We arrived at Ocean Lakes Campground on November 1st for a 7-night stay. This expansive RV park is located within a few hundred feet of the beach. We had a wonderful time walking on the beach during the day and night. The area is also conveniently located near several attractions, including the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk.
Fun time in Myrtle Beach
We visited the historic Murrells Inlet Marshwalk one day where we stopped to enjoy a tasty lunch and a couple of drinks. This was a great place with several restaurants and shops along the salt marsh. It was a wonderful place for an afternoon walk.
We also visited Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing during our stay in the Myrtle Beach area.
Murrells Inlet Marshwalk, Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing
We hated to leave Myrtle Beach and wished we could have stayed another week! It was relaxing to be so close to the beach. The weather was perfect, too. I wouldn't mind returning here again in the future.
On November 8th we drove to Yemassee, SC and spent 7 nights at The Oaks at Pt. South. The RV park was conveniently centered between Charlestown, SC and Savannah, GA.
We drove 63 miles to Charleston and spent the day exploring this interesting and charming city. We spent some time walking around the scenic Waterfront Park admiring the beautiful, historic pastel-colored homes along the Charleston harbor.
Day trip to Charleston
The next day we drove 47 miles to Savannah. Because there was so much to see in this amazing city, we decided to spend the night. We were able to find a pet-friendly hotel downtown near the Savannah River. We had a wonderful day and evening exploring the many beautiful parks, fountains, historical buildings, and cobblestoned squares that make Savannah a charming and unique city to visit.
We ran into Pat Mitchell, a children’s book author, in one of the parks who is marking her 60th birthday by running 60 5K runs in 60 locations around the US and abroad. According to the website, www.frankieandandysplace.org, her mission is to spread the message of "unconditional love, family, commitment and acceptance in every town she visits along the way." We enjoyed talking with her and were impressed that 100% of her book proceeds goes to her favorite animal charities.
Overnight in Savannah
We had a wonderful time in the beautiful state of South Carolina. We'd like to come back again some day. Time to leave South Carolina.
We arrived in Jacksonville, FL on November 15th and stayed at Sunny Oaks RV Park for 7 nights.
Sunny Oaks RV Park
We had a fantastic time during our stay in the Jacksonville area. Jacksonville, nicknamed the "River City by the Sea", is the largest city in Florida with a population of 949,611. We spent a lot of time walking along both the Southbank and Northbank Riverwalk on the John's River.
Jacksonville Riverwalk and Beach
The USS Orleck, a museum ship, was docked along the riverfront. Since it was pet friendly, we decided to take the tour one day. The Gearing-Class destroyer ship was commissioned at the beginning of the Cold War and also served in the Vietnam and Korean Wars. She is considered one of the most distinguished ships of all time with service spanning from 1945-1982. Myah enjoyed exploring all the levels of the ship and was a champ navigating the deck's narrow, steep stairs.
USS Orleck Tour
We visited Treaty Oak Park one day to admire the great oak tree which is estimated to be more than 2 centuries old. It was amazing to see how the branches were so large and heavy that they actually grew into the ground.
Treaty Oak
The city of St. Augustine is about an hour away from the RV park. We made a couple of trips during our stay in Jacksonville. St. Augustine is known as the "nation's oldest city". We visited the city back in July of 2021 before we began our full-time Rv'ing journey. This time Myah joined us as we strolled along the Historic District and enjoyed a nice dinner in a cozy lighted patio.
St. Augustine
We went back to St. Augustine another time to check out their annual Nights of Lights festival. The historic district was covered in more than 3 million holiday lights. It was a sight to behold and definitely helped us to get into the Christmas spirit!
St. Augustine Nights of Lights
We drove to our next destination in Central Florida on November 22nd. We stayed at Three Flags RV Campground in Wildwood for 12 nights. We were in a great location-close to several restaurants and shops. We were also only a few miles to The Villages, a 55+ golf cart community is one of the largest retirement communities in Florida. The Villages encompass 3 main downtown areas, including their own "town squares". They all have restaurants, shops and nightly entertainment. We visited all of the towns during our stay: Lake Sumter Landing Market Square, Spanish Springs Town Square, Brownwood Paddock Square.
The Villages
On Thanksgiving Day, we drove 80 miles to Tampa to meet our son, Ryan, at The Rusty Pelican for Thanksgiving dinner. Ryan lives about an hour south of Tampa in Sarasota, so we we both traveled about half way to meet. We had a wonderful meal in an elegant setting with a view of Tampa Bay. They even served a traditional Thanksgiving meal for Ryan while Pat and I enjoyed some delicious seafood! Even though we missed spending Thanksgiving with the rest of our family, we were grateful to share it with one of the kids.
Thanksgiving at the Rusty Pelican
A few days later, we met up with Ryan in St. Pete. There was a sand sculpture event on the beach this particular weekend called Sanding Ovations. The theme was "once upon a time". It was amazing to see our childhood fairy tales molded in sand with such detail and brought to life on the beach.
