. The campsite itself is very well maintained and the sites are very spacious. Our site overlooked the salt marsh which we drove across on the causeway. I've included a brief history of both forts below FYI.
Our first night we decided to hang out here at camp and realized there were a ton of geocaches. Time to hop on our bikes and head out hunting, and hunting we did....we found 5 out of 7 caches and were attacked by noseeums.....arghhhh.... we also found a baby tick on us sooooo off we went to hit the showers...I am super paranoid about ticks. We decided that tomorrow we were gonna go check out Savannah, which I heard so many good things about.
Wormsloe Plantation |
Got an early jump on the day. Drove about 45 minutes to our first stop, Wormsloe Plantation. We arrived to this beautiful site of oak trees draped in Spanish moss lining the plantation. It's the only plantation left with its descendants still living in it, they are the 9th generation. We took many photos, as did many other people, then headed out.
After the Wormsloe plantation we went to Fort Pulaski where we took a guided tour. Our young tour guide gave a very good animated version of the history that took place here. I guess this place is significant because it marked the first time that rifled cannons were used instead of smooth-bore ones. These rifled cannons were extremely accurate in comparison and the union soldiers were able to rip through the fort wall with relative ease resulting in the Confederates' surrender. We walked on the top layer of the fort walls and took several photos..... thoroughly enjoyed this fort...now off to Savannah!
This city is surrounded by 22 squares (parks) of famous places or people. It's a wonderful place to go sit and have respite from the biking. Wowwwww what a beautiful city....we biked up and down the streets, felt super safe on the roads as the cars are very respectful of cyclists and they would stop for you....a far cry form Montreal. We cycled to most of the popular attractions such as Forsyth Park, St. John the Baptist Church, the riverfront, which reminded me of old Quebec, they have an upper and lower sector. We also went to city market and the botanical garden, where we found the coolest geocache I have ever seen. It was a birdhouse with a very clever system. Have to admit I need help from google to open it..... but wowwww it was cool...it involved a balloon to release the latch!
After a full day of cycling and visiting, we called it day and headed back to camp. Indeed Savannah did not disappoint, we highly recommend visiting this very historical city.
sending love and hugs to all!
check out our photo album ... send us your comments!
Fort McAliister and Savannah, Georgia Photo album
The First Battle of Fort McAllister was a series of naval attacks that took place from January 27 to March 3, 1863,[1] in Bryan County, Georgia, during the American Civil War. The commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron Rear Adm. Samuel F. Du Pont decided to test operation of new monitors against Fort McAllister before conducting a major naval operation against Charleston, South Carolina.[2]
A Turning Point in Military History
For much of the 19th century, masonry fortifications were the United States’ main defense against overseas enemies. However, during the Civil War, new technology proved its superiority to these forts. The Union army used rifled cannon and compelled the Confederate garrison inside Fort Pulaski to surrender. The siege was a landmark experiment in the history of military science and invention
check out our route
https://roadtrippers.com/map?a2=t!16932610&lat=35.99811076838691&lng=-108.70921762785633&utm_campaign=trip&utm_medium=share&utm_source=copy&z=3.7296873068619467
4. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
4. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
March 28-29
check out our album below, send us your comments!
check out our album below, send us your comments!
We hit the jackpot with this state park campground. It's an absolute gem in the middle of this city. It's extremely well maintained and has its own beachfront. We are soooooo pleased to be here.
Anyway, today was a very chillax kinda day. We leisurely woke up, had a very relaxed breakfast, then proceeded to check out the main boardwalk at Myrtle Beach. The beach itself is gorgeous and of course the boardwalk is a tourist attraction or "trap". It must be jam packed in the summer time but today it was super calm and quiet, only a few die hard kids in the water and the odd fisherman or two trying to catch the big one!
Decided it was time to explore a little so we headed off towards Murrells Inlet just south of our campsite. It's a quaint fishing village, now mostly known for "Restaurant Row"...a cluster of award winning seafood and BBQ restaurants on Main Street. We pulled up behind a church and had a picnic lunch, ti was most delightful.
As usual , we always check our geocache app to see if we can hunt one down before we leave. As luck would have it , there's one right in this parking spot. Mission accomplishment ....found signed it and decided to hop on our bikes and hunt some more. .....so off we went....we found 3/5. One in particular was a very touching geocache tribute to 911. An original beam from the Twin Towers was erected to honor all affected.
