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| Heading Into South Carolina |
Leaving North Carolina behind, we drove
into South Carolina on Nov 22. Quick and easy 1.5 hour jump, well,
3.5 including a stop at Walmart to get restocked and then a bite to
eat. Our destination was Carolina Landing RV Resort in Fair Play, SC.
I just have to accept there are no private “Campgrounds”
anymore, they are all RV “Resorts!”
Carolina Landing is part of a network
of “Preserves” (as they call themselves) belonging to the group
Thousand Trails. It is a membership based company having campgrounds
across the country, though mostly along the coastal states. You buy a
membership package and you can camp for free at the preserves. As
with most of these type memberships the perks vary depending on which
level you buy into. We were given a free one year membership into one
of the “lower” levels when we bought the RV. Our package includes
campgrounds from Virginia around the coast of Florida and on into
Texas. We can camp up to 14 days at any in the network and as long as
we are out of the network for 7 days we can do this over and over. 14
days in, 7 days out. We will take advantage of this when we can, the
“preserves” aren't always convenient to the direction we're
heading.
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| Our Backyard |
Nice enough campground, we had a
mostly level site, picnic table and fire ring; pretty standard. The
campground is situated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains
and on the shore of Lake Hartwell. Beautiful location, not many
trails but with it being very large and hilly, just walking from our
site to the lake or around section to section gave us plenty of
exercise. The roads nearby were quiet enough we got some bike riding
in as well.
Carolina Landing has many amenities
including the typical ones: mini golf, horseshoes, basketball court,
playground. It also had PickleBall. That's a new one on us. We didn't
get a chance to explore that but it appears to be a cross between
tennis, badminton, and ping pong using a wiffle ball. Yep, Okay. A
wonderful smash up of racket games invented by ingenious children
using whatever equipment they could find. Ha, when I think of the
games we “invented” who knows where we could have gone with them.
Adding to the games, there is an
Activity Center with pool tables (in bad need of help!) and a couple
of other table top games, community center for events, a WiFi lounge
(with poor WiFi, LOL) as well as the office. I was surprised it
didn't have a small campstore. At the lake there is swimming in
season as well as fishing and boating. The bathhouses were good
enough, large separate showering area with lots of hot water. The
staff, friendly and helpful, helped to make our stay a pleasant one.
My complaint would be due to the
understaffing of the maintenance staff, the grounds weren't kept as
tidy as they should have been. We have become use to and feel it
should be expected, sites cleaned between use, Unfortunately, many
times one unit left and another pulled in without a going over by the
park. We had garbage left behind by previous campers in ours when we
arrive. Once again, I have to say, it's the little things that can
leave an impression. Another observation which is getting to be an
issue with a lot of RVers, is the number of sites given over to
Seasonal and in this case, Annuals, reducing the number available to
travelers. I get it from the campground's perspective, steady income;
but it seems across the country it reducing the number of sites
available for short term. Often, the sites left to travelers aren't
the best. Got to find balance in this.
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| A Nature's Centerpiece |
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| Thanksgiving Dinner |
We were there over the Thanksgiving
Holiday, our first holiday on the road. We made a traditional dinner
in an nontraditional fashion, as I previously posted. Turkey,
stuffing, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and carrots, cooked on the
grill or in the electric skillet. YUM! Was able to gather enough
pretty foliage to make a nature's centerpiece for the table.
Perfection in dining LOL. We, of course, missed being with family and
friends but that's part of our adventure. We are so grateful for what
we have and can do.
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| My bit of Mistletoe |
A fun little side note: I noticed
quickly, up in the trees, Mistletoe. Unfortunately, it was fifteen to
twenty up in those trees. Yeah a tad out of reach. While taking one
of our many walks there it was, just above Paul's head by about two
feet. He manage to get a hold of the tip of the branch and we gentle
pulled it down low enough so he could grab a bit by jumping up. Got
to love that man and what he is willing to do for me. Yes, indeed it
is the little things that mean so very much.
See y'all at our next stop: Georgia!
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| What a cool tree! |
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| Just taking in the view |
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| Looks like a raccoon and Heron were here |
Beautifully butterflies…
With grasshoppers about my feet may I
walk;
With beauty before me may I walk
