Drive VIR

Braaad!! Chris and I were so happy when Brad pulled into the campsite Friday evening! We checked out his new track tires, and his new #81 magnets that would stick to the side of his car for the weekend driving event. Brad participated in a HPDE (High Performance Driving Event) on Saturday and Sunday. He had class lessons and 3 track sessions each day, spending 20 minutes on the track per session. Chris and Brad have done HPDE events together in the past, but this time Chris didn't have his car. Being an awesome friend Brad gave Chris a a Hyper Drive session as a birthday present. Chris got to take Brad's car out on the track and participate in a driving session. Needless to say he was excited. Chris had been itching to be back on the track for some time now!!

And then there was Bobby, Brad's mechanic, friend, and a very talented driver. Brad expressed our love for racing to Bobby and ask him if he would give Chris and I a ride along (which for the most part means riding in the car with an driver experienced in racing at the drivers full racing speed). Bobby took Chris out first and then I went later in the afternoon. Incredible. I have been to VIR countless times, been to every part of the track, know the turns, and have seen top of the line racers (the Rolex Series--these guys fly through corners at incredible speeds) race at VIR. But I had never been on the track myself. Riding with a driver that has driven VIR 60+ times was a new experience for me. I have rode along with drivers before but never has one had such an impact on me. Bobby did no holding back. His corvette ZO6 pressed his competitors out of the way. Any fellow racer that slowed him down was sure to feel the pressure of his front bumper on their tail end. He executed every corner, accelerating at the car's full capability. There is no question of Bobby's intimacy with his car or the ability he had to apply it.

There is really no room for conversation with the intensity of this experience, but Bobby managed to look over at me briefly while beginning to excel down the straightaway, and say, "You OK?" I looked over with my smile and bright eyes (that had been permanent from the start), and said, "I love it. I can't stop smiling." In that short moment I could see his face beaming and his smile radiating from underneath his helmet. His love for racing could not be hidden. I got the privilege to ride with Bobby for about 20minutes. Repeating the track again and again. Straightaway, into a blind corner, pushing straight into two more corners, another straight away, relentlessly down the esses, fast around the Oak Tree, another straightaway, down hill into corners increasing speed....   

We survived the storm. The Skamper was put to the test. The three friends inside made it through. Saturday evening our location was filtered through two cells. Almost the eye of the storm. Bobby had left us his golf cart for the night so Brad and Chris got on it and headed out to find a bug out spot. A near by ditch. When the sound of the freight train sounded we were to jump on the golf cart and hall to the ditch throwing ourselves in and riding it out. Yeah. To say the least it was intense. The tornado had mercy on us and passed us by.

VIR

Chris and I arrived at VIR (Virginia International Raceway) tonight. We drove up to the gate signed the accident waiver, got a free VIR sticker (it's about time:), and informed the gate tenders we would be camping in the Paddock. Yes, The Paddock!! This means we get to stay with all the other racers, their trailers, and be in the midst of the action. Exciting for us because we have only tent camped at races. The spot we found was one of the last great spots of many. Brad will be here tomorrow evening! 

Passing Through

We were heading north towards VIR and happened to pass the exit for Duplin Winery, which make the muscadine wine that we were searching for in Charleston.The town, Rose Hill, that it is located in also is home of the world's biggest frying pan:)

                                 

Where You End Up

North Carolina here we come!! Nine days after we left Greenville we made it to NC. We set out to see the North Carolina coast. We took 179N towards small beach towns passing through Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle (where in-fact I spotted a road called Evora, and if it wasn't a crime what a lovely souvenir present it could have been for someone very special). As night began to fall we made the decision to bypass Holden Beach (a place I wanted to see though didn't recall why) and head to South Port. We needed our rest and South Port had the closets Walmart to our location. Eventually Hwy 179 ended and we followed the signs towards South Port, but our unknown destination was Holden Beach. Without even a chance to say, "Uhhh...were we suppose to veer somewhere?" We found ourselves climbing the twisted bridge over the waterway, looking below at the water front houses, boats, and the reflection of the lights in the water. As we descended down the bridge the sign read, Welcome to Holden Beach. We both agreed..."Well we're here so lets at least just go check it out." We turned right heading down the main road we went a little piece and decided to pull in a parking lot to look at the map. South Port couldn't be far. On the way out Chris said he wanted to pull in a camp ground we had passed, "Just to look," he said. I didn't even see the the campground. We pulled in seeing no sign of anyone at the office. We saw a car pull up. Someone went in the office/cafe and came back out. The car began to head for the exit and stopped by our truck to ask if we were looking for a place to stay for the night. Chris responded, "Well, we weren't but...," he told us just to find a spot on the right side of the park and to come and settle up in the morning..."if we wanted to." 

