And Just What Was Our MPG?

The end of the trip became particularly real today when Tim had to report back to work. Don’t get me wrong.  Tim really loves his job, so in one sense he was looking forward to getting back to the park.  However, his returning to work means that the trip is really over and that we won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, except maybe for a long weekend.  I have to admit that I’m still adjusting to not being on the road, but I have no doubt that things will get easier.

Tim Is Dressed and Ready for Work

Last week was a transition time for both of us.  We really didn’t do much of anything except relax.  That was a good thing, as we both needed some down time.  Extended travel can be hard work!

I’ve started to compile a few statistics from the trip that might be of interest to at least a few folks.  Today’s installment has to do with the question we were asked most often on the trip, “How many miles per gallon does the RV get?”  Really, more people asked us about mileage than anything else.  Here are a few statistics related to miles and mileage.

·        We traveled 25,238 miles during the nine months we were on the road, including the 3,528 miles that I drove from Colorado to Maine at the beginning of the trip.  We had guessed that we would drive approximately 28,300 miles.

·         We averaged 91 miles per day.  Our longest driving day was 333 miles.  We had quite a few days when we didn’t drive at all.

·        Our average mileage was 18.7 miles per gallon.  During the trip we had guessed that the average might be closer to 20 miles per gallon.  However, we’re still happy with 18.7 since our original budget was based on 18 miles per gallon.

·        We spent a total of $5,289.07 on diesel fuel.  We had budgeted $7,914 for the trip, based on $5.00 per gallon (we wanted to use a worst-case scenario to be on the safe side).  Thankfully, prices were much lower than that.

o      The lowest price we paid was $3.599 per gallon on January 25, 2012, in Americus, Georgia.  

o      The highest price we paid was $4.699 per gallon on March 22, 2012, in Trinidad, California.

We did much better than we had predicted, and we had money left over for other, more fun, items.  Even though the price of fuel is still expensive, it’s not a reason to cancel a trip.

We Kept a Log of our Daily Mileage and Fuel Expenditures

On a sad note, we received an e-mail today notifying us that Test, our second adopted sea turtle, passed away on June 7.  Test had been at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center for a year after a fishing line had wrapped around her front flipper.  The line had torn through all the muscle and other soft tissue down to the bone, and her entire flipper had to be removed. Test seemed to be doing well until the wound opened.  Despite numerous treatments of antibiotics, as well as a blood transfusion, Test did not make it.  The staff at the Sea Turtle Center is heartbroken, as are Tim and I.  We are just grateful that Karen, our other adopted sea turtle, was successfully released back into the water.

Karen Is Free!

We have received great news about Karen, the sea turtle we adopted last December at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island.  Karen was released on April 28, 2012, after the Center determined that her wounds had healed nicely and she was ready to go home!  

A crowd of fans welcomed Karen back to the ocean during the Tybee Island Annual Turtle Trot and watched as she wasted no time in getting into the water.  We wish her the best on her exciting voyage.

The Center was nice enough to send us photos of Karen’s return to the sea.  Go Karen!

Ready, Set . . .

Go Karen!

Chickamauga

We arrived in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, vicinity last night and set out this morning to visit Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.  In 1863, Union and Confederate forces clashed here in some of the bloodiest fighting of the Civil War.  The Union’s goal was to capture Chattanooga, a key rail center and the “Gateway to the Deep South.”  Although the Confederate army was victorious at Chickamauga in September, Union forces were victorious in renewed fighting in Chattanooga two months later and seized control of Chattanooga.

At the Chickamauga Battlefield visitor center, we learned that Chickamauga and Chattanooga was the first, and largest, national military park in the nation.  It was also the model for most national military and historical parks to come.  I had never given it much thought before, but I probably would have guessed that Gettysburg was the first park.  

The 1890 legislation that authorized four national military parks (the others were Shiloh, Gettysburg and Vicksburg) can also be considered the beginning of the Federal government’s role in the preservation of historic sites.  The legislation set forth four goals – preservation, education, commemoration and access.  This was also new to me, as I don’t recall this legislation ever being mentioned in any books I’ve studied on the history of historic preservation in the United States.  It goes to show you that there’s always something new to learn.

