The Low Country of South Carolina

Folly Beach Pier

Lemons on the beach

Donna working on a mandela

Maria, Marsha and Calvin working a puzzle

Marsha, Maria, Lisa and Calvin Wii it up!

It feels good to be on the road again. We struck out Saturday and arrived Sunday afternoon in Folly Beach. Our mission was to meet up with Calvin and Maria for a week on the beach and we arrived without incident. A little time on the beach and all that road weariness was erased.

We're camped in James Island County Park a few miles from Folly Beach and this place has some great assets like a climbing wall, dog park, lakes, bike paths, hiking trails and lots of good bird watching. Mosquitos have been a challenge but Marvel is a warrior when the skeeters get in the Lazy Daze.

Speaking of Lazy Daze, we met another Lazy Daze couple (Mike and Elizabeth Coachman) in the park from Brooksville, FL We got a hearty welcome from them and an invite to park on their cattle ranch this winter in Brooksville. We've found everyone to be very nice in our travels, but the Lazy Daze people have been exceptionally nice.

River Rats

We did a quick trip to Steelville, Missouri to hang out with our favorite Pam and her niece Kathryn (and their friend Cassandra) and spend a little time on the Courtois River. The river was crystal clear even with the recent rain and was running pretty swift. We had plenty of time to lollygag along various gravel bars and plunge into some cool deep holes for a refreshing swim. We spotted a lot of nice fish including alligator gar, drum, trout, bream and schools of shad. Turtles were abundant and one box turtle seemed as curious about me as I was her.

None of us brought a lot of food but we shared our bounty and feasted on avocados, fresh pineapple, nuts, fresh salsa, sharp cheese and olives. It was delightful!

Johnson Shut Ins State Park

We headed south about 100 miles from St. Louis to the Johnson Shut Ins State Park for some unplugging and nature immersion therapy. The park has been rebuilt after a billion gallons of water blasted through a ruptured reservoir wall and scoured a path to bedrock through mountainside earth and forest in 2005.

These dolomite glades have always been one of my favorite places in Missouri. There are several cool places to explore and hike within 15-20 miles of each other. Elephant Rocks is a short drive and Taum Sauk Mountain is a stones throw away. There are about 40 miles of the Ozark trail in this area and offer opportunities for all ages and varying degrees of difficulty.

We encountered a couple of fellas on the trail that seemed a bit out of place and were talking about rock flipping (off trail) and collecting scorpions. I wonder if they are poachers or just young unaware men that aren't even conscious of the harm they inflict on the glade and it's ecosystem. Lizards, snakes, tarantulas, and scorpions find refuge under these loose rocks, only to be ripped from their homes by flippers and transferred to a dark, cold terrarium to endure a slow, lingering death.

The locust and frogs were sweet music to my ears. Ticks, mosquitoes and other no-see-ums were a nuisance but tolerable. We had great weather on Sunday so we headed out for a hike. We spotted an otter, box turtles, a season of Summer Tanagers, a Vireo, Painted Bunting, some very vocal Warblers and a few creepy crawly's on the forest floor.

Severe storms moved in on our last night and we were paid a visit from the camp host and ranger to remind us to seek shelter in the camp bath house. Lisa and I talked about how to get Purle, Marvel, Itsy and Clive to the bath house if necessary.

New Cabins at Johnson Shut Ins State Park

Shower/Bath House

Trail at Johnson Shut Ins

Scarlett Catchfly

Calvin's twisted view

Click on this link to see Calvin's photos of time with the Hachi's

Perigee-Syzygy

Skewering Key West Pink camerones (shrimp)

Lisa, Calvin, Maria and Isaac

It was cloudy so we only caught a momentary glimpse of the super-moon

Trip Map

View 2011 Winter Work-ation in a larger map

A day of fun with Maria and Calvin

Ash-vegas!

We are staying in a lovely RV Park called Mama Gerties Hideaway in Swannanoa, NC. This place is mindfully carved into the side of a mountain and is very well thought out. We fall asleep at night to the sound of a burbling brook right outside the tin can and wake up to wild turkeys foraging outside the window. It's regenerative.

We have laughed and cried with Calvin and Maria and they are the perfect elixir that we needed to wind up this trip and help us transition home.