RV Folly Adventure Freedom Ride

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April 23-30, 2008

Burrs On Folly's Saddle .... The Frisco National Park Campground has got to be the sand burr capital of the
world. When you get off the paved areas or the boardwalks to the beach, burrs are everywhere and will end up on
the bottoms of our shoes and then Folly's carpet of course. OUCH, OUCH, OUCH, when the shoes come off....lol.
So, we have learned to have pieces of indoor/outdoor carpet outside on the ground at Folly's entrance and just
inside of Folly where we could wipe our shoes several times before actually contacting the carpet. The burrs that
ended up on the I/O carpet can be easily swept away! Thank goodness, because these burrs are really nasty.

Global Warming?.... I've been doing a lot of reading about all aspects and studies concerning global warming. My
humble conclusion, based on temperature data back to 1850, there is no warming. However, there has been a rise
in CO2 from about 325 parts to 375 parts per million in the last 40 years or so = almost negligible, when you look at
the Earth's atmosphere as a whole. Surprised? I sure was! Many report weather patterns are changing rapidly, sea
levels are rising, and earthquakes and other natural phenomenon are increasing and getting much more deadly,
bla, bla, bla. Not really true. Don't stop here, do your own research using data that goes back to at least 1850
where available and find out for yourself. What is true for sure, the human population is getting so large and
spread about the planet that any sort of catastrophic event, that may have not even been noticed by a much
smaller and less spread out population 150 or more years ago, has a pretty good chance of affecting a whole lot of
people. And of course, more people = more competition for resources = higher prices for just about everything we
need and use. OUCH!

Fishing Lady .... Went on one of our daily beach patrols and saw a lady wrestle a good sized Black Drum to shore
while surf fishing. I went over and took a picture and talked with her husband while she shoved and pushed the fish
back into the surf as they didn't want to keep it. Hmmm. The man said they were from Salisbury, NC and had owned
a beach house at Frisco years ago but had to give it up due to rising costs, taxes, upkeep, etc. Now, they came to
Frisco for a month each year and stayed in a rental house while here. The lady returned and we got to talking
about their 1998 Suburban with less than 50K miles. The SUV was in pristine condition but, as she reported, got
horrible gas mileage. However, they were going to keep it anyway as the lady reported she was 80 years old, much
younger than her husband, and didn't feel it prudent to buy another vehicle. WOW!....bless their hearts...still 4
wheelin' on the beach, surf fishin' and such ... we were completely blown away by their age.

Indian Attack? .... Off and on for two days when the wind was right, we could hear the sounds of drums and Indian
songs and chants. The drums would vary....thump, whump ...... thump, whump ....... ,or, thump, thump, thump,
thump,......, etc. All this brought to mind a story told by my grandfather about my great-grandfather John and his
young bride Prudency, aged about 25 and 16 respectively. They left upstate New York and traveled the Great
Lakes to Green Bay, Wisconsin on Lake Michigan and then on to Oakdale, Wisconsin in the Central West Section
of the state not too far from the Tomah, Wisconsin area. They purchased several hundred acres of land there and
began work on their homestead. The year was about 1850 and there were still a number of skirmishes between
settlers and the Indians in this area going on. Story goes, early on, they spent a couple of nights listening to Indian
drums in the distance wondering if they would still have their scalps in the morning. Great-grandpa stood watch
during the night with his trusty rifle. Sheeeeeesh ... a lot of good that would have been if they came under attack,
but what else could they do. Once the US Army arrived and went out to investigate, the Indians had already packed
up and headed into Minnesota, to the young homesteaders relief for sure. It was such a rush and a gift for us to be
in a wilderness area, able to listen to the drums and chants, close our eyes, and imagine being in the Wisconsin
wilderness during the days of the settler & Indian skirmishes, etc. Wow, and these pioneers were at such a young
age too, especially his bride. Gave us a great respect for just one piece of what the pioneers and the Indians were
up against. All these folks really had some grit, eh?

Turns out, what we heard was an actual Indian Pow-Wow that took place near Frisco where Indians from the area
and all over the country had come to participate. After it was all over, the next day we met Arnold, a Navy Vet, and
Ellie on the boardwalk to the beach, two Cherokee Indians that were living in Virginia and had come to the Frisco
Campground to attend the Pow-Wow. We spent the better part of three hours sharing experiences and stories. The
Cherokee are a very proud people.

