Wormslow Plantation Sunday May 30th

After Sunday Brunch we drove outside of Savanna to the Wormslow Plantation Ruins. This plantation was build by Nobel Jones in the early 1740's. He was one of the original colonists who arrived in Georgia from England 1733. The original buldings are long gone other than the foundations. The entrance into the plantation is lined with more than 400 live oak trees. The buildings built in 1828 are still occupied by descendents of Nobel Jones

Brunch in Savanna Sunday May 30th

Enjoyed Sunday Brunch at The Pirate House in Savanna. The building was built in 1735 as a bar and is still in use today. Enjoyed a typical southern style dinner. We are really enjoying Savanna, its history and the friendly people.

Saturday May 29th

No pictures today. Slept in late and read and relaxed around the campground. In the afternoon drove to Publix (local grocery chain in the south) to stock up on a few items.

Savanna Again Friday May 28th

Decided to spend the afternoon in Savanna again today. It's a great city with lots of old churches and homes. A perfect example of a fine southern city. The picture is the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Some many trees it was hard to get a picture. We parked and walked the historic downtown area for a few hours. We are camped only 8 miles from the historic downtown so I am sure we will visit again before we leave.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Friday May 28th

Inside of the Cathedral. The stained glass windows were amazing. One of the best examples of a Cathedral we have seen in the U.S.

Bluffton Thursday May 27th

Thursday was a relaxing day. No big sightseeing trips planned. Stopped by the Eddie Bauer store in Hilton Head that Aaron manages. Of course we had to purchase some items. In the afternoon we walked through the Bluffton Farmers Market and purchased some fresh oysters at the Buffton Oyster Company pictured here. Not much to look at but the oysters were wonderful. We fried them up for dinner. Weather has been perfect, not to hot and humid.

Tybee Lighthouse Wednesday May 25th

The lighthouse on Tybee Island was built in 1773 and is still in use today. All of the original building are still in tack, which is not common. The light is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard and the building by the Tybee Historical Society.

Fort Pulaski Wednesday May 25th

Today we visited Tybee Island located about 18 miles east of Savanna GA. This is Fort Pulaski which building was begun in 1829 and took 18 years to complete. Over 25 million bricks were used to build this structure. It was occupied by both sides during the Civil War. The fort is named after Count Casimir Pulaski, the Polish hero of the American Revolution.

Hardeeville RV Park Tuesday May 24th

Today was a down day. Cleaned the motorhome and relaxed. Caught up on banking, e-mails and researched things to see here in the area. Nice to just hang out for a change.

River Street Savanna Monday May 24th

This is a view down River Street which runs along the Savanna River. The streets are still the original material. We stopped at one of the bars and had a beer and oysters on the half shell.

We took a tour of the city and will return in the next few days to take some more pictures. The old homes are everwhere and worth capturing.

Savanna GA Monday May 24th

Toured Savanna today. What a great city. The history and the old homes were something to see.
Yvonne and Aaron are at the Juliette Gordon Low home. Juliette was the founder of the Girl Scouts of America and she was born in this house in 1860. The house was built in 1820 by her father. The Girl Scouts purchased it in 1953 as offices and opened it up for tours.

Wine Tasting Sunday May 23rd

Aaron took us on a tour around Hilton Head Island today. Lots of great beaches and large hotels. This is a resort area for sure.
Aaron helped set up a Wiens wine tasting that evening and 10 people showed up. They loved the wine and hopefully some of them will order Wiens wine.

Hardeeville SC Saturday May 22nd

Left Jacksonville early this morning for Hilton Head SC (153 mile trip). We are actually staying in Hardeeville about 30 minutes from Hilton Head. Spent the afternoon with our son Aaron. We will be here for 18 days, then hook back up with Ivan and Randi to continue our road trip. Lots to see and do here, but we plan on having quite a few down days to just relax and visit with Aaron. Not quite as hot and humid here.

St Augustine Lighthouse Friday May 21st

Well, we all made the 219 steps to the top of the lighthouse. What a view from the outside platform. This lighthouse was build in the late 1800's. Spent the day in St Augustine, and it was so hot and humid. How did they ever exist without air conditioning. St Augustine is approximately 45 miles south of Jacksonville.

St Augustine FL Friday May 21st

Today we spent the day in St Augustine FL, which is the oldest city in the U.S. This fort, next to the city is over 300 years old and is build from sea shells. The first fort, which this one replaced was built here is 1565 by the Spanish. The fort changed hands over the years (Spanish, British, U.S.).

Kingsley Plantation Thursday May 20th

While sightseeing around Jacksonville we visited the Kingsley Plantation. It was built in the 1700's. There were also numerous slave quarters built from sea shells on the property.

