We’re at River’s End Campground in Tybee Island, Georgia. This is the first time I’ve spent any time in Georgia – new state, woohoo!
Our site backs up to a quiet side street – at least it’s quiet until some loud ass delivery truck or diesel monster comes ripping through. Our first night here I was walking along one of the paths, exploring the campground (it was dark out) and I kicked an errant blob of what I assumed was wood or stone off the path. Turns out it was a toad. Oops! 
Travis has dubbed me Toadkicker.
The weather is lovely right now – it’s humid enough to get warm when the sun is out but it’s not been over 70 degrees since we got here – and there’s usually a nice breeze. We’re a 10-minute walk from the beach – which reminds me very much of the beaches in the Outer Banks – the dunes, the shells, the water temperature and color, the nearby lighthouse.
We got a geeza to come check out our electrical situation – he found a wire that wasn’t properly ground on our converter so he fixed that – since we haven’t had hot skin since leaving North Carolina it wasn’t really anything we could test as a tried-and-true solution, but hopefully that does the trick.
I picked up a cold in North Carolina, so the first week here has been pretty low key – I’ve been determined to kill it ASAP by consuming mass quantities of herbal tea and brothy soups, plus Nyquil to guarantee a solid night’s sleep each night. It hasn’t killed the cold, but it 100% has made it less nasty – overall I’ve been less phlegmy and run down.
The first weekend here was really windy and chilly so we went to Savannah for a museum day. I’ve always had an inexplicable love for art that involves ships, so we went to the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, located in the Scarbrough House. The house was built in 1819 in the Greek Revival style for one of the owners of the Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The house was used as a public school, then abandoned, then restored, then vacated, then restored in 1996.
I’ve always loved the colors in ship paintings. This was one of my favorites.
Needless to say, my love for maritime art (clipper ships, ships at sea, ships surrounded by turbulent waters and stormy skies) was fulfilled – the museum also housed hand-built scale models of steamships, yachts, clippers, navy ships, and the Titanic. All the models are built to the same scale – so it was easy to gauge the relative size of each one compared to the others.
This ship was named Anne. In the fall of 1732, this ship sailed to America carrying the first 144 colonists to Georgia. It was a 200-ton British galley, 87 feet long and 26 feet wide. The voyage took about two months.
We strolled down Congress Street toward the downtown area afterward. We loved the historical feel of the city – very much like Boston, but without skyscrapers. Lots of statues (Confederate and Yankee alike), open squares, antebellum architecture, and those famous live oaks with Spanish moss keep the Southern Gothic vibe alive and well. Oh, also apparently there is no open container law here – you can stroll around while you get your drink on. Bonus, if that’s your jam!
We also went to the Savannah Wildlife Refuge and did the 4-mile driving “tour” through a section of the nearly 30,000 acres that make up its area. The tour is essentially a large loop with places to stop and do 1 to 3 mile walks – mostly along canals. We saw 3 alligators which may not be exciting to everyone, but it was the first time I’d seen one in the wild without a fence blocking the view slash protecting me. What prehistoric lizards those things are.
Even ‘gators like to sun their buns.
Work week two was pretty laid back. It’s been windy AF though, so temps are still mid 60s or lower. I managed to work out in the mini fitness center 6 days in a row this week, so I’m pretty chuffed about that. Working out regularly when your routine and location changes weekly is tough, you guys – I won’t lie. The fact that this little fitness center exists has been a huge help.
Combine that with long days of driving every week, a job that requires being on a computer, and irregular eating habits and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a less-than-healthy lifestyle. Or at least a little extra ’round the middle.
I’ve realized that I’m going to have to be a lot more disciplined about forcing myself to work out regularly – gone are the days of accidentally burning a zillion calories by virtue of hauling my ass all over NYC by foot and by bike – not to mention those weekly aerial classes that are sadly no more (have had zero luck finding aerial studios in smaller towns).
In addition to regular HIIT workouts, I’ve been trying to walk during my lunch breaks and make sure I get up and move around during the day. I should also use my portable standing desk more often, but to be honest I kind of hate it – it’s perfect for RV life but so annoying to actually set up that I avoid using it.
- WERK
Meet Bean. She lives at the Tybean Coffee Shop down the street.
We took a dolphin tour early morning from the Bull River Marina – it was just the two of us so it was basically a private boat ride with our captain Tony, from Phakatane, Aotearoa (New Zealand).
We zoomed out in a motor boat through the labyrinthine grass patches of the inner coastal area of Tybee Island.
We saw 4 Bottlenose dolphins, all male, hunting for breakfast. Males will break off on their own or in small groups, while females always stay with a pod. So while the quantity wasn’t high, the quality sure was – though we had to laugh when Captain Tony confessed that before we left, the deck hand had told him we wouldn’t see any dolphins. A word to the wise: you don’t get a refund if you don’t see any dolphins.
Early, windy dolphin spotting.
We spent one last day walking all over Savannah – we hit up the Saturday morning Farmer’s Market in Forsyth Park (holy Pecans! Baked goods! Fresh veggies! Local honey! I ate a Persimmon!)
Forsyth Park Farmer’s Market
We also noodled by SCAD‘s admission office, downtown, the Riverfront, hit up Foxy Loxy cafe thanks to a recommendation from our friends Tim & Lauren, Artillery for cocktails, The Public Kitchen & Bar for dinner.
Scad’s Admission Office.
Riverfront + incoming container ship.
Artillery: Cocktail hour!
Also, I bought my first “real” piece of art – an R. Atkinson Fox print called “Love’s Paradise” from the ’30s in the original frame from the Savannah Underground Market.
His style is very similar to Maxfield Parrish, one of my favorite artists. And if you’re wondering where exactly we’ll put this in our RV, well, the answer is: we won’t. One of the reasons I pulled the trigger on it was that I know I can safely store this at my dad’s place (our next stop) until it’s time to hang it on a wall that doesn’t travel at 50+ miles an hour.
And speaking of art, if you love vintage/antique maps and art illustrations, don’t miss V&J Duncan – they’re packed to the gills with vintage and reproduction prints and illustrations from all eras. I pilfered their ship and boat collection – easily could have spent a small fortune on the colorful collection of wood-blocked ship prints they had, but settled for one.
I also have to say that I’m quite excited to head “home” to Florida. I did not grow up in Florida, but my dad has lived in Tampa for 10+ years now, and wherever dad or mom or or family are = home. By that definition, I have several “homes.” 🙂 We love being on the road, but there’s nothing quite like spending time with family and friends when you can. ❤
We’ll be taking Benjamin Franklin in for a little work (dad’s Christmas present to us this year, thanks daddo!) before heading off to a two-week work retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica. Pura vida!
Ready, Set, RV! 