Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Parris Island, SC

(Parris Island, SC) Hi 78 Lo 56 – Beautiful morning. We went to Huddle House for breakfast. It was really good! We like a big breakfast, that way we don’t have to stop for lunch.

We always have a feeling of relief when the slides move in smoothly and the landing gear comes up. We've got our departure routine down to where we can leave within 30 minutes from when we start the procedure. Jim gets the satellite in the car and I do all the inside work. I forget a drawer once in awhile, but so far nothing major.

Our trip south was mostly on I-95. I love watching license plates as vehicles pass us, and today there were a lot more RV’s than usual. It was another four hour travel day which is perfect for us. The trees really lost their color as we moved south.

Say "Parris Island" to anyone who was in the Marines and you'll probably see him or her grimace and give a little shiver. Because that's probably where they endured the toughest (but most rewarding) 12 weeks of their life in boot camp. (The other Marine Corps boot camp is in San Diego, CA.) Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot (their motto is: "We make Marines") is in a very swampy area just south of Beaufort, SC. Lots of water and mudflats. And there's only one gate in or out... nowhere for the recruits to escape. :) We got to the Parris Island RV Park around 2pm. The drive in from the main gate is a 2-lane road that goes through a swampy area for several miles. I can only imagine how depressing it must be for the nervous new recruits as they arrive by bus to start their basic training. The RV park is really nice. It has 18 sites, all with 50 amp and full hookups (water, electric, and sewer at the site). Here’s a few photos of the area. I snapped them "on the run" so sorry for the iffy quality. (Click on the picture to make it larger).

Coming into the base
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Outside the gate.
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Driving into the RV park. The 18 sites are in one row set back slightly from the the road.
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The view out our back window.
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The view from the front of our site.
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The bathhouse sits halfway down the row of sites.
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Our site
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The road in front of the RV park. Where does it go? We'll find out. :)
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One downside is no wi-fi, and we have a very poor Verizon signal. Jim is already grumbling about it. :) We'll be here five days and we're looking forward to exploring the area. Tomorrow we’ll check out the base. We hear gun fire and explosions, and an occasional fighter jet zooms by from the nearby Marine Corps Air Station at Beaufort. The sounds of freedom!

Have I mentioned lately, I LOVE THIS LIFESTYLE! It just doesn’t get any better.

6 comments:

Jim and Sandie said...

Love your last statement and agree 100%.

A couple of newer paintings 2019 said...

Nice park. Bummer about the wifi.

hobopals said...

Be sure to check out nearby Hunting Island. The beach is beautiful. I camped there but I think you can get a day pass. Be sure to see the lighthouse.

Leno said...

You will be there tomorrow for the Marine Corps Birthday. Thats Big!!
Kevin said they never got to see the drive on that road because they bring them in at night!!
Enjoy, I look forward to hearing what you find to do around there. Glad it's a nice park, we will have to stay there...

Anonymous said...

Jim you know your Dad trained at Parris Island.That was a long time ago.Thought I would pass this on. Love MOM

JoJo said...

What a nice clean looking place. To bad about no wifi.
Enjoy your stay

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