Fish Fry at Uncle Ray and BJ's campsite. Lake Corpus Christi, TX.

Overlooking Lake Corpus Christi in Texas on a calm evening.

Thanksgiving 2004 Trip

Just got back from our annual trek back to Texas for the family reunion. Had a blast and made some lifestyle decisions that will be of interest to some.


Going home to Seguin, TX is always a highlight for me. Getting to see the extended family with my mom, siblings, all my uncles and aunts, and old and new nieces and nephews is a refresher (though being an aging codger, small doses are good). When we first arrived at my mom's house we were greeted by typical late fall Texas weather - rain. And lots of the wet stuff. We made it to the house alright, but then were land locked for 4 days until the flood waters subsided enough to let us cross the low water crossings.

On the fifth day though, the weather cleared up to a beautiful next few days, even if it was a bit breezy. Went around and visited old friends and even ran into one of my buddies I hadn't seen since High School, a real treat. Man I can't tell you how he has aged. He didn't keep himself young looking like me (smirk). Actually, Pete looked pretty good considering the gulf of years that has passed. He came over to my mom's and we all had a fine meal, reminiscing over old times (and putting Christa to sleep).

A couple of days later, Thanksgiving arrived with everyone present except for Becky and Rod (sister and bro-in-law) and my brother Blair. This year was Becky and Rod's year to travel to his folks for Thanksgiving (Kansas), and my brother Blair had to have back surgery in Montana. Fortunately everything turned out well. Becky and Rod got to take in some Pheasant hunting and Blair's surgery was a success. The rest of us just had to endure terrific foods and great company, Texas style. Yep, that means having the Thanksgiving Brisket (prepared by my brother Ben) and handmade tamales. Of course there was a big bird there and some glazed pork as well. And of course their was the dessert bar, wow. A whole lot of pies cakes, cookies, puddings, yadayadayada.

The following week we hooked up the camper and off we went to Rockport, TX to see another of my oldest and best friends, Dave and Debbie. Genuinely good Texas people. While in Rockport we stayed at the "Lagoons RV Resort," a beutiful and friendly park. Most everybody got to know Lucy (our pooch) by the second day. Clean with lots of activities going on. Alot of snowbirds down from the cooler north were enjoying some really mild late fall weather.

We always love to go and see Dave and Debbie whenever we get the chance. David and I have been like soul brothers for close to 40 years. One of those friends that are just comfortable to sit and talk (or not). Enjoyed some fine dining courtesy of Debbie (she knows everybody and all the best places to eat). The second evening Dave, Debbie and their daughter prepared a fantastic meal of shrimp and beef fajitas. Man, there's nothing better. As usual, just not enough time to visit with your friends as much as you like and the time to go arrived all to early. If only we could just stay a little longer, that would be great. Wait a minute. Earlier I mentioned a lifestyle changing decision.

Oh yeah, we made the big decision and traded up to a full sized class A motorhome. A big 'un. We have been batting around the idea of going "fulltime," that is live on the road, for a while. We could never take the plunge, well we did this time. Picked up a 37' diesel pushin, leather festooned home on wheels. We picked it up while visiting the Camper Clinic in Rockport and came across this rig that had been left for a consignment sale the weekend previous. Alot more than we were looking to spend, but it's pretty nice. I haven't taken pictures of it yet, but will try to get some posted soon.

Leaving Rockport, we went to Lake Corpus Christi to spend a couple of days with my Uncle Ray and Aunt BJ. We stayed at the park they semi fulltime at, the KOA at Lake Corpus Christi, just north of Mathis, TX. A beautiful lake that they winter at (they come down from Colorado every year) and do a great deal of catfishing on. Matter of fact, we had a fish fry while we were there with fresh caught cats. Some more real fine eatin'. A great evening of sittin', eatin' and talkin' while looking out over a beatiful sunset on the lake. It is not better than that.

The next day we were off again back to my mom's house where we stayed until about mid December. The night before we left, we went and had a Christmas Dinner at our old Disabled American Veterans Chapter house in Seguin. Chapter 61, headed up by Doug and Terri. A great couple that really work hard for veteran benefits. Some more really good food (including, of course, the Christmas Brisket, pepared by Phil) and great company. A really good time.

