Places to go

We have some "obligations" coming up on our social calendar ... things to do, places to go, people to see ... so we have decided to make the time to take care of some things that need to be done before our social calendar gets too busy.

We have been doing a lot of research about how to improve Bella's electrical system (additional batteries, inverter, what-have-you, etc.) and today spent time online and on the phone, getting directions, asking questions, and figuring out where to go.

Today we drove from NC to VA. We found an rv mechanic someone had recommended to us, to get an estimate for the work. We learned a lot by talking to him but it would take at least 3 days for him to get all the parts we need and then a couple more to get the work done, so with the weekend almost here, we just couldn't wait around, because remember we have things to do, places to go, people to see ...

Next we drove on to find the nearest Camping World. We spoke to them on the phone earlier and found out they had hookups (electric only) and we could park overnight to wait till the store opens in the morning. So that is where we came to spend the night.

Hopefully they will be able to get the electrical work done and also fix our generator.

Watermelons everywhere

Murfreesboro is a small town. When Bernie got up today she went for a walk to find out what was around us. She stopped in several small shops and a few restaurants to ask if anyone needed help for the night, but no luck. Everyone was closing early to go to the Watermelon Festival, which starts tonight.

Shortly after Bernie got back to Bella the generator stopped working, it just shut off. We got out the books and all the paperwork to try to figure out the problem. It seems the air filter is clogged. There might be an oil leak somewhere because the spongy-looking-thingy between the filter and the carburetor is full of oil. Bernie cleaned out the filter, which also had oil in it. Then closed it up and tried it again and it worked. It’s a good thing because it is way too hot not to have ac.

Then we went to the Watermelon Festival. They had tons of rides for the kids and lots of food. There were two tables with free watermelon slices. One had a chocolate fountain to dip the watermelon. We tried it but did not like it at all. Watermelon is too watery and squishy. However the chocolate was good enough to lick off the plate … mmm mmm good.

We had the blooming onion from one of the food stands. We thought we might regret it in the morning but oh it was so good. Why is fair food soooooo good? Later we had a funnel cake. This one was not as good as we have had at other fairs but it had tons of powered sugar so that made Mar happy.

We found a place to sit and listened to the band play. The Band of Oz was really good, they played a lot of oldies all night and lots of people danced on the street.

Afterwards we had the piece ‘de resistance’ … fry bread. We had seen someone eating one earlier and asked her about it. She didn’t know what it was called but told us how good it was and where to find it. It looked so good we just had to try it so we went to get one. It is a version of a Native American recipe: fried thick flat bread with some corn in it, and topped with honey and powered sugar. It sort of tasted like a fried biscuit only better. It was really, really good.

We had a really good time tonight. Our very first Watermelon Festival was a great experience. We are very glad we came to visit Murfreesboro NC.

Goodbye to the Outer Banks

Today we did a little bit more exploring around the northern Outer Banks. We visited some very unique and charming stores, several of them have the works of local artists for sale. We wish we could contribute to these talented artists but who needs any more stuff in an rv, right?

One of the stores we visited was called The Peanut Shop and we got to sample about 15 different flavors. Very interesting, to say the least.

Then we drove towards the mainland. Along the way we noticed each gas station’s prices were lower than the one before, and were very surprised, the cheapest one we saw was $3.61 today.

We drove over two hours towards Murfreesboro NC, where their 23rd annual Watermelon Festival starts tomorrow. We found the festival grounds and parked right next door for the night, so we can be here when the festivities start tomorrow.

Barefoot in the sand dunes

Last night we woke up again and again to the sound of rain pelting our Bella. It was loud and aggravating. The rain would let up for a little while and then boom! it would start again. We thought we were going to wake up under water. It finally had stopped raining by morning.

When we got up, Bernie went down to the water on the sound side. It was a very hot day out there with almost no sign of the rain. It had all dried up from so much heat. Meanwhile, Mar got Bella packed and ready to go.

Bernie said the water was almost boiling hot. She didn’t get to see any crabs. She walked almost a mile out and the water wasn’t even knee deep out there. With the sun beating down on her she decided to return to Bella.

We left camp and again headed north on route 12. Along the way we got to see two very famous lighthouses … and a spaceship. The first one is known as "Americas lighthouse", built in 1870, it is the tallest brick beacon in the world, with its spiral black and white stripes, it is the international symbol of the North Carolina coast. The second lighthouse we saw today was the Bodie Island Lighthouse, equally as impressive, yet not as tall, and this one has horizontal black and white stripes.

The spaceship was very interesting (see pic) with alien faces on the windows, pretty neat.

Our next stop was Jockey's Ridge State Park, which has the highest living sand dunes on the east coast. Amazing. We climbed up the sand dunes barefoot. Once we got to the top we sat down to watch the hang gliders and the many people flying their kites. You could see all the way from one side of the island, the ocean, to the other side, the sound. A truly amazing place. If you’re ever in the area you should definitely visit Jockey’s Ridge. It is quiet and fun and a great place to spend the day. www.jockeysridgestatepark.com

We passed several campgrounds on our way. We stopped in one and asked about using their dump station. They wanted $10. We haven’t had to pay to dump yet so we decided not to dump here and asked if we could just get water. We filled up our water tank and kept going, on the lookout for another place to dump.