Our Folly RV Adventure Freedom Ride continues to be just that! Rock on!

April 15-22, 2008

HooRay! Back on the net at Frisco Woods Campground!

Internet Grinder....... The other day, we stopped for coffee at a coffee house type place in Buxton on the Outer
Banks of North Carolina. I went inside to see if they had WIFI and low and behold they did. They reported their DSL
wireless system was just set up and was a runnin' fine! So, we bought some coffee, set up our computer and printer
out on their front porch, fired everything up, and started to do our thing. Yippi, surfin' cyberspace again and feelin'
good. Then, all of a sudden we got cut off.....hmmmmm. Went inside and reported our mishap whereupon the
proprietor rebooted her wireless DSL. Still nothing. Returned to the front porch, rebooted my computer and, voila,
we were in business. However, not two minutes went by and we were cut off again. Sigh! I went back inside, this
time with my computer, and went through the reboot process and again was back on-line. While still standing
nearby using my machine, I heard a grinder come on and whack, I was kicked off. Turns out their coffee grinder is
plugged into the same outlet as the wireless DSL unit, due to the age of the building, and every time the grinder
was turned on, the DSL was disconnected. This was how things would remain until an electrician could put in a
separate circuit for the DSL. Anyway, we finished our great cup of coffee on the porch enjoying conversation with
several folks that came calling, and then left thanking them and promising to return when they got the bugs worked
out of their system. Had a great time visiting with the locals anyway!

National Park (NP) Volunteer Campground Host...... We arrived at the Frisco National Park on the ninth, I
believe it was. After exploring a bit we noticed the camp ground host parking area was empty and inquired at the
kiosk about our volunteering for that position for the next month or two. There were four NP people in the kiosk and
none knew anything about how the volunteer program worked. One suggested we talk to the NP folks at the Cape
Hatteras Lighthouse Visitor Center. So, the next day we drove to the visitor center and expressed our wish to
volunteer our services. Those at the center didn't know anything about the program and the gal that would was in
the museum giving a talk to some visitors. We waited around until she was done. Turns out she didn't know
anything either and suggested we call the regional office and gave us the number there. I called and was
transferred to a gal that left instructions to the receptionist that she was not to be disturbed.....so all I could do was
leave a message and our number. Late that day this gal called and said we needed to call the ranger in the area
and could get his number at the kiosk where we started.

So, it was back to the kiosk at our campground to get the ranger's number. One of the four NP people that were
there said the ranger was in England for a month and would let the gal presently in charge know about us when
she came by on her patrol. Late that afternoon the NP person showed up at our camper and said she didn't know
how the volunteer campground host program worked but would find out and get back to us. Several days later she
returned and presented us with a four page application to fill out and leave at the kiosk for her to pick up later. I
asked what the host duties were and was told the main reason for the host was to be present when the NP park
people weren't, like overnight for example. And, sometimes the host would help direct traffic. Direct traffic?????
LOL ??? If this didn't beat all! 15 campers going in and out here during the day would be akin to Wall Street during
rush hour. Also, she reported that she was trying to reach another couple that had put in an application last year to
see if they were going to or could come to be the hosts. I suggested we were present, available, and would be
happy to fill the empty spot and take care of the host duties until they arrived or at least until the middle of May or
so when we planed on heading to Raleigh. She felt it was too much to move people in and out every couple of
weeks??? I thought to myself all that needed to be done was one camper would leave and another would come in....
as this happens every day at many sites in the campground...lol.

We thanked her and proceeded to throw the application in the trash. It's dumbfounding the government can't even
handle a volunteer situation simply and expeditiously. In any event, since we walk the beach 2 to 3 times a day
anyway, we just take a trash bag every time and pick up trash along the way....hooray, we are volunteers with no
muss, no fuss, no applications!!! KISS. Oh yeah, be it known the volunteer camp host spot is still vacant....lol.