Finally the time had come to depart. We were sad to leave as usual, but mixed with excitement at the prospect of travelling in the new motorhome. The monster drives like a dream. It just glides over the rode and is surprisingly easy to handle. Of course, at the first fuel stop, my dream like trance of enjoyment was rudely slammed to full wakefullness when I had to pony up the bill. WOW!!! $160 a pop. Oh well, I get about 700 miles out of a tank, so it's not to bad. My previous rig (F250 and trailer) got about 10.5-11 mpg. Now I'm getting 8.5-9 mpg.

We're anxious now to get with the program. That means unloading the house, putting keeper stuff in storage, and selling everything else. We hope to be on the road by April and will be heading for Alaska by June.

Maybe we'll see you on the road.

Atlanta 15-20 October 2004

Sorry about the lateness of this post, things were pretty busy on our return home.

A great trip to Atlanta, Georgia. Seen here is the entrance to Jones RV park in Norcross, a suburb of Atlanta, where we pitched camp during our stay. Not as pretty as most of the parks we usually stay at, but very clean and the people were super. At the time we were there, plenty of pull throughs were to be had. We were informed, though, that soon their winter season would kick off and they stayed pretty full. So the hint is call ahead. One thing that makes this a nice choice is there location to points in town. I recommend driving to the nearest MARTA public rail station, parking for free and riding the train to any destinations in town. Saves on parking fees, the hassle of finding parking, and the stress of driving in city traffic. If you're a country bumkin like myself, the driving can be unnerving. I think I witnessed at least 2 collisions each day we were there, a couple pretty serious.

While we were here we took in a football game (Falcons versus Chargers), saw Stone Mountain State park (beautiful, even though it rained on us all day), drove by the Falcons Training faciltiy at Flowerly Branch (closed to public day of our visit), took a day trip around Lake Lanier (a very pretty and clean lake), and visited the Mall of Georgia (to me just another mall, but Disneyland to the missus). We also toured the Coca Cola Museum, CNN studios, and The Underground (another mall, only underground), in downtown Atlanta.

An action packed 5 day stay, with interesting and beautiful sites. Downtown Atlanta is a fine city with lots to offer to just about everyone. Stone Mountain Amusement Park looks like it would be loads of fun, but we were rained on all day with most of the attractions closed or running intermittent schedules as the weather allowed. One thing to point out is the German Food Restaurant in Stone Mountain Village. Great food and neat little pub. Nice bakery, too. I can't remember the full name of the place, but you can't miss it if you're in the heart of Stone Mountain Village.

Atlanta is a city to see, but plan well, and use the MARTA whenever posible. We enjoyed the trip and hope we can get back through here again. My only real beef was that diesel cost more than premium gas. As diesel is the cheapest product out of a barrell of fuel oil, I can't see the justification in these prices.

Good travels to you and hope you're enjoying life's journeys. Already looking forward to our next trip which will be in a westerly direction.

Old covered bridge in the Stone Mountain State Park. Pretty neat, of course it's raining here, too.

A rainy view of Stone Mountain. Pretty awesome sight, especially with lightning striking the mountain top. Needless to say, the Skyrail was closed that day. Bad luck for us.

Stone Mountain Amusement Park. As you can probably see our visit was not made under the most optimal weather conditions, but we did literally have the park to ourselves.

Entrance to the CNN studios and newscenter in Atlanta.

Old Train outside Atlanta Underground.

Covered bridge in Stone Mountain State Park.

Coca Cola Museum in dowtown Atlanta.

Falcons Vs Chargers on 17 October 2004. What a great game, particularly if you were a Falcon fan. This was the opening ceremony to the game.

Camping on Jekyll Island, Georgia

This last weekend, we took a short trip to Jekyll Island in Georgia. Hurricane Ivan was kicking up some dust (and wind, and rain) so we went east to get further away from the action. Proved to be a decision of some luck. Most folks were heading away from the beaches, so we when we finally arrived at the Jekyll Island Campground, we were pretty much alone. The campground was still cleaning up from Hurricane Frances that had come through the previous weekend, but the park was in really good shape all things considered. This is one of our favorite parks because of it's location next to beaches.

