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REFLECTIONS ON OUR 2018 JOURNEY

Starting Point:
Southernmost Point:
Northernmost Point:
Ending Point: 		Bahia Honda State Park, Florida
Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
Lums Pond State Park, Delaware
Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, Florida

FIRST THE FACTS . . .
THEN THE COMMENTARY

ROVER was driven a total of 12,956 miles of which 4,356 were towing THE POD.
We slept in 49 different locations at an average cost of $23 a night.

By the end of the year
TWO PEAS had visited 9 of our United States in just 234 days.
We visited 6 National Parks and 3 National Seashores.

With the New Year's arrival there are always changes and resolutions made. Beginning with the next post you may notice the format of our blog posts have changed just a little from that of the previous year. We have been trying to share our adventures and day to day life on the road with family and friends, but at the same time keep it interesting for others who are following along. We will do this by posting our day to day stories separate from our exploration of the notable sites we visit. Our hopes are that this new format will make it easier to identify the content up front and allow you to skip past the parts you don't find interesting.

Also changing in the New Year, our campground reviews will no longer be posted on this site. Instead we will be contributing our reviews to a nationwide campground review site called Campendium. It was started just a few years ago by another full-time RV couple (who also happen to be traveling in an Airstream) and in our opinion they are developing "the best and most comprehensive" campground review website on the internet. We look forward to being a part of it!

In the resolutions department it seems we haven't been taking full advantage of all the opportunities that living full-time in an RV offers. Sure we have traveled to new and exciting places that we could never have done without THE POD, but when we aren't exploring, life is pretty much the same as it was before. We work most days from inside the trailer, or when cell phone reception is poor a nearby library, then eat dinner and read for a few hours before going to sleep.

Our resolution for next year is to get out of the trailer more often, even if it is just to eat lunch down at the campground's picnic area or walk the campground loop after dinner to chat with the other campers. We also plan to eat out less often and cook more meals that we haven't tried before. On the days when we are not working the plan is to get out and enjoy our surroundings, go out and hike a nature trail or ride our bikes around on suitable trails. In order to facilitate accomplishing our goals we are stating them here and now, for all to see.

We pledge to hike 100 miles next year! This doesn't count just walking to the showers, walking around the campground roads or roaming a grocery store. Maybe more accurately we should pledge to hike 100 miles on unpaved nature trails. I know that might not sound like a lofty goal to some of you but for us it's something we didn't do this year.

We also pledge to bicycle 200 miles next year! Now this will include trips around the campground and anywhere else we go. This year we barely road our bicycles and even briefly discussed why we keep carrying them around. Again not a lofty goal but you have to start somewhere.

Also, just like everyone else, we intend to eat healthier and lose some weight.

We invite everyone to share their
New Year's Resolutions
in the comment section below?

We'll keep track of our progress on the day to day blog posts for all to see. If we seem to be falling behind on meeting these goals, feel free to encourage us to do better any way you want in the comment section at the end of every post!

Until next time
TWO PEAS
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PAYNES PRAIRIE PRESERVE STATE PARK (FL)

GPS: 29.519792, -82.294967
100 Savannah Boulevard
Micanopy, FL 32667
(352) 466-3397

through

=
10 nights on campsite #37
at $18.00 per night + tax

SCORECATEGORYCOMMENTS
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 scenery Wide open prairie views from the 30 foot tall observation tower
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 privacy Decent amount of separation between sites
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 cell signal Good AT&T and Verizon
1-2-3-4-5 free wifi None we could find
1-2-3-4-5 campsite size Some longer than others - ours was plenty deep
1-2-3-4-5 electric 50/30/20 on every site
1-2-3-4-5 water On every site
1-2-3-4-5 sewer Free dump station at campground exit
1-2-3-4-5 table/fire ring On every site
1-2-3-4-5 showers Clean twice daily with plenty of hot water and decent pressure
1-2-3-4-5 toilets Clean and flush toilets
1-2-3-4-5 laundry Nearby in town
1-2-3-4-5 security Locked front gate with entrance code
1-2-3-4-5 quiet nights Very quiet
1-2-3-4-5 wildlife Lots of deer, bison, Spanish cows and horses
1-2-3-4-5 park staff Friendly and helpful
1-2-3-4-5 activities Lots of hiking and wildlife viewing

Until next time
TWO PEAS
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Labels:

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! (2018)

Our Location:
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Micanopy, FL

Christmas (which means "Christ's Mass") is a holiday that is celebrated on December 25. It is a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the birthday of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.