Commemoration is a major part of the experience at the park, and the driving tour took us by many of the countless monuments erected by state governments in honor of the military units that fought here.  Between 1893 and 1910, more than 1,400 commemorative features had been installed here.  It was interesting to see the variety of monuments on the battlefield and the ways in which the various states chose to commemorate their fallen troops.

Florida State Monument

Georgia State Monument

Alabama State Monument

2nd Ohio Infantry Monument

33rd Ohio Infantry Monument

More Mounds

The native peoples of North America built earth mounds over a period of thousands of years, and these mounds can be seen today in a number of places throughout the Southeast and Midwest.  Tim and I visited mounds in Florida earlier this month, and Jane and I stopped at the Hopewell mounds in Ohio during the first part of this trip.  Today, Tim and I made our way to Macon, Georgia, and the mounds at Ocmulgee.  

Ocmulgee National Monument preserves a continuous record of human activity in the Southeast from ancient times to the present day.  The Mississippian culture arrived here around 900 BCE (Before Current Era) and constructed a series of mounds near the river.  These mounds were important places in the religion and politics of the Mississippians, and the mounds evolved to their full height over the years.  Various types of mounds are found here, including temple mounds, funeral mounds and a cornfield mound.

Great and Lesser Temple Mounds Were Originally Topped by Rectangular Structures

For me, the most fascinating aspect of the site was the earthlodge, a ceremonial meeting place for the town’s religious and political leaders.  The earthlodge here is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Native American ceremonial lodges in North America. Although the existing structure is a reconstruction, the clay floor is original and is approximately a thousand years old.  Being able to actually walk inside the lodge and gaze at a millennium of history was an incredible experience.

Earthlodge

Entrance to the Earthlodge

Interior of the Earthlodge with Its Thousand Year Old Clay Floor
(Note the Bird Shape on the Floor at the Center Rear)

Sadly, a large section of the site, including a portion of the funeral mound, was destroyed by a railroad cut in the 1870s.  The railroad also split the site in two parts, separating the area around the earthlodge from the mounds along the river.  The mounds were finally preserved in the 1930s, and the archeological excavation that followed was the largest of its scope in the country.

The visitor center at Ocmulgee National Monument is a wonderful example of Art Moderne style architecture and houses a wonderful archeological museum.  Incredible examples of pottery, effigies and other artifacts are on display.

Visitor Center and Museum

Ceremonial Headdress

Gorget Made of Shell

Pottery

Copper Sun Disks

Of all the mounds we have visited, this was by far my favorite.  We came here almost by accident, and I’m so glad that we decided to make this detour on our way north.

Plains and Prisons

It may appear that we are backtracking a bit, since we crossed into Georgia late yesterday afternoon.  There is a method to our madness, as southwest Georgia seems to be an interesting point of departure for our eventual drive into Kentucky.  From here, we can head north on one route and south on a different one.

Southwest Georgia has two national park units, and we visited both of them today.  Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and Andersonville National Historic Site could not be more different.

Plains, Georgia, is a pretty little town, and has always been home to Jimmy Carter.  The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site encompasses much of the town.  Carter grew up just outside of town and continues to live in the home that he and Rosalynn built in 1960. Plains High School has been restored for use as the park’s visitor center and museum. Plains Depot, which served as Carter’s campaign headquarters, is also open to the public, as is his boyhood home and farm.

Plains High School

Plains Depot

Plains High School is a beautiful building and is perfect for housing exhibits that explore Carter’s life and contributions.  The museum interprets Carter’s boyhood in Plains, his years in the Navy, his return to Plains in 1953, his entire political career and his work today with the Carter Center.  I had forgotten much about his presidency, and it was good to be reminded just how much Carter did accomplish.  I continue to be impressed with his work with Habitat for Humanity, his efforts to advance human rights and his mediation of peace agreements throughout the world.

Tim and I wandered around Plains and had lunch downtown.  The peanut theme is a bit overdone in Plains, but it seems to be effective, since we ended up leaving town with fried peanuts and peanut brittle.  Naturally, we also had to sample homemade peanut ice cream. It was really delicious and so much better than I had expected. 

Downtown Plains

Billy Carter's Service Station

Plains Baptist Church

From Plains we made our way to Andersonville National Historic Site, the location of the most notorious Confederate prison camp during the Civil War.  We arrived just in time for a ranger-guided tour of the site.  The tour was immensely useful in helping us to understand the scope of Andersonville, since no structures exist today from that awful period.  A few earthworks and the sites of several wells are the only physical remains from the camp.  The intangible remains are another story.