Mouse Walks...... During our stay at the Frisco campground, we have noticed a lack of birds of prey and had
seen only one Black and one Cottonmouth Snake. Hmmmmm. The lack of trees and it being spring and still quite
cold in this neck of the woods could explain their lack thereof. Given same, the rodents are thriving. About the
second night here, I woke up during the night to hear some rattlin' around above the sound of the howling winds.
Next day I got out a trap I have that's an opaque plastic box with a flapper entrance. One just baits the box and
places it so the flapper is closed. Low and behold, a mouse or shrew will work their way under the flapper to get the
bait only to find the escape route has closed behind them. Well, so far I think we have caught seven of the cute
little buggers and upon hearing the "rattlin", I get up and take them and the box for a long walk down the road for
release....one mouse the first night and two every night since. I sometimes wonder if the released prisoners talk to
their friends about a camper that feeds them and then takes them on a nice walk under the moon and/or stars...lol...
hence, a new mission is born.....mouse walks!

Exploding Waves...... From our perch with a pair of binoculars one can see an estimated 5 to 6 miles out to sea
when conditions are right. One day I could see these huge white waves that at first I thought were whales exploding
out and up from the surface. Then, on a walk along the beach with the wind blowing out to sea at about 35 knots, I
noticed the wind would catch the wave when it broke and send it towering straight up in the air. Hmmmm. With that
observation and a look at the map, I noticed what I was looking at several miles out was waves braking over
Diamond Shoals...a reef that has cased havoc to mariners over the centuries. But, as compared to the wave/wind
action near the beach, these waves were huge and would explode with the wind to an estimated 50 or more feet in
the air. Very impressive and gives one a peak at what the mariners of yesterday under sail were up against....one
booboo here and you are toast. Guess that's why the area along the coast of the Outer Banks is called the ship
graveyard of the Atlantic.

April 14, 2008

WOW! Had a storm last night with high winds and lots of rain. Good ol' warm and dry Folly stayed dry inside and
danced happily from side to side laughing at and enjoying what nature was providing. We woke up to blue skies
and a cool 55 degrees surrounded by the kind of fresh air one just likes to draw in and exhale with a smile. Life is
good!

We will be heading back to the national park today for another few days of guard duty....lol. Think of our suffering
now and then, OK!

Rock on Folly Adventure Freedom ride. Strive to be happy, one and all.

April 9-13, 2008

We continue our vigil of guarding the now sunshiny, after several days of wind and clouds, beach along the Cape
Hatteras National Seashore. Imagine looking out your camper window sitting on top of a huge dune looking down
over a narrow valley of smaller dunes, then over some slightly higher dunes and finally seeing and hearing the
soothing sounds of the dynamic ocean shoreline. All the transitions from camper to ocean take place in about a 1/2
mile or so. SO SWEET, and at $10 a day, I could spend a lonnnnnnng time here. Sandra is painting up a storm
and I put a new antenna on Folly that we got at Camping World in Myrtle Beach last week. We would never have
believed the difference the new antenna made as went from 3 barely visible, fuzzy stations to 5 that come in crystal
clear. WOW!

The only issue with the national parks is that there are no hookups for electric, water, etc. so one must run on
batteries. But that's the trade off, pristine vs. developed, ... and one we are very happy to make. KISS works for us.
But, when it was time to do laundry, charge our batteries, dump our waste tanks and fill our fresh water tank, we left
the national park for a night at a nearby, local, private campground called The Frisco Woods at $46 a night......
OUCH! However, since the nearest laundromat was about 120 miles round trip to Kitty Hawk and back = +12
gallons of gas at $3.60 per gallon or about $43 plus the national park is $10 anyway, we figured the cost to be a
wash. Plus, we have sewer, water, electric, cable TV hook-ups and, free WIFI. Hence, the blog update...lol.