Dinner was a cheeseburger and beach fries, sitting at a picnic table outside at Kill Devil's. It was the sign for "beach" fries that got us. We wanted to know what they were and of course once we stopped we just had to get some. Turns out beach fries are unique to this little food stand. They are homemade French fries made with Idaho potatoes with the skins left on. Pretty tasty and the burger was good too.

Not far from there we found the beach access in Nags Head NC and parked for the night and went to check out the beach.

The sound side

We wanted to hang out at the beach today. Bernie wanted to go swimming but after seeing the large and numerous waves decided against it. She doesn't like the waves. She just walked along the water and collected some seashells. Then she sat in her lounge chair to read her book, almost until sunset. Then it was time to head north once again on route 12.

Mar had seen an ad for what appeared to be a seafood market. It had lovely pictures of meats, seafood, and veggies, all advertised as fresh. Mar had her heart set on a grilled fresh seafood dinner. So we found the place in the ad, but it turned out to be a small grocery store. It was truly a disappointment. The meat department looked good though so we purchased a porterhouse steak to split. And left in hopes of finding a real fish market.

We first went to a place someone at the other market had recommended but they had just closed when we got there. We asked some guys who were standing outside and they told us of another place to go for fresh seafood.

We went to find it … not far down the road there it was and they were still open. We ventured in. Here we saw an assortment of fresh fish. We settled on a snowy grouper and another fish called "poor man’s lobster". The owner was super nice and we found out it is a family business. They are all commercial fishermen and have just recently opened their own retail store.

We left there with our fresh catch and kept going north on route 12 until we found the next beach access where we parked for the night. Across the street was also a sound access (the opposite side from the ocean) so we got to experience both sides of this narrow island at the same time. Bernie was glad about this because she wants to do some crabbing again and everyone says it is better to do it on the sound side.

Bernie fired up the grill and let the coals settle while we went to explore. We found on the sound side several paths to the water … and lots of mosquitoes … and one crab, which Mar almost stepped on and Bernie wished she could catch it. Then we headed back to Bella to start dinner.

We had the most wonderful dinner of steak, two kinds of fish, and twice baked potatoes ... along with some mojitos, it was the perfect dinner ... the stars were clearly visible in this very dark sky … lovely and wonderful ....

Invasion of the ants

Last night we parked under a big tree, which at the time seemed like a good idea so that we would have shade in the morning. Well, this was one good idea that turned into a bad idea. We woke up to an ant invasion: hundreds of black ants all over the bathroom and kitchen. They were everywhere. After spraying them, Bernie looked around and found that they had come from the tree we parked under because some of the tree branches were touching the roof. So the ants marched their way right in all night. We have been trying to get rid of them all day, and the ants are winning … grrrrr!!! On the other hand, we were in the shade and woke to a beautiful day.

We headed out and drove through Beaufort again. As we turned the corner of the main street we saw the cutest little red wagon which was a library on wheels, it was full of books for sale by Friends of the Library. We decided to stop and check it out. All hardbounds were only $1.00 and all paperbacks were fifty cents. We walked away with a bunch of books for a grand total of $6.00.

We recently saw the movie “The Jane Austen Book Club” and think it might be fun to read all of her books and we were lucky to find a couple today.

We then drove about an hour to Cedar Island to catch the first ferry to the Outer Banks NC. Once we got there we had to wait about 45 minutes so we checked out the gift shop, the restroom, and the beach. The beach was really nice, the water was shallow, there were no waves, and the water was crystal clear. Bernie wished we had time to swim but the ferry was ready and we were off to the island of Ocracoke.

The ferry ride cost $30 and it was almost two and a half hours, which we didn't really notice because we both took a nap and woke up just before docking.

Once on the island it was one cute store after another and lots of restaurants. We found parking (not an easy thing to do on this narrow island). As we were going into a store across the road from where we parked a guy approached us and said we had to move our rv. He said we couldn't park there unless we were going to the stores there. We said we were going but we just wanted to see this one store first. He was unrelenting. However, this store was closed so we just went back to where we parked, and did some window shopping.

Back in Bella and down the street a bit we saw a small shopping village. We stopped in there and looked around, mostly in windows because most of them were already closed. But we were able to check out the wine store … always a good thing.

We then followed route 12 to the next ferry. Unfortunately there was a long line and the attendant said we’d probably would not get on the next ferry which was the 9 pm, that we would have to wait another hour for the 10 pm ferry. So we had dinner, we read up on the islands of the Outer Banks, and took a walk on the beach.

Before we knew it the ferry was here and it was time to go. This ferry was free and it took about 40 minutes to go from Ocracoke to Hatteras. When we got off the ferry, we found the first beach access and parked for the night.

On our way

Bernie and Cory worked on Bella. Then we took the tour of each other’s rv’s. They have an Itasca, which they love. It is always interesting to see other people’s rv’s and what they have done to it and how they adapt it to their use.

Then it was time to say goodbye to our new friends, Cory and Grace, who made us promise we will come back to visit on our way back home. They were so nice and so much fun, and we loved their place so we know we will stop by on our next trip down.

We drove to Morehead City where we got gas and groceries at Walmart. Gas was $3.90 What a welcome relief.

Then we drove to Beaufort (about 10 minutes away) which is a cute little town on the water. We drove around for a little bit but we were too tired to get out to go exploring, but maybe we will tomorrow. We found a public park with a boat ramp and lots of people were there with their boats. This seemed like a great place so we parked under a tree for the night.