Jacksonville Thursday May 20th

The benches pictured here are dedicated to Randi's granddaughter who was killed by a hit and run driver in 2007. The bench on the left is engraved with "Jordan R. Williams 4-7-90 12-12-07". The bench on the right is engraved with " A Life Worth Watching" which was a saying originated by Jordan. The benches are located in a public park in Jax Beach FL.

Jacksonville FL Wednesday May 19th

Short drive today from White Springs FL to Jacksonville FL. After setting up camp at the Pecan RV Park we spent the afternoon at Randi's daughters home. Got a chance to visit with Lisa and meet her son Jason and grandchildren. Will spend 2 days here before heading to Hilton Head SC to visit our son for 18 days. Ivan and Randi will stay in Jacksonville and hook up with us again around June 8th.

Pikes Landing Tuesday May 18th

Drove up to Morven GA just outside of Valdosta GA for breakfast this morning at Pikes Landing. This is the restrauant than Randi and Ivans daughter and son-in-law own. The breakfast was great. After breakfast we picked peaches at a local orchard, got a great tour of the processing plant by the owner. Also toured historic Valdosta, including a church that Randi's great great grandfather was one of the founding elders. Tomorrow on to Jacksonville for 3 nights.

White Springs FL Monday May 17th

We left Carrabelle FL this morning and traveled to White Springs FL. We are camped on the Suwannee River. The water is black so the reflections from the bank were very interesting. Staying here for two nights then on to Jacksonville FL. Much warmer here inland than on the coast.
Today was Yvonne's xo Birthday. She won't let me say how old she is, but at 63 I am only 3 years older. You do the math. Had a huge rain storm, but was able to cook a nice birthday dinner on the barbque between downpours.

Carrabelle FL Sunday May 16th

Today was a down day. Just hang out at the campground, catch up on some washing, and enjoy the great views over the Gulf.

Sunday evening we were invited over to Randi's cousins home for dinner. As we mentioned before she has 3 cousins who live in the area. Two of them live next door to each other. Had a wonderful dinner and a great visit. Randi's family were great hosts and treated Yvonne and I like family. We will miss them.

Apalachicola River Fl Sat May 15th

This morning we were able to take a boat ride with the River Keepers Organization up the Aplachicola River thanks to Randi's cousin's husband Dave. Dave is very active in this organization whose charter is to keep the river in pristine condition. Dan was our guide and we learned a lot about the importance of this river. We saw lots of wildlife and beautiful sights. The tour lasted about 2 1/2 hours.

Apalachicola River Sat May 15th

We ventured up the Apalachicola River about an hour and saw some very interesting sights. This river is the life blood of the Apalachicola Bay fishing industry and has not allowed any commerical development to take place over the years.

Saturday evening we were invited over to Randi's cousin's home for a fish fry. All three of Randi's mothers sisters live close by so it was a great family reunion for Randi.

Carrabelle FL Friday May 14th

Today we just relaxed around the campsite and checked out the area. More oysters come from this area of the gulf than any other area. We couldn't resist picking up some fresh oysters, shrimp and grouper for dinner. That's whats on the bar b que. Before dinner we couldn't resist having some fresh raw oysters and a cold beer. Life is good.

Florida Thursday May 13th

Left Hammond LA early this morning and decided to drive all the way to Carrabelle Fl. Passed through MS and AL and arrived 465 miles later in Carrabelle. Carrabelle is on the West Coast of Florida and we were lucky to get a beach front camp site right on the Gulf. The views from the front of the motorhome are fantastic. Will spend 4 nights here relaxing, visiting Randi's cousin, and eating lots of fresh seafood. The oil spill has not affected this part of the Gulf yet and hope it stays that way.

Washing R V Wednesday May 12th

Our last day in Hammond LA before heading east again. Spent the morning washing and cleaning the RV and did some shopping in the afternoon.

Weather has turned hot and humid here, but no rain. We will miss this campground as we were the only ones camping in this section which made it very quite and the views were great.

Plantation Road Tuesday May 11th

Today we traveled Plantation Road located along the banks of Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. We toured the Houmas House Plantation pictured here. The main building was completed in 1829. This was a sugarcane plantation. Our tour guide was very informative and at the end of the tour we met the current owner. In all we viewed 5 plantations built between 1790 and 1839.

Bourbon Street Monday May 10th

Walked down Bourbon Street and around the French Quarter. Mostly bars and restrauants with a few gift shops scattered around. This part of New Orleans was untouched by Katrina. After touring around the French Quarter we drove through the Garden District known for its antebellum homes built prior to the Civil War.

This area was also untouched by Katrina.

New Orleans Monday May 10th

Traveled today to New Orleans. Easy drive from Hammond, just 50 miles. Spend the day touring Bourbon Steeet and the Garden District. Had a great lunch at the famous Acme Restraunt just off Bourbon Street. Of course we had fresh oysters on the half shell as well are other New Orleans fare. Yvonne and Ian even tryed the oysters. Randi and I ate most of them.