Spent the rest of the day walking to the pier and hangin' out at the beach. We also enjoyed this destination very much. It has something to offer for all tastes. Boardwalk, nature trails, etc, but most of all, the ocean.!!!
sending hugs to all
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check out our album below, send us your comments!
check out our route
https://roadtrippers.com/map?a2=t!16932610&lat=35.99811076838691&lng=-108.70921762785633&utm_campaign=trip&utm_medium=share&utm_source=copy&z=3.7296873068619467
3. Assateague National seashore, Maryland ❤️
3rd destination!!! March 26-27
Greetings from Assateague National seashore, Maryland ❤️
Greetings from Assateague National seashore, Maryland ❤️
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Assateague photo album
Ahhh Assateague!!!
It was definitely worth the 25$ or so in tolls to get here. What a treasure this place is .... untamed ... untouched ... "primitive"......wild horses roaming free like they did about 300 years ago . Here's a brief history of this place;
This place is a barrier island stretching over 2 states Maryland and Virginia. The wild horses roam free in both states but the management of them is different. In Virginia they let the wild horses roam free and allow them to breed at will...then once a year the "saltwater cowboys" round the horses and swim them across the bay to an auction;thereby controlling the population roughly 300 or so. Maryland's approach is allowing the mares to foal once and then they are given contraceptives , via a dart gun,on a yearly basis. They have roughly 200 horses here. The story behind the wild horses dates back to 300 years ago when the Assateague Native tribe was here. When the colonists arrived on the mainland, they were issued a grazing tax for their livestock so they decided to use the island as a natural corral for grazing ... they've been here ever since. The horses are absolutely gorgeous and calm, not jittery at all at human presence... having said that we are very respectful of them and do not touch or feed them ... it's an offense and you will be issued a ticket.
Today we cycled 18 km up and the coast line. We checked out our geocache app and found all 3 geocaches on the island. Time goes by realllly slowly here....it's primitive ,to say the least, we sat on the beach watching the waves roll in while soaking in all of the island's simple beauty. if you ever want to completely disconnect, this is the place for you...
Sleeping in the van is going super well for me...since I'm short , I fit nicely in there. It was very cozy under the duvet while it howled outside spitting freeezing cold see breeze at us. The bed is super comfy 4 inches of foam mattress with a 2 inch memory gel topper.Peter's not having such a good go of it, he's still adjusting.
Overall thoughts on Assateague. thoroughly enjoyed this island....calmness and serenity comes over you while being in the presence of these magnificent beasts ... I rate this leg of the he trip a 9/10... cuz it was super cold and windy otherwise "10"
Tomorrow more by we're off to Myrtle Beach state campground and hopefully it'll be a little warmer!
Sending hugs
check out our album below, send us your comments!
Assateague photo albumcheck out our route
https://roadtrippers.com/map?a2=t!16932610&lat=35.99811076838691&lng=-108.70921762785633&utm_campaign=trip&utm_medium=share&utm_source=copy&z=3.7296873068619467
1. Home and 2. Albany, NY
Destination #1 & #2 Albany New York March 23-25
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Well it was a really good idea to leave yesterday as the bad weather that was forecasted panned out and the drive would have been miserable. We arrived at Nikki’s house around 5:30 and were immediately whisked off to Ryan’s art exposition at Roessleville Elementary. Ryan’s in grade one and was really proud to show us his work…the teacher in me enjoyed snooping around the school and took some photos for our teacher friends….
Today’s order of business was to get an American cell phone number, so we headed off to the mall in Albany and got all that sorted. Turns out that not all carriers are compatible with my iPhone 6 …so spent 25 minutes on the phone with a clerk and the verdict is that only AT &T or T mobile are compatible…who knew it was this complicated…. anyway we’re getting ready to head off to a traditional Fish Fry at the local firehouse tonight…. Mike (Nikki’s husband) is a volunteer firefighter and they are doing their fundraiser …. we’ll see how our first fish fry turns out....I expect it’ll be a lot of fun!
Once again the weather is playing havoc with our plans….we’re keeping a close eye on it cuz we’re supposed to leave on Sunday for Assateague National Seashore but freezing rain is on the menu…..argghhhhh …..we MAY have to stay an extra night here …we’ll see…..hope you’re all doing well….please send messages on our message board …we love hearing from you …
Love always
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