Sneads Ferry

We decided it was time to hit the road again today. It is amazing that in just a few days outside of the rv, we manage to unpack so much stuff. So while Mar packed up, Bernie started taking our stuff back to Bella.

Everyone was interested in the process. Mittens (Grandmother’s cat) wanted to check out what this big thing sitting in her driveway was, so she kept us company. Aunt jean was interested in the rv. She had owned an rv once and told us some stories of her travels. Grandmother Mary Ann kept giving us food for the trip. She sent us off with homemade cookies, fruits, veggies, cheese, milk, and some other goodies. Enough food to feed us for a while. Our tummies thank her.

It was finally time to say our goodbyes. As always, this was a hard thing to do because we had such a wonderful time with them. We promised to come back and visit.

Then we headed north along the east coast once again. We had an email from Cory and Grace inviting us to park on their driveway in Snead's Ferry NC, about an hour away. What a surprise when we got there and they had full hookups for us: water, electric, cable, wi-fi and sewer.

After setting Bella up, we joined Cory and Grace on the second floor
back porch overlooking the water. Their house has its own pier and it
sits right on the intercoastal waterway. We sat and watched the many types of birds and animals that visit this oasis. We saw a bunny rabbit. We learned all about these two fascinating people. They shared some of their treasures, like a rock filled with amethyst and wood antiques. They were so nice and very funny.

Later we went down to Bella and brought our parrillada leftovers up to eat for our dinner, while we visited. Cory helped us with tips on how to drive up the east coast and where to go. And of course the stories of their adventures only made us want to keep going.

We are planning the next part of our trip, we want to go to the Outer Banks and that adventure starts with our next NC ferry. Stay tuned.

Good mojo

Bernie and Grandmother Mary Ann went to Home Depot today. Grandmother offered to get us some leveling jacks for Bella. Bernie said they would cost too much but Grandmother wanted to check them out anyway and then she did buy them for us! Thank you, thank you, Grandmother Mary Ann! (If you have ever had to stay in an unlevel RV, you know how important it is to have these jacks.)

Back at the house Bernie went to work and fixed some things for Grandmother Mary Ann. The dryer wasn’t heating properly. The vent had fallen off so Bernie put a new one on with a box, to make it easier for Grandmother to clean the lint. Then Bernie replaced the shower head with a hand held shower massager, just what Grandmother wanted.

Then we cooked a traditional Cuban meal for Grandmother Mary Anne and
Aunt Jean. We had mojo chicken, arroz con gandules, and avocado salad. Dessert was a delicious sliced mango with white chocolate ice cream. The compliments went around the table several times and everyone cleaned their plates. It was wonderful to share part of Mar's background with Grandmother Mary Ann and Aunt Jean.

Parrillada for two

We awoke today in a wonderful bed in an air conditioned house … the simple pleasures in life … we were happy to be able to take a nice, long, hot shower … Bernie was able to finally shave her legs, which is one of her greatest pleasures ... (Mar had laser hair removal treatments so she doesn't need to shave, and that is a great pleasure :-)

Mar spent the day helping Grandmother Mary Ann with her new laptop. Grandmother Mary Ann is now ready for email, the internet (she likes google) and now she can play her favorite card game (bridge) whenever she likes.

Grandmother Mary Ann and Aunt Jean suggested we go out to dinner. Mar remembered seeing an ad for a local Latin American restaurant and everyone was feeling a little adventurous, so off we went to Café Boleros.

Once there Grandmother Mary Ann felt really adventurous and decided on the ropa vieja with rice and beans for dinner. She loved it and said she would order it again. Aunt Jean had the fillet, which was melt in your mouth good. And we ordered the parrillada for two, which really could have fed a small army, and it was absolutely delicious.

At dinner we learned that Grandmother Mary Ann had visited Puerto Rico once and stayed at the Hilton. The same Hilton where we went to take pictures with Mar’s kids and got coffee at the Starbucks, the last time we were there. What a coincidence.

After dinner Grandmother Mary Ann and Aunt Jean wanted to show us a very unique grocery store called Fresh Market. This grocery store had wonderful and diverse foods. Just like a kid in a candy store, we were having so much fun discovering new things that it was actually hard to leave the store!

When we got home, we sat down to talk and play card games on the computer and all of us stayed up pretty late … again.

Buenas noches!

To grandmother's house we go

Yay!!! Today we made it to Wilmington NC and we went straight to the house of Bernie’s grandmother. Bernie knocked on the door and her grandmother answered with a big smile and open arms. It was the first time Mar had met her and as grandmothers are, she was equally welcoming to Mar.

We were actually lucky enough to get two for the price of one because Grandmother Mary Ann’s sister, Aunt Jean, was there too; she’s visiting for a few months, just like she does every year. Aunt Jean is great fun, she can be pretty funny, and it was nice to see her.

We offered to stay in our RV on the driveway, but Grandmother Mary Ann wouldn’t hear of it. So we got our stuff out of Bella and made ourselves comfortable. Grandmother Mary Ann and Aunt Jean made sure we felt welcome. What a pair of great ladies!

We sat down and did some catching up, looked at pictures and listened to their stories about family and the good old’ times. Then Grandmother Mary Ann and Aunt Jean served the dinner they had planned for us. It was a wonderful meal of BLT sandwiches and marinated veggie salad. For dessert they made us delicious strawberry shortcake.