April 8, 2008

Sunday, we left Myrtle Beach, SC at about 8:30 am after a good night's rest with hopes of making Cedar Island, NC.
Once again it had rained very hard overnight but the sky was blue and the temperature about 65 at our departure.
We took SR 31 to SR 9 and picked up US 17 again near Cherry Grove, SC. US 17 bypassed Willmington, NC and
we continued north to Folkstone, NC where we hoped we could take SR 172 that ran through the Camp Lejeune
Marine Base. We had gone this way years ago to take our daughter's friend Maggie to Carolina Beach, NC to meet
up with her parents for their beachside vacation after she had come camping with us. But, alas, of course the road
was closed to the public. So, it was on to Jacksonville, then SR 24 to Swansboro, and US 70 to Morehead City. All
the while, the clouds were thickening and the wind blowing harder from the North. During this time, we were headed
mostly northeast so Folly got pushed around the road pretty good from time to time. And, the road became
narrower and narrower with water on both sides as we continued on toward Cedar Island. Finally, we got on SR 12
to Cedar Island just past Stacey, NC. This last section of road was a challenge to stay on as the wind was pretty
much howling at about a constant 35 mph with gusts to 50 mph. At the same time, it was absolutely beautiful and
wild. The causeway like road traversed about 15 miles directly through a salt marsh. Finally, we reached the Cedar
Island Ferry facility.

We parked Folly and went inside the welcome center only to find a young lad doing a bit of sweeping and such.
Everyone else in this area had gone to a funeral. Adjacent to the welcome center was a run down motel, another
building that housed a small post office and a boarded up gift shop, and a little campground that was about 25%
under an inch or two of water. We were told that we could spend the night at the campground and catch the 7:00
am ferry to Ocracoke Monday morning. Hmmmmm. We drove into and around this campground, backed into
several spots, but we were not comfortable at all about staying. So, it was over to a public parking area nearby.
Along comes a man that tells us we had to stay in the campground, we wouldn't get stuck, and could park anywhere
if we didn't need hookups ..... for $16 a night. I said we weren't comfortable parking there and would be gald to pay
to park in the paved area in front of the motel. Since, this man also owned the motel, he said we could park there,
but we would have to stay IN the motel. Hmmmm. So, I said that would not due, as we lived in our motel-on-wheels
and how about our parking in front of the boarded up gift shop. Again, he said no, as that was not the way they did
things around here. BOING!!! Now, let me tell you, we were doing fine until he said that! That made me mad! We
moved Folly over to in front of the little post office and phoned the ferry information number. I told the gal I wished
to make a reservation for the 7 am ferry to Ocracoke AND I asked where we could park after giving her an idea of
what just took place with the man that owned all the land around the dock. She said anyone is welcome to spend
the night at the entrance where the ticket booth was located. So, to end that little story, that is what we did.
We didn't sleep well though as the wind howled all night long and things were banging around, etc.

Always some good to go along with issues. First, a couple from British Columbia ended up next to us and had
basically gone through the same process as we had with the local "boss hog". Anyway, it turns out the couple is
from Vernon, BC, a town we went through on our way to Alaska back in 1986. Vernon is near Osoyoos and the
Okanagan River Valley, an area of BC we found to be thoroughly delightful. A piece of peach, plum, grape, etc.
growing paradise way north of where similar areas are normally found. Second, Beaufort, NC east to Cedar Island
was like a step back in time. We don't see towns and country like this anymore...expecially along the ocean.

In any event, we got up Monday at 5:45 am, went out to the ticket booth to pay our fare and get our ticket, and then
pulled into line to board the ferry. Once everyone was on board, the ferry departed at 7:05. These ferrys will carry
50 cars and I was pleasantly surprised how stable and smooth our 2.25 hour ride to Ocracoke Island in our
inclement weather was. When once on land again, we immediately went to the Ocracoke Island Cape Hatteras
National Seashore Campground. The fee to camp here was half price due to my Golden Access Card. It's amazing
how many times and places we have used this card since we left in November and the ton of dough we saved in the
process. We picked out a campsite in an almost empty campground, had some breakfast, took a blustery walk on
the beach, and just took naps and chilled out with Folly the rest of the day.

Today, Tuesday, is "chill" continued with a trip back to Ocracoke to the library to update the blog, read email, ect.
Temperature last night was about 50 and today is about 59...with the north wind still howling under cloudy skies.
Tonight's temp is expected to be upper 40's and the high tomorrow in the upper 60's.....if the sun manages to come
out again...lol. No matter, we are warm and cozy in Folly. We may catch a ferry to Hatteras tomorrow if the road isn't
flooded there. We heard the nor-easter has caused some difficulties in that regard.

