Jacksonville

We made good time through South Carolina and Georgia and into Florida and we stopped at both welcome stations.  They don't give free Coca Cola in Georgia anymore but they do give orange and grapefruit juice in Florida.  The billboard said FREE OJ.   I thought perhaps it was a political statement on Mr. Simpson's legal status.

This one is for Sam.

 

We easily found our campground and got set up quickly.  Since it was a holyday we left for Callahan to  find a place to eat before attending Mass at Our Lady of Consolation.  It wasn't very far, the meal at Cedar River Seafood was good and Mass went very quickly.  Maybe Father had not eaten yet.

We had bad storms all evening but it cleared by morning.  We left before 9:00 heading to Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach.  We bought tickets for an eco-tour boat trip then walked to the coffee shop to wait until it was time to depart.  

Our tour boat.

 

Ted and Tom were the only men other than the skipper.  The rest were ladies on an adventure tour. We were told of the estuary we were in, the shrimping industry, about the nets used, the paper mills located at either end of Fernandina Beach and a bit of history of the area.

 

Mid-way through, a shrimp net was dropped.  Ted and Tom helped put it out and bring it in.  

 

 

 

 

 

What was captured was put in a small aquarium, identified and passed around.  There was a

 

 jellyfish

 

 

crab

 

 

 

and something she called a mantis shrimp.  She was very uncomfortable handling the container because of what she said this small crustacean can do.  I looked them up and found this.

Called "sea locusts" by ancient Assyrians, "prawn killers" in Australia and now sometimes referred to as "thumb splitters" – because of the animal's ability to inflict painful gashes if handled incautiously^[4] – mantis shrimp sport powerful claws that they use to attack and kill prey by spearing, stunning, or dismemberment. Although it only happens rarely, some larger species of mantis shrimp are capable of breaking through aquarium glass with a single strike from this weapon.^[5]

 

Everything is tossed back into the water after "show and tell."  It was a very informative and relaxing tour on the water.  We asked the two young "mates" where to eat lunch and ended up at T-Ray's housed in an old gas station.  It was a fun place.

Then we took a trolley tour.  Amelia Island was rather "undiscovered" until the Ritz Carlton built a hotel in the south beach area.  People attending various hotel events fell in love with the area and the rest is history.  

One stop we made was at a net company, where four employees can tie a shrimp net.  It was fascinating to watch.  

 

 

The other employees use manufactured netting to construct those you see raised behind goal posts and home plate for instance; also the stationary ones such as one used by a punter on the sidelines while practicing. 

 

 This is a shrimp net that is dragged along the bottom. 

 

 

It has a TED (turtle escape device).  The white and brown turtles illustrate how it works. 

 

 

We covered most of Fernandina Beach looking at the architecture of the beautiful old homes.  This house was used for the Adventures of Pippi Longstocking movie.  

 

 

There are many beautiful old Florida homes here

 

 

It was a very enjoyable day and we arrived home around dinnertime but no one was hungry.  We individually grabbed a little something later on instead of having a meal together. 

Friday we drove to the Okefenokee Swamp in south Georgia.  

 

 

Shaking hands with my new friend.

 

 

We saw a movie which was nice but not terribly informative.  We found an animatron man on a front porch scene and by pushing several buttons we received lots of great info on the swamp, the lumber and railroad industries and the towns and people who lived there.  It helped a lot as we took another tour, this time in a skiff.

We didn't see any wildlife other than some herons and sandhill cranes but the "prairies" covered in water lilies and the cypress hung with Spanish moss made up for it.

 

 

 

 

 

We learned a lot about the eco-system of this famous swamp.  On the way out we stopped at an old homestead.  It was built in 1927, just as the stock market crash was about to happen.  I imagine these folks made out better with their simple lifestyle than the high rollers and those who lost jobs because of the crash.

Eileen had country ribs in the crockpot.  They turned out well and we put together another good dinner.

Movin' On

Monday I was up early and cleaned the inside of the RV and then did two loads of laundry.  Ted checked the tires, emptied the tanks, put his bike back in the carrier, etc.  We would be ready to roll before 8 am on Tuesday.

My MiFi was blinking red in the morning and wasn't connecting to the internet.  We drove to a Verizon store and were "helped" by a young man who was, as Ted said, "useless as tits on a boar hog."  We learned they don't make my particular MiFi anymore, they don't carry our battery and he couldn't tell me if it was the battery or MiFi not working.  He did however offer to upgrade us to a new 4G unit raising our bill $15 AND we could no longer turn it off and on as needed.

We went to Battery Plus and for $30 got a new battery and voila!  It worked.  When we came back Tom told us he just got the new 4G AND the off and on service with the higher rate quoted to us.  I guess you need second opinions when choosing electronics since some peole aren't well versed.  I hope they send me a survey.

All of us then went to Williamsburg Pottery to visit all the shops.  We bought a few little things I needed for the trailer, Eileen bought two fly swatters.  For dinner everyone fixed what rhey wanted from leftovers and brought it out to the picnic table.