We only stayed about 4 days, but had a very good time. We took a trolley tour about St. Simon Island allowing us to get a pretty good dose of the local history and high points. I highly suggest this tour if you are going to be limited in your length of stay. The lady that operated the Trolley, known as the "Trolley Lady" because she has been doing it for some time, was very knowledgeable and friendly in her accounts of the Island lore. She stopped on several occassions so that I could take some pictures of the trees with the carved faces.

One of the stops was for the Wesley Methodist Church. A beautiful little church nestled amonst stately oaks, pines and a few cypress trees. Though small, the church is a work of prcision carpentry, and was built by period shipwrights. Going in to look at the stained glass windows is a treat in itself, having some of the finest glass work around, including a couple of Tiffany windows. If your in the St Simon/Sea Island area, this is a must see item.

Back on Jekyll Island, we enjoyed some beach time though the water was a bit choppy and the wind a bit blustery. To be expected with a near miss by a hurricane. While we were enjoying a little peace time on the beach, we chanced upon a shrimp boat that had gone aground. The picture below shows a handful of spectators that were watching as the boat tried to free itself. When we first arrived on the scene, another boat had been (at least it appeared so) trying to assist the hapless shrimper off the beach. We left after a few hours with the boat still stuck and about an hour left til high tide. However, passing by a few hours later, we noticed that the shrimper was gone and guessed that he must have freed himself. At least there wasn't any wreckage to indicate otherwise.

A last item to mention is of course the restaurants we ate at. The first was "Lattitude 31." Excellent. This eatery sits on a pier overlooking the inner canal between Jekyll and the mainland. Christa had broiled shrimp on fettucine and I had a broiled grouper and shrimp platter. Both plates were excellent. I also had a cup of the seafood soup, mighty tasty. The atmosphere was and service were both excellent. We paid about $18 a plate. We will be seeing this place again.

The other restaurant was "Blackbeard's Family Seafood Restaurant" overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. This was the second time for us eating at this place, so, as you can guess, we favored it from our previous visit. We paid about $16 a plate, and though I like Lattitude 31 a little better, I will say that Blackbeard's is not to be walked away from. The service was exceptional, the atmosphere gets you ready for some good seafood, and the chef delivers. My broiled shrimp were a little overdone, but overall, another outstanding meal.

We love the Island feel of Jekyll and the other Islands in the Brunswick area. Jekyll and St Simon both have ordinances that limit building to 45 feet high. This is important because it has kept the big condos and hotels from coming in and obliterating the beach view as they are doing in places like Panama City, Fl. We even toyed with the idea of looking at some property, but found that we need to win a lottery or something if we want to move there. However, I can definately say that we will return for future stays at the Jekyll Island Campground.

Christa standing next to one of the famous St. Simon Island faces. These carvings are in the trunks of various trees about the island. Supposedly, these faces were the faces of sailors lost at sea many years ago.

A shrimp boat suffering a minor grounding with seas whipped up by Hurricane Ivan. The boat and spectators are on Jekyll Island, Ga, around the 20th of Sept, 2004. The boat worked itself free a few hours later.

Georgia Veteran's Memorial State Park

The four photos that are shown below where taken from our recent trip to Georgia's Veteran's Memorial State Park Near Cordele, GA. Another beautiful Georgia State Park, so far they are batting a thousand with me. Clean,well maintained by friendly staff, with a nice veterans museum to boot. We undertook this camp out with some friends of ours Curtand Audry, who were testing out there new Crossroads Travel Trailer. We did try some fishing, but did not get a bite from anything worth keeping. That's OK with me I'm not that good with a pole and worm.

I do like to take pictures of the natural beauty of places and Lake Blackshear offers some really great views. Though a popular recreation lake with lot's of power boaters and jet skiiers, we found it not to crowded to get some quality paddle time.

