Days 29 -34 - Jekyll Island Campground - Thu

Jekyll Island Campground 2/16/2015 - 2/21/2015

1197 Riverview Drive

Jekyll Island, GA 31527

Thursday , 2/19/2015  "Gung Hay Fat Choy", 新年快乐 or Happy New Year to my Chinese friends.  The Lunar New Year...the year of the Goat. And a big Happy Birthday to my friend, Tony, owner of Sakura Garden in Hastings, my other home away from home.

So much for biking 10-15 miles around the island today.  I woke up to 30° and  my heating system has served me well.  It was 40° when I retired about midnight but I knew it would drop. Knowing the heat pump associated with the AC doesn't work below 38°, I switched over to the furnace.  The heat pump located on the roof, just cannot extract sufficient heat from the atmosphere to work properly.  You must then turn to the furnace for the cabin heat which is propane driven.  Right now, I have a ½ tank and will refill at the office when I leave Saturday morning.  I'm sure as I progress northward I'll need it. I've been chuckling all morning as I see other campers walking around with parkas, hoods, and gloves.  Below freezing in Georgia?  Guess it happens, eh? 

 Thanks to Marybeth's Christmas gift, I am able to greatly reduced my reliance on the propane. Thermostatically controlled, the little unit maintains Winnie at 70° 

With little else to write about today, I can share that because of the all-day, rain on Tuesday, I've finally finished reading the 1,200+ science fiction novel, The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson.  I've shared the book cover's synopsis with a couple of readers who expressed interest:

"Now there are four who we watch: the surgeon, forced to forsake healing and fight in the most brutal war of our time; the assassin, who weeps as he kills; the liar, who wears her scholar's mantle over a thief's heart; and the prince, who's eyes open to the ancient past as his thirst for battle wanes. One of them may redeem us, one of them will destroy us." 

Basically, the author wove four separate novels into one huge work and, AGAIN, left me dangling with no ending or conclusions to any of them. Instead, I must wait for the yet to be published, Book 2, "Words of Radiance."  He got me again.  I say again because my friend, Paul, got me interested in Sanderson and I did indeed finish and enjoy the "Mistborn Triolgy". Three novels, one providing background for the next and at the end?  He left me dangling with unanswered questions; the story line begged for a sequel but I haven't read where there will be one. CLICK HERE  to visit his website and see what I've gotten myself into.  I think he's a creative, literary genius with his plot and characters development as well as his made up words for people, places, and things.  

So there you have it.  What a retiree does with too much time on his hands; literally, "chillin'" in his RV down in Georgia.  The sun is shining so I may venture out but I doubt it.  

My cousin, living just outside Boston, again reminds me why I'm a "happy camper."  He says Boston had some snow;

And friend, Diane, visiting in Cape Cod, captured these beautiful sights at Cape Cod Bay:

 




 Then there's Niagara Falls freezing over and Lake Michigan 99% frozen

Waddya think?  Will I
 do this again next year?

.  

Days 29 -34 - Jekyll Island Campground - Wed

Jekyll Island Campground 2/16/2015 - 2/21/2015

1197 Riverview Drive

Jekyll Island, GA 31527

Wednesday , 2/18/2015

After paying a once-per-day toll of $10.00 (for oversized
vehicles like Winnie) these towers representing

Spanish Mission Revival Architecture greet you as you 

approach the causeway onto the island.

SR-520 Jekyll Island Road headed toward the Causeway

 Located at the far northern end of the 7 mile island.

Walked a mile around the campground
and took the following photos

Rental transportation available

Old stand of 5 pines.  The largest and  oldest on the island is the
the Plantation Oak.  It's located behind the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.
It's estimated to be 350-400 years old, is over 7 feet in diameter,
measures 128 feet limb to limb, has a girth of 23 feet and is 112 feet tall.

A early morning glimpse at sunrise.

Approaching the Bird Sanctuary.  No motor homes
allowed in the area. 

"Beautified In Memory Of Departed Winter Guests"

 A very peaceful area.  The only sound was the constant
squawking of grackles which, at this time, was the only bird I saw.

 All bird feeders were filled and it's apparent they take
pride in providing for the wildlife and the campers.
In the office they have a "tip jar" for donations to be
used for bird seed.

Doubt you can read the small titles of birds but they include:

Blue Jays, Carolina Chickadees, Carolina Wrens

Grackles, American Goldfinches, House finch, Mourning dove

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, and the Northern Parula.

 Well constructed and maintained swings along the
perimeter of the fenced-in feeding area.

 A popular visitor here...a tree rat...Grackles were
the only bird observed.

 Spacious and well laid out sites maximize space.
There are 3 RVs around me but I don't feel crowded in.
Signs denoting Sections and Sites are large, conspicuous
and look new. Nothing shabby about this campground.

 Looking "down my street". Note the tiny red
reflectors on the left tree and the orange reflector
on the right.

Thanks for taking the time to check in.  Tomorrow, I hope to rent a bike ($15.00 for the day) and tour the island for more photos.  P.S. Freeze warnings are issued--for here.  Wind chills will bring temps down into the 20's.  With 21 days left, this certainly has been a "Winter Adventure." 

