Blog

How A Stroll On Hilton Head Island Caused Us To Be In Pain, Day 184

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date March 10, 2020
Categories In South Carolina, The Days Of The Trip
4 Comments on How A Stroll On Hilton Head Island Caused Us To Be In Pain, Day 184

If we told you that we were in pain after spending the day at Hilton Head Island, you might guess that is because we got a terrible sunburn.

However, that is not the case at all. Although the temperatures reached into the mid-60’s, the wind was blowing quite a bit. Therefore, we wore shorts and sweatshirts while we were on the beach.

Our intent was to enjoy some relaxation time near the ocean. And of course, take a walk down the beach like we did in Destin, FL.

So we decided to take our shoes off and let our bare feet get a feel of both the ocean and sand.

house on hilton head island — We enjoyed the views of both the ocean and homes on the Island.

We originally decided that we would walk for a half an hour, and then turn around and return back to our chairs.

However, after about 25 minutes, both of us were struggling with sand getting clumped beneath our feet.

So we decided to cut our walk a little short and head back. It wasn’t until we brushed the sand off our feet that we realized that we had a bigger problem.

Both of us had huge blisters on the balls of our feet! From the sand?? Really??

I know that our pale feet aren’t in ‘beach shape’, but we never thought it was possible that either of us would get a blister, let alone both of us!

So as we hobbled back to the truck and camper, both of us realized how painful it was to walk, even with shoes on!

Driving Around Hilton Head Island

We decided that taking any additional walks around this beautiful island was out of the question. Instead we decided to view the remainder of it from our vehicle.

streets of Hilton Head Island — The streets on Hilton Head Island are lined with live oak trees.

The scenery around us was absolutely gorgeous. The live oak tree lined streets hid any indication that this was a beach town. In fact, not once did we see the typical beach store trying to sell you anything from shell necklaces to the latest screen printed t-shirt.

As we continued to drive it was actually difficult to see any storefronts at all. The trees blocked the views of the strip malls and grocery stores.

In addition, the buildings were all painted in the same taupe color. And the street signs were no taller than 6 feet and set quite a bit off of the main road.

As we continued our drive we notice several bikers taking advantage of the paved bike paths in the area. And now that I think about it, we probably passed just as many bikes as we did cars.

What a wonderful way to get around Hilton Head Island! We wished we had more time to explore everything this town has to offer.

Dinner Time

But instead, we decided that we would end the night with a dinner at a local restaurant. However, like most beach towns, the parking lot was very full and we had to park a great distance away.

Typically, that wouldn’t bother us at all. However, I am sure at least one person, if not several, got a good laugh at us waddling to the front door!

Here’s to hoping that the blisters heal fast so we can enjoy Charleston!

Happy. Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 184 of 365
States : 23/50
National Parks / Monuments : 21
Stayed In : Charleston, South Carolina
Miles Driven : 54.4
Total Trip Miles To Date : 19,380.5
Total Gallons Used : 1,384.3
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 190.0
Hiking Miles : 4.2
Hiking Miles To Date : 422.3

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

You can follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

HALFWAY ACROSS AMERICA! Day 183 Of Our One Year Journey!

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date March 9, 2020
Categories In South Carolina, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on HALFWAY ACROSS AMERICA! Day 183 Of Our One Year Journey!

So hard to believe – but we are halfway through this amazing journey across America to see all 50 states.

With the Leap Year in progress, our one-year trip covers 366 days. And that of course means that day 183 is the exact halfway point of our journey.

So on this occasion, we celebrated with a special halfway home article on our flagship Old World Gardens Website.

You can see the article here, along with a really cool one-second a day video that covers the entire journey so far in 183 seconds! We Are Halfway Across America!

Here is to another great 183 days and all 50 states! Happy Traveling – Jim & Mary Competti.

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

The Story Behind Our Trip’s Saturday Morning Bloody Mary Tradition – Day 182

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date March 8, 2020
Categories In South Carolina, The Days Of The Trip
2 Comments on The Story Behind Our Trip’s Saturday Morning Bloody Mary Tradition – Day 182

As we near the halfway mark of our trip, I guess it’s time to talk about our weekly tradition of snapping a photo of our Saturday Morning Bloody Mary.

