Day 1 - Tampa, FL to Colleton, SCDec 26, 2009
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Kind of chilly and before our morning coffee!
End of Day 1
Colleton State Park
| Most road trips I've taken have involved major freeways, and this one was no different. However, by far the most interesting roads are the lesser-traveled ones. Our route took us north on I-75, then cut through Hwy 301 to connect to I-10. 301 is like stepping through a time warp to old 1950s Florida, complete with kitschy souvenir shops shaped like oranges and little motor inns painted pink and aqua. Stoplights and 25 mph zones slowed us down and made us see the little towns we passed through. Tiny white churches with steeples, roadside stands offering fresh produce, honey, and "boiled P-nuts." We even passed something called the Mud Bogg, which was indeed a muddy field where several people got dirty with their 4x4s and ATVs. These are things one simply will not see at 75 mph. I couldn't help but think of the Disney/Pixar movie "Cars". The little town had once been a destination on the old Route 66, once the major thoroughfare through small towns and through the hills. But with the creation of the freeway, traffic whizzed around the town, and it had all but died out. If we'd had time, I would have loved to take 301 the whole way up. Imagine the little pieces of Americana that are dying out because people are in too much of a hurry to stop and see them! Are we to become a series of interstate on/off ramps, populated with outlet malls and chain restaurants? I hope not. And with more time, I plan to take a road trip where we never have to get on a freeway. Passing the turn-off for Columbia, South Carolina, I observed with some amusement that the last time I had been in this state was when I finished Army basic training and AIT at Fort Jackson 10 years prior! Where does the time go?? After about 6 hours on the road, we pulled into Colleton State Park in South Carolina, and I would definitely recommend camping here. Reserve a water-front spot, because there's nothing like sipping hot coffee on a chilly morning and hearing the river burbling and the birds chirping. Ah, can you get much closer to heaven? A caution about winter RVing: sunset comes around 5pm, after which backing into sites gets much more difficult (especially in state parks which normally have little lighting) and it gets very cold very quickly. Fortunately, in the spirit of community, some campers lent us high-powered flashlights and guided us into our spot. 30 minutes of set-up and we were seated comfortably around our fire-ring, scotches in hand, steaks on the grill, looking at the stars and just talking. When there's no TV and no work-related stress to distract you, and all you have is each other to talk to, that's when couples reconnect. There's something magical and almost sacred about being with someone you love, surrounded by nature, gazing into a fire and speaking quietly about life. And that, my friends, is exactly why we do this! |
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