Sign, Butler Island Plantation, Darien, Georgia
“No Castnets Allowed” Sign, Butler Island Plantation, Darien, Georgia

We remain in Darien, Georgia, and will probably stay here for a while. The RV parks in Florida are filling up fast with snowbirds and since the weather is pretty darn nice here in Georgia, we thought we’d hang around for at least another week.

We continue to settle into this new lifestyle and are constantly amazed at how easy the settling has become.  It’s very different from how our previous 60+ years were lived, and the things we worried about and busied ourselves with don’t seem to exist in this new lifestyle.  The days are easy with activities happening spontaneously or being easily planned yet with options for change at a moments notice. The days always seem to be filled and the next morning finds us again eager to rise and start anew. Perhaps I shouldn’t admit it but it’s been a while since I’ve felt as positive day-after-day-after-day. (For those of you really curious, the king bed is extremely comfortable, the shower is large with plenty of hot water and the toilet and septic system are excellent. It’s not anything like we’ve all seen in the movies!)

The RV park is itself an interesting little community. Perfectly entertaining for someone such as myself  who enjoys watching and studying people and their interactions. Some appear to be full time residents and the rest come and go every few days — like a tide, in and out. We’ve found the great majority to be friendly and helpful but our experience at the moment is that there’s a lack of diversity which is a shame.

One thing this journey is doing is confirming Bonnie and I are genuinely compatible and great friends to boot. That’s imperative with a small living space and one vehicle forcing us to spend the majority of our time together.

We’re seeing the local sites and enjoying being along the coast. A visit to Jekyll Island, just south of Darien, found a beach eroding back into a forest leaving uprooted dead trees laying in mass upon the beach as driftwood. It’s not marked and we only located it after reading about in on the Internet and looking for parked cars at the head of the path leading to the beach. It was an amazing find.

Another day we returned to Saint Simon Island so Maggie could again run like crazy and play with more four legged friends. Hard to believe a couple of weeks ago we were worried about her adapting and now she totally loves it. Life is good for Maggie!

We also visited and walked the trails of the Butler Island Plantation. In the late 1800’s it was the largest rice plantation in the south and many of the old rice fields can still be seen. There are miles of trails around and among the fields and waterways.

So that’s how we’re spending our days– finishing with some relaxing time in the evenings that includes a little wine, preparing an easy meal, sometimes grilling out, or getting fresh local seafood. There’s so much to see and learn and do and we don’t even truly feel like we’ve gotten started yet.

 

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Paul Maxim
Paul Maxim
9 years ago

I thought those images looked familiar – we visited Jekyll Island a few years ago and had a really good time on Driftwood Beach. Must be a lot of new stuff there. I don’t remember seeing as many standing trees, especially the one that looks like a totem pole. Our only problem was that it rained much of the time. Not much to do there if it’s raining.

Sounds like things are going very well. If you don’t mind my asking, how much (on average) does it cost to stay in parks like this for a week? Gotta be cheaper than hotels, right?

Monte Stevens
9 years ago

Always good to hear your reports. I smiled when you mentioned the positive relationship you and Bonnie are realizing you have.

Paul
9 years ago

When I first saw the pictures, I thought … that’s Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island. I took my first photo workshop there. It was a great place to photograph. If you’re going to be in the area for a bit, I’d say do a little bit of crabbing off of the pier at St. Simon’s Island. Great fun to be had with a crab basket, a rope, and some chicken backs! :D

Mark
9 years ago

I have heard a lot about Jekyll Island and its driftwood – your shots give me a much better impression of what it is like. Looks like a very interesting place – one that I would really like. (mental note – go to Jekyll Island!)

Well, I think your questions of how Maggie would adapt are certainly answered! Seems this life on the road and new places to explore every day, while still having a comfortable bed to come back to, are somewhat of a dog’s paradise.