It is something we never thought would be a trending subject. But somehow, it is becoming a little more popular with each and every passing week.

The Story Behind The Saturday Bloody Mary Tradition

For those who don’t know us personally, we have had a long-standing tradition of enjoying a Bloody Mary every Saturday morning for many years. In fact, so long, we can’t exactly remember just when or how it started.

With that said, however, we are most certain it probably began as a way back in the hectic days for us to slow down and enjoy a little moment together in the peace of a Saturday morning.

3 states point — The 3 States Bloody Mary – Photo taken on the exact border of Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas.

Nine years ago, we had four teenage kids in four active sports. We both had our careers, and were building the farm as we could find in any spare time we might have. It seemed throughout the week we were always heading to something, somewhere.

But early Saturday morning was our time. We would always get up early to simply talk, sip on a spicy Bloody Mary, and enjoy a moment of peace together. And so began The Saturday morning Bloody Mary tradition.

Bloody Mary Saturday Tradition — Having our Bloody Mary a few weeks back on the beaches of Pensacola Florida.

The Tradition Grows…

Over the years, we would occasionally post a photo on our personal Facebook pages about our Saturday morning ritual.

As soon as they would see the photo, many of our friends and family would often joke that they “would be right over” to have one with us. As it turned out, we actually did have quite a few shared mornings with friends and family taking part in our tradition with a Saturday morning breakfast and Bloody Mary at the farm.

Perhaps the funniest moment is when one of our children happened to stop by on an early Saturday morning last year. We, of course, were out on the patio enjoying our long standing tradition.

Pikes Peak — The Pike’s Peak Bloody Mary. Most likely the highest point we will ever enjoy one!

He looked at both of us, and asked us what we were having. When we told him of the history, he looked a bit baffled. He then stopped, and asked how he had never known about this the whole time he was growing up.

We laughed and simply told him he was doing what the others were doing as teenage kids on a weekend – sleeping!

The Bloody Mary Tradition Continues On The Trip

But as the trip approached, many asked if we would continue on with out Saturdary morning ritual. And so it was that a good friend of ours who runs one of our favorite local restaurants, The Warehouse in Coshocton, Ohio, gave us 2 glasses from his restaurant.

Steak n Stein - Warehouse Restaurant — The Warehouse Steak n’ Stein Restaurant in Coshocton, Ohio. One of our favorites places to have a great dinner when back home!

He asked only one thing. To simply use the two glasses on our trip for our weekly Bloody Mary drink. And, as a way to “travel” with us, to send him a pic from wherever we might be with them.

And so we did. For some reason, the weekly photos became a little more popular each and every passing week. We started having more and more fun with it to see where we could take the weekly photo.

New Orleans - Beignets and Bloody Mary Saturday Morning. — New Orleans – Beignets and Bloody Mary Saturday Morning.

One was at Pike’s Peak. Another overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We also enjoyed one in front of our camper, along with the entire entourage of the Portland Buckeyes Club in Portland, Oregon!

Even the famous Rosa’s Cantina in El Paso, Texas was the sight of a photo with our glasses. It has been, and continues to be a lot of fun.

And The Trip Goes On…

One thing is for sure, with 26 more weeks to go, we certainly a lot more memories to make. And our Bloody Mary tradition is just one more to add to the mix.

A Bloody Mary with the Portland Buckeye Club.

On the funny side, we have to be careful these days with the glasses! If you look at early photos, there are two Warehouse Glasses. Unfortunately, after about week 8, we dropped one putting them back. So we had to replace one with an identical unmarked glass.

We now are extra protective of our lone remaining “Warehouse” glass! 🙂

Rosas Cantina - Bloody Marys — Rosa’s Cantina got in on the act as well!

Since the cat is out of the bag, we will also start posting each Saturdays picture on our Live Simple Facebook page as well for everyone to enjoy.

