Go South, Old Man

As November approaches, we feel like we are in a mass exodus.  Besides our group of 21 rigs ambling our way along the coast, we have huge motorhomes and 5^th wheels passing by us, hurrying south on the highways.  When we are on the barrier islands, we see strings of sailboats on the Intracoastal Waterway working their way to a warm winter. And above us all, the Canadian geese are going the same way.

I must admit, the weather has been very pleasant so far.  Even when Hurricane Gonzalo passed a few hundred miles off the same coast we were sitting on, we only experienced strong winds and thundering high surf. Both were very appreciated by the surfers and kiteboarders.

The fishermen may not have thought quite so much of the wind. But it sure didn’t slow them down any. Along the coast, fishing is ever-present.  And the boys have all the toys to prove it. Platforms are hitched to the back of their trucks to hold not just tackle and coolers but also the wagons to pull them on when they get to the pier or beach. 

And one might say that there is a little bit of rod envy among these sport fishermen. Their fishing rods are very long and do not stay inside their trucks, but have to be displayed prominently, attached by racks to the front bumper.

Again, my hubby has not had much chance to partake of that sport. I wouldn’t dare suggest that he was ashamed of his short rod. 

But neither of us would want to miss any of the tours that we get on this caravan. There was a tour of plantation grounds that had been transformed into a sculpture garden. Huge live oaks draped with Spanish moss lined the paths and the roads. The sculptures were carved out of rock and moulded from metal. My favourite was the aluminum sculpture at the entrance titled "Fighting Stallions". I think it would make a great mascot for our aluminum caravan.

The weather was great for our wide open trolley tour of Wilmington, where we passed many large 18^th century homes. 

It was a little cooler for our horse drawn carriage tour of Charleston, but still sunny. Both cities had war stories from the American turmoil of the late 1700's and early 1800's.

We had the chance to stop in for lunch at Ella’s of Calabash. The original owner was the Mrs. Calabash of Jimmy Durante fame. “Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.” The selection of choice from the lunch menu was, of course, seafood.

And we had a tour of Fort Sumter, an island fort just outside of the harbour of Charleston. The island was small, created specifically for the purpose of protecting the city. It was barely big enough to hold the battlement, and much of the fort was destroyed when the Confederates finally lost the war.

But now the cold is catching up to us, and soon we will be off again to a new destination.

Heading south, like all the others.

W