During the fourteen months that the prison existed, more than 45,000 Union soldiers were confined here. At least 13,000 died from disease, malnutrition, poor sanitation, overcrowding or exposure. Conditions were horrific. Visiting the site today and viewing the small reconstructed sections of the camp can give one only a vague sense of what it must have been like in 1864.

A Reconstructed Corner of the Camp Gives Some Idea of Life at Andersonville

Andersonville National Historic Site interprets much more than its Civil War past, however. It is a memorial to all prisoners of war and is the only National Park unit to serve this purpose.  The American prisoner of war experience from the Revolutionary War through the Persian Gulf War is told here through exhibits, videos and oral histories.

The Memorial Courtyard Represents All Prisoners of War

After a sobering history lesson, we did have fun talking with the rangers at Andersonville, two of whom previously worked at Big Bend National Park.  We received great tips on visiting that park and filed the ideas away for future reference.

We headed toward Macon, Georgia, and settled into Arrowhead Park at Lake Tobesofkee Recreation Area.  This is a beautiful county-operated campground, and we have a site right on the lake.  There is something to be said for waterfront property.  It is so nice that we have decided to stay here for another day to take advantage of this wonderful location.

Waterfront Property

A Beautiful Evening on the Lake

Ringing In a New Year

As the year 2011 draws to a close, it is time to reflect on all that has happened to us in the last twelve months.  It has been the most amazing year.  Tim and I have been so fortunate in being able to embark on a trip like this one, and I often have to pinch myself to believe that this trip is really happening.

Early in the year we started serious preparations for this trip.  For me, the planning aspect of a trip is almost as much fun as the trip itself, and this was no exception.  But nothing could prepare me for how wonderful the actual trip would be – not past road trips, not research and not our shakedown trips.  

Seeing all of the incredible sights we’ve visited has just been amazing, but for me the best part of the trip has been spending day in and day out with Tim.  Some people wonder how you can spend twenty-four hours a day with the same person, but I never thought that would be an issue for us.  These past few months have allowed us to know each other on an even deeper level than before and to rely on one another almost exclusively.  I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

It’s also been a joy to travel with Kitty.  When we set off on this adventure, we had no idea how she would react.  We couldn’t have asked for a better travel companion.  Kitty has adapted to everything we’ve thrown at her and seems happy just to spend her days with us.  She entertains us and continues to draw fans wherever we go.



Touring Is Tiring

It has also been great to be able to visit family and friends along the way, some of whom we hadn’t seen in many years.  Spending time with these wonderful people has been a special part of this trip.  We’ve also met some incredible people along the way and have shared stories with many of them.

Tim and I cannot believe that the trip is already one-third of the way over.  We just won’t think of it that way.  Instead, we will look forward to almost six more months on the road.  There is so much more to see and experience.

Since neither Tim nor I are into New Year’s Eve festivities, we did not look for a party-type of place to ring in the New Year.  We ended up in St. Augustine Beach, just across the bay from America’s oldest city.  A new year in an old city.  That somehow seems fitting.



A Visit to the Beach Before Leaving Jekyll Island

On the way south today, we did make a detour to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, one of the oldest and best preserved freshwater systems in America.  Native Americans called it Okefenoka, meaning “Land of the Trembling Earth.”  Although our time was limited, we were able to take the Swamp Island Drive.  It wasn’t at all what I had expected.  The bald cypress swamp that I thought I would see is only one of the habitats here and is found more on the western side of the refuge.  The upland pine forest, which we saw, is more typical of this portion of the eastern side.  Saw palmettos line the forest floor.


Upland Pine Forest with Saw Palmettos



Did I See an Alligator in That Pond?

We also visited a “swamper” homestead and saw how families survived in such a harsh environment.  The Chesser Island Homestead was built in 1927.  The Chessers, like most swampers, were largely self-sufficient and raised, caught or hunted most of the food they ate. They were a rugged family and raised sugar cane as a cash crop.  It was not an easy life.


 A "Swamper" Homestead



Chesser Island Homestead



From England to Spain to Fort Frederica

Tim and I had planned to leave Jekyll Island today, but the campground where we thought we might go was full, so we decided to just stay put.  Jekyll Island Campground is a very pretty park with enormous live oak trees, but the park is almost full and therefore a bit crowded for us.  On the other hand, our neighbors are nice and Kitty likes it here, so why not stay?