And now you know the story behind the story of our Saturday Bloody Mary Tradition. Happy Traveling – Jim & Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 182 of 365
States : 23/50
National Parks / Monuments : 21
Stayed In : Port Royal Island, South Carolina
Miles Driven : 63.3
Total Trip Miles To Date : 19,218.7
Total Gallons Used : 1,372.76
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 186.7
Hiking Miles : 2.5
Hiking Miles To Date : 418.1

A Beautiful Day Spent In Historic Savannah, Georgia – Day 181

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date March 7, 2020
Categories In Georgia, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on A Beautiful Day Spent In Historic Savannah, Georgia – Day 181

No trip to Coastal Georgia would be complete without spending some time in Savannah, Georgia.

And after a couple of days of constant rain, we welcomed the sunshine and headed to explore the city.

Because we only had one full day to enjoy the sights and sounds of Savannah, we decided to start off by taking a Trolley Tour.

the waving girl — The waving girl statute sits right on the riverfront. It was said that this girl would wave to all of the boats that would come into the port of Savannah.

We typically steer away from these type of tours. However, because Savannah is so rich in history, and is spread out quite a bit from end to end, we thought a tour would be a great starting point.

In addition, the Savannah Trolley Tour gives you an opportunity to hop on and off at 15 different stopping points.

A Day Spent in Savannah

We decided to spend the first hour on the trolley so we could get an overview of the historic district.

Built across 2.5 square miles, this area was created in a grid formation. All together, there were a total of 24 original squares drawn out through the district.

savannah square — Most of the 22 squares have at least one monument in honor of someone significant to Savannah’s history.

Each square would have a common, park like area in the center. Then on the north and south sides of each square, houses were built for the residents. On the flip side, the east and west sides were built for commerce.

Today, 22 of those squares still exist. Although they all have been dedicated to an important person or family in history, not all of them have a monument or statue in the center of the park.

Even more, some of the squares can be home to several monuments and historic markers – but relating to another person with another square! It honestly makes for a bit of fun trying to figure it all out.

“Forest Gump” Square

But the most famous square of all is Chippewa Square. And one of the reasons it is so famous is because it is a famous sport for the movie Forest Gump. In fact, it is the exact spot where the bench was located while Forest talked to anyone that would listen while waiting for the bus. It was here of course where the “Life is like a box of chocolates” line became famous.

The funny thing is however,, if you have ever been to Savannah, you notice quickly that the one way street around the square is actually flowing in the wrong direction in the movie. They actually changes the pattern just for the filming.

red phone booth — Here is the famous red telephone booth that Julia Roberts once stood in for yet another movie filmed in Savannah.

There are several other movies that have been filmed in the area as well, including Something To Talk About. Julia Robert stood in an iconic red telephone booth, which still remains on the corner next to Six Pence Pub today.

Canal Market

We continued our travels around the historic district and got off the trolley at Canal Market. Here you can shop for anything that you can think of and dine with just about every cuisine imaginable.

If you were ever a food network junkie, you can even shop and eat at Paula Deen’s famous restaurant, The Lady and Sons. The choices are near endless. And if you happen to be thirsty, Savannah even allows you to walk around the town with a spirited beverage.

But the best part of the canal market by far is that it helps truly keep the historic vibe and feel of Savannah alive and thriving.

Forsyth Park

Our final visit after lunch was to Forsyth Park. This 30-acre park in the middle of the city is where the community can enjoy a large green space with plenty of walking paths, playground, and sports complexes.

And lucky for us, today they were turning the water in the famous Forsyth Fountain green in preparation for their St. Patrick’s Day celebration next week.

green fountain — One of the most photographed structures in Savannah is the Fountain at Forsyth Park. And today was no exception as they turned the water green in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day.

You may or may not know it, but Savannah has a huge Irish influence. In fact, Savannah is home to the 2nd largest St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in the country.

After our trip to Forsyth Park, we took some time to walk around and take in the beauty of historic Savannah. The live oak trees canopied every street, and the azaleas were in full bloom.

savannah's beauty — Live oak trees and azaleas line almost every street and every park in Savannah.

From historical churches to beautiful homes, the entire area was absolutely stunning. Although the scenery is something that no camera can accurately capture. You really have to see it to believe it!

