Exploring during COVID19

Ok y’all. I’m thinking it’s time for this Coronavirus to be gone! I know, I know. So many are dying and many more are sick. I do feel bad but how do we know who and what to believe. Just watching the daily news is enough for us to question the authenticity of it all. Why can’t they all just agree instead of every news station and every other type of media all have their theory or opinion. Grrrrr. Alright I’m done with my rant. I do hope you all are safe and healthy.

To occupy my way too busy mind, Rob humors me and takes us on a road trip to St. Simons Island. It’s across the water from Jekyll Island. While on Jekyll Island a week or two ago, we had seen the ship that capsized last September but only saw the bottom of it. It contains 4200 automobiles and needs to be sliced apart (after all the cars are removed) to get it out of the water.

       

The bottom of the Golden Ray from Jekyll Island

The top of the Golden Ray from St. Simons Island                                        

More details can be found at ssiresponse.com

As we approached the town we were surprised to see how many establishments were open as the “Stay in Place” order was still being enforced, or so we thought.  Even though Georgia was one of the first states to enter into Phase 1, which included the loosening up of the requirements for the beaches, it surprised me that we only saw 3 couples on the beaches. Every other place was well represented with people, most practicing safe socializing. Many locals were out on the pier trying their luck at bringing in that “big one” they all dream about. The best we saw on anyone’s line was a small hammerhead.

As we walked along the stone walkway taking in the sights, for a short while it felt so right and normal to be out and about.  The playground was closed as were the picnic areas, but it didn’t seem to matter. Most everyone was taking in the sunshine, getting exercise, be it walking, running or biking. We were all just living in the moment, thankful for the freedom we were feeling.

It’s unfortunate that the quarantine and “stay in place” is going on because there is so much to see here but it will have to wait until another time when we have regained our ability to explore unrestricted. We saw enough to whet our appetite so this will be added to our “must return to” list.

We took the long way back so we could take in some more sights. We are just awestruck at the size and beauty of the living oak trees that umbrella so much of this town. I hope you enjoy the few pictures that I have attached that show how this town is encapsulated with the beauty of these trees.

Having spent some time among the beauty of Mother nature, we made our way back to the car with a clearer mind, relaxed body and refreshed soul.

I leave you with this reminder: practice social distancing whenever necessary and possible, be kind to your neighbor and wash, wash, wash those hands. This too shall pass. When you get outdoor, remember to look up, it’s amazing out there.

Quarantine

We are still here at the Country Oaks campground. To our disappointment, on March 25th we received a cancellation notification from the resort in Emerald Isle. It stated that unless we could get to the campground by the next evening, they would be canceling our reservation due to the coronavirus and mandates by the NC Governor. Really? Now what. We thought things over and decided with the current state of the country we best stay here a little longer, if possible. Luckily, we were able to extend our stay for another week. This gives us time to plot and plan for our next destinations.

The morning of March 30th we find a notice taped to our door effective immediately. A 72 hour moratorium on campgrounds....if you are here you can stay, but no new reservations. Also, a curfew has been implemented from 8 pm to 6 am for the next 7 days, except for the essentials. Well now, we weren't prepared for this! The virus seems to be ruling the world right now. The stress of figuring out where we can and can’t  travel was more than we wanted to (or could) deal with. It seems we are never going to get to Michigan. The college and high school graduations have already been cancelled, and Ford Motor Co. is down until the “stay in place” is lifted. That being said, the urgency was not as great, but we sure do want to get home to see our kids, grandkids, and those great grandbabies.

Once more I make a visit to the office to see what our options are. They are more than generous and understanding. She erases names, moves names, and a few other things I wasn’t sure of, and then WhaLah!!! She had room for us until the end of the month! I could have hugged her but we were practicing social distancing. The only drawback was we had to move to another sight, which was no big deal except it is on a slope and it took some creativity to get it level enough so we didn’t feel like we were walking like a drunk.

Our site

                                                    This is Flash, miniature horse here

This is Leonard, resident cat

Since we will be here for awhile, now we will tackle a few RV issues that we have been putting off. We certainly can’t say there wasn’t enough time to do it! This “stay in place” has created a different set of issues though, such as: how bad TV REALLY is, I am baking goodies way too much, running out of ideas for creative meals, and have started new routines with the dog that I am sure will be hard to break. But, the big issue here is to stay healthy, happy and safe. I am confident this Coronavirus will pass soon and we will once again be on the road toward Michigan. Until then wash those hands, practice safe distancing and when outdoors, look up, it’s amazing out there.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

We are preparing to make our way across the state of Florida and head north. We plan on traveling the east coast a bit, then west and, eventually to Michigan to see family and spend the summer. Ford has invited Rob to spend some time with them this summer, and he has graciously (and excitedly) accepted. So based on graduations and work plans,we hope to be in Michigan by the end of April.

We are aware that travel could be a little difficult due to the Coronavirus but based on the media, we should be good to go. Our first leg to Kingsland GA has gone well. We have landed safely. After all, it was only a 4 hour trip. It’s a cute campground with everything we need. We will be here for 5 days and then make our way to Emerald Isle, NC where we have reservations for a week starting April 4. When we made the reservation they had us download their app for communications....just in case.  We are anxious to do some “social distancing “ exploring. After several days at the campground we make our way to St. Mary’s for sightseeing and some exercise. Since everything is closed, this will definitely be a return visit at a later date.such a cute town.

Downtown St. Mary’s

After a few more days being quarantined and boredom setting in, we were in need of some exercise and different views so we took a day trip, along with our bikes, to Jekyll Island. The beach was beckoning us but only to view it as the beach was closed due to the virus. The bike trails were beautiful, plentiful and calling our names so off we went on another adventure. Along the way we discovered a few others enjoying the day on bikes, lonely tree lined streets aching for the sound of foot steps and the feel of the flesh of the bike tires, and a campground with nothing better than an Ice Cream shop. Whoohoo, just what we needed. Well maybe not necessarily needed, but definitely wanted. Having enjoyed the scrumptious cool refreshment, we peddled our bikes back to the parking lot, loaded the bikes on the car and made our way back home, feeling rather warm, exhilarated and refreshed. Time to enjoy a relaxing evening.

With the days are quickly passing by during our quarantine we prepare and make plans to leave here, hoping to find a few places along the coast as we make our way to Emerald Isle. We’ll be back shortly to update you on our travels.  Please practice social distancing and wash those hands and while you are outside getting exercise, look up - it’s amazing out there.