April 5, 2008

Got up yesterday at about 7 am and got ready to go. It had rained quite hard overnight, so everything we had put out was wet. Still, we
just packed the stuff up and headed to the Fort McAllister Museum and the actual fort. See April 3 for a description of the fort. Spent
quite some time exploring, took many pictures that we'll post as soon as we can find a decent Internet connection, and finally headed
out at 10:15 am. We back tracked to I 95 and headed north about 40 miles past Savannah, GA. where we picked up US 17. Took US
17 to SR 171 in Charleston, SC to James Island and then Folly Beach, SC.

You may recall from earlier posts to our blog that we had purchased Folly in Folly Beach, SC back in the fall of 2004. How fun it is to
see familiar places and how much things had changed. Went by Bert's Motor Works, Bert being the mechanic that worked on Folly
when she was towed from Folly Beach to his place of business on James Island because she was spewing gas all over the place.
As things turned out, the gas issue was just one of many that Bert addressed for us...lol. Bert has moved since the fall of 2004 and
his new digs indicate he must be doing very well. So great to see, as he is a nice man, has a nice family, does fine work and
deserves the best.

When we reached Folly Beach, the streets narrowed and were very, very busy....just as before....lol. It's amazing how big Folly seems
to get when she drives into tight places. Anyway, I hollered out the window at a man sitting in a golf cart like gizmo where we might
park so we could return to the Folly Beach Pier Restaurant after 4 years. Once there as per his instructions, we realized we could
never get into the pier parking lot. There was an empty lot across the street with a guy sitting in a chair, so I hollered out to him to see
if we could park there. He hollered back that he got $5 to park a car, but would need $15 for Folly. Hmmmmmm. That will never
happen! We continued on for about 50 yards farther down the road and here stands the guy that was on the golf cart gizmo one street
over. He realized after telling us how to reach the pier parking we would not fit. Turns out, this guy ramrods about 30 parking lots on
Folly Beach and he ended up letting us park in one for free while we went to the pier to get a bite. WOW! That sure was hospitable on
his part! After returning from lunch, I found the man again to thank him for his kindness. He asked where we were going to stay the
night and we told him we heard the only place nearby was the James Island County Park Campgrounds or the James Island
Walmart. Next, he asked what time we would be underway in the morning to which I replied about 7:30 to 8:00 am. Then, he offered
us a spot in a lot directly across from the beach with an ocean view, no less. WOW! WOW! He gave us one of his cards stating,
"Coastal Parking Management, Buddy Maupin General Manager" and told us to use it if the Folly Island Police wanted an explanation
as to why we were parked behind a No Trespassing AND a No Parking sign.

With Buddy's card in hand, we headed to the James Island County Park for a look around anyway. What a huge, nice park with a large
dog walking/playing area, walking paths, boat dock, camp grounds, parade grounds, etc. We would not have been able to stay here
as they were full due to a lowland music festival taking place on Sunday. Then, we went to the Folly Beach Park at the south end of the
Folly Beach Island. Another great park with beach access. The charge to park here for RV's is $10 for the day, but since they were
closing in about an hour, they let us in for free. We should note that in all our travels, Folly never raised as much interest as in this
area. People honked, shouted how cool she was, thumbs up all over the place, and on and on. Folly was really a star for the
afternoon in her, what was at one time, hometown. Well, we headed back to our ocean view campsite for some dinner and a walk
about. Then to bed...and to sleep with the soft sounds of the surf playing in our heads.

Today, we got up and left about 7:30 am headed back to James Island to get some petrol and have some breakfast. While we were
getting things ready to buy gas, this gal drove up looking for $2 so she could get gas to get to ?????? Then, the manager came
running out asking her to leave or he would phone the police. She argued a bit and then took off when he got the police on his cell
phone. After pumping our gas, the gal inside offered the mystery gal lived in a room somewhere on the beach during the week and
then in her car on Friday and Saturday nights. She thought the gal was a meth head and I agreed as she was way too young to have
lost most of her teeth and the ones that were left weren't pretty. Very sad.