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 181 of 365
States : 23/50
National Parks / Monuments : 21
Stayed In : Okatie, South Carolina
Miles Driven : 97.8
Total Trip Miles To Date : 19,155.4
Total Gallons Used : 1,368.24
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 186.7
Hiking Miles : 4.5
Hiking Miles To Date : 415.6

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Traveling Back In Time With A Visit To The Fort Pulaski National Monument – Day 180

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date March 6, 2020
Categories In Georgia, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on Traveling Back In Time With A Visit To The Fort Pulaski National Monument – Day 180

We took on a different type of travel today, stepping back in time to the Civil War era with a visit to Fort Pulaski National Monument on Cockspur Island.

Pulaski National Monument entrance — The entrance to Fort Pulaski National Monument. The Fort played a key role on several occasions in the Civil War.

Cosckspur Island sits at the mouth of the Savannah River, just 15 miles east of Savannah, Georgia. It is also sits just a mile or two from the edge of Tybee Island. All of which made this Fort a prime player in the history of the American Civil War.

The history of the Fort and it’s ties to the civil war run deep. Although, to be sure, it’s original purpose for being built was not for the Civil War at all.

Fort Pulaski Cannons — I am not sure what was more impressive, seeing the cannons on top of the fort, or wondering how they ever got them up there!

Construction of the fort began back in 1829 by the U.S. Government. It was originally built by the United States as part of series of protective forts after the war of 1812.

Interestingly enough, the man in charge of the project was none other than General Lee. Lee, of course, would later command the Confederate forces during the Civil War.

Fort Pulaski National Monumnet — The only entrance into the fort was via the drawbridge over the moat. The moat is 8′ deep, which was planned to be deep enough that a soldier could not wade through it’s waters and still keep his gun above water.

Although started in 1829, Port Pulaski had numerous delays throughout the building process. In fact, so many, it didn’t have its opening until 1847.

Millions Of Bricks!

The fort is a monument to building with bricks. In fact, it took over 25,000,000 bricks to complete it! And when it was finally completed, it was considered to be state-of-the-art.

the fort on Cockspur Island — Fort Pulaski National Monument. When it was completed, the Fort was thought to be impossible to penetrate.

For one, the thick brick walls were thought to be impenetrable. And to make it even more intimidating, a moat surrounded the entire structure. One deep enough that a soldier could not wade through it without getting his gun full of water.

Fort Pulaski National Monument & The Civil War

The Fort never saw much action before the Civil War. In fact, it was only protected by a few men when the Georgia militia seized it at the start of the Civil War in 1861.

Behind these doors were the cells to hold prisoners of war.

Fort Pulaski was an important holding for the Confederacy. For both controlling and protecting the Savannah harbor, and as a way for supplies to make their way into the South.

But as it turned out, Fort Pulaski wasn’t as impenetrable as thought. And when the Union forces came calling in 1864, the walls fell quickly and quite easily with cannon fire. It is one of the reasons after the war was over, it wasn’t used again.

The jail cells where prisoners were held. The grooves in the floor in the forefront are where the cannons wheels could roll for position.

It really was a bit surreal to walk throughout the fort and see how it all looked back in the 1860’s. From the jail cells, to the cannons and more, you can just imagine it full of soldiers and life.

Fort Pulaski National Monument

The National Park Staff of Fort Pulaski National Monument have really done a great job keeping it all preserved. It truly is amazing to walk all about the Fort and take in the stories of the era.

As we left the Fort, we took the 3/4 mile walk out to check out the Cockspur Lighthouse. The famous lighthouse sits out in the water, and although it has been battered and beaten, it remains in place.

From learning more of our country’s history and people, to taking new paths along the way, every day on this journey seems to always find us discovering something interesting.

And speaking of that, it’s just about time to head to the next state of South Carolina! Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary.