Hammond LA Sunday May 9th

Arrived at Hidden Oaks Campground in Hammond LA this afternnon. We are the only RV's in the area. Great views and very quite RV park. Spent the afternoon shopping at the local stores in the area, including the Wal-Mart. Hammond is about 45 miles from Baton Rouge and 50 miles from New Orleans. Fired up the bar b que and cooked gulf shrimp and steak. Life is tough in Retirement.

Shadows-on-the-Teche Saturday May 8th

The mansion was build in 1834 and owned and occupied by the same family until 1958 when it was turned over to an historic trust. Sits on the banks of the Teche Bayou. A great example of plantation life in Cajun Country.

New Iberia Rice Mill Saturday May 8th

Toured Conrad Rice Mill in New Iberia, the oldest rice mill in the U.S. Learned about the process of harvesting and processing rice. Lots more to the process than we ever thought. The buildings are not much to look at, but they still use the same equipment and process they have been using for over 100 years.

Avery Island Saturday May 8th

Visited the Tabasco Factory on Avery Island. This is the only Tabasco in the world. Took the tour of the factory and visited their country store where you can sample all of the Tabasco products. Many items we don't see in CA so stocked up on a few of them.

Broussard LA Cajun Country Friday May 7th

Today we arrived in Broussard LA. This is known as Cajun country. We arrived early enough to visit the Lafayette National Park and History Museum and learn about the Cajun culture. At 5PM we took tour boat ride through the swamps. The sights and wild life were unbelievable. Spending two nights here and will continue sightseeing tomorrow.

Broussard LA Friday May 7th

This is some of the wild life we viewed on our swamp tour. He was around 10 feet in length and waiting for dinner. We also saw many different type of birds on the tour. The tour lasted about 2 1/2 hours.

Beaumont TX Thursday May 6th

Today we traveled from Lockhart TX to Beaumont TX. We had heard horror stories about driving through Houston in an RV, but were presently surpised. Left Lockhart early so hit Houston around 11:00 and the traffic was a breeze. Nice RV park in Beaumont so caught up on laundry and grocery shopping.

Smitty's Market Lockhart TX Wed May 5th

Spent our last day in Lockhart with my cousin Jack and Elfriede. We ate lunch at Smitty's Market one of the famous bar b que restrauants in town. This one was featured on the food channel. There is nothing better than Texas bar b que. Wed evening we traveled with Ivan and Randi to Austin to have dinner with one of the Dr's Randi worked with in Orange County. They now live in Austin in the historic district in downtown Austin. What a great house they have.

We head out tomorrow for Beaumont TX on our way east.

Texas Hill Country Tuesday May 4th

Yvonne, Randi and I visited the Texas Hill Country today. Ivan decided to take a 20 mile bike ride instead. Very pretty area of Texas with rolling hills and lots of trees. The picture is of President Johnson's home and where he spent 25% of his time while he was President. Its a National Park and is still a working cattle ranch. We also visited Fredericksburg (a German town founded in 1850) along with a couple of winery's.

The Hill Country is becoming a large area for Texas wines.

Austin Texas Monday May 3rd

Today Ivan, Randi, Jack, Yvonne and I traveled to Austin. We toured the Texas State History Museum and the State Capitol Building. The Texas Capitol has 161,000 sq ft of office space under the Capitol. The Museum has the history of Texas starting with the Spanish in the 1500's through current day. One of the best history museums we have been too. Yvonne also visited the Millette Opera House (now the Austin Club) where Helena Modjeska appeared on stage there in the 1890's. She received a private tour.

Lockhart State Park Sunday May 2nd

We moved back to Lockhart State Park today and spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing and hanging out. Had Ivan, Randi, Jack and Elfriede over for dinner . Weather here has been pleasant with no rain. Tomorrow we will spend the day in Austin and on Tuesday we will head to the Texas Hill Country.

Lockhart County Courthouse Sat May 1st

This is the Lockhart County Courthouse which was build in 1894. It is the most photographed building in Texas. Today we spent the afternoon walking around downtown Lockhart.

Lockhart TX Saturday May 1st

Downtown Lockhart is very historic. Most of buildings in town where built around 1894 to 1905. This is a view of the main street. The famous bar b que places are all within walking distance of downtown.

Falling Star RV Resort - McMahan TX

We had to move from Lockhart State Park for Sat and Sun since they were sold out and no spaces available. This is the view from our campsite at Lake Falling Star RV Resort located in McMahan 14 miles from Lockhart. Traveled to Luling for dinner with my cousin and his wife. The restrauant was in an old JC Penny building. Friday night is catfish night and it was great.