After getting gas and a bite, we headed out about 8:45 am to go through Charleston when we thought the time would be best for the
least amount of hassle and traffic....lol. Turns out, a marathon was being run today and US 17 was closed to traffic. So, we ended up
traveling about a 20 mile detour wandering around Charleston. We were amazed how much of Charleston is badly run down and how
poor the roads are. Seems all the money must be being spent in the downtown tourist areas. Hmmmmmm. We finally got back on
US 17 heading to Myrtle Beach....a very nice ride.

Once in Myrtle Beach, we went directly to Camping World and spent about $250 on stuff that broke on our trip to Florida and back, a
fan for the kitchen window, and a battery fan for boondocking. Now we are sitting behind the store with several other rigs preparing to
spend the night. Quite nice actually, and we really appreciated the permission the manager of Camping World gave us to do so.
Tomorrow we hope to reach Lola, NC on Cedar Island where we can pick up a ferry to the outer banks.

April 3, 2008

Got up about 7:30 am feelings quite refreshed after a good nights rest. Put the coffee on and took showers. Then, had breakfast and
prepared Folly for departure. Got underway about 9:45 am and headed west to pick up I 95 north. Traffic, traffic, and more traffic along
with a lot of construction where many car and truck drivers were traveling about 10 to 20 mph over the limit while swaying in and out
and back and forth between rows of concrete barriers on both sides of the northbound traffic lanes. All this chaos going on in a 15 to
30 mph crosswind for most of the joyous time we spent on this Interstate. Reminds me of the Daytona 500, watching cars running by
turn 4 and heading down the straightaway at 190+ mph, sometimes 3 wide and door to door while the crowd waits patiently for a
crash that everyone knows will occur sooner or later.

Got off I 95 just past Brunswick, Ga onto US 17/SR25 and proceeded on the "scenic highway", SR 99. We stopped near Darien, GA at
the Fort King George State Historic Site overlooking the Altamaha Delta and marshland. Fort King George was built in 1721,
abandoned in 1732, and was the southernmost outpost of the British Empire in North America. A short video and a tour of the
museum was presented and then we proceeded outside for a self-guided tour of the fort and surrounding grounds. A lot of interesting
history and it seemed a bit odd a battle was never fought here. The whole facility, an authentic replica of the original, is hands on so to
speak as one can climb on and look around in all the buildings. All the phone booth looking structures turned out to be sentry boxes...
lol. Ah, the good ol' days of living in a wooden box next to a swamp. Hmmmmmm. Birds were plenty, and in particular we saw many
Red Winged Blackbirds that were such a common sight in my youth around Madison, Wisconsin. In any event, we enjoyed our visit to
this landmark very much!

Then it was back on SR99 to US17/SR25 and back onto I 95 for only about 20 miles. Traffic was better behaved on this stretch of
interstate, and, as a bonus, we were surprised and entertained by 4 wild pigs grazing very near the road in the middle of nowhere,
seemingly oblivious to all the activity going on around them. We exited I 95 again onto US 17 to SR 144 and finally reached Fort
McAllister State Historic Park, that is about 2 miles from Savannah, Ga as the crow flies. Located on the Great Ogeechee River south
of Savannah, the fort is the best preserved earthwork fortification of the Confederacy even though it was attacked seven times by
Union ironclads. The fort did not fall until captured in 1864 by General Sherman during his "March to the Sea." We checked Folly in,
got hooked up and took about a 2 mile hike along the Mahogany Trail that had some Mahogany but seemed populated mostly with
huge Hickory Trees. Continued on to a concrete boat ramp with a long floating dock nearby that included a fish cleaning station that
even had electric available. These Georgia folks sure look after and take care of the fisherpeople. Back to Folly while thinking and
chatting about seeing Fort McAllister in the AM and then continuing on to Charleston, SC. We shall see! By the way, it's about 70
degrees here at 4:30 pm...lowest temp we've seen during the day in quite some time. Sweet!