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 180 of 365
States : 22/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Savannah, Georgia
Miles Driven : 46.6
Total Trip Miles To Date : 19,057.2
Total Gallons Used : 1,361.22
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 186.7
Hiking Miles : 4.6
Hiking Miles To Date : 411.1

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

An Abrupt Knock On Our Door In The Middle Of The Night, Day 179

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date March 5, 2020
Categories In Georgia, The Days Of The Trip
6 Comments on An Abrupt Knock On Our Door In The Middle Of The Night, Day 179

There has been nothing more terrifying on this trip than getting an abrupt and persistent knock on our door in the middle of the night.

In fact, it was nearly three o’clock in the morning when we heard the first knock on our camper door.

Being startled from a deep sleep, we both looked at each other and wondered if that is what we truly heard.

We waited a few seconds, and another loud and persistent knock happened.

And then another and another. We knew that we had to get up to see what was going on.

knock on our door — The post that holds the water, electric and cable had been knocked over. You can see the water coming out from the ground at the base.

Since the beginning of this trip, we have discussed what we would do if a knock occurred on our door in the middle of the night.

However, we both imagined it being when we were Camping for Free somewhere. We never expected it get the knock at a secured campground.

But that is exactly what happened. And now, we are thankful that we were abruptly awakened.

The Knock On Our Door

After the first or second knock, we both quickly wondered why someone would be knocking on our door.

water flooding — The water began to flow down the street and to other campsites.

Our first thought went to the possibility that the campground was beginning to flood. The other end of the campground where we were staying was flooded from a massive amount of rainfall a week or two ago. And more rain was expected overnight. In addition, we could hear water flowing outside our camper.

So when the knocks on our door persisted, Jim peeked out of the door window and recognized the man standing there.

A fellow camper that we met the day before had been on his way to the restroom and noticed that we had water pouring out of the campground hookup.

knock on the door — The owners of the campground quickly shut the main water line off and started digging to locate the problem.

We immediately thought that our hose connector must have broken. But when we went outside, we found a much bigger problem.

The water wasn’t coming from the faucet or our camper. It was coming out of the ground at the base of the hook up pole to our campsite.

The Culprit and The Fix

Because this wasn’t something we could fix, we immediately found the Emergency After Hours phone number for the Savannah Oaks RV Resort and gave it a call.

Within minutes, the owners of the campground arrived to diagnose the situation.

The pole that holds the electric, water, and cable was no longer upright. It looked like that someone had backed into the pole, causing the water line to break.

However, the camp site next to us was empty. Although, the gentleman who knocked on our door did inform us that his wife saw a camper driving around about an hour before with the lights off.

And we all speculated what most likely happened was that someone hit the pole while driving in the dark.

It was then that we realized how lucky we were that the pole was there. That is because the pole is positioned next to the corner of our camper where we lay our heads when we sleep.

The Fix

Luckily the rest of the campers were sound asleep because the main water line had to be shut off. But within the hour of first receiving the knock on our door, the owners had the pipe fixed and the water turned back on.

fixed water pipe — The water pipe is now fixed and all that is left to do is to realign the pole.

It may have taken us another hour to fall back asleep, but as we did, we both knew that the night could have turned out much worse.

Here is to appreciating every day and living life to its fullest while we can!

Happy Traveling! – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 179 of 365
States : 22/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Savannah, Georgia
Miles Driven : 62.2
Total Trip Miles To Date : 19,010.6
Total Gallons Used : 1,357.9
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 186.7
Hiking Miles : 0.0
Hiking Miles To Date : 406.5

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

A Visit To Savannah’s Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens – Day 178

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date March 4, 2020
Categories In Georgia, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on A Visit To Savannah’s Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens – Day 178

Any day spent strolling through a garden is a great day, and that was certainly the case today at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens in Savannah, Georgia.

If you have followed along our journey, you know how much we love visiting gardens. And as always, each and every one we visit along the way has its own unique story to tell.

Like Sunken Gardens in Omaha, Nebraska. The stunning gardens all began as a public works project during the depression. Then there is Alabama’s Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile. The magnificent homestead and gardens were the inspiration of the wife of one of Coca-Cola first franchisees.

Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens

And so it is that we found ourselves today at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden in Savannah, Georgia. And just like the others, it has it’s own unique story to tell as well. One rooted, of all things, in Japanese Bamboo!

