Our 2022 Summer travels included several destination stops. We combined a return to favorite locations including Washington, DC and a visit with Stu’s family in the Philadelphia area with the exploration of locations new to us.
We began our Washington-Philadelphia trip from our new lake RV area in Winter Haven. We have been keeping Winnie here since most of our trips from home are North and pass this area.
We began our trip at our lovely RV site in Winter Haven,our home away from home for the first (and last) part of the trip.
2022 06/26 – 06/27: The Best of Southeast Georgia: An open field at a Harvest Host campsite, with one 30 Amp outlet and a pleasant gentleman who greeted us as we came. The only reason to return is to pick up our power cord and the inlet that was ripped off the side of poor Winnie when we drove off without double checking our checklist and forgot to unplug. Minor damage to Winnie, serious damage to our pride, and a hint of how a private pilot must feel when forgetting to lower the landing gear before landing.
Brunch at the Farmhouse Restaurant in Lake Park, GA on the way to the Hope Equestrian Center was a wonderful garden omelet plus Shrimp and Grits. Guess who had which.
2022 06/27 – 06/28: This was our second consecutive Harvest Hope campsite, mostly free when all we needed was a place to stay overnight. The Hope Equestrian Center must have once been a lovely place to visit with a store, pens for several kinds of animals, and a horse boarding area. Now it is a run-down collection of falling down buildings, unsafe electrical wiring, suspect garden hoses delivering water and a un-mown field offering parking for RV. Skip it.
2022 6/28 – 7/1: Our stay at Myrtle Beach State Park was a disappointing experience. We changed campsites 3 times because of smokers. Stu’s one day of nice weather was interrupted with smoke within 15 minutes of his arrival. Dinner, a cold fish and stale bread sandwich with a $18 parking tab, was surrounded by smokers. South Carolina is not a state to visit if you breathe.
During the few clear moments Joan and Stu sat on a hammock under a beautiful pier – and the rope broke leaving Stu with several days of excruciating pain.
2022 7/1: We had a lovely lunch at Roy’s Country Corral at 553 Wire Grass Rd, in Lumberton, SC. Leroy, the original owner and grandfather of most of the staff, greated us and gave us permission to park our Travel Trailer right near the lovely, very old, restored building housing the restaurant.
Everything was prepared and served by family and tasted exactly how Roy’s generation viewed truly excellent country food. The abundant hush puppies were perfect, Joans fried shrimp tasted exactly as it should in the Carolinas, lightly seasoned with a very thin breading just enough to enhance the favor. Joan normally didn’t choose fried, but she enjoyed this shrimp. My catfish was cornmeal breaded and lightly seasoned and prepared to perfection.
The very best part was the sample portion of pulled pork. It melted in our mouths, poured out flavor and enough spice to enhance the taste without overwhelming Joan. We took home a 1/2 pound portion for another meal.
Roy’s is not far off I-95 and has enough parking that I’m sure Roy will let us stay overnight next time we visit.
After our lunch at Roy’s, we traveled to Wilson, NC and stayed overnight at the Kampers Lodge.
2022 07/02: Whirligigs Park in Wilson, NC and Colonial Beach
Walking around town the next morning, we were astonished to find so much to see in the small town of Wilson. In addition to a child-friendly Botanical Garden, the Whirligigs were mesmerizing, a whole city block of structures up on poles, with an assortment of moving parts.
We reluctantly left the Whirligigs and headed for our Harvest Host overnight stay at the Colonial Beach Brewing Co. We were surprised to find that our campsite was a space between 2 buildings, right on the street. It was fine for just an overnight, and there was a pretty house on one side. The brewery building was on the other side, not pretty at all but with a patio and counter inside for beer.
Then on to Washington DC the next morning.