April 2, 2008

We had quite a thunderstorm last night and the night air was hot and humid. I think it was about 71 when we got up. Enjoyed a cup of
coffee while packing Folly and getting ready to head for St. Mary's. It's about 10 miles from the state park to the Cumberland Island
National Park dock in St. Mary's and it was about 8:30 am when we parked there in the over-sized vehicle parking area. I got out to go
inquire about tickets while Sandra stayed on Folly to pack a backpack with towels food and drink. The young lady at the counter asked
if we wanted to go on the 9 am ferry. WOW! Just as we had hoped. So I paid for the ferry ride out and back and the National Park
entrance fee was dropped due to my Golden Access Card....that little ol' card came in handy again! The Cumberland Queen left at 9
and arrived at Dungeness Dock 9:45 am. We poked around at the pier area a bit and looked over the Ice House Museum and then
walked the mile along the "River Trail" to the Sea Camp Ranger Station and dock. Along the way, we came upon some wild horses,
one with a newborn. Kind of strange to see horses in such a wooded and wild area. From the Sea Camp Station we set out for the
Stafford Beach taking the "Parallel Trail", a trail that runs between the beach and the main dirt/gravel road. Well, we walked and
walked and walked. The further we went the narrower and less marked the trail(s). Finally, never reaching Stafford, we turned around
and went back to another trail we had crossed about 10 minutes earlier that appeared to go to the beach. We were already getting
tired and still had to go all the way back to the Dungeness Dock by 2:45 PM for our boat ride back to the mainland. If one should miss
the boat, one would have to hire a private charter to get off the island. Anyway, the beach was empty when we popped over the
protecting, high dunes. What a beautiful sight....no roads, no buildings, no people....just the sand and the ocean. We had a picnic
lunch, waded in the cold waves and hiked all the way back to the Sea Camp Beach alongside the whispering, sometimes shouting
ocean. Then, we took the Sea Camp Beach Trail back to main road/path and continued on to the Dungeness ruins.

War hero General Greene purchased this land in 1783 and later his widow Catherine constructed a four-story tabby home that she
named Dungeness. This house was destroyed during the Civil War. Then Andrew and Lucy Carnegie built another mansion on the
remaining Greene foundations in 1884. Lucy passed in 1916 and the house was closed up. The only time the house was opened
again was in 1920 for a family wedding. So the place was quiet until 1959, when it was also destroyed in a fire. Now, the US
Government is doing a restoration. Boy, what a project this will be as the place is huge! And, there are two more houses nearby to
restore that look to be over 6,000 square feet each. While taking pictures of this behemoth, wild horses were scattered about and
would come quite close sometimes. Story goes, these horses are the descendants of the "Carnegie" horses of the late 1800's.

Tired and worn, we headed back to the Dungeness Dock for our 2:45 pm boat ride back to mainland. We figured out we had walked
about 12 miles today......way more than we can do comfortably anymore. Upon arrival to the mainland, we put our "stuff" in Folly and
headed to Trolley's Food and Spirits for something cold to drink and good to eat. The food was very good. We noticed signs nearby
that said parking was limited to 36 hours. Hmmmmmm. If we played our cards right, we could stay in this area for 2 nights for free....
without hookups of course. We really like this place and would like to do some more exploring, so we may do just that sometime
down the road. Right on the water in front of Folly was a beautiful city park built in 2001. Walkways besides flowers and rose bushes,
swinging and fixed chairs covered by pergolas, free fishing pier, free dock, and a beautiful fountain. Sweet...we enjoyed our visit to St.
Mary's very much.

Well, we headed back to the Crooked River State Park to find another camper trying to back a very long trailer into our spot. Our "paid"
ID sticker had been removed from the post and our "neighbors" next to us last night had the carpet we left behind to let people know
someone had already belonged to this site. I retrieved our carpet and once parked and hooked up again, here comes the park ranger
wanting us to put up the sticker we no longer had...lol...so we told him our sad but true story. He asked our name, apologized, and left.
Totally tired, but had enough energy to make reservations for Fort McAllister State Park for tomorrow.

April 1, 2008

Yesterday, March 31st., was one more big ol' Happy Birthday for me! 57....ouch! Anyway, off we went headin’ north this time. We took
US 17 from Punta Gorda to the Winter Haven area and after a jig, jog and jag on CR 557, CR557A, and CR 559 we picked up SR 33 in
Polk City. Running low on Petrol we put in $100 of gasoline at $3.36/gallon in Polk City. We continued on SR 33 to US 27/US 441 to
Fruitland Park and then the Griffin State Park near Lake Griffin. All the roads were good and the traffic light in most places, accept
around the Winter Haven and Leesburg areas. Busy, busy, busy. No worries though as, for the most part, traveling the back roads
and less traveled highways, while avoiding the Interstates, is so enjoyable. Even though it always takes a bit longer to travel this way,
one can get a better feel for what the land and the people are all about along the way.

