Roaming Free In An RV

A while back, we met up with an RV couple named the Mortons. Over dinner, they told us about another RV couple that had just gotten started, the Hendricks (you can follow Joe and Rhonda at joehendricks.photography/showingmomamerica/). I started following them on Instagram (I just LOVE Instagram!) and they posted that they were going to be driving through Savannah. I reached out to them and we able to get together for drinks one night at The Distillery in downtown Savannah. We found out that they were on day two of the RV lifestyle and it brought back lots of memories for us—the day we left; just putting items anywhere in the fifth wheel; the disorganization of our RV when we were finally gone hours past the time we wanted; the brush fire closing down the highway; and driving twelve hours the next day to make up for lost travel time.

Needless to say, it wasn’t the way we thought our trip was going to start off and the more we talk to others, we find that they have some of the same experiences, too. Seems like feeling overwhelmed and disorganized is how most people feel upon leaving their house after packing up the RV. When you think of it, that makes perfect sense, but when you are in that situation, you think that things should be going more smoothly and you wonder if others have the same issue, too. I guess it just make one feel, well, normal . . . which I think is a good thing.
Brad and I are lucky that we live so close to his aunt, who just retired to the Hilton Head area. While Brad is working, I usually get together with her and sometimes her neighbors for a walk or lunch once a week. One sunny and slightly chilled day, we all headed down to Sea Pines Resort for a long walk. We are all working to get our 10,000 steps everyday! Sea Pines is on Hilton Head Island and is a gated community that has biking and walking trails, a park, shopping, dining, an equestrian center, and houses that date back to the 1970s. It’s really its own community. To build there, one must follow strict standards of the Architectural Review Board as the land is meant to be preserved as much as possible and buildings are often built around the trees. Being a green, tree hugger person, I can totally appreciate that vision and think it’s great that this standard has been upheld all these years. Ruins within the resort have even been preserved and are part of the National Register of Historical Sites. The ruins from the old Baynard estate include slave quarters that were built around 1793. The home was raided during the Civil War and it burned down shortly after.

On a sunny day midweek, Brad and I did our own exploring of downtown Beaufort and toured the Kazoo Museum. We walked along the waterfront at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park and saw many boats out on the water. The park was right around the corner from historic downtown Beaufort so afterwards we walked around the town and explored the shops.

Next, we went to the Kazoobie Kazoo Factory and Museum, which is a great little spot for anyone to visit. The price of admission is very reasonably ($5 a person) and includes a short and funny video, a tour, and the history kazoo museum. You also get to make your own kazoo. During the quick tour (there were only three of us), we saw how kazoos are made and got to tour the factory. This kazoo factory is the only factory in the US that makes plastic kazoos and they make over 1 million every year! I never knew there were so many different types of kazoos. 
One can get kazoo parts to make them sound louder or different. After the tour, we made our kazoos (14 colors to choose from) and then we all played Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with our new kazoos. Hey, it’s harder than you think. You do not blow into the kazoo. You actually have to pretend you are talking. Brad and I did go over to the gift shop and talked about getting all the little kids we know a kazoo but decided against it as we want to be able to kid sit one of these days.

As we head into February, we are looking forward to what this month will bring. We have ideas t to visit a big cat rescue sanctuary in Jacksonville and watch them feed (cool, right?!); go to a beach with trees growing in the sand; and visit an old friend of mine. I am still looking for the perfect Savannah shot looking down a long narrow road and seeing large oak trees covered in Spanish moss hovering over the road. If you know where I can take that shot, please let me know! I have been hunting for it since December.

Till then!