Whoa! We Sure Didn't See This Coming!

Read on dear friends, for the big reveal at the end of the story of our tour of The Golden Isles of Georgia. It's all Lynn and Glenn's fault, as usual.  They told us how much they liked Blythe Island Regional Park, near Brunswick, GA, and talked us into camping there for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner together. And, as usual, we had a great time with them, and except for the mosquitos, Blythe Island was a great place to camp. (Yes, there were too many trees to use the satellite dish, but we lived.)

Sites 87 & 88, Blythe Island Regional Park

Apologies for this post being a bit outdated (like over two months) but a lot has been going on (keep reading). In the few days we were there we managed to squeeze in lots of adventures, including Fort Frederica and Southern Soul BBQ on St. Simon's Island, and a bike tour of Jekyll Island. 

Beautiful oak alley at Fort Frederica

St. Simons Island was the site of a battle between the English and Spanish in 1742 that determined Georgia as an English colony.  After that battle the Fort and town were abandoned, and today the National Park Service maintains the area with the ruins as a beautiful park. 

Ruins of the Fort

After a stroll through the Spanish moss draped live oak trees we headed over to the heavenly Southern Soul BBQ at the recommendation of Lynn & Glenn's friends Diva and Scott. Excellent choice! Everything, including the friend green beans, was delicious. We'll be going again, I'm sure.

Rib sandwich

Prime rib sandwich

Southern Soul BBQ, St. Simons Island

Scott, Diva, Glenn & Lynn 

Another day we drove out to Jekyll Island, about 20 minutes away from Blythe Island.  The bridge below is named for Sidney Lanier, who wrote a lovely poem entitled "The Marshes of Glynn County" that captures the unique beauty of the low country.

The beautiful Sidney Lanier bridge from Brunswick to nearby Jekyll and Blythe Islands

Here are some of those salt marshes, a rich ecosystem that comprises much of coastal Georgia and South Carolina.  It's a look that grows on you.

"The Marshes of Glynn County"

Once on the Island, we unloaded our bikes and started our circumnavigation along the west shore. The bike trail runs around the entire island, though we pooped out about 2/3 around.  See a map here.

A tiny bit of the island's fascinating history: Jekyll Island was the exclusive and private home of a "club" of millionaires at around the turn of the 20th century.  During the Great Depression their mansions were abandoned, and in 1947 the state of Georgia purchased the island at a steal, and it is now a state park. Development is strictly regulated by the state, and limited to only 1/3 of the island. The grand homes and the Jekyll Island Club Hotel remain, in various states of repair. There seemed to have been a brief housing boom in the 1960's and 70's, resulting in several neighborhoods of nice, but modest homes from that period, and there are a handful of hotels along the ocean. Since then development slowed, until recently, when a town center with several blocks of commerce, a Westin Hotel and a conference center were built.

Within the state park, some of the old homes are restored and open for tours.  Two thirds of the island is a historical and nature preserve and cannot be further developed. 

Moss Cottage within the Jekyll Island Club

The residents pedaled around the island on these "red bugs" for fun and exercise.

Rick and Glenn get serious again, this time about cars, thus the helmets.

The Jekyll Island Club Hotel is grand and very traditional. In the photo below there are actually some people playing croquet on the lawn. It really is like stepping back in time when you visit.

The Jekyll Island Club Hotel

The historic Faith Chapel within "The Club"

Also on the island is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center where in addition to caring for sea turtles, they will treat any injured wild animal that is found on the island.

Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Here they examine a snake that was brought in by the man on the right.

At the Center there are about eight large tanks where injured sea turtles are rehabilitated so they can safely return to the sea.

They also raise a certain number of turtles from eggs.

Wee baby sea turtles with numbers painted on their backs, for the big race later on??

Near the golf course, modern day "red bugs" are available for rent.

Along the bike trail we visited the Horton House, historic ruins of the earliest white settlers on the island:

Driftwood Beach is a must see on the northeast side of the island. 

