It’s me! I’m Luc. I’m awake! Did I sleep in a 30 ft camper last night?
You got that right, buddy. It’s Day #2, and I think the drizzling rain outside is reminding us that we are onto something. We need to get further south, and we need to do it F A S T! ! !
But, let’s not forget about personal hygiene. Although I am only six years of age you must know that I take personal hygiene very seriously! To put it into another language: “Mama, AA ist draussen!” This is our favorite household staple, and even Daddy enjoys using it. It’s applicable whenever someone has gone to the bathroom, has done a #2 job, and now it’s time to wipe and call for help. You can come up with your own translation, although feel free to use above expression. ;-)
Daddy and me are up for showers first, and it’s actually a lot of fun to walk over to the little shower house and stand under the stream of wonderfully hot water. Lya and Mommy are next, as Daddy and me start kicking around the soccer ball with Len.
There’s a caboose turned trailer on the campground that we get to check out from the outside, it’s sooOOOOO R E D. We throw some rocks in the lake at the hope of getting an alligator to come out, but you already guessed it: No such luck.
Mommy is busy with doing something inside of our new home, Daddy and me kick the soccer ball some more, and THEN , F I N A L L Y its time to drive on. Before we check out we top off the propane, just in case we have to battle some more cool nights, but we are pretty set on making it fahhhrrrrrr today! We are not called the Farers for nothing!!!
Daddy is driving again and we start studying the map as we start heading out of town. Daddy is really bent on stopping in Savannah - must have something to do with the audiobook Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil that he has listened to; I’m not so sure why he won’t let me listen to it? BUT, It’s a beautiful drive off the beaten I-95 path on the wonderful US 17 Savannah Hwy. To be highly recommended for sure! We get there in no time, but are still happy that we stopped in Charleston when everybody was still coherent and sane the night before.
Just before getting into town Mommy presents the results of her latest detailed study “How to get to Florida the fastest possible way!!!”. Apparently there is a town called Jacksonville in Florida, that is just across the border from Georgia (the State we have just driven into). But then again, Jacksonville is a little far for our drive today, so we start searching for campsites in the uppermost northern part of Florida. A friend had recommended the Iphone App “All Stays. Camp & RV” which popped out Little Talbot Island State Park! A quick look at the website and some reviews have us hooked in no time. We call up the State Ranger, and even though the Park closes a dusk or 5:00 pm, he promises us to stay until 6:30 pm in case we can’t make it earlier. Wow? Nice guy. Daddy takes a look at the websites, too, and is completely hooked just as we pull the camper into an amazingly convenient parking spot right smack in the middle of town. Think about that one for a second. We are talking 30 ft camper with four bikes on the back trailer! This is not so hard after all?!?
The beautiful white church shown in the above picture is very close to our parking spot and we are sure to not miss the camper when we will head back to it, as we will only have to listen for the beautiful chimes constantly coming of its bells. Somewhat of a Christmas flair is in the air, as the bells seem to be playing Christmas songs.
We run into two police officers and ask them for directions to an ice cream shop. It’s absolutely picture perfect! First they both look at each other, then they look at us, two adults and three kids, with eyes wide open in anticipation of a great ice cream treat. Then one points down one direction of the street, while simultaneously the other one points in the complete opposite direction.
Really? That way?X?
Nothing a group laugh won’t fix quickly. Then it’s easily decided that the one in the Movie Theater uptown will probably be the better choice. Two street crossings later we made it and the crazed for sugar fix is being put in place.
Daddy seems to be doing a lot of math in his head. Not sure why he keeps doing double takes at his watch and then finally saying: “We gotta get a move on if we want to make it to Little Talbot Island before 6:30”.
Off we are! Never mind sightseeing in Savannah! The ice cream was great! But we got places to be!
This time Mommy gets the wheel! Somehow it seems we start driving at the speed limit, or maybe even slightly above it??? Mommy??? How fast are you going? 70 mph! Wow!!! Mommy, what’s the speed limit? 70 mph! Mommy, how fast are you going….
Mom and Dad are both a little confused that the motorhome will actually hold his own in traffic just like any care trying to make up some time on a long drive. I guess that’s why the Truckers don’t mind going into the left lane time and time again?
Daddy gets on the phone to verify the Ranger will wait for us. The Ranger starts trying a little bit of a diversion technique (Don’t you folks want to go to Fernandina Beach instead?) – but Daddy pays little attention to what he is saying: “ So if we get there by 6:30 on the dot – you will still be there right?”
It’s a State Park after all, so the Ranger didn’t have too many encouraging words to say about being there at 6:30 on the dot, and Mommy’s foot just gets a little heavier.
Honey? Do you think we should stop for gas before we get to the Campground???? Mmmm, let me see. ¼ tank left? We can probably make it…..time ticks on……miles slip away….the tank gets emptier….but with modern technology at our fingertips we have a pretty good idea where exactly we are located and how much longer it will take to get to our destination. Later in the trip Mommy will mention how happy she is that she didn’t have to do this trip in a time before GPSs were available to the masses. So true. Lya and me especially love the friendly voice when it says: “You have reached your destination.” But not yet!
Time to leave I-95. Current Time 6:05 pm. Looks pretty good. Maybe we can even get some gas before we get there? Do you want to stop at this one, Hon? Nahhh, let’s make sure we get to the park first……6:11 and only 4 miles to go! What about that gas station? Ok, let’s get some before we run empty! And isn’t it great! Mommy picks up free Mustard from the store in those little FastFood Chain packets – these people are nice! We may have to fill up here, when we leave again? The Mustard will be great on our VeggieDogs tonight!
When we pull up to the ranger station at about 6:20 pm, in complete darkness, with our 30 ft Monster, the three rangers already have a pretty good idea of who it is! But they are all smiles. The ranger giving us the instructions is super nice and makes us feel at home with a very warm welcome. We get an access code to a gate on the other side of the street where the campground is located and a final warning: Watch out for the overhanging trees! Do not turn right on the dirt road, and don’t drive around in this darkness. Please go straight to your campsite!
Well, sir. You won’t have to tell us twice!
It’s an amazing drive into a jungle of trees, trees and more trees. It almost seems out of another time. When are the dinosaurs going to come out?
Mommy, do they really have Dinosaurs here?
Of course they don’t, or do they?
Mommy starts making the dogs, and Daddy starts preparing the first campfire of the trip. Needless to say he is quite the specialist, and before we know it we have happy tummies and are holding the F I R S T s’mores in our hands.
We are off to a good start! We all look at each other and remember the moment back in the camper when we were all high fiving each other as we were crossing the state line to Florida.
To Florida in less than 2 days! Yeah!
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