Although the beautiful 51 acre site is now under the watch of the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Extension program, it all began as a bamboo farm back in the 1890’s.

In the 1890’s, the Smiths, owners of the small farm located in Savannah, acquired a few clumps of Japanese timber bamboo from their neighbor. He had recently returned from a visit to Japan, and brought them back for the Smith’s to grow.

Bamboo at the farm — There are still groves of bamboo growing at the farm today.

And it just so happened that the bamboo took off! By 1915, an employee of the farm, Mr. S.B. Dayton started selling the bamboo shoots and poles all over Georgia. By this time, the bamboo had reached soaring heights of 50′ to 60′!

The Story Almost Ends…

But unfortunately, the story almost ended right there. The Smiths put the farm up for sale, and Mr. Dayton realized the bamboo would most likely be destroyed by any development from a future owner.

On a whim, he petitioned a botanist, who in turn petitioned the U.S. Agricultural Department to see if the bamboo farm could somehow be saved.

After a bit of persistence, the USDA did indeed acquire the property. And for the next 60 years, used it as a research facility. It continued to grow, and was the site of many experiments to see what could and would grow well throughout the low country.

Orchids always have such a stunning bloom, and happen to be one of Mary’s moms favorite flowers.

Finally, in 1983, the farm was deeded to the University of Georgia as an education and research center. And then in 2012, the Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens became the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens.

It is so great to see facilities like these saved and turned into community treasures. And one thing is for sure, the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens is a treasure for sure! Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary.

the Camellia blooms — The Camellia blooms were absolutely stunning. We were fortunate to be there just as they were beginning to show their blooms.

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 178 of 365
States : 22/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Savannah, Georgia
Miles Driven : 42.5
Total Trip Miles To Date : 18,948.4
Total Gallons Used : 1,353.4
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 186.7
Hiking Miles : 2.8
Hiking Miles To Date : 406.5

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

A Day To Explore Tybee Island, Georgia – Day 177

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date March 3, 2020
Categories In Georgia, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on A Day To Explore Tybee Island, Georgia – Day 177

Today we decided to head to the Atlantic Coast and ended up at Tybee Island, Georgia. And I have to say, we were more than excited to head to this location. That is because this is our first stop on the Atlantic Ocean since we have started our Journey Across The United States.

Sitting just outside of Savannah, GA this popular beach town displays a home town feel with a hip vibe.

hurricane flood marker — As you travel around Tybee Island you will see the Hurricane Storm Surge Markers. It’s scary to think that the water can get that high.

From its historic role in the War of 1812 and the Civil War, to the development of a popular summertime beach destination, Tybee Island has something to offer for everyone.

Getting to Tybee Island

If you are traveling through Savannah, it will take you about 20-25 minutes to arrive at the beach.

As soon as you get into town, you will immediately notice quaint, local shops selling anything from pieces of art to unique hand-made jewelry. Some may be right on the side of the road, but most can be found tucked away on the main and side streets closer to the beach.

shell turtles — Turtles flock to Tybee Island every summer to lay their eggs. Although there were no turtles in March, someone left a reminder on the beach of this yearly phenomenon.

The Lighthouse

However, if you keep driving East, you will quickly find yourself at the Tybee Island Lighthouse.

The black and white painted lighthouse is Georgia’s tallest and oldest. Sitting across the entrance of North Beach, this town’s famous icon is easily recognizable.

Although the beacon light still shines brightly to this day, they continue to allow visitors to tour the iconic structure. In fact, you can even take the 178 steps to the very top!

After touring the lighthouse, look across the street and you will find yourself at the entrance of North Beach. Take the long, wooden pier which will lead you right to the shell laden beach.

Tybee Island pier — The long wooden pier at North Beach will lead you to a beautiful beach filled with tons of seashells.

If you look down the beach towards the sand dunes, you will fine several ‘porch swings’. Here you can sit back and enjoy the views of Tybee Island. And if you look back in the distance, there are beautiful, bright colored homes that are subtly tucked behind you.

Shopping and Restaurant District

Besides the beautiful beaches and homes, North Beach is often called Tybee Island’s premier shopping district.

