Home at Last.....

Goodbye George, Morning Myrtle

Thursday 11th April, we left the little town of Washington in North Carolina, having had a good evening the day before. We had gone down to the picturesque waterfront and passed a few hours sitting cosily in our Home Away From Home, filling up four or five parking spots. Eventually a friendly policeman came by to check we weren't intent on mischief and mayhem. We assured him we weren't but decided that was our cue to head for our friendly Walmart and claim our spot for the night. It's fun to stay with friends.

The next day we headed out in good time, headed for the delights of Myrtle - Beach that is. Once again a beautiful drive through ever thickening fields and forests. What a pleasure to be somewhere green and beginning to look increasingly lush. I filled up with cheap North Carolina gas in case prices went up in South Carolina.

We entered South Carolina a few k's short of MB and were wonderfully welcomed at the Visitor Centre where we got all the maps and ideas we could ever want. The nice lady there even found us a selection of churches to visit when in the Big Smoke.

A quick lunch in our HAFH and we were back on the road, destined for the delights of the big hub. I knew we wouldn't be staying for long. Cher doesn't like bright lights, noisy people and glitz in general. For her, its peaceful forests and chirping birds that turn her crank. A short stay in MB had been a hard negotiated compromise.

Myrtle Beach - first Impressions....

My first impression was "Drat - gas is about 10c a gallon cheaper here". I keep getting that wrong. Oh well....

Our campsite we had booked was on the far south side of MB. We decided to take the slow drive down the beach front to get a quick look. It didn't take long for the action to get going. Multitudes of seafood buffets featuring 150 - 200 buffet choices, garish mini golf games by the dozen, cheap food joints by the gross and so on. My good wife who is normally not the silent type, got quieter and quieter. I sensed she was maybe regretting having given in to my insistence on checking the place out. I prayed... Lord help me out here - I'm in deep doodoo.

After 20 miles of dubious beachfront entertainments we officially departed MB on the South Side. Next stop was our home for a few days, Myrtle Beach State Park.

 

 

 

Myrtle Beach State Park - Home at Last...

We turned off the busy road and into a haven of peace and quiet....the road was lined with beautiful red and pink azaleas. The forest wrapped its arms around us and a sense of quiet contentment began to seep in and soothe our nerves and suddenly my good wife unaccountably began to cheer up. We checked in, found our campsite and were very impressed with the shadiness and size of the sites. We spent a nice quiet evening getting set up and settling in. We thought we had died and gone to heaven...."Thank you Lord".

We were nicely tucked up in bed, about to fall asleep when we both sensed a familiar sensation -  Jumbo Jet in The Room Syndrome otherwise known as JJITRS. Sure enough, there was a low flying plane right overhead. We figured out that our campsite was directly under the flight path of the MB International Airport which we had subliminally not noticed on the map until then. It seems that God is happy for us to have a nice holiday, but somehow the message is - don't get too relaxed - there's still lot's to be done. Ah well - God is good and and such is life. We hardly hear those Jumbos anymore.

So much to do... so little time. Uh Duh

We listed all the things we wanted to get done while in MB, checked out the weather in our next planned destination and realised that what the heck - we were wearing shorts, the beach was beautiful and MB area had a lot to do and explore, we would stay here for a few more days than planned.

 So we have spent six days in MB instead of three. What have we done? Hard to say - walked on the beach, rode our bikes, checked out 20 - 30 new bird species (for us). We attended a rather big church, which felt a bit like going to a show. Impressive but somehow rather impersonal. We went to a fantastic variety show, ate way too much at a 170 item seafood buffet and much much more. We visited MB's waterfront boardwalk area and a rather overdone giganitc tourist shopping trap surrounding a lake - a bit much even for me who does not mind the glitzy things of life.

 

 

 

 

A House Shaken..

 Somewhere in our recent travels someone said to us "owning an RV is like owning a second home, excepting that one shakes it for a few hours every day when one drives it. Things come loose".

 

And so it is. We keep discovering loose screws, bits of cupboard coming unglued and much much more. I decided to spend one morning doing some catch up jobs - very thankful that I had decided to bring a full set of tools with me. I haven't quite used all of them but am getting there fast. I now carry a note book around with me to keep track of what needs doing.

I mentioned this to one of our fellow campers a day or two ago. He looked at me sadly and said these wise words "Get used to it". What more can be said?

 

 

What is that Strange Sensation ... and More?

Today we sat on the front deck of our HAFH reading our books, watching the birds go by and
became aware of a strange sensation. It seemed to impact every limb and muscle. Even my eye lids seemed to be unaccountably droopy. What is that sensation?? Can't quite place it. We'd better move on - we've probably been here too long. Perhaps it's something in the air. There must be other horizons; new adventures to explore and conquer. We must.... get... going....Again.

Cher has been working on a revised travel plan. It involves heading north west towards the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Shenandoah Valley. It involves cooler temperatures. We are strangely reluctant to implement it. For some reason any direction with the word North in it, is a bit offputting. But we have to start heading towards home and these are places we would like to see. Drat - despite all misgivings, we have enjoyed Myrtle Beach. One of God's blessings along the way.

Snippets from along the Way

Life is full of interesting encounters. A couple to reflect on

Tappahannock, Virginia  - We've gone out of our way to visit this little town en route. It turns out to be a dump. Rough. Shacks. Broken down. The Deliverance theme song is starting up in the background. Cheap gas beckons - we stop to fill up.  I'm standing at the pump. Opposite me at the pump is a short young black guy with a very heavy limp and perhaps a squint. He smiles at me. "Hey Man". I smile back cautiously. "Where you from Man?" "Canada" I reply suspiciously. "How be it there in Canada Man?" "Fine" I reply tensely. "Can you lend me a couple of bucks Man?" He smiles meaningfully. I shake my head nervously and contemplate a quick retreat in my honking great 31 foot giant. He laughs as if I had just cracked a really good joke. I notice he has a crowd of friends BBQing just over the road. I finish up fast, and head for the exit. I'm blocked off by his girlfriend in her car. The pace of the Deliverance music picks up. Help!!! The girlfriend smiles at me and backs up. We're free to go. So much for visiting out of the way places not on the recommended route.

Myrtle Beach State Park, South Carolina - We're on the beach. I look back and stop to take a photo of the pier. A hippyish rough looking guy, tatoos all over, shirtless, in his 50s walks by and comments "Beautiful isn't it?" What does this guy want from me I wonder. "It sure is" I reply. He notices the starfish in Cher's hand and stops to chat. "I have never seen anything like that" he says. Come on I think - have you never been to the beach? We chat a bit. I notice one of his tattoos says "Faith in Jesus". Cher asks him straight - are you a Believer. "Oh yes" he says. "Jesus saved me a few years back. I was on drugs and alcohol and He has rescued me. I couldn't live without Him". He has just driven down with his wife overnight as her father's body is filling up with fluid and is on the edge of death. Overnight a miracle has happened. One injection and he is well again. I find myself thinking "Father you are good and gracious. We were all on the edge of death and you rescue us. Thank you Lord. Forgive me for judging people by their appearances. I love you Lord".

And so tomorrow we hit the road again. New horizons to aspire to. New adventures to be experienced. Blue Ridge Parkway - here we come. Yiaaa!!
Rob & Cheryl