FTJ 126: Beach, Wind, Water

We went back to a favorite place last week: Beverly Beach. We pulled our RV into a slot, nosed over the lovely beach (practically) and...heaven. The ocean is right out the windshield.

Quite an experience staying here.

We also happened to be there at the right time to meet up with our good friend Cappy the Clown, whom we met here last year. It was as if no time had gone by.

Great seeing you, Cappy.

Cappy! Forgot to get a photo of her this year, so I borrowed this one from her Facebook page. She is a one-of-a-kind lady.

Took this shot through the windshield of our RV. Life doesn't get better than this.

On to Sebastian...

We continued south and hit a new place -- Pelican's Landing, a very nice "boutique" RV park right on the intracoastal. Very special, with docks and a beautiful clubhouse. Everything you need. 

The view from our site. Man, we still need a boat.

Behind Beau is a common area with cushy patio furniture for your lounging pleasure. Very squish.

Too bad the wind came up on the second day and "blew stink," as Beau would say, for the rest of our stay. It was so windy that I thought we would have to weight Buddy down. Poor Beau -- we came here because he remembered it looked so great for fishing. Alas, that is now impossible. 

Buddy's neighbor, a Keeshond. Thankfully, a friendly one.

But we still had a nice Thanksgiving. We found a half fresh turkey, which was the perfect size for us. Despite my less than stellar culinary skills, it came out okay in our little convection/microwave combo oven. Our second Thanksgiving "on the road." Not quite the same as Kerouac's trip, but....

A toast to all our friends and family. We are thinking of you.

Tomorrow we head south to another new place, Margate, FL, and a new resort, Aztec. Beau wants to meet up with an old high school buddy in the area.  Then on December 1st we start our month in Key West.

Tanks, Panky

FTJ 125: Enjoying the Golden Isles

Before I forget, here are a few photos of our good friends, Claudette and Dave Reed, who live in Hilton Head.

Claudette and Dave joined us for brunch. It was a lovely day, so we ate outside.

Pals for half a century. Can you imagine?

Oh, and I forgot to include this restaurant sign, from Bluffton, SC, outside of Hilton Head. An oddity -- and a name that conjures up so many dirty double entendres.

From Hilton Head, we traveled to Brunswick, GA, and the "Golden Isles" of Georgia. We were totally wowed by two of these barrier islands -- Jekyll and Saint Simons. We liked the latter so much, in fact, that we are seriously considering spending a few months there -- putting the RV in storage and immersing ourselves in the island life. Who knows? We could end up there, spending our golden years in the Golden Isles.

But first, Jekyll Island. Besides beautiful live oaks and stupendous golf courses, Jekyll is the home of a turtle rescue center and the Jekyll Island Club, a ritzy club/hotel developed at the turn of the century (late 1800s) by 53 well heeled members/investors, among whom were Marshall Field, Henry Hyde, J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, and William K. Vanderbilt. Many of the millionaires, such as J.P. Morgan, anchored their sizable yachts off the island for the summers. Quite impressive.

Beau at the Jekyll Island Club. We are thinking of becoming members -- NOT.

A beautiful bar inside.

The historic area on Jekyll is a charming collection of old buildings, many of which have been converted to boutiques and specialty shops.

A typical drive on Jekyll. Love the Spanish moss.

At the turtle rescue center.

Saint Simons is more developed than Jekyll, with a cute downtown area and lots of retail complexes along the length of the island. It seems very lively and friendly. And relatively affordable, at least in terms of rental costs.

Saint Simons Island has a pristine lighthouse at its southern end...

...and a spectacular beach to the east. The rock-hard sandy expanse reminded us of Carrabelle beach in Florida, another of our favorite places.

Before we departed, I had to take this photo of one of the Saint Simons residents. Adorable.

Yeah, whadda YOU lookin at?  OMG, so cute.

We're now looking over the Atlantic Ocean from our site at Beverly Beach, FL -- a return trip to a favorite place as we make our way down the coast.  It was in the low 80s today and gorgeous.

Hey, all you turkeys, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Tanks, Panky

FTJ 124: High in the Low Country

After 17 days at Myrtle Beach, we went traveling again, arriving at Hilton Head Island, SC, on Wednesday.

We are now relishing being on the water here at Hilton Head RV Resort and Marina, a beautiful RV park perched on Skull Creek, part of the intracoastal waterway. 

Paying a bit more than our budget to have this marvelous view. Too bad we don't have a boat...

The resort is top notch, with a marina and a high-end restaurant.

The resort marina.

Pool and restaurant.

As for any exciting "travel" news...eh, there isn't too much to report. We are relaxing lately, I guess. 

Old Friends

Last night Beau's grammar school buddy Dave Reed and his lovely wife Claudette had us over for dinner, and we had a great time filling them in on our adventures. It was wonderful seeing them.

Today we drove around the island a little. Seems to me that HHead is a beautiful collection of very upscale, secure gated communities. A bit confusing to get around because the signage is so discreet (hidden) that it is tough to find anything.

We did manage to get to a beach, where the low tide had created a wide tidal marsh, nurturing all kinds of bird life.

Egret in the tidal grasses.

Enough for now. Next up, Brunswick, GA, and Jekyll Island.

Have a great weekend.

Tanks, Panky