Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Moving Right Along: Georgia to South Carolina to North Carolina

Thursday May 23, 2013
Site A2, Lake Hartwell Campground, Townsend, South Carolina
Friday May 24, 2013
@ no # site, Fieldridge Acres, Charlotte, North Carolina

 

Thursday

 

Lake Hartwell SC

Today we are on the road from LaGrange Georgia at 9:30 for a very long drive, for us.  We have SBS not PDD.  For SBS a good drive is 50 miles and anything over 150 miles is considered extreme.   So today was definitely extreme, 191 miles to a one nighter in a campground near I 85. 

 

It’s an OK place, better than most interstate stop overs.  Certainly not a destination but $19.43 for FHU with Passport America .   Our site is pretty difficult to get to and had I been driving I would have had total white knuckles and would have to pry them off the steering wheel as we go up a pretty steep rutted dirt road to a narrow not level site.

 

Lake Hartwell SC (2)

We are in Site A2 at Hartwell Lake Campground in Townville, S.C.  Well that’s the campground address but there’s no town anywhere near that I can see.  I-85 is near but actually not disturbingly near.

We are here about 2:30 but we really do nothing else for the entire day.  This one night stuff is really unusual for us but we are trying to be in Charlotte N.C. for the holiday week-end to see David’s nephew and his family. 

No lake in the Duckie’s view today or ours either.

Lake Hartwell

 

About 9:30 pm, I post the now infamous Selma to Montgomery Historic Trail blog and shortly after that we turn in.  We’ll be up in the morning and moving on to North Carolina going right out this road.  But the site is a pull through and we won’t have to do anything with the car or the dolly.  Now that’s FABULOUS!

 Lake Hartwell SC (3)

 

 

 

FRIDAY

This morning is an easy pack up although a slow exit from the park because of all the ruts in the roads.  Once back on the county roads we easily slide back onto the interstate for a more reasonable 131 miles.

I discover when I wake up that my post from last night is posted all right but it is no where to be found on the blog rolls which is how most of my commenters find me since nothing I do has been able to make and keep the email subscription working for people who want that notification.  If you have advice about that I’d like to hear it.

Rick Doyle of Rick and Paulette’s RV Travels spends WAY too much of his Friday trying to figure out how I had messed this all up so badly.  Eventually, he does manage to fix the feedburner problem  so the fact that I am still posting is due entirely to him.  No egg throwing now.   This is a very generous man.  Many of you know how ready I was to throw in the towel.

This is a holiday week-end so I booked this site in Charlotte months ago.  In late February actually after looking and looking for anyplace in the area that wasn’t over an hour to the city and didn’t have just scathing reviews.   Fieldridge Acres is what I decided to compromise on.   I knew it was going to be a parking lot but I had NO idea it would be right on a busy street and on the airport flight path.

We back up to a single row of cedar trees beyond which, within reaching distance of the back of Winnona there is a small bulldozer with a brush clearing grinder on the front.   He guns the engine forward, the grinder roars and then he beep, beep, beeps as he backs up to do it again.  ALL DAY LONG. 

All this luxury and FHU for $25 a night in CASH only.  No checks no credit.   And today, no pictures.  I just couldn’t go out there and do it.  I’ll try tomorrow I promise.

 

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But here’s why we came - to see David’s sister Gail’s son and his family.  His name is David too.  Gail named her son after her brother.  What an honor to have a child named after you.  And what a great guy he is. He brings along his lovely wife Heather, his son Matthew and Matthew’s friend Jack.  They’ve all  just come from a fun day at Carrowinds.  

They stop on their way home to check out Winnona and of course I forget to get my camera out.  Then we go out to eat at a spot they like called Pinky’s.  Do I take my camera??  NOoooo.   SIGH………

 

 

 

 

 

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But there is always the cell phone right?   Except that when we look at the pictures David takes, they are mighty blurry.  The phone takes “fairly good pictures” outside but inside, not so much.   Those are what you see here blurry or not.