I had never seen such a small quaint campground. There was about 30 spots total and it was located ocean front. I ran up the steps of the beach access to be greeted by the beautiful sound of night waves crashing on the beach. There wasn't a soul to be seen. Beautiful silence. We pulled to the closets available spot nearest to beach access. 

While setting up the camper our next door neighbor, Frenchy came out to ask us if she needed to move her car. Frenchy told us not to walk across the parking lot to use the restroom, but instead to knock on her door. We said thank you politely and carried on. Later in the night we set out to walk across the parking lot, and in our intended path was Frenchy. She was dressed in a white teary cloth robe, walking her dog, Gracie, a protective old in age Beagle. She insisted that we come in and use her loo informing us that she has kids and she wouldn't want it any other way. Inside sat two beautiful cats looking curiously at the door as we entered. Frenchy lives by herself on Holden Beach 9months out of the year. She said, "After being married for 50+ years, she wanted to move back towards her roots, she continued, my husband does his thing, I do mine, if he wants to come down he knows there is a bed here for him to sleep in." Funny.

The next morning we awoke before sunrise. I quickly got dressed, grabbed a blanket, some coffee, and headed to the beach for some quiet time and devotion. The sun rose out of the fog creating a mystic scenery as it rose higher and higher. Peaceful and quietly I sat. I returned to the Skamper for some pancakes wonderful Christopher had made. Yum!! He makes the BEST pancakes (mine could never compare)! I returned to the beach and spent some time looking for shells. The shells are a lot different from shells you see on the South Carolina coast. Most of them are complete, and the ones that are broken are pieces of a much larger shell (we are collecting at least one rock or shell from significant places, and Chris made it his job to write the place and the date on it). There is most likely lots to be found under the sand at Holden Beach. While wondering around on the sand I called Jeanne. The first time we had spoken since we have been away. I miss you so much!!!

We had a great stay at Sean and Lane's, that baby Collin is growing so fast. I would say, "You are so beautiful," and he would smile and laugh, scrunching up his little nose. He is a happy baby that entertaines himself. Sean and Lane blessed us as they do every time we see them. Lane kept saying she wanted to, "contribute to the cause," and boy did she! Homemade energy balls, Toucan Sam (an animal addition can opener), bread she had extra in the freezer, and some nonperishable goods. Sean put a new lock on the Skamper, with no hesitation. And they treated us to dinner on top home cooked meals every night. What a couple, what a blessing in our lives. God is good.

Charleston

Not actual picture that we took...but can you imagine him
chasing your shoelaces?

After my personal mechanic, Chris, fixed our leaky hose on the Ford we headed downtown Charleston on the hunt for some muscadine wine requested by our friends far, far away. The wine will travel 3000 miles!! On the hunt we just had to stop and have a slice of pizza at Pizzeria Di Giovanni, an original. And Chris bought me my first mood ring at the Gem Store, he said, "I needed one":) After no luck downtown we ventured to the outskirts and came across a wine shop with a bird named UNO. Surprisingly, he was unnoticed by us until we turned to walk out. He was sitting so still that I wasn't even sure he was real, then we saw his eyes move towards us...he was real. Uno gazed down at us from the top of his monstrous cage, as if to say-how dare you not notice me...I am the bird of all birds...I am a quite magnificent creature. Uno turned out to be a Salmon-crested cockatoo, who is 15 years of age and will live to be 85 (so you basically have to will the bird to someone). The store tenant told us how he was extra loud that morning and his most favorite thing to do is untie her shoe laces and chase her back and forth across the floor trying to catch the strings. I am really glad I had sandals on that day!!!