While at the park we enjoyed some fine dining at "The Olde Inn" located across the road and a little west from the entrance to the park. I had a wonderful Mexican Grouper dish that was both spicy and tasty.

Some of the other highlights of the trip was a quick jaunt to Plains, GA, and the home of the 39th President, Mr. Jimmy Carter. I was pretty impressed by the humble roots of the man. A quiet unsupposing little town, Plains still has the look of a little farming community surrounded by fields of cotton, peanuts, corn and pecan groves. We visited a couple of the shops in town, finding friendly folks and some chocolate peanut brittle. Man, that could get addictive.

Another highlight on this trip was the Veteran's Museum located behind the main checkin to the State Park. Very well done with donations from many Georgia Veterans. A facinating display of military memorabilia, personal histories, and pictures. Not a big museum, but nicely done and free though they do accept contributions to help with the maintenance.

If you are into the high side of life they have a nice little resort called "The Retreat" which looked like they could cater to someone looking to really relax.
On our trip home we encountered many folks headed north to escape Hurricane Francis. Most were headed to North Georgia or further. As for ourselves we needed to go ahead and get back as we hadn't strapped anything down in preparation for the big blow.

All in all a very good trip with a high recommendation to make this state park a stop on your travels or as a complete destination in itself. Until next time, happy trails.

A perfect sunset over Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park near Cordele, GA. Taken from my kayak after a great paddle.

A picture of me after having just climbed back into the kayak from a quick dip in Lake Blackshear.

Here is Christa taking in a beautiful vista. Lake Blackshear in Central Georgia.

We just got back from a week and a half camp at Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park. Once again Georgia scores high with me for the beauty and cleanliness of their parks. Here is a picture while out on Lake Blackshear. A nice little paddle around the shores, this being a self portrait coming out of a water bound cypress grove. Only saw one gator, not very big (about 6 or 7 feet) and he slipped away on my approach.

Another photo from our recent trip to Lake Seminole State Park. Captured here are my special gals. Lucy (in front) is navigating through Jet Ski/Ski boat laden lake towards the main river. Really a very fun day. Ithink we already have our next trip planned, a trip to some middle of the state (Georgia) parks. Maybe next week. Can't wait,I'm ready to go now.

A picture of my rig, the 2004 F250 and the 2004 Keystone Cougar travel trailer. We were set up at Lake Seminole State Park while Hurricane Charley was raging to the south east of us. The weather here was beautiful, though it rained on us when we started to leave Thomasville on Friday. This State Park is a really nice park with stuff for everyone: boating, skiing, paddling, swimming, hiking and wildlife viewing in general. We'll be back.
Photo by Marlin

The why and what for...

As new folks to the RV (thats Recreational Vehicle) theater, we jumped in with both feet. We bought our first trailer, a 1998 28' Timberland bunkhouse model in January of 2004. The first tow vehicle was a white Dodge 2001 1500 4WD. That relationship didn't last long as the trailer pushed the truck to its limit. So, upgraded to an F250 PSD. This proved to be the ticket as the Ford provides plenty of power. The next problem was that the trailer had a bunk setup which we realized took up a lot of space for a purpose we did not need (kids are grown). So we traded that in on a 2004 Keystone Cougar in April 2004. Been happy ever since.

Since then have been putting the rig to some use going lots of places. From Port Aransas, TX to Gulfport, Mississippi around the coastline to Milton, FL and further around andd down to Clearwater, FL on the West Coast of Florida. After a short rest at home, we then took off for Perry, GA, for a Disabled Veterans Conventionfor a short week. We then continued onto Chattanooga, TN over to Ashville, NC and a short trip to Richmond, VA and a nice visit with some old friends. Then on the road again to Charleston, SC, Savannah, GA and finally home. Met some good people along the way, ate some really good food and racked up the miles on rig. We'll give it a rest now for a bit, maybe 3 weeks or so, but we already have a short trip to Jekle Island, GA planned for the near future.

Until the next time "A fair wind and following seas" to you.

This is a pic of my first trailer and my second tow vehicle. Taken on the beach at St. George Island in Florida. It was a good day though a bit brisk in February.
Photo by Marlin