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Bring on the Northern Trees Lums Pond State Park – Bear, Delaware
For the second time on our journey, there was a 30-minute delay. This time it was a semi that must have flipped and caught on fire. The scary part of accidents is having to merge into traffic. Unfortunately, not all drivers are as courteous as my husband, as so many cars passed before one would allow us to move into the lane.
As we entered the park, the trees were the first thing I noticed. It has been a while since we have been up the east coast. It was great to see the dogwood and rich red maple trees around the campground replacing the palm trees of Florida. The temperature was also a great relief from the hot, balmy weather we are accustomed to. Most of the days were in the mid-sixties. Great weather to get on our e-bikes and go for a twenty-two-mile round trip to historic Delaware City. We enjoyed the scenic ride as it paralleled the C&D canal. The water was smooth, and even though it is ranked as having the busiest shipping traffic out of the port of Baltimore, the only boat we saw was the police boat speeding by. Unfortunately, when we arrived in Delaware city, all the stores were closed. However, we enjoyed seeing the historic buildings, some dating back to the 1700s.
One morning, Mitch was out to take some drone footage but was quickly shut down as the restricted air zone popped up on the screen. The restriction was until 10:30 am. A bit later, he spotted two Marine One helicopters flying over Lums pond. Being so close to Washington, D.C., we surmised some government official must have been traveling. The restriction was then lifted, and he could fly the drone.
While we didn’t get an opportunity to kayak, we were able to squeeze in another bike ride. Don’t tell Mitch, but the electric bikes I fought him on, seem to be working out well on this journey. When we depart Friday morning, we will have a mad dash to make it to Maine by Monday, staying at Harvest Hosts each day.
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Battlefield Country Store – Fredericksburg, VA
This store was amazing. The aisles are filled with every imaginable spice, candy, nuts – you name it. Its deli was a crowded station as people lined up to place their sandwich orders. They had a bakery section and a coffee bar. The most popular part of the store – the ice cream shop. It didn’t matter that it was 48 degrees, rainy, and downright nasty. The line outside the store was never-ending. They are known for their ingenious concoctions of shakes. This month’s offering was Cinco de Shaka. Housed in a mason jar was a vanilla shake with caramel and tidbits of cinnamon wafers. Topping it off was a waffle taco filled with chocolate ice cream and strawberries. Decadent without a doubt. Did we finish it – of course, we did. Go onto their website to see other seasonal shakes offered throughout the year.
This place was crowded and one can only imagine how packed it must be during a beautiful summer day. They have swings and Adirondack chairs around the pond in the back of the store. I can picture people picking up their sandwich orders, a bag of chips, and a cool beverage and then walking to the pond to scout out a chair and enjoy the afternoon. The owners of this store definitely had the right idea.
Even though this was a Harvest Host site allowing us to stay overnight, it is a must-do if visiting the Fredericksburg, VA area.
Email: movebeyondordinary@gmail.com Instagram: movebeyondordinary
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Cartersville Country Winery – Timmonsville SC Lake Gaston RV & Camping Resort – Littleton, NC
Cartersville Country Winery was a one-night stopover on our way to our first campground using our Thousand Trails membership. Our arrival was on a Sunday, and wine tasting was closed, but they offered self-serve tastings. The winery was unique with its antique cars. Once settled, we went to try their wine selection. Not a fan of fruit-flavored wines, but if you are, then their wines would be appealing. They had peach, elderberry, blackberry, and even pomegranate at reasonable prices.
Lake Gaston RV Camping Resort was what I had pictured summer camp might be like. A beautiful lake, tall trees, and pine needles blanketing the ground. We were fortunate our site gave us a great view of the lake. This only reaffirmed my desire to live on a lake. This resort had full-time sites where most people in the surrounding areas put their RVs all year round. The park is open from mid-April to November. Full-time residents can enjoy being on the lake all summer. Many of the full-timers had not yet returned during our time there, so it was quiet and very peaceful.
We strolled in the woods and found a unique flower lying on the trail floor. Its light green and yellow color was an attention-getter. I had never seen one before. We tried to see where it came from but could not determine if it was from a bush or the trees. We looked it up and found it came from a Tulip Tree. It will be surprising if many of you have heard of such a tree. I am afraid we may have been spoiled as I don’t believe the remaining Thousand Trails campgrounds will be as appealing as this. Only time will tell.
P.S. The accident on our way here was a semi-carrying boxes of tomatoes. Pounds of tomatoes strewn about. There goes the price of tomatoes!
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Loving Savannah, GA
Ft. McAllister State Park is our home for the next week. It’s about 25 minutes from Savannah. Marshes flank the entryway to the park. The park is spacious, and we prefer to be with nature as much as possible. The trees covered with moss are much like Florida. Seeing the deer outside our RV is one of the best sights. They move along slowly. Often, the group is in families with children not far from their parents. The birds are plentiful, and each morning, we awake to their songs.
It’s been many years since we last visited Savannah, before Forest Gump’s bench was in a museum and still resided in the square. We arrived early and benefited from being in the historic district before the crowds. The magnificent homes stand tall and proud and surround the courtyard squares. Each house has the opulent façade of an era of years ago. Some still have gas lamps burning. It stirs my imagination about what it may have been like to live during that time. A time when dinner tables were elegantly adorned with china and crystal and soirees were a commonplace weekend event. The architecture is outstanding. Wrap-around porches, brick facades, detailed woodwork, and each home is beckoning a welcome to visit.
The Cathedral Basidia of St. John the Baptist is a must regardless of religious affiliation. The inside is more beautiful than the outside, with stained glass, a marble altar, and sturdy wooden pews. It is just stunning and left me in awe.
The city market has numerous little shops to explore and wander through. There are numerous art galleries throughout the city. This is not surprising as the School for Arts and Design is located in Savannah. The Riverfront has restaurants and shops, and one can watch the boats as they pass by. A benefit of Savannah is its beauty can be experienced on foot as most of the sights are within walking distance. There are numerous streets made of ballast rocks. When the ships came to Savannah to secure goods, the vessel needed the stones to weigh them down. They left the stones behind to fill their hulls with the purchased goods. The rocks were then repurposed as pavers to make the streets.
The next day, we visited Tybee Beach. Unfortunately, we were disappointed with our visit. There isn’t much there unless you want to spend the day at the beach. They had few stores. There were several eateries and bars, but most of the island is vacation rentals. No matter where you park, you must pay a parking fee of $3.50 an hour, strictly enforced. Thankfully, we brought our bikes and explored the surrounding area as it would not have been enjoyable on foot.
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