The gang of four on Driftwood Beach

Driftwood beach

As we pedaled along the ocean side of the island, almost back to the truck, we passed a new development of condos.  We didn't think too much about them at the time, except to admire their location and think what a cool place this would be to live. 

Well, long story finally made short, we returned back to Jekyll Island a month later, after the holidays with our family, and bought one.  Settling down was not in the forefront of our minds by any means. But if we stay open to possibilities, these opportunities show up in our lives and we just have to pay attention.  Now we can hardly think of anything else. Our new home won't be available to us until Fall 2016, so we will have time to travel up and down the east coast before we have to wrap our heads around moving in.

So, our full-time RVing lives will be changing later this year, but we hope to keep the RV and keep traveling for vacations. We'll just work that out as we go.  

People often ask us if we look for the perfect place to settle down as we travel around the country, and I have to say we don't do that too much. Occasionally we find places we really love, but they aren't necessarily places we'd like to stay, or we aren't ready to stay. I've come to believe that there is no perfect place. There's just the place you are. Another time, Jekyll Island might not have captured us the way it did now. Another place could have captured us instead.  For whatever reason, we've been captured and captivated, and we look forward to loving it all.

Little Bits-o-Heaven in Topeka

We didn't expect to find heaven here, not even a little bit, but grace gets you by surprise, doesn't it?

We pulled into Deer Creek Valley RV Park and Rick said "Look at all that beautiful concrete!"  

Okay, so maybe that's a weird thing to say, but each to his own, right? He was so happy to be in a clean, level site after a long stretch on dust, dirt and gravel. (I knew he was going to love it. That's why we're here.)  Turns out the RV park owner is also the owner of a concrete company, so he loves concrete too.

The roomy sites are all perfectly lined up off the wide concrete roads. The lush, green grass has perfect diagonal stripes marking the perfectly mowed lawn.  I think it could use a few trees, but the dog park is big, the pool is clean and the playground is perfect for little campers.

The pool was open when we got here, but there's been a cold snap

Rick is happy here for the week, and Honey and I have found another perfect place that we think qualifies as doggy heaven.

I almost hate to write about it, because I want it to stay the well kept secret that it seems to be. It's 80 beautiful, natural, prairie acres, called Iliff Commons that was created and is still maintained by Dr. and Mrs. Iliff for public use. (What an incredible contribution to their community!)

It has over 5 kilometers of trails mowed through wildflower filled prairie and forest, over rolling hills and through some steep valleys with creeks running along the bottom.

It even has a small clean pond. 

Although not a designated dog park, some locals know it as a safe (fenced around the wide perimeter) and clean place to walk their unleashed dogs. It's also used by runners, walkers, mountain bikers and cross country skiers.  Honey has loved running down the clearly marked trails to her heart's content, and I can relax while walking, knowing she's safe. We've encountered only a few other runners and a few dog walkers, and everyone got along. 

Though perhaps not heavenly, I think probably the most popular thing for visitors to do in Topeka is visit the state capitol. 

This is our third since our friend Gena turned us on to capitol building visits. It's fascinating to see the differences and the similarities between them. And the difference between this one and it's neighbor in Lincoln, Nebraska is immense.  Where Nebraska's capitol is dark and gothic, this one glows like a sunflower in the Kansas sun brought inside. The interior is all warm yellows with bronze, brass and copper railings, columns and balustrades that make the whole place shine.

The Rotunda

Murals on the first floor

Kansan President Dwight D. Eisenhower figured predominantly throughout

Beautifully polished surfaces everywhere

Where Lincoln's symbolic themes in the art and architecture were primarily prehistorical, cosmic and universal, Kansas' themes are mostly historical and cultural. 