Then we went back to the family room to talk and have our coffee, while catching up on our laundry, as Grandmother Mary Ann was kind enough to let us use her washer and dryer. We stayed up with them pretty late, we actually talked until 1:00 am.

It was a wonderful, wonderful day!!

Another day another beach

We drove to Wrightsville Beach NC. It didn't take us long to get there. Once there we found the local Catholic church: St. Theresa’s, which is one of Bernie's given names and she thought that was cool. The Church was a little hard to find, it is behind a row of houses, right on the beach. After Mass, Bernie talked to the parish priest and he gave us permission to park overnight in the church parking lot which is located behind the church and happens to be right on the beach. We could not believe our luck!

Now that we knew where we were spending the night, we set out to explore the island. We drove from the south end all the way to the north end (in about five minutes) and found the local pier halfway. This pier is solid concrete, no wood here anywhere. It is huge and quite impressive. Even the picnic tables are concrete. It was massive yet the store at the top was pretty small.

Once on the pier we noted there were not as many people fishing as we have seen on other piers, but there were a lot of surfers to watch and it was very relaxing to watch them. Suddenly there was great excitement over to one side and we went to see what this fisherman had caught … maybe a shark or a maybe bluefish … but no, it was a crab.

We went down to the beach. It was around sunset. Mar sat down to read and watch the sunset while Bernie went "hunting" for interesting things. Among her findings were the inside sole of a shoe, a pacifier, and tons of plastic bottles. There were tons of people still in the water and playing on the beach, even though it was getting dark. Bernie has this thing about not swimming at sunset or after dark because that’s when sharks feed. Therefore she was surprised to see so many people still in the water, they didn’t seem to be worried about sharks.

Once it was completely dark we headed back to the church. We found a good spot in the corner of the sandy lot. Bernie put the charcoal on the grill and then we went to explore the beach in the dark. The moon was bright and the stars were out. It was amazing. When we got back to Bella the grill was ready for our feast: Italian sausage stuffed with artichoke hearts and garlic. Dinner was scrumptious. Then we settled in for the night.

Another great day.

Our first NC ferry

Last night it rained long and hard. It rained on and off all night. In case you don't know this, rainfall on an rv's roof is pretty loud, so it kept waking us up … all night.

When we were finally fully awake and up, we drove straight to the ferry. We paid $10 and went about 20 minutes from Southport NC to Pleasure Island NC. It rained the whole time.

We drove up on 421 through Kure Beach and Carolina Beach. It was still raining on and off all day.

Driving through Kure Beach we saw a long pier and decided to check it out. We found parking for Bella and went to explore. There were pelicans walking among the people on the pier and they looked hungry.

A fisherman caught a small fish and he was kind enough to give it to Bernie so that she could feed it to the pelicans. The biggest pelican ran as soon as he saw the fish in Bernie’s hands so she had to throw it quickly before the pelican attacked! He gulped it down in one swallow and walked away.

After we left there, we kept going north on 421 until we found the next Walmart and parked for the night. And yes, it is raining again.

The end of the road

Today we drove through downtown Southport NC and discovered the Cape Fear coast. It was so charming with beautiful houses, right at the edge of the water, and lot of piers behind the houses. The place had a small town atmosphere, lovely town.

We tried to find the road to get to the barrier island but at the end of the road heading east we only found the ferry. The last ferry of the day had already left, so we decided to stick around and wait to take the ferry tomorrow.

We then decided to go explore Bald Head Island and discovered we couldn't get there either without another ferry, but this one is not for vehicles, only for passengers. We went back to Southport.

We got gas at $4.02 per gallon. It is the first time we've paid over four dollars for gas. Then drove around the beach looking for a place to park. The manager at Fishy Fish said we could park in their lot as long as we parked towards the back on the grassy area.

We parked and went to explore the area. We walked on several of the docks and stopped to admire the full moon, we could see the flashing lights from the lighthouse across the way, and even fireworks across the water. What a cool place and what a great way to end the day.

Wind and sand

Bernie was feeling a little better today but still needed to rest so we stayed indoors most of the day while she slept. Later in the afternoon we ventured out to the beach to take in a little sun and feel the sand under out toes. Mar sat down to read while Bernie went off to explore.

The wind was wild. Mar was so interested in her book she didn't seem to notice the wind and sand kicking up. When Bernie came back and saw Mar sitting there, almost covered in sand from head to toe, she started laughing. Mar had been reading while the sand piled up on her … must have been a good book!

When we got back to Bella we decided we were ready for another state. So we left SC and headed to the first Walmart we could find in North Carolina, at Southport – near the beach of course.

On a positive note, Bernie was feeling better by the end of the day. She is still very tired and a little grumpy, but it is good that she’s on the mend.

Don't leave home without it

Bernie felt even worse today, she had really bad chills, and her throat was really red and swollen, even the side of her face hurt. Because she wasn’t feeling well, it was up to Mar to unhook the water and electric. It was her first time. Luckily she didn’t electrocute herself or blow anything up, but she did get soaking wet when undoing the water hose (note to self: turn water off first :-)

Mar found the walk-in clinic in North Myrtle Beach SC. When they took Bernie's temperature it was 103 degrees! We spent about three hours at the clinic. The staff was great and ran all kinds of tests to try to figure out what was wrong. They kept asking questions to which Bernie would just mumble the answers. They thought they might have to start an IV to give Bernie some fluids, in case she was dehydrated. But because Mar had been forcing Bernie to drink plenty of liquids, she was actually not as badly dehydrated as they thought she would be.