Tuesday we left shortly before 8:00 and rolled into South of the Border campground around 2:00.  If you have ever traveled I-95 you will recognize this as the ultimate tourist trap with a Mexican flair.  It is south of the North Carolina border!  However, the campground is very nice.  After we got set up we walked around a bit and took some silly photos.

We weren't impressed with the restaurant.  The deep fry smell permeated the lobby so we went back and fixed our WalMart pizzas.  Afterwards we walked the campground and ventured back to the ice cream parlor for a cone.

We are still on I-95 heading for Jacksonville.  ERA according to the GPS is 1:26 but she doesn't know we will stop in a rest area for lunch!

Rainy Weekend

Friday we drove to Ashland, VA to the Bear Island Paper mill where Ted had arranged a tour for us.  We were met by Laura who did a fantastic, informative, almost two hour tour for just us.  I could take pictures but not post them to the internet so no photos!  Ted has been to mills all over the country and Canada and I have been to the mill at Augusta, GA, but Tom and Eileen had no idea how paper was made. 

We started in the wood yard and saw the tree trunks being put into the debarking drum.  That debris is used to create steam used in production.  Then the bare logs are chipped.  Some chips are purchased and kept in a separate pile.  Next we went to the recycling and de-inking shed.  There were 1000s of bales of recycled content being pulled apart and "fluffed."  It is pushed into a trough and mixed with water and a surfactant to clean the fibers and remove the ink which rises and comes off in a scum.  At the end we saw the reject matter tumbling out.  That ends up in a landfill.

How the fibers are treated, cooked and bleached until it is pulp and usable was explained in all the labs.  Many factors are monitored constantly and eventually the wet pulp is put on a nylon screen and water starts being removed.  It moves along the screen for 300 feet getting drier and drier.  Eventually it goes through four rollers called the calendar to remove the last of the water and smooth the sheet.  Then it is wound into a 300 inch by 90 inch cylinder and is cut in widths to accommodate customer needs.  It is wrapped in brown paper with end tabs glued on and marked for shipment to specific customers.  

It was really hot Friday and even hotter in the mill but we sure enjoyed our day there.  I had a meatloaf in the crockpot so dinner was ready when we got home.

We decided we would see "The Millers" on Saturday, then go to church and finally eat dinner out.  The manager here and Ted have gotten friendly and he recommended a new restaurant called The Two Drummers."

The language in the movie was again terrible and the subject matter tasteless in a lot of places but it was laughing out loud funny.  A comment about "a hot dog down the hallway" had me almost in tears.  There was a scene inside a camper and I couldn't tell if I was hearing rain and thunder from the screen or outside.  When the movie went off and the lights went out, I had my answer. We sat for about 10 minutes until it came back on.  When we left we could see where a terrible storm had gone through.  There was debris in the streets and trees snapped off in the campground and church parking lot.  Thankfully we had no problems at the RV except our director chairs got wet and muddy. 

We went back to St. Olaf Church and the usher who recommended Rick's Grille last week remembered us and asked if we went and if we liked it.  We felt very welcome there.  We had a deacon give the sermon and he was not as interesting as the priest was last week.  But his subject matter, count your blessings, certainly is an appropriate one. 

We found our way to the restaurant and ordered the family combo.  We had ribs, pulled pork, chicken and brisket.  This was accompanied by collard greens, hush puppies, beans and cole slaw.  All was good except I thought the chicken overcooked and "mushy."  The others agreed with me.  Everything else was gone and we all enjoyed it.  I had two glasses of great sangria!

Today rain was predicted and Eileen was cooking a chuck roast in her new crockpot under my tutelage.  She has never used one as much as I do and sees the ease of having dinner ready when you come home so she is trying some of my recipes.  It turned out great and we had another good dinner.  

Midday she and I went to the nail salon in Walmart.  We got the works - hands, feet, eyebrows, etc.  it was a nice relaxing afternoon.  Afterwards we picked up a few groceries and returned home to finish up dinner.

I think we will hit some of the shopping areas around here tomorrow that we have driven past for the last two weeks.  Ted and Tom did a lot of departure check up work today so tomorrow will be easier.  Tuesday we head to an overnight stop in Lumberton, NC on our way to Jacksonville.

 

Rest, Repairs and Colonial Williamsburg

Monday we had to wait for a repairman to come because Tom's surge protector kept shutting his electric off in the motorhome.  Once he arrived there were phone calls back and forth about what needed to be done.  The final fix was just a "switch" of poles to determine something.  (I am not technical.)  Anyway, it didn't work and periodically it still  goes off.  They have decided to tough it out and have an appointment back home and a part is being sent to the repair place to be waiting for them.

Tuesday we had rain so we stayed home and played cards.  We took a ride around the area and stopped at Williamsburg Outlets but didn't hang around there.  We continue to eat together and have kept eating out to a minimum.

Today was very nice and we went to Colonial Williamsburg.