February/March 2015 Itinerary - The Last Update

Well, this is it; what I hope to be the end of a very interesting, pleasant, and most relaxing "Winter Adventure."  Well, it wasn't that relaxing.  Being in touch with so many friends and relatives and reading the news and weather, I was concerned for all including my pending travels up north.  

I'm sure it's because of the time of year but the easiest time I had was speaking with the very pleasant folks at each of the remaining three campsites I've reserved.  To change the dates of arrivals/departures as well as the length of stay was simple, quick, and easy.  All were so very accommodating....it would never happen "in-season."  I know that. 

DATE	DAY		CAMPGROUND & ADDRESS		TRAVEL TIME
	28
2/16/15 2/17/17 2/18/15 2.19/15 2/20/15 Leave 2/21	Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat		Jekyll Island Campground 1197 Riverview Drive Jekyll Island, GA		From Port Orange, FL 172 miles - 2 hrs 30 min
	34
2/21/15 2/22/15 2/23/15 Leave 2/24	Sat Sun Mon Tue		Roger & Wendy 11 Orchid Lane Bluffton, SC		From Jekyll Island, GA 117 miles - 2 hours
	38
2/24/15 2/25/15 2/26/15 2/27/15 2/28/15 3/1/15 3/2/15 Leave 3/3	Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue		Lakewood Camping Resort 5901 S. Kings Hwy Myrtle Beach, SC 29575		From Sun City, SC 178 miles - 3 hours 30 min.
	46
3/3/15 3/4/15 3/5/15 3/6/15 3/7/15 3/8/15 3/9/15 Leave 3/10	Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue		Holiday Trav-L-Park 1075 General Booth Boulevard Virginia Beach, VA 23451		From Myrtle Beach, SC 358 miles - 5 hours 45 min.
	54
3/10/15 Leave 3/11	Tue Wed		Timberlane Campground 117 Timberlane Road Clarksboro, NJ 08020		From Virginia Beach, SC 264 miles - 4 hours 40 min
	55
3/12/15	Thu		Winnie Storage 853 Rte 35 Cross River, NY		From Clarksboro, NJ 151 miles - 2 hours 35 min
Updated:  02/17/2015		56 days		12 Campgrounds visited		3,167 miles traveled

Days 29 -31 - Jekyll Island Campground

Jekyll Island Campground 2/16/2015 - 2/19/2015

1197 Riverview Drive

Jekyll Island, GA 31527

Monday, 2/16/2015

   

206 Sites on 80 Wooded Acres

Once again my drive on I-95 to the next destination was uneventful with just a stop to refuel. (I'm whispering that) I have been very fortunate in this area.  I guess the time of day that I'm out there on the road is the key.  I miss both morning and afternoon commuter traffic and most campground/trips have been planned to be about two to five driving hours at most in length.  Being an "Elite Member" of Good Sam, it's always nice getting $.03/gal off the price of diesel.  Pilot, Flying J, and Love stations down here in the south are the best both in price and their facilities which cater to the truckers/travelers.  

I arrived on Jekyll Island and found it was another 9 miles before I reached the campsite.  The drive seemed to go on forever.  The island is long and narrow running north and south.  The campground is at northern end.  Again, I see a crowded campground with RVs of all sizes nestled among towering, old pines, draped beautifully with Spanish moss.  With all the RVs surrounding me, it was unusually quiet and very few campers out and about.  Those I did see were dog walkers.  Again, the bigger the person, the smaller the dog.  The grounds are sandy and covered with some fallen leaves and moss.  I met the neighbors behind me, Gary and Kathy, from Canada who come annually for a short period of time and indicated that they've made reservations ahead 3 years.  After April 1st, Gary says, the northerners leave and the campground fills with locals.  I have a lot of photos taken as I approached the island but the Internet is too slow to upload them to the blog.  Someday........

After setting up, I performed my usual routine of announcing my safe arrival to those who requested texts or phone calls.  Next up was the cynical, "yeah, sure" anticipation of a working, strong Internet.  The brochure reads, "Complimentary Wireless & Wire High Speed Internet Access." The gal in the office where I registered says, "We have nodes setup all over."  Gary, next store, seems pleased with it.  And Charlie Oogotz?  Problems.  iPhone? Okay.  iPad? Okay.  Laptop?  My main means of communication? Not so good.  So, you ask, "what's up with the laptop?"  I shall work on that today.  Another thing I'm going to work on materialized from my learning that Virginia will be receiving 1-3" of snow today.  Nice.  Right where I'm going in 8 days.  Do I want to?  No.  So I'm going to see about extending my stay at the remaining 3 campsites for a total of another week or more.  Interesting how, as my sister points out, I had to watch when to leave in January and now have to watch when I return in March.  My blog on Wednesday will have the new, updated itinerary.

Tuesday, 2/17/2015.

Woke up at 5 am today for whatever reason and checked the weather up north.  Sure enough, a big white splotch of weather sits on Virginia.  This will move up the east coast and visit Boston again.  (Maybe they should start rooting for the NY Yankees).  Rain was due by 7 am here in GA and, sure enough, it arrived.  I should have retracted my awning but neglected to do so and now I'll have to wait until the sun shines once again to dry it off before bringing it in.  At 59° I find it very mild.  The heat seldom kicked in during the night.  It's forecast to last the entire day and after midnight so my photo-walk will have to wait.  Instead, I'll work on re-arranging my "Winter Adventure."