Statues of notable Kansans and the flags of the nations of which Kansas has been a part

Curry's controversial mural of John Brown 

Architectural detail of the state flower - the wild sunflower

A rather cartoonish and romanticized mural from the 1950's of Kansas pioneers

The architecture is typical capitol in design, with a central rotunda and wings and promenades at right angles.

This capitol has its own library open to the public. 

While it has the usual rooms for the house of representatives, governor and state supreme court, the senate hall was the most dazzling.  

The Kansas Senate

Hidden amidst the grand decor were air vents in the pillars.

Seven different kinds of marble (if I recall correctly) and copper pillars

What is most remarkable about the Kansas State Capitol is that it has recently undergone a complete restoration costing $325 million!!! When our guide told us about all the covering, hiding, painting over, remodeling and removing over time, out of seeming necessity to remodel and gain more space - basically obliterating the beauty of the building - it was just shocking. It was almost as if the generations after the original construction were ashamed of it, blinded by the drive to "modernize."  Really, it's hard to know what they were thinking. We have seen a similar process of "modernization" and now restoration in all the capitols we've visited. What has been going on this past century? And why now are we in this historical restoration phase throughout the country? 

Lonnie Q's BBQ on 21st St., Topeka

Anyway, the final slice of heaven here in Topeka is Lonnie Q's BBQ. Right next door to Deer Creek Valley RV Park (5 minute walk from our site at the most) is one of the best BBQ places we've ever tasted, and we've tasted a few.  We marvel at it's efficiency, cleanliness, generosity, and most of all, it's incredible food. OMG - juicy, tender, flavorful brisket, pulled pork, and our favorite - baby back ribs. This is moist barbecue, not the dry rub kind. (We like both.) They serve only three sides in addition to the four meats (turkey was temporarily off the menu): cole slaw, cheesy "taters" and baked beans, and each one was fabulous.  They are open only for lunch, M-F, and dinner on Fridays. Yes, they are closed on the weekends. There is always a line, but so worth the wait. Believe me, we got some ribs to go so we can take Lonnie's down the road with us to Oklahoma.

Highs and Lows in Texas

Wow. It's 31 degrees here in Kerrville right now, and 24 hours ago it was 89! It's kind of hard to get acclimated when I don't know whether to put on my flip flops and bathing suit, or layer up with long underwear. Fortunately we don't have to go out if we don't want to, but tomorrow we head north to Illinois for some real weather. This little cold snap helped prepare us for that shock.

My son Mark is here to RV-sit for us while we take this little detour back to our previous state of residence to take care of some personal business. He came a few days early so we could visit and so he could get used to how the RV works.  

Yesterday, in all that sunshine and dry heat we took an outing to Enchanted Rock, where it seemed everyone in Texas hill country also thought it was the place to be. 

Last time we were here, it was so desolate that we had a hard time knowing where the hiking trail was. This time it was a veritable parade going up and down the "Rock" - the highest point around. In the background of this picture you can see the line of cars waiting to get in and the full parking lots.

The place was big enough for all of us though, and once we got up top the views were still wide open.  Although it was a hot day by our standards, the wind was strong and kept us cool. It was even strong enough to keep Mark's hat plastered to his belly. "Look Ma, No hands!"

After working up an appetite we headed north to Llano to revisit Cooper's BBQ. This place is just too good to pass up.  They carve pork chops, half chickens, pork ribs, steak, brisket, goat and sausage and slap it into a pile on your tray. (BTW, when they ask if you want it dipped in sauce, the answer is a resounding "YES.")

In the dining room find big pots of pinto beans and more juice. YES please!

Required by Texans to accompany BBQ is white bread, 

which they go through almost as fast as the paper towels.

I snuck a peek into the kitchen where they were cooking up these huge vats of beans and sauce.

Once again, the meat was the best ever, and the sauce makes it all slide down so easy….making everybody pretty happy. 

(Many thanks to these local basketball players who helped orient us to the unique dining ways of Cooper's BBQ. That's Mark in the middle. He's not a basketball player.)