Excerpted from Wikipedia

Our Christmas Day campsite for 2018

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

Until next time
TWO PEAS
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KATHRYN ABBEY HANNAH PARK (FL)

GPS: 30.371157, -81.409250
500 Wonderwood Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32233
(904) 249-4700

through

=
7 nights on campsite #161
at $27.00* per night
* = 10% Senior Discount

SCORECATEGORYCOMMENTS
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 scenery Beautiful beaches and lake views from the campsites
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 privacy Very little division between campsites
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 cell signal Strong AT&T and Verizon
1-2-3-4-5 free wifi None we could find
1-2-3-4-5 campsite size Some sites will accommodate 40 footers
1-2-3-4-5 electric 50/30/20 on every site
1-2-3-4-5 water On every site-
1-2-3-4-5 sewer On every site
1-2-3-4-5 table/fire ring on every site
1-2-3-4-5 showers Hot water and relatively clean
1-2-3-4-5 toilets Clean flush toilets
1-2-3-4-5 laundry In several locations around the campground
1-2-3-4-5 security Digital access code for after hours entry
1-2-3-4-5 quiet nights Very Quiet
1-2-3-4-5 wildlife Nothing much to mention here
1-2-3-4-5 park staff Very friendly and helpful
1-2-3-4-5 activities Beaches and boating opportunities

Until next time
TWO PEAS
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Labels:

DESIGN FLAWS GALORE

through

TRAVEL DAY - 109 miles

KATHRYN ABBEY HANNA PARK
to
PAYNES PRAIRIE PRESERVE STATE PARK

Skirting around Jacksonville and traveling across The Real Florida!

Kathryn Abbey Hannah Park is the first city managed park that we have visited. It is a very large park located on the coast of Florida, just south of the mouth of the St. Johns River. This could very easily have passed for a state park, with it's access to lakes and a long stretch of beachfront, if it weren't for the fact that the campground was very poorly planned, in my opinion!

We have visited a lot of campgrounds and most of them have had one thing in common, one way travel roads, very clearly marked which direction the flow of traffic was designed to move in. The parks that didn't have this one way travel design had double wide roadways so that RVs could pass each other if the situation arose. At Hannah Park, only the main feeder road down the middle of the park was double wide so people could pass each other. All of the side roads, where all the campsites are located, are single wide roadways leading in to the sites. The situation reminds me of a lyric from The Eagles' song Hotel California, You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!

So if you are trying to get in to your site at the same time someone else is trying to get out of their site, you would meet head on somewhere on the narrow roadway. To make matters worse there is no way to determine who has the right of way in this situation. With nearly 300 campsites here that makes it a very real possibility for this scenario to occur. I will post a map of the park below and maybe this will make a little more sense.

I can't speak for every site in the park but ours had some additional design flaws. Site #161 was a diagonal pull through site between Rows K and L. It was classified as a 45 foot site, the largest category of sites available in the park, and we barely fit our 27 foot trailer and truck in to it. To make matters worse it had a large tree in one corner that created a high spot. Most campsites are considered unlevel if they slope more than 4 inches across the parking area of the site. This tree made an 18 inch high spot across most of the site. To make matters worse we were paying for the sewer hookup that we didn't even try to use, it was located behind this tree and as we all know, sh@t doesn't flow upstream. Another odd design to the park was the entrance to the sewer hookup. It was not flat on the ground, like everywhere else we have ever been, there was a 90 degree bend in the pipe that meant the seal between it and our sewer hose would be vertical instead of horizontal. As if that wasn't enough, the entrance was another 4 inches above the ground level. At least they provided a free dump station at the exit of the campground.

I know this sounds like I'm complaining a lot, but we didn't spent much time in the campsite. We were here in Jacksonville to visit with friends and spent everyday at there home, only returning to the campground at night to sleep. Even with all the design flaws it's still the nicest park in the Jacksonville area.

Until next time
TWO PEAS
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CROOKED RIVER STATE PARK (GA)

GPS: 30.84139, -81.55
6222 Charlie Smith, Sr. Highway
St Marys, GA 31558
(912) 882-5256

through

=
6 nights on campsite #23
at $27.20* per night
* = 20% Senior Discount

SCORECATEGORYCOMMENTS
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 scenery Beautiful campsites right on the banks of the Crooked River
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 privacy No division between campsites but nicely spaced apart
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 cell signal Good Verizon and AT&T
1-2-3-4-5 free wifi None we could find
1-2-3-4-5 campsite size Extremely long back in and pull through sites
1-2-3-4-5 electric On every site
1-2-3-4-5 water On every site
1-2-3-4-5 sewer Some premium sites have sewer for an extra charge, the rest can use the free dump station at the campground exit
1-2-3-4-5 table/fire ring On every site
1-2-3-4-5 showers Hot water and clean but very poor pressure
1-2-3-4-5 toilets Flush toilets and clean
1-2-3-4-5 laundry 1 washer and 1 dryer in each bath house - $.75 each
1-2-3-4-5 security Locked electronic front gate at night
1-2-3-4-5 quiet nights Very quiet
1-2-3-4-5 wildlife Just the norm - squirrels and birds
1-2-3-4-5 park staff Very friendly and helpful
1-2-3-4-5 activities Lots of hiking and biking trails, also a boat ramp for the river