After getting some meds in her, Bernie’s fever finally broke and some of the color returned to her cheeks. According to the tests, she doesn't have strep throat, she doesn't have mono, but her tonsils are swollen and infected so it is very likely a viral infection. After some blood work and more tests and all kinds of meds, we left with a $240 bill (Visa, don’t leave home without it). And Bernie is finally on her way back to the world at large.

The doctor recommended lots of fluids and rest, and to come back if she’s not feeling better soon. As we were driving looking for a spot to park nearby, in case we need to go back to the clinic, we looked down a street and could see the ocean at the end. We turned down this street, and sure enough, we were in Atlantic Beach. As we turned on the street that runs along the beach, we found a cement slab, right in the middle of an empty block, and parked there for the night, right at the beach. We had the whole block all to ourselves.

There was a hotel about half a block away and when we opened our windows to listen to the ocean, we happily realized we could hear the hotel's live poolside music. And it was really good music too, they even played a song by Santana (Mar’s favorite). And if that wasn’t enough, there were fireworks on the beach too, what a great spot to spend the night!

Bernie was resting and taking her meds and hopefully soon all will be back to normal.

Oh oh not a sore throat

We were at Camping World because we have finally made a decision about how to improve the electrical system in our Bella. Mar went into Camping World to get new golf cart batteries installed. Bernie stayed in Bella, she could not move, she was not feeling well.

After checking it out, the mechanic told us there was not enough room for two batteries and that to install a battery somewhere else - in a compartment not designed for a battery - by law would require a special vented box, which they didn’t have in stock. So after deciding we didn’t want to pay the overnight fees for getting the box to the store (which would cost more than the box itself) we were left feeling pretty frustrated.

After doing all the reading and researching and trying to understand 12 volt systems, we had finally made our decision and were ready to get this done. So it was really frustrating that we couldn’t get it done and over with today, like we wanted.

Unfortunately Bernie was feeling pretty rotten by then, her throat was sore and her fever had not gone down. So we decided to stay the night in the Camping World parking lot so she could rest. A thunderstorm had just begun so there really was no point in getting on the road at the time ... Bernie took some more Tylenol and just slept the rest of the night.

Knock knock

A loud thundering knock at the door woke us up at 7:15 am. Bernie hardly even moved while Mar went to the door. A very nice policeman explained to us that overnight parking was not allowed on the beach access. We got permission for daytime parking, and fell back to sleep pretty fast.

Later we spent the afternoon at the beach. It was overcast but that meant less sun, so that was fine by us. Mar read her book while Bernie walked along the water looking for special things. She found a bottle cap with a code inside, a cool spiral shell, a pretty purple shell, and dog poop (no, she didn't bring that back with her). Then we had a snack of Clementine oranges. Bernie went back to exploring the coast and Mar continued to read. Then it started to rain so we ran back to Bella and decided to depart.

We needed to go to Camping World and found the one in Myrtle Beach SC. We knew they would be closed but thought we would stay in their parking lot until morning. When we got there we had a great surprise. They had full hookups!! Yes, full hookups at Camping World!!

Bernie was really beginning to feel unwell. Her temp was 101.8 so she took some Tylenol and went to bed, hoping to feel better in the morning.

Luau and fire

Today after finding the local Catholic Church in Myrtle Beach SC, Bernie went to Mass while Mar ran some errands.

Afterwards we went to Broadway on the Beach, which is a huge shopping complex, with tons of restaurants, activities, rides, an arcade and many things to do. As we walked around (ok, we were not exactly walking yet but a doing a little better than before), we got to see bag pipers at one end of the complex, and at the other end watched a luau, which included a very exciting fire eating show (see pic). Towards the end of the show, they invited everyone who wanted to learn a luau dance to come up on stage. Of course our very own Bernie did not hesitate to participate in this opportunity to move them hips. It was almost more entertaining than the rest of the show (see pic).

On our way out we saw something that looked like huge bubbles and they were in the water. As we got closer we realized there was someone in each bubble. We stopped to investigate and found out that they were big balloons that you can get into and then get pushed out into the water and you get to float for three minutes at a time. Bernie really wanted to try but she couldn’t because of her bad ankle. We took some pictures and watched for a while, then pressed on.

When we got back to Bella we decided we were still in a beachy mood so we went back to the pier on Second Avenue to park for the night so we could spend some more time at the beach the next day. When we got there the parking lot was pretty empty because it was Sunday night so we picked the perfect spot, closest to the beach.

Bernie was pretty tired and thought she maybe overdid it with all the walking so she went to bed pretty early.

Little shark, big shark

We were not the only ones who spent the night at the Myrtle Beach Walmart last night. We had a few neighbors. There was at least one class A, one class C, a vandweller, and a tent. Yes, believe it or not, there was a tent in the parking lot. We would have taken a picture to show you, but we decided to respect their privacy.

Driving along we saw a billboard for the new Hard Rock Park and decided to go check it out. Turns out parking is $10 and admission to the park is $45 per person. We asked the helpful attendant if there were any free areas and she said no, so we decided to leave. We took some pictures of the park as we left, including a picture of their gigantic guitar (see slideshow at the bottom of this page).

Then we headed to the beach. The main drag there is called Ocean Blvd. It has miles and miles of stores, souvenir shops, restaurants, adventure places, and water parks … and in between you can still see the ocean.