  

We started at the Governor's Palace.  It is June 8, 1775.  Governor Dunmore and his family have left under the cover of darkness in the early morning hours.

Several hundred armed rebels controlled the streets and fields of Virginia. Dunmore had been forced to flee the capital of Williamsburg for the safety of the naval town of Norfolk. Williamsburg was a nest of Patriots and Dunmore felt that it was no longer safe for him to stay there. His loyal forces had been reduced by desertion and harassment to about 300 troops.

Apologies were given that the Dunmores were not available to receive us but the servants felt they would have no problem with us looking at the house.  The entry hall boasted many firearms and swords displayed attractively.  It was to display the strength of the Crown.

The blue ballroom and green dining room were very well appointed.  A large "heater" was situated in the ballroom.  The dining room exhibited the governor's china and exquisite crown molding.

We were dismissed through the back gardens and were free to look at the other buildings that served the palace.
 

We visited the Court House and the legislative procedures of the time were explained.  The gentleman was very informative and we decided to return for a trial later.   We continued on and stopped at the magazine where we saw gunpowder, guns and supplies.  There was another incident with Dunmore and speaks to the adoption of our Second Amendment later on.

 

 

On the night of April 20, 1775, royal marines went to the Williamsburg powder magazine, loaded fifteen half barrels of powder into the governor's wagon, and transported it to the eastern end of the Quarterpath Road to be loaded aboard the Magdalen in the James River.  The act was discovered by townsfolk while underway, and they sounded an alarm. Local militia rallied to the scene, and riders spread word of the incident across the colony. Dunmore had as a precaution armed his servants with muskets, and it was only the calming words of Patriot leaders that prevented the assembling crowd from storming Dunmore's mansion.  The city council demanded the return of the powder, claiming it was the property of the colony and not the Crown.  Dunmore demurred, stating that he was moving the powder as protection against its seizure during a rumored slave uprising, and would eventually return it. This seemed to satisfy the assembled crowd, and it dispersed peacefully.

Our next tour was of the Capitol with various meeting rooms and the House of Burgess room.  It is so interesting to me to learn more about the English law that our laws are based on.  

 

We were making our way through the village and decided to eat lunch at Shield's Tavern.  The food was good and we all cleaned our plates.  We were told there are no straws in this time period and all condiments are served in small bowls.  No red or yellow plastic bottles on the table.

We went back for the trial at the courthouse. Members of the audience played some parts.  One man was brought up on the charge of not attending church once a month.  An innkeeper gave a young apprentice strong drink and was charged and a lady wanted them to regulate the meat being sold at market because it was not slaughtered in the morning and sold but returned day after day until sold.  The church fellow was fined, the innkeeper was not present and was ordered to court next month and the woman was left with a promise to look at the meat in the market.

It was another full day and we came home for dinner.  What is nice about RVing with someone, you don't have to be together 24/7.  At night we eventually retire to our individual rigs and in the morning we are free to get ready at our own pace.

This morning Eileen and I went to WalMart while a repairman came to replace a hydraulic brake line on our trailer.  Just as we came off the interstate, one mile from this park, Ted said he had no trailer brakes.  All the fluid had drained out of a broken line.  We were on flat ground and so close to the park there was no problem because the truck brakes would do the job but we knew we had to have it fixed before we left here.  Ted talked to Dave and knew exactly what was needed.  The mechanic was excellent and had the line replaced, the brake reservoir filled with fluid and the brakes bled in no time.  He was gone by the time we returned from grocery shopping.

We then left for our second day at Williamsburg.  Today we used the shuttle to the Revolution City.

The King's Men were announcing news from the Crown.  Many folks were riding in carriages.  It is necessary to watch where you step when crossing the street.

 

We stopped at the Art Museum and saw a 1700s mental hospital, silver, furniture, coins and money, dishes, guns, etc.  A very interesting exhibit was the records of the Foundlings Home.  Many babies were left with a swatch of material, the only clue to their possible identity for parents later in life.  From there we went to see a trio of barroom entertainment skits.  Disney it wasn't!

We visited the silversmith and saw them working.  There were beautiful items and jewelry for sale. The Olde English D slide was so fancy that it was hard to identify and I passed on purchasing it.

 

 

 

We visited the wigmaker and were greatly entertained by her as she prodded one of us to have our heads shaved so our wig would fit better.  The time spent weaving up to 80-90 lines of hair to make a wig made them very expensive.  Only about 5% of people could afford one.  She said George Washington had dark hair, worn long in a a ponytail.  When you see him with white hair curled and white, it is powdered.  He never wore a wig.  We had seen his metal, ivory and animal teeth dental plate earlier at Mount Vernon.  

 

 

 

We headed to the bus stop to return to the Visitor's Center.  

 

We were standing next to a pasture with young sheep grazing.

 

 

 

I keep talking about Eileen and Tom.  They are our best friends from our years in Florida.  Here are two pictures of them and one of me and Eileen trying on bonnets.