Who Says You Can't Go Back??Jun 4, 2012
|
|
Dennis' first trip back to Parris Island after 38 years
Our rig at the RV park
Elliot's Beach where Dennis ran miles and miles during boot camp
| Our last two stays were polar opposites…Parris Island and Charleston….let’s start with our two nights and two days on Parris Island, SC. As some of you may know, Dennis attended Marine Corps Boot Camp on Parris Island almost 38 years ago to the day. He joined the Marine Corps on his 17th birthday and just 2 days later he arrived for his first day of boot camp. He proudly recalled so many of his experience, as do most of people do who have experienced military boot camp, and he wanted to show me around “The Island” and that we did! In an effort to keep this blog somewhat brief, I won’t explain why, but Dennis never experienced the Marine’s world famous late night “yellow footprints” welcome to boot camp, but those of you who are Marines or those who have extensive knowledge of the Marine Corps, that is an experience that is indelibly marked in your psyche (if you want to know the story I KNOW Dennis will be glad to tell you that story and many more stories that are associated with his boot camp experiences!). We were determined to found the infamous footprints along with his now abandoned barracks and PT area. We also thoroughly enjoyed the base’s museum and were pleased to discover that the museum ‘s display on Col. Joe Foss (my mom’s uncle), after many years and much research, elevated him from second place and is now considered the #1 Marine Ace of WW II. We also met a proud Marine family (dad is a former Marine) that was there to see their son graduate after a long 3-month separation. The son pictured is also joining the Marines in September. The area is rich in history dating back to the mid 1700’s, as does much of this region. With Parris Island behind us, it was on to Charleston, nicknamed the Holy City for its many churches and religious tolerance, also has the distinction of being “the best mannered” city in the U.S by numerous magazines. We found most of the people we came in contact with to be very hospitable and welcoming. As with most stops, we couldn’t see and do everything but we took advice from my sister, Kathy, who travels there frequently for bell ringing. We began our visit with an hour-long carriage ride around the city. These give you a wonderful overview of the city and its history and can assist in making decisions of what you want to see from then on. We walked the rest of the day visiting Battery Park, Rainbow Row (a series of colorfully painted homes along the waterfront) and the Street Market. On our way back to the RV, we stopped at Magnolia Cemetery. The Magnolia Cemetery is “home” to many of the founders and leading citizens of Charleston and it is also the final resting place for all of the sailors of the first submarine, the H.L Hunley to include the inventor and builder, Horace L. Hunley. The Hunley submarine played a small part in the Civil War but a large role in the history of naval warfare. That evening we met up with some of Kathy’s ringing friends who live in Charleston, David and John. We spent two hours chatting and visiting before they attended an event in town…..John and David, thank you for the company and drinks! Our next full day was jam-packed; we began our day with a visit to Fort Sumter, where the first shot of the Civil War occurred. We were fortunate to have a wonderful National Park Volunteer as our guide on the ferry and a fabulous park Ranger give us an overview of Fort Sumter. Upon our return to the mainland we toured one of the many historic homes (The Joseph Manigault Home), the Charleston Museum and then we drove around “South of Broad” gawking at the beautiful homes. Charlestonians take great pride in maintaining and preserving the history of the area, to include their homes. One of the reasons we like our lifestyle so much is the wonderful people we have met and will meet. We noticed an unusual “trailer” parked next to us in the RV Park at Naval Weapons Station, Charleston. We introduced ourselves to Rob who we learned was a newly minted officer in the Navy and is training to become a submariner. He and his father built a highly unique trailer that is, for lack of a better term, a work of art….I will let the photos tell the rest of the story. We are working with him to write an article for the sister magazine of MotorHome, Trailer Life. We are now in Jacksonville, North Carolina to visit with a Marine buddy and his family…all our best to everyone! |
Advertisement 
|