After driving around and getting a feel for the place, we stopped at the local park where there was an artist show going on. We left there and headed to the local campground because we needed to refill our propane tank and our freshwater tank.

This campground is a KOA and is only about three miles from the beach. It is a very nice campground for families with children. It has a pretty big pool, a clean laundry room, and a rec room with video games and a pool table. They also have a huge children’s jumping bubble and a water park. The sites are not too crowded, even though you are next to each other it seems like you have elbow room.

We filled up Bella's tanks and now we were ready to hit the beach.

We found an awesome spot next to the pier on Second Avenue. We decided to visit the pier. It cost a dollar per person to walk on the pier but it was well worth it. We went all the way to the end of the pier and sat down to watch people fishing.

We witnessed one pretty big shark, two little sharks, and two stingrays being caught. All were thrown back. Afterwards we walked back towards the front of the pier and decided to eat at the pier restaurant called Big Daddy’s. We sat outside so we were still able to take in all the sights and sounds of the beach, and also be able to people watch. We had a Caesar salad and split a cheeseburger.

We left the restaurant and went back to Bella with our bellies full and our spirits high. It was an awesome day today.

Rain rain go away

We woke up to a huge thunderstorm. The lightning was a show of its own. We just sat there for a while watching as the thunder roared and the lighting stroke again and again. Pretty scary. When it was finally over, we did our grocery shopping, and then we hit the road again.

Going north on 17 we saw the sign for Huntington State Park. We wanted to drive through the park just to take a look but the attendant said we would have to pay ten dollars to just go in and out. Definitely not worth it, so we drove on.

Then we saw a sign for Murrell’s Inlet and decided to go check it out. The area was really cute with lots of shops and restaurants. We stopped to look around at one of the stores. Bernie tried a free sample of the homemade peanut butter fudge and then just had to have some to take home. This store had a front porch with rockers and also a game. The game is a washer on a string and you have to swing it and try to hook it to the hook on the post on the wall. It is really hard to do but it’s very addictive. But we didn’t give up and we both finally got it.

After we left the store, not far from there, we saw a Books a Million. We decided to go in and check out some maps and road books, while having our evening coffee. After that we headed toward Myrtle Beach and found the Walmart there to spend the night.

Hobbling along

Today we said goodbye to our new friends as we left Summerville SC. They had been so very nice. Tom had been so helpful with advice about everything to do with Bella. He had some great suggestions for us.

We drove to Charleston SC, less than half an hour away. We went directly to the Camping World there, where Bernie sat in a wheelchair and Mar pushed her around, hobbling on one foot, using the wheelchair as her cane.

Neither one of us could really walk. Bernie's foot was the size of a watermelon and Mar's the size of a grapefruit. It was seriously hard to get around. We took a concoction of painkillers and anti-inflammatory pills, and it helped a little.

We went to Camping World specifically to get the book "Managing 12 Volts" to understand how to improve the electrical system of an RV. Mar is determined to increase and improve our electrical system so that we can use our generator less frequently. We sat in the parking lot and Mar read the book while Bernie took a nap (she has been kind of grumpy lately because of her foot hurting).

After we left the store, we went to check out downtown Charleston and The Battery. After a quick trip down the highway we ended up in a beautiful historic city. It was raining and since we were both limping, we only got to drive along The Battery, but it sure seems like a great place to spend an afternoon.

Later as we drove through downtown Charleston we found Market Street. It was lined with shops and restaurants. Down the middle, separating the streets is an open building with an outdoor market place. We had to check it out, so we found parking and hobbled our way to the market, where we saw the handiwork of many talented artists and crafters. Bernie took the broom handle off the broom to use as a cane/crutch, it helped a little but we had to go slow.

At the corner we noticed a peculiar telephone pole. As we approached we realized it was covered in gum of many different colors (see pic). Yes, those are blobs of chewing gum stuck to the pole ... enough said.

When we got hungry we found a restaurant across the street from the market. The restaurant was a loud, very cool pub in a building that used to be an Episcopal church. The stained glass windows and other artifacts are still there. It called to us and we answered, we went in. The atmosphere was great, fun place. We had the mile high nachos for dinner and the killer queso was excellent!

It was getting late, so we decided to find a Walmart to spend the night. We headed towards Mount Pleasant and to get there, we had to drive over the most magnificent bridge, it was absolutely gorgeous at night. We both love bridges and driving on this one was quite an experience.

We're not sure what happened but somehow we totally missed the Walmart in Mount Pleasant. Since we didn't want to turn around, our handy GPS (her name is Lola – in honor of Robin William’s GPS in the movie “RV”) told us the next Walmart was 36 miles away in Georgetown SC. We drove north on 17 until we found the next Walmart, where we spent the night.

One of those days

Last night we slept with the windows open listening to the sounds of the ocean. Such wonderful sounds, the rhythmic waves coming in and out are so soothing. Then this morning we woke to the sight and sound of the ocean. Truly we had the best parking spot on the island. We then got out and walked around, doing some more exploring and taking some
more pictures at the beach. It was a beautiful day and not too hot, mostly because of the ocean winds. A little later we went back to Bella and got ready to go.

When we were finally ready, Mar took her seat at the wheel and turned the key. The ignition started, but the engine wouldn't stay on. Both Mar and Bernie tried several times and no can do. We couldn’t go anywhere so what to do? We called roadside assistance of course. After half an hour on the phone with them, and the nearby mechanics, and the tow truck company, we found out we would have to wait an hour and a half for a tow truck, because remember we were out in Edisto Island SC, more than 20 miles from the mainland.