 

We’re seated outside and I’m in shorts and a t-shirt.  Sun’s going down, it’s cooling down, I’m getting cold.  It’s supposed to get down to 44 tonight Heather tells me.  In North Carolina in late May??  So they graciously decide to change tables and go inside.  Meanwhile Dave (to distinguish him from David) goes in and buys me a Pinky’s T-shirt to keep me warm and as a souvenir – in the smallest size they have.

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When we get in the car to go home, I give the t-shirt to Heather.  She’s taller it won’t be a dress on her.

 

Dave is looking carefully at the menu.  I’m asking what he has liked best.  Heather knows what she wants.

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These boys, Matthew and Jack, are good buddies,   Although they don’t look all that thrilled in this particular shot, they actually did have a good time.  I’ll bring my real camera tomorrow and try to do better in the picture department.  We are going over for dinner at their house.   Clearly I’m going to have do some picture taking or there will be none of the two Davids.

 

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14 comments:

  1. blurry or not, isn't it fun that phones can catch moments you might miss otherwise? Those memories are always so much fun. remember when photos were few and far between, like 60 years ago or so? We had to remember from our memories only. I am glad for photos.

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  2. Isn't it a shame there never seems to be a nice campground to stay that is convenient for visiting relatives? I'm not sure where I'll land when we go back to visit eastern long Island this October. And I checked, and sad to say, there is no Bruster's anywhere in the state of Maine :-(. Blueberry Hill Dairy Barn is pretty good though, and so far I think the bakeries will make up for it :-).

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  3. Have you been to Western NC? Beautiful location and usually beautiful weather. No ocean or huge lakes that I know of, but rivers and streams and waterfalls. And my beloved mountains. I could cry every time I think of how much I miss it.

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  4. I don't mind your traveling about and having grand adventures and Brusters and all sorts of pastries and such ... but you can knock off the tee tiny stuff... little people love doing that ... mean ~ downright mean

    You going to the Outer Banks? Did I love Ocracoke Island... oh, me... well? I had Uncle Sam's Cereal with almond milk and raspberries and hugged a grandbaby boy... hah!

    but I'm wearing an Omar the tent maker original in off white... gold flip flops

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  5. Sometimes we have to settle with less than best in RV parks to visit family and friends. I like the t-shirt dress.

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  6. So true about finding good parks while visiting family or friends. When we started this adventure, I had such romantic notions about campgrounds, but, in the end, the best times have always been way more about people than the surroundings. I guess a balance between the two is something to strive for.

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  7. Sorry the campground is a dud but at least it is close to visit family.

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  8. I'm definitely going to put the campground on our "do not go" list. You convinced me with the part about being up a steep hill and ruts in the road. The one on your "Where is Winnona now?" picture looks equally as bad. Oh well, you've had your share of wonderful campsites the past few months and at least you're seeing some family.

    I have a family in Charlotte as well. My cousin is married to a David and they also have a son names Matthew.

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  9. 191 miles? That is dangerously close to PDD. :cO

    I have to agree, Rick is the best, we're lucky to have him as a member of our RV blogging family.

    I loved your t-shirt. Too bad you didn't keep it! ;c)

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  10. glad to see you two on the move and visiting relatives..we love the Charlotte area...

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  11. Nice to see Dave on the blog - last time I saw him was at Ben's wedding at Emerald Isle. The campground sounds disastrous - I cannot stand the 'beep, beep, beep' and know well that you can't either. Nice of Dave to buy you a t-shirt and for you to hand it off to Heather. Aren't you nice? :)

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  12. Nothing worse than heavy equipment making noise :( Great that you are able to visit relatives!

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  13. Ewwww -- can really sympathize with you on your noisy campground. Whenever we go back to Richmond, the only convenient location for visiting friends is at the KOA RIGHT next to I-95. . . and you know what kind of rates they offer. In addition to all the traffic noise, the last time we were there a lot of construction was going on at the campground. LOTS of beep beep beeps. Luckily we were gone most of the time.

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  14. Camping anywhere near a big city is usually a challenge. We were one and half hours out of Philadelphia last fall when we took mom north for her birthday;o(( That campground was difficult to get to and drive through!!! But visiting family is the purpose, not the campground. Oh the sacrafices we must make;o))

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