Tybee Island Beach — Tybee Beach is filled with beautiful seashells and is the perfect location for a family vacation.

You can find anything from hand-crafted treasures, to high-end purses and scarfs on the island.

You can walk from shop to shop and buy anything and everything that you can think of.

Tybee Island Homes — There are beautiful and colorful homes all over Tybee Island.

And don’t worry, there are also plenty of places to eat if shopping builds up your appetite.

From fresh caught seafood to pizza and wings, you will have every chance to fill your belly.

In fact, based on a recommendation from a local Tybee Island resident, we ate at AJ’s Dockside Restaurant on the Back River. Although it wasn’t right on the beach, we enjoyed a delicious lunch over looking the Back River.

Here you can find boaters strolling the river and some will even pull into the restaurant’s dock to stop in and grab a bite to eat.

As we sat and enjoyed the view, we noticed that they also serve stellar Bloody Mary’s! A large glass filled to the top and loaded with skewers of pickled vegetables and 6-8 cocktail shrimp.

Although we wanted to partake in one, we both agreed that we had to save our traditional Bloody Mary drink for Saturdays.

river view — Our view from our table, overlooking the Back River on Tybee Island.

So now we have to decide if we will have to take another trip to Tybee Island on Saturday!

Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 177 of 365
States : 22/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Savannah, Georgia
Miles Driven : 75.4
Total Trip Miles To Date : 18,905.9
Total Gallons Used : 1,350.4
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 186.7
Hiking Miles : 6.3
Hiking Miles To Date : 403.7

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Cracker Barrel Camping In Georgia – Can It Get Any Better? Day 176

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date March 2, 2020
Categories In Georgia, The Days Of The Trip
2 Comments on Cracker Barrel Camping In Georgia – Can It Get Any Better? Day 176

We have truly discovered the absolute best way to camp when travelling between states and camping grounds – something we refer to as Cracker Barrel Camping!

As we went headlong into our week in Georgia, we found ourselves with quite the long drive coming out of Florida. And to make matters a little tougher, we left later in the day than we thought we would.

Cracker Barrel Camping — The perks of camping overnight outside of Cracker Barrel turned out to be pretty impressive!

One thing we always try to do is simply enjoy the journey. We have a steadfast rule to never push ourselves too far. Both for our own safety, and to try enjoy whatever drive, space or place we visit.

Leaving as late as we did, we opted against making the entire full length of the drive. Instead, we opted to find a spot in-between to overnight camp before moving along to our Georgia campground.

Luckily for us, that meant spending the night spent Cracker Barrel Camping. Yep, you guessed, our home for the night was the Cracker Barrel parking lot in Kingsland, Georgia. And even better, we shared the space with 3 other camping rigs doing exactly the same.

And as it turned out, we had both an enjoyable evening and morning!

The Cracker Barrel Camping Experience

For those that don’t know, most Cracker Barrel locations, much like many Wal-Mart and Home Depots allow campers to spend the night for free in their parking lots. See: Camping For Free Off-Grid

But I have to say, the Cracker Barrel experience is really our favorite of all. Not only do they have specific spaces for RV’s and campers, there always seems to be more than one camping rig parked overnight. And under the lights of the parking lot, there is always extra safety in numbers.

RV Parking — With nicely marked RV parking, it’s easy to find safe parking at Cracker Barrel.

But there is something even better. A built in delicious meal on both sides of the evening! And this time, it worked out perfectly for us.

We arrived fairly late, and decided to head in for a great meal. It’s nice to have a short walk from your home to the restaurant! Afterwards, we headed into the camper for a relaxing night of cards and a few games of boggle. Well, actually, it was relaxing until I was crushed by Mary at both games of Boggle.

I think I was merely off my game with a food coma from supper! At least that is the story I am sticking with.

camping at Cracker Barrel — An outstanding dinner, a delicious breakfast, and a wonderful FREE overnight stay. Cracker Barrel Camping Rocks!

After a great nights sleep, we woke to the smell of bacon, eggs and biscuits. I mean, is it any wonder why we are so fond of our Cracker Barrel Camping site!