Until next time
TWO PEAS
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Labels:

OUR FIRST BREAKDOWN

through

TRAVEL DAY - 51.9 miles

CROOKED RIVER STATE PARK
to
KATHRYN ABBEY HANNA PARK

Our longest stretch of Interstate driving to date!

When we were packing up to leave our previous campsite at Crooked River State Park we noticed one of the tires on THE POD was obviously lower than the rest. We usually keep THE POD's ties at 80PSI. We measured the one that looked low and found it to be 42PSI, big problem! I got out our tire pump and examined the tire, sure enough there was a screw head sticking out of the tread.

I got on the phone and located the nearest tire store to the park and made the call. They were busy but said they would be able to squeeze me in later in the day. We filled up the tire just before we pulled out of the campground and traveled the seemingly long seven miles to the tire store. They showed me where to park the trailer and then we waited. A short fifteen minutes later, not one but two employees were under the trailer trying to agreed on the proper placement of the floor jack to raise the tire off the ground. Our trailer has two tires on each side and I explained to them we carried a special ramp to raise one tire with, which in turn sufficiently raises the other tire off the ground. They seemed unaware of such a technique existed, so I just had them step back and watch while I did it.

One guy then went back to work on another car while the second guy took the tire off and began the repair. I won't mention the name of the national chain this tire store belonged to but I'm sure you've all seen them around. They don't plug tires here, and I wanted it patched from the inside anyway, it's just an all around safer way to complete the repair. The tire has to be removed from the wheel to accomplish this repair, cleaned on the inside so the glue of the patch will stick properly, then remount the tire on the wheel. I explained the valve stem was only seven months old but he replaced it with a new one just because in was part of the procedure. Then he did something I really wasn't expecting, he balanced the tire! So now it's the only one on the trailer that is, typically trailer tires aren't balanced. It once again took two guys to place the tire back on the trailer and tighten it down to the proper 110lbs of torque. This whole procedure took the two guys almost an hour to complete.

I went back into the front counter to pay my bill and saw a sign on the wall stating that the hourly labor rate for the shop was $109. As I handed over my credit card I looked at the register and it said my total bill was $22.83, I immediately thought was I got someone else's bill, but the cashier assured me it was correct. I happily paid the bill and asked for two $10 bills for my $20. I gave each of the guys who worked on the tire a bill and stated today's lunch was on me and they both looked at me like that never happened to them before. How many of you tip for service that is well done it a timely manner and gets you out of a jam?

Until next time
TWO PEAS
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Labels:

FORT FREDERICA NATIONAL MONUMENT (GA)

6515 Frederica Rd.
St. Simons Island, GA 31522
(912) 638-3630
Summary of activities:

Short documentary style video

Self guided tour of Fort Frederica

The center avenue of town that leads to the fort

This small section of the fort is the only thing that remains above ground
of the settlement that housed nearly a thousand people

Such a beautiful view of the river and surrounding marshes

There is not much to SEE at this National Monument. Today the area is primarily an active archeological site and a training ground for the local school children to hone their skills at discovering the treasures hidden beneath the surface.

A small section of the fort and the foundations of some homes and public buildings is all that remains to be SEEN here. After being neglected for over 100 years under private ownership, the National Park Service has done a fantastic job of preserving the site and offers an informative documentary film highlighting the history of this southern Georgia settlement.

for more info visit
FORT FREDERICA NATIONAL MONUMENT
website link
Until next time
TWO PEAS
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Labels:

STEPHEN C FOSTER STATE PARK (GA)

GPS: 30.82556, -82.36194
17515 Highway 177
Fargo, GA 31631
(912) 637-5274

through

=
1 night on campsite #48
at $17.50* per night
* = 50% GA Winter Discount

SCORECATEGORYCOMMENTS
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 scenery Beautiful wooded campground
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 privacy Good separation between sites
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 cell signal No service in campground - Verizon service was 20 miles away in town
1-2-3-4-5 free wifi None we found
1-2-3-4-5 campsite size Some deep back in sites and a few pull through sites
1-2-3-4-5 electric On every site
1-2-3-4-5 water On every site
1-2-3-4-5 sewer Free dump station at campground exit
1-2-3-4-5 table/fire ring On every site
1-2-3-4-5 showers Plenty of hot water and clean
1-2-3-4-5 toilets Clean flush toilets
1-2-3-4-5 laundry A washer and dryer in each bath house - 75 cents each
1-2-3-4-5 security Locked gate at night with coded entry
1-2-3-4-5 quiet nights Very quiet
1-2-3-4-5 wildlife We saw a small alligator, lots of deer, wild turkey and of course squirrels
1-2-3-4-5 park staff Friendly and helpful
1-2-3-4-5 activities Boating activities and hiking trails inside the park

Bonus Points:

2 bonus points for offering cable TV hookups.