While talking about what to do while we waited for the tow truck,
Bernie went ahead and tried to start Bella again, and she stayed on
this time!! So we rushed to get going, we figured if we could get on
the road maybe it will be ok. And it was, we drove on, called to
cancel the tow truck and headed towards Summerville, SC.

We had had no plans to go to Summerville. However we had been invited by Tom and Nita who had sent us an email saying we could park at their house on a cement slab with full hookups. They own a beautiful vacation home they rent out and they also own a 40-foot class A rv, which they also rent. Lucky for us, it wasn't there at the time, someone had rented it, so we got to use the hookups.

We had a nice time getting to know Tom and Nita. Turns out they met at
a campground 10 years ago, when they both had their own RVs. Their website is http://www.nitaontheroad.com

As we were getting set up, Bernie came out of Bella and when she set
her foot on the outside steps, she fell straight down on the concrete.
She scrapped all the side of her leg and twisted her foot on the other leg. She rarely complains but it looked pretty bad. She was immobilized, her ankle swelled up and she couldn't put any weight on it. So Mar got Bernie a chair and something to raise her foot. She cleaned the blood and scrapes and then went to work.

Mar got the laundry started, went to get dinner, and helped Bernie get ready for her shower. While she's doing all this running around, as she came out of the rv, she fell the exact same way Bernie did!! Somehow she did not twist her ankle as badly as Bernie but enough to hurt, swell up, and make her limp.

We investigated the area to see why this happened twice. It turns out the concrete slab was uneven right there under Bella’s steps and we both fell on the same spot, by stepping on the same uneven crack. So for the rest of the evening, both of us were limping, taking Tylenol, and putting ice packs on our twisted ankles.

It was one of “those” days ... but we know tomorrow will be a better day!

Bella and the beach

Today we woke up at the drive in, what a great way to start the day.

The owners of the drive in gave us permission to use the water hose to fill up our water tank and also to wash our hair outside. The owners were so friendly and so nice to us. When we tried to give them money for the use of their water, they wouldn't take it. Then we found out that they had let the police know we were spending the night there and asked them to come and check on us, which they did a few times times during the night, and we didn't even know it.

With Bella all packed and ready to go, and us with clean hair, we took to the road and again headed north, towards Edisto Island SC .... oh and what a beautiful drive it was. We drove for miles under the canopy of trees above us, it was a lovely afternoon for a drive on the beautiful countryside.

At Edisto Beach, we went to check out the campground but they were full. So we then went to drive around to find a place to park for the night and we wanted to be near the beach. As we drove around, Bernie spotted a small parking lot next to a small shopping complex, the lot was empty and right on the beach. The parking lot is right where the road bends at 90 degrees and continues along the beach, it is at the corner of the island. It was the perfect parking spot and Bernie went inside the gift shop to ask permission to park. Luckily the owner was there and she was kind enough to let us park in this perfect spot.

To thank her we had dinner in her restaurant, at the Enterprise Pavillion. The food was good and our server was very friendly. Our dinner was courtesy of Bernie's mom who decided we needed to be properly fed so she sent us some money, thanks mom !!

After dinner we took our chairs outside and just sat there listening to the ocean. What a beautiful and peaceful place. What a great day!

Double feature

Yesterday we left Hilton Head SC and headed north. We found the Walmart in Beaufort SC and spent the night there. Today we went exploring. We drove through Saint Helena Island, Hunting Island, and Fripp Island. But when we got to Fripp Island, which is at the end of the road, we were told it’s a private island so we had to turn around.

We went back to Hunting Island and checked out the campground there, but found it too small and crowded and decided not to stay. Then we drove down to the pier and had a nice afternoon there. The weather was perfect and the view was amazing.

When leaving Hunting Island, heading north again, along the road we found a wonderful surprise. We saw a drive in movie theater !!! We were both so excited, we just had to stop. The marquee said “open nightly” and they were showing “Get Smart” and “Hancock”. We figured they were both fun movies and it would be even more fun to watch them at the drive in!

When we got there, no one was there but lucky for us, as we were leaving the owner pulled up and told us when to come back. We drove a little ways down the road and found a nice place under some wonderful trees, to pull in and make dinner. Bernie made her delicious hamburgers on the grill but with a new twist, a special sauce made with parmesan cheese and garlic, and flat bread instead of buns. Those burgers rocked!!

Then we went back to the theater where we positioned ourselves in the back, away from other cars. It was a Monday night after all so there weren’t many other cars there. We parked sideways so we could watch the movie out the side window, the biggest window our Bella has, and we had a great view of the screen. We opened up the window and put the old radio box on it and listened to the show. Just like old times, it was so fun.

And as if that wasn’t awesome enough, during intermission we got funnel cake and it was so so so good.

After the movies the owner told us we could stay and spend the night. So we parked near the concession and spent the night in an outside movie lot. The best part was that we didn’t have to drive around and try to find a place to park at that time because by then it was after midnight.

Another day another state

After spending one whole month in Georgia, today we finally left. We made it to South Carolina, and back to the original plan of driving up the east coast, checking out every beach along the way. We didn't plan to stay in Georgia for a whole month (or anywhere else for that matter) but I guess when you have no plan, or to be more specific, when the plan is to go with the flow, then anything can happen. It's all good.