A Day at Folly Beach

Today we are on Folly Beach. We found beach access (2E on 2nd St. East). We watched hundreds  of people pass by handing out our waves and "how do you do's." One guy said to his friend as they passed, "Yep, sometimes that's all you need, just pack her up, and drive anywhere you want." Another fellow adventurer grinned as he approached. He was headed towards us in blue hawaiian beach shorts, barefooted, with a red well waxed surf board. He stopped to complement the Skamper, telling us of his experience sailing, his recent buy of a sailboat, and his plans of sailing to the Bahamas with friends. We expressed our intrest in sailing and he recommended a book, by John Vigor, for when we were ready to buy our own sail boat. As he left he said, "There's just something to be said about traveling around, with everything you need, just living life, and meeting cool people. -Cheers" (as he walked away).
We watched the rain begin while sitting on the beach. We watched people tense up at the sound of thunder and start gathering their things to leave. We headed back to the Skamper to make dinner, and  listened to passer-buyers as they talked about the 3 hour wait to get off the island. As time went on it turned into six hours. We kept checking the weather as we heard a girl say, "My husband said there is a big storm coming, and everybody needs to get off the island." Our weather station showed no severe weather so we kept steady. Eventually we found out that it was an accident that blocked the only road off the island. The streets were lined for hours with cars and sounds of horns beeping, commotion everywhere...everywhere, but we sat. We sat and watched people carry on with hurried concern, and frustration.There is something in watching people move.

Day turned into night and the street fell silent everyone had moved on...everyone that wanted to get off the island were gone. We were soon informed by the friendly local law enforcement that there was "no camping on Folly," (no matter how legally we were parked...) therefore, we headed back to our hub...the good 'ol Walmart.

Folly Beach for Saint Patrick's Day

HEY...HEY...This is FOLLY!! Slow Down!!! Folly on Saint Patrick's Day looked like first week at Myrtle Beach! There were kids overflowing every pub that was on the main street. Covered in green and beads they hollered "Cheers," sang out songs, or either sat on the curb with their head in their hands (fighting the dizziness...I'm guessing) We headed towards the beach, night was falling, but the ocean still called our name. We found a pull-off beach access and took our blanket. Chris called Sean to let him know his best friend had arrived in Charleston. And I called my brother Timothy to tell him how much I loved him. It started to get late (which is close to 7 or 8pm in our new world) so we headed back to the Walmart on John's Island. Our first Walmart stay. The street sweeper kept us up a while (I mean come on it was like 10pm...which felt like twelve to me) and the strange noises, people with loud music coming and going, the late night workers dragging pallets across the parking lot...it takes some adjusting. Vulnerability can be unnerving but its the experience that is worth it all!! We had plenty of sleep and went in Walmart the next morning for a pack of pop-tarts. Thank goodness for "Great Value."

Rocks Pond Campground

Our FIRST STOP, our first night camping in the Skamper!! We were so excited!! We went to a quiet peaceful spot instead of our original plan which was Savannah. We had intended to spend St. Patrick's Day weekend in the middle of it all but as it goes on the road plans change. The next morning we made coffee and walked to the iron swing to watch the sun rise over the lake. We sat and listened as the birds began to chirp, and watched fisherman leave the docking bay. Chris went back for a mid morning rest and I sat and read. When he awoke it was time for pancakes, Chris' specialty, (IGA syrup approved by Chris). The rest of the day was spent putting things in their place, in the Skamper.

Made it to Columbia

We had a good nights sleep at Jeanne's and woke up to homemade breakfast! Before we left we went to see my grandmother, and showed her our rig. She too had taken a cross country trip. In the time leading up to our trip we spent time with her talking of travels. Mildred, my grandmother shared stories and her photo album of her trip across the United States. She and my papa took the trip in their RV, a long while ago. I told her just before we left that I hope she knew that I got my traveling bug from her:)

We also stopped to see some friends on the way out of Greenville. Elaine and John had patiently been waiting on us to come and see them before we left. The two of them had also taken a cross country trip the Bicentinial year. They sent us off with farewell, and a special gift to open along the way.

Chris and I hit the highway headed for Columbia. We spent a few nights with my cousin Linsey, Mitch and baby Alex. We ate home cooked meals that were delicious, spent time walking baby Alex through the park (mostly trying to get him to wake up so he could enjoy the sunshine:), and ate downtown at Pawley's Island (we highly recommend their cheese burger and sweet potato fries...don't forget the honey mustard for dipping).

Hitting the Road

We left two days and some odd hours late. Rushing, stressing, handling the unknowns that come about when leaving becomes reality. Picking up your life, making a life change. Leaving behind comforts of home. Setting out with goals, and dreams. Letting things go that we couldn't afford to keep. No more security of a job. Trusting that everything will work itself out. Having faith that you made the right decision. Leaving behind family and friends with hope that they will all be OK. Chris and I could not have accomplished leaving without our family and our closest friends. We are overly gracious for their time, support, love, and excitement for us. Every day we pray for you and we think of you always.