Georgia Oh Georgia!

Hilton Head Lighthouse

Feeling a little Ray Charles, finding myself in Georgia for the first time. Last note in a previous blog, Heading into Hilton Head Island, GA, and out of our league. We ventured in hopeful. Just a couple miles off the highway we started seeing meticulously manicured sides to the road. On each turn off there were 25-foot brick tower road makers announcing the developments or shopping venues off each road. Each had a huge HH stylized in print at the top.  When you see a stone announcement that there is a McDonalds, Subway, and Staples, this is no ordinary island in rural America. This is SouthEast Beach finery. We felt sad we left the limo at home. We decided we wanted to go see the lighthouse that we saw online and get some pictures. The picture from above is the only one we got.

We traveled the cross-island parkway clear to the other side, paid two tolls and found out that there is a guardhouse into that part of the island and Motorhomes are NOT allowed. The residents of that area have forbidden them allowed in. "Denied!" We turned around on the final loop and decided we did see some outlet stores and would go get something to eat there. "Denied" there was only fast food.

We went around the corner and saw a sign for "The Salty Dog". At this the Admiral got excited. We found ample parking by the dumpster in the back and ventured in!

Greeted with Jack Johnson and Jimmy Buffett music, island decor, great seating and a large screen tv, showing all the parts of the island we missed on a slide show, we sat down ready to eat.

As the old Salty Dog himself rambled the restaurant checking the place out we looked at the menu.

Brandon brought our attention to the things that the Salty Dog offers that are unique. Fresh made pizza dough from scratch daily. Healthy fare. Fresh ingredients.

I had the best fish and chips, with hush puppies and super slaw. It was amazing white fish delicately breaded, (french fries always go to Bob) and Superslaw is anti-oxidant heavy with broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, kohlrabi, jicama, kale, and celery, and hush puppies; something that you can never find in the west-coast eateries. I was in heaven. Bob had a 16-inch tomato, spinach, bacon, and feta cheese pizza that was amazing and he took 1/3 of it home for dinner. This description is for my friend Rick who is eating vicariously through our blog. At lunch, we decided where our next leg would be and where we would spend the night.

We found a great looking option on Skidaway Island State Park, finally an island that likes RVs.
It was so good that we are staying put for three days. Awaking the first day the air was hot and humid but for the first time, not unbearable for me. The campsite was a nice place to institute some good family games like hide-and-seek.

Admiral swore he would he would "give no quarter to us landlubbers" at hide-and-seek since he was so small he could hide anywhere.

Round One

 Round Two

 Round Three

BUSTED! 

The Admiral is indeed challenged in the wisdom area of conscious concealment to avoid predation. We actually avoided finding him several times so that he felt better. It is far more difficult with the Grandkids. They are sneaky!

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In the afternoons we went for bike rides, my route was shorter than Bob's. It is fun to ride around and see the many types of RVs and how campers have them set up.

Bob went for a ride along a trail through a salt marsh. He saw many fiddler crabs, an egret and heard several owls.

There was also a corn mash whiskey still that was in operation during the prohibition period. This was before the bridge was built connecting the mainland to the island. The moonshiners paddled through the swamp with the raw materials as well as the finished product.




While I had a meeting Bob rode over to the Interpretive Center. He said how much the grandkids would love the center. There were lizards, turtles and snakes. They also would have enjoyed learning about the Giant Ground Sloth who roamed these areas ten thousand years ago.
After visiting the Interpretive Center Bob went for a short walk on the Center's boardwalk across the swampy area.

              

Tonight we biked through the swampy area to a boardwalk and lookout point to watch the sunset.

I did good on the ride except for the landing. My bikes brakes are not working too well and I ran into a picnic table. Aleve before bed, for sure!

All in all the three days stopped in one point has been a welcome respite. Tomorrow we hit the road again for the last jaunt to Jacksonville.

Today we are one month into our three (or more) month tour of the USA. It has been remarkable. There have been encounters with historical areas and peoples we have only read about.

• We felt the spirit of the mountains where the First Nations met in the days of the invasions of the white explorers and settlers.
• We stopped in the deep south and saw maps of Civil War battles by the hundreds in each state where brother took up arms against brother, Americans against Americans.
• I talked to a lovely lady in Georgia about the virtue of stainless steel pans with copper bottoms and how they are not made the way they were before.
• We got denied in high society area Hilton Head. 
• We hugged and cried with a friend, we communicated from a distance with those we love and those we are praying and caring for. 

There has been blessing sprinkled around every corner and I am doing all this with the man I love and the best traveling companion ever, the Admiral!