Today after leaving GA, we went to Hilton Head Island SC, where we drove around for a while checking out the island, then found parking and went to window shopping.

When we got a little hungry, we had the appetizer sampler for dinner at The Bamboo Room. This place is worth checking out. The menu has the story of a soldier who opened an island restaurant after the war, but a typhoon came through and wiped him out, and he was never seen again. This restaurant is a reproduction of the original and they have done an amazing job. You feel like you are inside a bamboo hut somewhere in the tropics. There is old army gear all over the place. The section were we sat was called the "mess hall”. Our food was served on a ‘mess’ tray, the kind with the little compartments separating each food. It was a cool place to eat.

After dinner, it was already dark but we just had to go check out the beach, we had been away from the coast too long. As the cold sand squished through our toes and the ocean breeze hit our faces, we felt the contentment that only the ocean can bring you. We found the lifeguard's chair and climbed up on it. As we sat there taking in the sights and smells, we heard something in the distance. Someone down the beach must have had leftover fireworks from the 4th, because we got to a see a very cool private "mini" fireworks show.

Tonight we decided to park in the local Catholic church parking lot, so Bernie could attend Mass in the morning. Later, we went to check out the Barnes and Noble and hung out there for a while. Guess what? They serve Starbucks coffee and Bernie just couldn't wait. Her eyes lit up like a kid in a toy store. We were there for some time and then we headed out towards the next beach...

The 4th of July

Parked on the driveway of our new friends, we have been able to get caught up on loads of things we needed to do. Bernie has worked on Bella, put her bike together, and built a shelf for our hosts’ hot tub (see pic). Mar has made progress with her schoolwork, emails, phone calls, bills, letters, and paperwork.

Tonight we decided to take some time to enjoy the festivities. Bernadette and Donnis wanted to take us to see the fireworks in downtown Augusta. They had been telling us about them since we got here, so we knew they must be special. When we arrived at the river walk, the place was packed. There were boats lining the river as well, waiting to see the show. We had to climb a hill to sit at the top for the best view. Once we found a spot on the sloping hill (it was a little hard to stay up) we anxiously awaited the show. It was fun watching families on their blankets, kids running around, couples talking, grandparents playing catch with their grandkids … a perfect Friday night scene.

Then the booming and fire lit up the sky with the first of many impressive fireworks. They were spectacular! Not only the fireworks in the sky, but also the fireworks “waterfall” from the bridge was absolutely beautiful: a curtain of fireworks falling from this huge bridge into the water below. We had never seen anything like it. (This is the bridge that connects Georgia and South Carolina.)

Afterwards, we walked down the hill and towards the parking lot with a sea of people. Traffic wasn’t moving, so it took a while to get out of the downtown area and we then headed back to the house.

Back home we finished up our laundry, packing, and getting ready to hit the road tomorrow … and yes, the plan is to finally leave Georgia. Stay tuned.

Gotta have our coffee

Today when we got up we realized we didn’t have enough water in our water tank, to both wash the coffee pot and also make coffee. Faced with this terrible dilemma and being the extremely resourceful women that we are, we solved this by finding the closest Starbucks (gotta have our coffee). Luckily we had a Starbucks gift card, which brought great joy to Bernie's heart. You have to know that Starbucks gift cards are like “gold” to Bernie, so we try to stretch them out :-) We ordered an iced venti latte with regular sugar for Mar and Bernie got her decaf iced venti latte with splenda … mmmmm …

Once we had our coffee fix, we took I-20 again going east towards Augusta GA, which is close to the border of South Carolina. Once there we went to Hephzibah GA, to meet Bernadette and Donnis, our new friends from one of our yahoo groups. They invited us to come park in their driveway for a couple of days … woo hoo!!!

First, Bernadette and Bernie got Bella all hooked up: water, electricity, and cable – this is the first time we have had cable. Then we all went out to dinner in downtown Augusta, to the cutest restaurant called The Cotton Patch. We sat outside in a courtyard with a center fountain and cobble stone floor. It almost made you feel like you were in a secret garden. After taking a look at the incredibly delicious menu items, we decided on the cheese steak salad and a to-die-for Oreo ice cream dessert. Absolutely wonderful!

After dinner, Bernadette and Donnis suggested we take a walk to check out the "river walk" along the Savannah River. Bernie took some beautiful pictures of the sunset, and we learned about the town's past floods … and the best part is that when you look across the river, what you see on the other side is actually South Carolina, we couldn’t believe how close we were to our next destination!!!

Finally we drove back to the "homestead". Our new friends said we could shower in the house and oh how nice it was to take a real shower in a real bathroom. Then back to Bella for the night.

Bike #2 is finally here

Yesterday we drove from Cornelia GA to Stone Mountain GA. We went back to the Walmart there because we got an email that Bernie’s bike had finally arrived. With great anticipation we entered the store and headed to the pick up area. When we got to the counter we found out that the bike hadn’t been assembled (as promised on the Walmart website). With great disappointment, we left Stone Mountain with a BIG box in our Bella, and another bike for Bernie to put together, hoping that this one would have instructions.

We headed east on I-20 and it was getting pretty late so we decided to stop at the Walmart in Conyers GA. When we got there we saw a plethora of stores all around, and Staples happened to be one of them. We decided to try their wi-fi and it was working, so we spent the night under a lovely shade tree in their parking lot.