We did leave the island today, and after tending to a few errands we made our way to St. Simons Island, another barrier island just north of Jekyll.  St. Simons is a beautiful resort destination and is known for its beaches and golf courses.  We drove around the island a bit and then visited Fort Frederica National Monument.  I was completely unfamiliar with Fort Frederica before this trip, but it is a very cool place to visit.

All that is left of Frederica today is a few ruins, but Frederica was a thriving military town in the mid-eighteenth century.  Frederica was a planned town, like Savannah, and both were founded by James Edward Oglethorpe.  The fort that was established here was the hub of British military operations on Georgia’s frontier.  In 1742, troops from Fort Frederica defeated Spanish forces on St. Simons Island, thereby ensuring that Georgia would remain in British hands. 



Broad Street at Fort Frederica

Fort Frederica today is an archeological site, and the ruins of the king’s magazine and the barracks have been preserved and stabilized.  Much of the town itself has been excavated, and the foundations of quite a few houses have been located.  Many of the houses, as well as the fort were constructed of tabby, a concrete made of sand, lime and oyster shells.  It is interesting that the areas inside the foundation footprints have been filled with oyster shells.


The King's Magazine and South Storehouse Foundations



The King's Magazine



Tabby Walls Are Made from Oyster Shells

 

Foundations of the Hawkins-Davison Houses



Many of the Houses Have Been Excavated



The Barracks Housed Most of the Soldiers

Although few physical structures remain, the site really does an amazing job of telling the story of Frederica.  You can see how well planned the town was, with its wide streets and large houses.  Its setting on the Frederica River is lovely, and I enjoyed simply gazing out over the marsh.  I may have known nothing about Frederica before today, but I’m so glad I came here to learn about it.


Clould Gather Above the Marsh on the Frederica River



Crossing the Sidney Lanier Bridge Over the Brunswick River



The Marsh Near Jekyll Island



Crossing the Bridge Back to Jekyll Island



Karen and Test

Tim and I became adoptive parents today. . .of two sea turtles.  After catching a free shuttle trolley to Jekyll Island’s historic district, we visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.  What a wonderful facility.  The center is Georgia’s first sea turtle rehabilitation, research and education facility and provides state-of-the-art emergency care to sick and injured sea turtles.



Turtle Stepping Stones

The exhibits are well done and informative, but my favorite part was actually watching the sea turtle patients being treated in the hospital.  We could also visit the sea turtle rehabilitation pavilion which contains tanks where turtles are recovering from their injuries.  

Treating a New Patient



Shhh...

The center has an adoption program, and two sea turtles that had been at the facility since last summer still had not been adopted.  Their stories were so sad, but their recovery was going so well that Tim and I decided to adopt both Karen and Test.  We’ll be able to follow their progress and hopefully see them released back into the wild.  We haven’t yet told Kitty that she now has a half sister and brother.



Karen



Test

Jekyll Island is really a fascinating place.  It’s a beautiful barrier island off the coast of Georgia, with lovely beaches and an amazing historic district.  The Jekyll Island Club was established in 1886 as one of the most exclusive social clubs in the United States.  Members included the Astors, Vanderbilts, Pulitzers, Morgans and McCormicks, and these families built “cottages” to enjoy during the post-Christmas season.  Here, members could relax and enjoy the "country life" in their seaside resort.

 

Moss Cottage



Indian Mound Cottage



Sans Souci



Club Cottage

Although the houses are certainly grand, they are simple in comparison to the members’ houses in Newport.  The setting is as magnificent as the buildings, with massive live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss.  Many of the houses also have views of the Intracoastal Waterway. 


Most of the Cottages Are Located Along Riverview Drive

 

Stately Live Oak Tree



Jekyll Wharf

The state of Georgia purchased Jekyll Island from the club in 1947, and most of the houses have been preserved and are open to the public.  The club house now operates as a hotel.  It’s a lovely place to wander and soak up the atmosphere.


Jekyll Island Club Hotel

 

A Game of Croquet on the Lawn in Front of the Hotel



We Couldn't Leave Georgia Without Feasting on Peel 'n' Eat Shrimp at the Rah Bar