I am very late with this post as we had very little or no internet access for most of the time.
Going home is a bit different than what we normally do during our Florida stay. We stay at each campground only 2-3 days - just enough to recuperate from the driving as we drive longer distances.
While in Florida most of our travels are between 2-3 hours but on our return we drive an average of 8 hours.
Our first stop was at The Oaks in Yemassee, SC. We have been there before and like it. But one thing we wanted to see and do again was the 4-mile drive through the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge where a lot of birds and alligators can normally be seen. It's about 45 minutes from the campground and is such a relaxing drive with frequent stops to get out and photograph wildlife. This year we saw some Glossy Ibis for the first time and also a Greater Yellowlegs. It's always exciting to see a species for the first time!
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| Glossy Ibis |
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| Greater Yellowlegs |
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| Showing off his dance moves |
There weren't as many alligators as last year but still quite an impressive number in such a small area.
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| Another dancer! |
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| A beautiful Tri-Colored Heron |
Then we drove further north to Lake Gaston in North Carolina. This was our first time there and what a surprise! It's a beautiful campground right on the lake with many waterfront sites or at least water view. They had just opened so the place was quite deserted and quiet but I'm sure it's very busy during the summer. The staff was particularly friendly.
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| Our site |
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| Michelle and Glen getting pretty chummy! |
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| One of the beaches |
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| Dogwood flowering everywhere |
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| The activity center and lounge. There was also a small store with the essentials. |
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| A very relaxing place |
We are planning on making Lake Gaston a favorite stop for future travels.
Then onward and upward to Chesapeake Bay Resort in Virginia, which is always a favorite for us.
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| Lots of dogwood. So pretty! |
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| These weird seed pods were hanging on one tree like Christmas decorations. |
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| My handsome man! |
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| Our neighbor driving around with his dog. |
Finally, we are getting closer to home when we stop for one night at The Highland Campground in Pennsylvania.
On April 27th we crossed the border back to Canada but still not going to our seasonal site at Bay Meadows as they only opened on May 1st. So we camped at Rideau Acres in Kingston for 4 days. Their camping season is longer than most Ontario campgrounds so they could accommodate us. It was clear that this place serves as a stopover for many coming back from the States. It is a beautiful campground with trails and lots of areas to walk the dogs. It is partially surrounded by a river and there is a beautiful pond by the equally nice lounge and the banquet hall that is opened year-round for weddings and other events, where different species of fowl live. This place is perfectly located for summer vacations being close to Thousand Islands and the border to the States. Kingston is also touristy with its many restaurants. I'm sure that Rideau Acres is a popular summer destination. The best thing about being in Kingston was having the visit of my son with his beautiful family! Unfortunately, it was very cold and raining so we didn't get to be outside very much.
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| Guinney Fowl |
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| My daughter-in-law Thuy with my beautiful grandaughter Zoe |
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| My wonderful grandson William whom Cheeka adores! |
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| Love was in the air! |
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| A Muscovy duck |
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| All ready for a wedding |
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| Geese |
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| A swan on her nest near the shore of the river |
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| Mini-golf |
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| Horseshoe pits |
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| They even have a chicken coop and we could hear the roosters |
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| The exterior of the lounge/banquet hall building |
And finally, after saying goodbye to Michelle and after 1 1/2 hour of trying to back-up alongside our deck, we were home for 6 months at Bay Meadows Park. It's good to be home!
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| Brown Trasher |