So here is to an amazing night in of all places, the Cracker Barrel parking lot. But more than anything, we are thankful that companies such as Cracker Barrel help out traveling campers along the way. Happy Traveling, Jim and Mary.

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 176 of 365
States : 22/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Cracker Barrel Campground
Miles Driven : 33.8
Total Trip Miles To Date : 18,830.5
Total Gallons Used : 1,345.03
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 186.7
Hiking Miles : 2.0
Hiking Miles To Date : 397.4

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Drinking From The Fountain Of Youth in St. Augustine, Day 175

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date March 1, 2020
Categories In Florida, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on Drinking From The Fountain Of Youth in St. Augustine, Day 175

On our last day in Florida, we decided to head up to the Northeast coast to St Augustine and make a visit to The Fountain of Youth.

We thought after being on the road for 175 days, it wouldn’t hurt to take a drink from the famous spring water. And who knows, maybe it would make us feel even younger than we are!

So before heading into Georgia, we took the trip through rural Florida and headed over towards the Atlantic Coast.

Pedro statue — At the front entrance you will find a recently dedicated statue to Pedro Menenedeze de Aviles -the founder of St. Augustine -the nation’s oldest city.

When we arrived in the historic district of St. Augustine we could immediately tell that we arrived in the tourist section of town.

There were trolleys and guided tours happening all around us. So we quickly parked the truck and camper and found the entrance to the Fountain of Youth.

Fountain of Youth Experience

Once you walk into Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, you feel like you have stepped back in time.

Fountain of youth entrance — Inside this building you will find the spring water that they claim is The Fountain of Youth.

It is a place of tribute to the spot where Ponce de León supposedly landed in 1513 and later settled by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565. In fact, it is the oldest successive European settlement in the United States.

And although there is no historic record that Ponce de León really drank or bathed in this exact spring water location, it has become a huge tourist attraction.

So we decided to pay the admission fee and take a look around.

fountain of youth — Although no longer a true spring, the water is now pumped into this spring house.

As soon as you walk through the gates, your ticket gets punched and you will immediately find yourself at the spring house.

One step inside and you will see the water, that is now being pumped, trickling down in 3 streams. There are little plastic cups there for you to use to take a drink.

However, the water hasn’t always been pumped. In fact, the Fountain of Youth used to be a natural spring that bubbled up on top of the ground.

filling our glass from the fountain of youth — Jim fills up his plastic cup to drink from The Fountain of Youth.

However, due to the massive development of St. Augustine, the natural spring no long freely flows, and now must be pumped from the ground.

So we both grabbed a little plastic cup and took a drink from the slight sulfur smelling water. No, it wasn’t good or refreshing. But we did it!

Other Attractions

Once you exit the Fountain of Youth building, you can find several other structures and live demonstrations occurring on the grounds.

spanish hut — A replica of a Spanish hut that would have been used for shelter in the 16th century.

From a cannon going off every hour to blacksmith demonstrations, there are several other things to see while you are here.

But the most interesting area to us, beside the Fountain itself, was the Native American burial grounds located on the property.

In 1934 a work crew found human bones while digging on the Fountain of Youth property. 90 Native American remains were found. And these are the earliest known remains of a Christian burial of indigenous peoples in what is now the United States.

indian burial site — The site where 90 Native Americans were buried and recovered in what is believed to be the first Christian burial.

We continued our walk on the grounds and found ourselves on the Founders’ Observation Riverwalk. This pier walking path allows you to stand above the bay, looking towards St. Augustine’s inlet. And the views are absolutely spectacular.

When we finally made it back to the exit, we decided that we already felt much younger from drinking from The Fountain of Youth. Isn’t feeling young a state of mind, anyway?

the pier — The pier leads you out into the water where you can see all sorts of wildlife as you look towards St. Augustine’s inlet.

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 175 of 365
States : 22/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Kingsland, Georgia
Miles Driven : 91.7
Total Trip Miles To Date : 18,796.7
Total Gallons Used : 1,342.6
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 186.7
Hiking Miles : 1.7
Hiking Miles To Date : 395.4

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States