12/01 to 12/07 - 2026 Winter Season Begins

 The 2026 Winter Season Begins

Millersville, MD
Enfield, NC
Summerton, SC
Kingsland, GA
December 01 to December 07

My 6-day itinerary from Peekskill, NY to Kingsland, Georgia. All stops were KOAs. There are so many, I tried not to stop in one I'd already stayed.

Welcome back. I hope my first blog of the 2026 Season finds all 100 of my followers happy, healthy and safe. This year marks my 17th writing blogs about my travels. The first seven chronicled my annual trips to Daytona Beach Shores, FL with my Cadillac(s), the rest with my RVs, Winnie I and Winnie II.

I was truly rewarded during my 51-day stay at home. I was busy with birthdays, dining with family and friends, soirees, Thanksgiving and just plain ol' relaxing. Each allowed me lots of time for reflection. How fortunate am I with all that I have and for those who surround me as family and friends. A big THANK YOU to all of you who are a part of it.

Getting back into the routine of keeping my travel diary...a blog...will be easy as I love to write. This year I cannot say the trip south so far was "uneventful" because the litany of "events" tell a different story. Short and sweet, the adage applies: "If it wasn't one thing it was another." The first day was a long 5-hour trip. With sunsets so early, I arrived in the dark with a "Check Engine Coolant" warning. Next day, find an AutoZone and take care of that. Next day, at the next KOA I wanted to top off my propane needed for heating with the furnace. With temps below 38º the heat pump isn't efficient. The KOA staff member was ready to pump but stopped because it turns out my valve for the vent was defective; it wouldn't let the propane vent. So, the next day, I found the Eastern Petroleum Company where the $5.35 valve was replaced. Propane filled at next KOA stop. All good? Not yet. The next day, I lost at least an hour bumper to bumper creeping along I-95 because of a crash.  And so it went for the first three days of travel. Travel day 4 saw dark, dreary skies with intermittent drizzle and showers. The 215-mile trip was slow going (60 mph). Traffic was light and I wound up in Kingsland, Georgia at 1:30 p.m. safe and sound with temperature at a cloudy 80º. (Shh, I needed the A/C). The St. Mary River that I'll cross Sunday is also the state line between GA and FL. The dreary weather continued.

What was uneventful were my overnight stays at each KOA. Winnie with its new transmission hummed along averaging 70 mph when it was allowed. With the ever changing scenery, the drive was a pleasure. Southbound traffic was light. Not so northbound. All the way down, the northbound seemed heavy, especially through major towns and cities. Nothing to write home about, though. My chilly nights were a tad better than back home. I escaped the area just before the first major winter storm hit the northeast, so I'm happy about that. 

 

In South Carolina, the KOA provided menus for lunches and dinners including Hunts Brothers Pizza...which I had to have. It was delivered to my site hot and delicious.

And finally, my 2-night stay at the Jacksonville N/St. Mary KOA was just a mile north of the St. Mary's River which marks the state borders. It offered a free breakfast, spotless showers and the usual friendly staff. I made my own waffles and enjoyed their coffee in the "dining" area just off the office/store. Very well done and efficient. 

That night, the crappy weather continued but when one is not on the road outguessing other drivers, the pitter-patter of an all night rain is soothing, relaxing and special.

So after my two night stay in South Carolina and two nights in Georgia I'll be a week at the Beverly Beach Camptown in Beverly Beach, Florida, the same place I stayed last year. Until that next blog, stay warm and safe.

“Beginnings are not events; they are quiet agreements we make with the future while the past is still whispering in our ear.”