Before we started out, good ‘ol Folly was making some strange noises from the starter side of the bell housing area when we first
fired her up after sitting for a few weeks. Hmmmmmmm. Well, even so, we drove about 10 miles to get the LP tank filled. Seemed the
noise had gone away, for the time being anyway, so off we went. Folly was still OK upon arrival at Griffin State Park.

Once parked and hooked up, we called to see if we could get into Fort Clinch or Little Talbot State Parks in the Amelia Island area of
north Florida tomorrow and/or Wednesday. Unfortunately, both were filled the rest of the week. So, I got out the Georgia State Park
System map and found the Crooked River State Park just north of the Georgia/Florida boarder and gave them a call. Turns out this
park is located adjacent to Cumberland Island National Seashore and ferries are available, 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, to
reach this preserve island. May be a fun hike and we hear there are wild horses scampering about….and, maybe we’ll even find a
doubloon or two. In any event, we will be able to enjoy a bit of undeveloped oceanfront land, not to common a sight in this day and
age. All's well that ends well, eh?

Griffin State Park is mostly a camping park with just a few short trails, one of which leads to one of the oldest Live Oak Tress found in
the US that's about 300 years old and 10 feet in diameter. We took a couple of the trails but the traffic was unbearable…lol..
mosquitoes have returned in force and were all over the place nipping at our whatevers and hiding behind every tree and blade of
grass. Once off the trail, there is a great boat ramp and docking area that is at the head of a 1000 foot canal that leads to the Dead
River that empties into Lake Griffin. All the water within the park is designated “Outstanding Florida Water.” Lake Griffin is one of
seven lakes that make up the Harris Chain of Lakes that eventually drain into the St. Johns River. The park’s most distinctive feature
is the “floating islands”, plant life in a tangled mass of mats of soil and roots woven together over many years. Sometimes, pieces of
the mats break off and float from the marsh to the lake. There, the islands serve as a wildlife sanctuary for nesting birds and, of
course, cover for fish and gators.

Got a birthday call from my brother about 10 pm. He said that about 30 minutes after we left, they noticed they could no longer get
water in the house. Hmmmmm. He primed the pump to no avail. A call to a plumber provided the answer. Folly had accidentally run
over the wellhead, cracking the plastic supply pipe. After fixing the pipe and doing an upgrade to a brass check valve, the water was
running again. WOW! Thank goodness. Folly is sooooo sorry. But the good news is now the location of the wellhead is known, and, a
new check valve is in place. Plus, this little accident should never happen again!

Today, April 1, we woke up a bit late, had breakfast and prepared for departure. I chatted with a guy and his wife staying in the site next
door that were very interested in Folly. They hoped to find a Travco somewhere and restore it. I hope they can get-r-done someday.
We left about 9:30 am and took a gazillion US, state and county scenic highways and biways today. But basically, we drove through
the Ocala National Forest, picked up US 301 near I 10 to I 95, by-passing Jacksonville completely, and finally took the second exit in
Georgia to the Crooked River State Park. Arrived at the park 3:30 pm. WHEW! Long day on the road for us. We were pooped!

After getting hooked up and having a snack, we set out on an explore of the area. This park is very inviting. The surroundings are
serene, with a "cliff side view" of the Crooked River, a huge boat ramp and docking area, a swimming pool (hasn't been used for 2
years though???), a small put-put golf course, picnic tables, shelters, etc. The campsites are relatively large with easy ingress and
egress. We weren't bothered by mosquitoes here, but there is some kind of small gnat like biting insect all over the place....found out
later these are no-see-ums. A little Off took care of those little buggers though. We returned to Folly and grilled a couple of burgers
and enjoyed a little rest talking about trying to get to St. Mary's in the morning to catch the ferry to the Cumberland Island National
Seashore. Reservations can be made by phone between 10 am and 4pm....of course we got wind of this too late to call. Well, we
shall see what we can do tomorrow. Wish us luck.