Year Eight
Year eight of retirement was wonderful for us. As I look back on all the great memories, I realize just how nice it was. We were fortunate to be able to be relatively active, though both of us are really beginning to feel the years. But, it makes the memories that much sweeter knowing that kind of activity last forever.
I am happy that we, our children, and grandchildren are well overall. Our son had major back surgery and one of our daughters had a large skin cancer removed, but both got through them and are doing well.
Our sweet Sophie was there for us in all our camping trips and she also makes our time at home more fun. It is hard to believe she is already four.
Once again, travel was the major component of our time. However, this year was different in that we had many shorter camping trips and none that was excessively long. Another difference was that we took our first ever Viking cruise. Details of that trip are in my post, First Viking Cruise.
Winter Trip
We try to minimize our exposure to cold weather in the winter by heading south. In the past, we have been gone as long as a couple of months, but this year we were only gone for three and a half weeks and only along the Florida panhandle. It is difficult to book further south in Florida due to changes in the booking window for non-residents. Therefore, the weather was not always warm for our more northern options.
Topsail Hill State Park
We have stayed at Topsail at least three times in the past because it is one of our favorite parks. For year eight, our stay for this visit was two weeks. There is access to a beautiful, private beach and many area to ride our bikes. I feel we get more exercise when camping.
Our site was nice and comfortable. It did rain hard a couple of days we were there, which make it more difficult for camping. Our Lance does, however, provide all the basic comforts and we are still enjoying it immensely.
The park’s Cambell Lake is a nice place to hike or bike to in the park. It is also quiet and beautiful. Kayaks are available for rent, but we did not partake.
Port Saint Joe
Presnell’s in Port Saint Joe was another repeat for us. I think it was our third time there. We love the area which has lots of nice restaurants, and things to see.
The view over the bay was magnificent. We booked really early and were able to snag a waterfront site. There were incredible views, but lots of wind. Consequently, we didn’t use our awnings the entire time we were there.
Birds were always near our site on the bay every morning. They were fun to watch, but Sophie was more interested in the nearby smells.
One day while at Port Saint Joe, we drove into Apalachicola for the Mardi Gras Barcus parade. It was fun, but Sophie managed to get too many treats and was sick on the way home.
Year Eight Camping With Friends
Hunting Island
Hunting Island in early March was another repeat for us with our Southeastern Tags, Tabs, and Friends group. It is always great fun camping with these guys. While there, we biked to the Boneyard Beach.
We also took a nice long walk on the beach with the group.
Fires are always a big part of camping with this group. Jeff, our leader is the firemaster and always does a great job.
Beaufort South Carolina
While at Hunting Island, we spent a day in the cute town of Beaufort. We had a nice lunch and visited the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park. It is a relatively new park, founded in 2017.
The town has a really long history because it was founded in 1711. We visited the History Museum while there and it was pretty interesting.
Clear Creek Recreation Area
In late March, we discovered a fabulous campground that is near our home. It is Clear Creek Recreation Area on Smith Lake.
I was able to hike with our friends, which I really enjoy. I struggle a bit to keep up with them, but I like it.
Nearby Tallulah Brewery with our group was fun as well. The food wasn’t bad and the beer was excellent!
Jasper Alabama
Nearby Jasper was cute and there were painted donkeys all over town. It was a public art project. I spotted about six of them. There are now 70 donkeys throughout Walker County.
We checked out the grounds of the historic Bankhead home. He was a U. S. Congressman from 1917 to 1940. For the last four years, he was the 47th Speaker of the House. His daughter, Tallulah, was a famous actress. I remember hearing her name as a child. I would have loved to do a tour of the house, but unfortunately it was not open that day and we were leaving the next day.
Huntington Beach State Park
This was our first visit to Huntington Beach and it did not disappoint. The campground is very nice and the road into the park has water on both sides with an abundance of alligators and sea birds. We enjoyed spending time with our camping friends which included hikes, campfires, and eating out.
Atalaya Castle is also in the park and our group took a tour. It was the winter home of industrialist, Archer Huntington and his sculptor wife, Anna. The house is not furnished and is just basically a shell, but their story and what remains is interesting.
Brookgreen Gardens is just down the road from the campground. It was filled with large outdoor sculptures and beautiful plants and flowers. I really loved it. Many of the sculptures were the work of Anna Huntington.
Grayson Highlands State Park
Grayson Highlands, in Virginia, was quite a drive for us for just a few days but it was so worth it. We were there in June and I was afraid it might be hot, but it was so NOT. The elevation is between 3500 and 5000, so heat was not a problem at all.
While hiking the Rhododendron trail, we encountered several wild horses. It was very cool to see them like that.
We also visited the lovely nearby town of Abington to see a play, “Grandma Gatewood Takes a Walk”. The play was great and we later had a delicious meal at the historic Martha Hotel, which was next door.
Lastly, we biked the famous Virginia Creeper. We rode about thirteen miles on the Creeper and it was a blast. It was mostly downhill, so we really didn’t need much assistance from our e-bikes. There were many bridges, which made me nervous, but I got through them.
Crooked River and Cumberland Island
We were booked last year for Crooked River State Park and Cumberland Island, but canceled because of bad weather. I’m so glad we had an opportunity to visit in year eight. The State Park was very nice, but Cumberland Island was incredible. It has an interesting history and was once a very popular place for some very wealthy to live.
Plum Orchard, pictured below, was available for a tour. The 22,000 square foot mansion was built in 1898 for a nephew of Andrew Carnegie. Today, it along with most of the island, is owned and maintained by the National Park Service.
The church below was where John F. Kennedy, Jr. was married. They wanted a private wedding and this was the only church on the island. It has no electricity and was very hot on that day. After the ceremony, they had a lavish reception at a mansion on the island.
Dungeness, pictured below, was the most grand house on the island. It belonged to Andrew Carnegie’s sister-in-law, Lucy. She was a powerful woman who, for awhile, owned most of the island. It caught fire in the 1950s and only the stone structure remains. We took the Lands and Legacies tour and learned about the history of the island and those who have lived on it. We also got to see almost all of the island.
Silver Springs State Park
Our last group camping trip was in November at Silver Springs State Park. It was our third visit there and we always have a great time. The Santos Bike Trail is a favorite thing to do while there.
Another highlight of the trip was that we encountered wild monkeys while on a hike in the park.
Fall Beach Trip
We took one solo camping trip to Gulf State Park in year eight. It was in September because I wanted to be able to get into the water at the beach. So we booked it in a warmer time than is typical for us. The beach and the water were glorious, but hanging out at the campground was way too hot because we had no shade.
There is a very nice pool at the park, so we got to enjoy it, which helped with the heat.
Year Eight, Our Dance Group
Ballroom dancing was not as frequent of an activity for us this past year, but we did attend our club’s leadout. It was nice to dress up and spend time with our Viking friends.
In Conclusion
Though we are certainly slowing down, we had a very full and active year eight of our retirement. I’m hoping we can keep it going next year!
