Road Trip – Page 14 – Wandering Dawgs

Spring Road Trip

April 8, 2014June 20, 2015Posted in COE Park, Georgia, Road Trip, RVing, Tourist AttractionsTagged Carolina Jasmine, Harlem Georgia, J Strom Thurmond Lake, Laurel and Hardy Museum, Oliver Hardy, Spring Flowers, Wild Dogwoods, Winfield Campground7 Comments

Our first stop on our spring road trip was in Appling, Georgia at one of the Corps of Engineers Campgrounds on the shore of J Strom Thurmond Lake. For three nights we enjoyed the peace and tranquility of our lake front campsite.

Looking at Winfield Campground Site 10 from the lake

View of J Strom Thurmond Lake from Site 10 at Winfield Campground

The lake was just a few steps from our campsite

When it is springtime in Georgia the Wild Dogwoods and Carolina Jasmine add splashes of white and yellow throughout the woods.

Wild Dogwoods

Wild Dogwood

Carolina Jasmine drapes many of the trees

Wild dogwoods bloomed all through the woods

A small Wild Dogwood

Carolina Jasmine was in full bloom

We took a short drive to Harlem, Georgia to visit the birthplace of Oliver Hardy. He was born there in 1892 and moved to Milledgeville, Georgia with his mother after his father died. He attended the Military College of Georgia there and the University of Georgia for a short time. There are images of him all through town and in October the whole town celebrates with a Laurel and Hardy Festival.

Oliver Norvell Hardy was born in Harlem, Georgia in 1892

Even the water tower in Harlem honors Oliver Hardy

Laurel and Hardy Museum at Harlem, Georgia

One of the many displays in the museum

Mural of Laural and Hardy in Harlem, Georgia

On Saturday we took a drive to Modoc, South Carolina to meet with friends Bill and Carol who are work campers there. We had a great time catching up with them and making some new RV friends.

Wandering in South Carolina

March 23, 2014June 20, 2015Posted in Lighthouse, Road Trip, RVing, South Carolina, State ParksTagged beach, Hunting Island Lighthouse, Hunting Island State Park, Lighthouse, ocean6 Comments

After spending the winter catching up with chores at home and dreaming about wandering, we made our maiden voyage of 2014 just one state over from Georgia to South Carolina.

We started our short trip with 3 nights in Columbia watching our grandson play in a soccer tournament. It was so much fun to watch him play and cheer from the sidelines with his parents and sister.

On our way home we spent a rainy night at Hunting Island State Park. Our first visit there was over 30 years ago in our tent camping days when our kids were little. We have been wanting to return there ever since we got the fifth wheel. Hunting Island is located about 42 miles from I-95 at the end of Hwy 21. The drive takes you through beautiful salt marshes, across rivers and sounds, and through several towns including Beaufort (if you are driving a big rig, take the truck route instead of going through downtown Beaufort).

The campground has about 200 sites, some of them right next to the beach. Our site was located in a loop with the sites surrounded by tall trees and palmettos. A short walk from the RV took us to the dog friendly beach in front of the campground.

The rain let up a little so we drove to the lighthouse to explore. The Hunting Island Lighthouse is the only lighthouse in South Carolina accessible to the public. A short path in front of the lighthouse leads to the beach.

The Hunting Island, SC Lighthouse is the only lighthouse in South Carolina which is open to the public

Hunting Island, SC Lighthouse

Beach in front of the Hunting Island, SC Lighthouse

Dunes in front of the Hunting Island, SC Lighthouse

The Beach at Hunting Island State Park Campground, SC

A narrow paved road winds through the campground at Hunting Island State Park, SC

Favorite Canadian Memories

October 7, 2013June 20, 2015Posted in Alberta, British Columbia, Glaciers, Road Trip, RVing, Wildlife, YukonTagged Alaska Highway, Banff, Dawson Creek, Jasper, Salmon Glacier4 Comments

I recently posted our Favorite Alaska Memories so now it is time to post our favorite memories of traveling through Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon Territory. We spent 23 nights in Canada and enjoyed the beautiful scenery, abundant wildlife, and friendly Canadian people.

We started our travels in Canada by spending almost a week in Alberta in Banff National Park and Jasper National Park.

Elk by the side of the road in Banff National Park

Elk on the Bow Valley Parkway

Lake Louise

Moraine Lake

Peyto Lake is a much deeper turquoise than the other lakes along the parkway

Elk near our campsite in Jasper

We saw lots of wildlife as we drove through British Columbia on the Alaska Highway before arriving in Alaska for the first time.

Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway! in Dawson Creek, BC

Stone Sheep on the Alaska Highway

Caribou on the Alaska Highway

Moose on the Alaska Highway

Bison herd with calves near Liard River Hotsprings

After a week in Alaska we drove through Canada to Dawson City, Yukon and across the Top of the World Highway before returning to Alaska.

Black Bear beside the road in British Columbia

Panning for gold in Dawson City, Yukon

View on the Top of the World Highway

Our journey back to the lower 48 took us along the Cassier Highway through British Columbia.

Sunrise at Burwash Landing, Yukon Territory

Salmon Glacier in British Columbia about 17 miles past Hyder, Alaska

Bear Glacier near Stewart, BC

For a map of our entire journey be sure to check out Our Route. And for a list of all the campgrounds where we stayed check out our Campground List.

Favorite Alaska Memories

September 5, 2013June 20, 2015Posted in Alaska, Birds, Glaciers, Road Trip, RVing, WildlifeTagged Arctic Circle, Bald Eagle, Denali, Haines, Ninilchik, Talkeetna12 Comments

Although we left Tok, Alaska almost a month ago, our memories of Alaska will never leave us. Here, in no particular order, are a few photos of some of our favorite places and adventures.

Our favorite place was Oceanside RV Park in Haines, Alaska where we could sit and watch for whales, watch eagles fly by, and watch the ferries and cruise ships sail by.

Cocktail hour whale watching with Ted and Ruthy

Bald Eagle at Chilcoot Lake State Park, Haines, AK

The most exciting and most memorable experience of the entire trip was the South Face McKinley flight-seeing tour and landing on Ruth Glacier with Talkeetna Air Taxi.

Loving every minute of our time on Ruth glacier

We loved all of the boat trips we took.

Whale Pectoral Fin on day trip to Juneau

Seeing ice calving on Aialik Glacier on the Kenai Fjords trip from Seward

A pair of Orcas on Columbia Glacier tour from Valdez

Sea Otters on Columbia Glacier tour from Valdez

Driving to the Coldfoot, sixty miles north of the Artic Circle was a drive to remember.

Catching Halibut and watching the sunset in Ninilchik, Alaska.

Denali National Park.

Moose beside the road on the way out of the park

Beautiful green valley at Polychrome Overlook

Driving the Top of the World Highway, panning for gold, going for a train ride on the Alaska Railroad, watching for wildlife on the side of the road, seeing the Fireweed blooming everywhere, seeing glaciers off in the distance and up close are all highlights of the trip we will never forget.

Every day was memorable, every day was special, every day we saw something spectacular.