Two days after Christmas, Helen and I quickly loaded Lucy, our fifth-wheel trailer, and began a road trip that eventually would take us to Florida for a month in the sun. We booked most of this trip early in 2019 because RV spots in Florida are a tough tickets to obtain. Snowbirds from Canada and the Northeast begin arriving in October with the intent to remain until late spring therefore, booking early is a must.
We could take a direct route down I-75 through Georgia but, the opportunity to head east and spend some time with our granddaughters in Charleston, SC is an opportunity we can’t let slip by. We were as excited about that as we were about the entire rest of the trip. They greeted us with hugs as soon as we parked Lucy in their driveway shortly after dark.
Once everyone had a good chance to catch up, we made plans for the next days activities. Since Helen and I had always expressed an interest in visiting Fort Sumter, the site of the first shots fired in the Civil War, we looked into obtaining tickets on one of the boats out of Charleston Harbor. Surprisingly, the first few boats were full, but we managed to secure seats on the third boat on the schedule. We arrived at the harbor as the lines formed. The weather was not great. Clouds filled the sky and some fog hung over the water. I managed to get one picture of Ravenel Bridge that illustrates the conditions.
The ferryboat ride takes about thirty minutes to reach Ft. Sumter where we tied up alongside the dock and marched inside the Fort—an impressive structure even though it was nearly destroyed at the end of the war. Alexa, a young National Park Ranger with a bright smile greeted the visitors by telling us that she was not the same Alexa on your Echo Dot. Everyone seemed to appreciate the humor.
Alexa spent the next twenty minutes or so giving us the history of the Fort. She outlined the events leading up to the shots fired on Fort Sumter by Confederate soldiers shortly after secession, then continued on. Ultimately, Alexa brought to life the surrender of Fort Sumter on February 17, 1865 as General William Sherman’s troops advanced toward Charleston after burning Atlanta. Alexa had us in her hands as she skillfully painted the picture of life on Fort Sumter and the massive devastation of Federal shells as they tore through the brick walls from guns positioned on the mainland. She pointed out the shells that remained in the brick walls for all of us to inspect.
Once Alexa completed the history lesson she turned us loose to climb the stairs for a better look at the Fort and the mainland which once housed Federal troops and their cannon. Our granddaughters took in the sights and scampered along the grounds as we made our way back to the ferry for the return trip. As soon as we boarded the ferry, the rain clouds opened up and dumped rain in buckets. Timing is everything, I always say.
The remainder of our time in Charleston was a lot of fun. We treated ourselves to a scrumptious oyster and she-crab soup lunch at Amen Street, one of my favorite Charleston restaurants. Helen and I used the opportunity to sip slowly on one of the heavily-laden Bloody Marys served up at the bar. Regretfully, we said goodbye to the family and our granddaughters the next day, but our time there was a true delight.
The next stop on our march to the south was in Starke, Florida at Camp Blanding, a National Guard Training Center. Our Military Living readers should take note here. The RV campground is spacious and has full hookups. The showers could use a bit of cleaning, but we were there on a holiday weekend so we gave them a pass. Our campsite backed up to a large, spring-fed lake with some of the clearest water found in the entire state of Florida, I’m sure. The Spanish Moss hanging from the trees added a nice touch to our very pleasant surroundings. Although we only stayed for one night, we loved the campground and would recommend it to any of our Military friends.
That’s about it for this week. We will report again from Lake Kissimmee State Park in the next post. I hope you’ll come back. We’re Easin’ Along once again…and 2020 is lookin’ good.
Hi Joe,
You got to Fort Sumter! We wished we could have visited when we were in Charleston in October.
Enjoy Florida; if you make it further south to the Sebring/Lake Placid area let me know and we can get together for a visit and a meal.
Good Morning, Nancy,
We made it to Key West where it is windy and very warm. Hope to do some sailing this week and look forward to telling you all about it. Might not make it through your area this trip, but we are in the talking stage of making this road trip an annual event, and we’ll have to plan a meeting with you and Dan. Your cruise looked wonderful! Have a great week.
Very windy is right!
I enjoy hearing about your travels in retirement. ‘Pictures are great as well, and they almost make me want to pack my travel bags right now. I do enjoy reading your retirement blog. Joe, keep ’em comimg.
Bill, in Pittsburgh, Pa
Good Morning, Bill,
Delighted to have you Easin’ Along with us and it’s always great to hear from you. Go ahead and pack those bags and head south…there’s a lot of old folks down here right now! Have a great week.
Sounds like you’re off to a great start. Enjoy being a snowbird in FL and Happy New Year!
Hi, Ingrid,
You and Al would love Lake Kissimmee, our last stop. Lots of wildlife and photo ops. Thanks for checking in and have a great weekend. Joe
Hi Joe! I am a loyal reader but not a commenter 😊!! I so enjoy your travels and can vouch for Lake Kissimmee State Park! I live about 10 minutes from there and spent many weekends in Camp Mack and Camp Lester as my family had a weekend place there! Enjoy your time in the Keys…one of my favorite spots and spent many summers there growing up. We had a boat and took it through the inter coastal to the Keys! I am curious how your knee surgery turned out? Must have had great results since you are “Easing Along.” Safe travels!
Hi, Carol,
Our stay in Lake Kissimmee was so much fun and we enjoyed perfect weather. I loved camping there because the campsites are very private and surrounded by enormous Live Oaks.
My knee is coming along ok. Still have some aches and minor swelling, but it’s nothing compared to what I felt before the replacement. Physical therapy did wonders for me.
Great to hear from you. Joe
Like Carol, I was wondering how you were making out with your bionic knee since I’m sure there must have been a fair amount of walking on your ferry ride and visit to the fort. I hope you continue to improve as time goes on.
Loved the family pics, Joe. Your granddaughters are beautiful young ladies, and that sweet photo of you and Helen could be a poster for happy living in retirement!
Good morning, Mary,
So glad you enjoyed the pictures from Fort Sumter. That event has been on our bucket list for almost 10 years and we finally checked it off. I love Civil War History and should’ve visited as soon as our son moved nearby.
My knee gets a tiny bit better every day. Now, it’s just a matter of getting some strength back into it. We did some biking in Lake Kissimmee and I felt pretty good so I’m not at all discouraged. Hopefully, by our summer trip, I will feel close to my old self.
While I’m on the summer trip, I got your email and the boatload of very helpful information. I will reply with our itinerary in the next day or so. We have booked campsites in Coos Bay and Seal Rock and I will get the dates to you soonest, I promise. Again, thanks for sharing your impressive amount of work.
Stay warm up there!
Joe and Helen
Joe
Easing Along is pretty cool. I’ve always admired your articles. One thing I’m curious about is the Military camp sites! I was under the impression that you had to be retd. military to use those sites. Am I mistaken?
Mike,
Great to hear from you and, you’re right about Military campsites. Here’s the story…I went into the Army after ROTC at UT and served four years before getting out. Then, with no money and a new baby, I joined a Reserve unit thinking I would stay in for a couple of years and pick up a few extra dollars. Well, I enjoyed the experience so much, I stayed in for twenty more years and retired as a Lt. Colonel. Other than marrying Helen, this was the smartest thing I ever did. I knew that I would get a retirement pension, but never thought about the medical benefits and the access to military bases for travel. Military campgrounds are some of the best around, but can be hard to get into because active duty personnel have priority–which they should. Retired folks like me usually can book three months out so we try to travel during school months and start making phone calls as soon as the three month window opens. It’s a tremendous benefit.
Thanks for visiting Easin’ Along. It’s been a long time, hope you’re doing well. Joe