Additional comments:

Our Dining Out Experiences:

Until next time
TWO PEAS
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Labels:

OUR FIRST ONE NIGHT STAND

through

TRAVEL DAY - 107 miles

STEPHEN C FOSTER STATE PARK
to
CROOKED RIVER STATE PARK

Back on the coast of Georgia and twice we crossed the Florida Georgia Line!

Stephen C. Foster State Park is located in the middle of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southern Georgia. It's at the very end of a seventeen mile long dead end street. It's the type of campground we prefer, grassy camping pads instead of gravel or asphalt and lots of vegetation in between well spaced out campsites for privacy. Clean restrooms with hot showers, water and electric hookups on every site, plus $0.75 washers and dryers to get our laundry done. We saw a dozen deer and half dozen turkeys, throw in one four foot alligator on the boat ramp outside the registration office and all this before we even checked in. The price was right only $17.50 a night, thanks to the 50% off special the state of Georgia runs every December and January at their interior campgrounds. It seemed perfect, even with a few mosquitoes flying around. There was one big problem though, no cell phone service at all, but we expected that being out in the middle of nowhere. The small town of Fargo, GA is back where that seventeen mile long road peels of the main highway. The have a small public library that is housed inside the local school building, there is strong Verizon signal for Tricia to get her work done using her secure cellular network and free Wifi for me upload my blog posts. We have traveled further than this to find a nice place to work when there is no signal at the campground.

So why the one night stand? The perfect campground and a comfortable place to work not too far away. It's a small town library which is housed in four small 8 x 10 rooms with one room dedicated to being an office and bathroom. That's all fine with us, we don't require much and we're used to working in a much smaller space than that back in THE POD. The problem is the library's hours of operation. Mondays and Wednesdays they are open NOON until 4PM. Tuesdays and Thursdays they are open 5PM until 8PM. That's only fourteen hours a week and we need more time than that. We managed to get in a couple hours of work before they closed Monday. We thanked the person running the small library for sharing it with us and inquired about the odd hours of operation. He said it is manned by city workers who volunteer their time either before or after their regular city jobs. I don't think you would see that kind of generosity at the county or state level libraries anywhere else.

Fargo, GA reported a population of 321 during the 2010 census. Small town America, that's the place we like to be!

Until next time
TWO PEAS
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Labels:

REED BINGHAM STATE PARK (GA)

GPS: 31.16667, -83.54778
542 Reed Bingham Road
Adel, GA 31620
(229) 896-3551

through

=
7 nights on campsite #9
at $30.40* per night
* = 20% Senior discount

SCORECATEGORYCOMMENTS
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 scenery Beautiful lake and wooded campground
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 privacy Not very much separation between sites
1-2-3-4-5
6-7-8-9-10		 cell signal Both Verizon & AT&T signals were good
1-2-3-4-5 free wifi None we found
1-2-3-4-5 campsite size Long pull through site
1-2-3-4-5 electric On every site
1-2-3-4-5 water On every site
1-2-3-4-5 sewer Some premium sites have sewer, ours did not - Free dump station
1-2-3-4-5 table/fire ring On every site
1-2-3-4-5 showers Smaller stalls but clean and functioning
1-2-3-4-5 toilets Clean flush toilets
1-2-3-4-5 laundry A washer and dryer in each bath house - 75 cents each
1-2-3-4-5 security Locked gate at night with coded entry
1-2-3-4-5 quiet nights Very quiet
1-2-3-4-5 wildlife We saw deer, wild turkey and of course plenty of squirrels
1-2-3-4-5 park staff Friendly and helpful - We even had mail delivered to office
1-2-3-4-5 activities Lake activities in the summer and hiking trail inside the park

Bonus Points:

2 bonus points for offering cable TV hookups.

Additional comments:

Our Dining Out Experiences:

Until next time
TWO PEAS
We encourage everyone to use the comment section below and if you wish to receive an email notice when there is a new blog entry for your review, please use the Subscribe widget at the top of the right hand column on every page.

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