Tag Archives: travel

Magnolia Lane Campground > Anvil Campground – Williamsburg, VA

21 Tuesday Apr 2026

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4/21/26

Location: Magnolia Lane Campground, Pollocksville, NC

Prepared for departure by loading items into the truck, cleaning inside, dumping the tanks and hooking ChILL to the truck. The truck tailgate came down on its own at the campground. We assumed it was caused by pushing the button on the key fob from our pockets in error but WAIT there’s more!

Using the improved route that Skip had researched and that avoided the Hampton Bridge Tunnel, we headed out, with me as the first driver, for Anvil Campground in Williamsburg, VA. About an hour into the trip a nice driver slowed down to tell us the tailgate was open on the truck, which of course means it was laying on the trailer tongue jack as we were driving along the highway. At the stoplight Skip hopped out and closed it. We both removed the key fobs from our pockets in case that was the cause of the issue.  Fortunately the problem has not occurred again. Praise be to God!

Skip brought up the audible book he bought about Colonial Williamsburg which occupied us for a half hour or so. Then it became too boring for my tastes with excessive detail about furnishings and the reading of letters of political politeness. It did have some good information but not enough to continue listening to it and was not stimulating enough content to increase my driving focus.

Another hour later we took an exit because I needed a bathroom break even though nothing was noted at the exit, no gas stations or fast food places. However I did find an area that I thought was part of a nearby church parking lot. Turned out to be a small and busy local recycling center. After we used the bathroom in ChILL, the nice attendant allowed us to loop around where we easily returned to the highway and our planned route with me still in the driver’s seat.

Location: Virginia State Line Welcome Center

Here we took a selfie with the Virginia sign, picked up a couple of brochures about Colonial Williamsburg and enjoyed our previously prepared lunch from inside ChILL.

Skip took over as driver on what turned out to be the hardest part of the trip. Several quick exits happened in succession for the route Skip chose in advance. Many miles of construction also kept him on his toes. The roads for most of the time Skip drove were bumpy with a lot of traffic. Thankfully Skip handled it very well.

Location: Anvil Campground, Williamsburg, VA, premium site 77, full hookup

Anvil Campground was founded in 1954 by Ralph Jump and is still owned by the same family to this day. John D. Rockefeller, Jr hired James Jump and his son Ralph Jump in the late 1920s and early 1930s as master blacksmiths to help restore Colonial Williamsburg to its 1700s appearance to preserve history. In 1953 Ralph purchased a soybean farm that eventually became the campground. Inspired by their blacksmithing history the campground was named Anvil. A huge water wheel made by Ralph Jump in 1978 is still in operation today. The Jump family’s legacy lives on both in the campground and in their efforts over the years to restore Colonial Williamsburg.

Chris Jump, the owner of the campground since 2011, called us enroute to confirm our intention to checkin, verified our site number and told us to go ahead and setup upon arrival. An information packet was available for us at the Welcome Center containing the transit schedule and a suggested app for conveniently getting around the area. Armed with a QR code the campground provided for discount tickets, we purchased a multiday ticket for Colonial Williamsburg.

We have one of the premium sites with a large gravel pad. Our site is shaded and has a polywood porch swing with center cupholders, a polywood picnic table, a fire ring, a polywood privacy wall between the neighboring site’s porch swing area and close proximity to a sliding board. 

The transportation pick up is practically at our campsite and will take us to Colonial Williamsburg. The bus runs to and from frequently. Very convenient way for us to let someone else be responsible for navigating the local area and no need for us to find parking.

Had a freezer meal from ChILL of enchiladas I had made before we left along with raw vegetables. A tasty end to a good day!

Magnolia Lane Campground – Pollocksville, NC

19 Sunday Apr 2026

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4/19/26
Location: Magnolia Lane Campground
Trinity United Methodist Church
Joanie and Ross’s house
Lunch at Marrakesh 
Lejeune Memorial Gardens
Joanie and Ross’s house
Walmart
Fuel
ChILL

Skip willingly woke up early for us to make the 30 minute drive from the campground to meet Joanie and Ross at their church, Trinity United Methodist. We arrived at 8:25 in plenty of time for the 8:45 service. After being greeted warmly multiple times and shown to their restrooms, Skip and I waited outside at the front of the church for Joanie and Ross.

Their church is beautiful with stained glass windows lining the sanctuary and large pipe organs flanking the altar. The contemporary praise band was talented. They performed the songs as well as the artists I hear on Sirius XM The Message.

The pastor’s message was regarding the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. Skip and I are intrigued by the facts the pastor researched and shared with the congregation. Because we both want to know more about the current views and validated studies about the Shroud, Skip made a Kindle purchase of The Jesus Discoveries by Jeremiah Johnston, founder of the Christian Thinkers Society, and one of the resources referenced by the pastor.

At their beautiful house, Joanie and Ross showed us the variety of flowers, plants and trees they have in their yard, including some they brought from the last house and some they started from seedlings. They have pears, citrus, aloe, pineapple, blueberries and a different species of Japanese maple than I have seen in the past. They also grow peppers and herbs in pots on their back deck. Ross introduced us to a couple of his turtles that were previously injured and unable to survive on their own now living in safety and comfort in the backyard pen Joanie and Ross provide for them.

Even though Joanie and Ross have lived in their house more than 20 years, this was our first visit. Their house has huge rooms and beautiful hardwood floors. Ross has one of the huge rooms neatly organized with his sewing machines and kite materials. The room has double pocket doors to close it off making it out of sight when not in use. Spacious kitchen, large dining room and large main area help when they host friends and neighbors.

Lunch was at a Greek restaurant named Marrakesh, tasty. Next we went to the Lejeune Memorial Gardens, a somber reminder of the horrors of war, the ones who were killed or permanently injured and the families that were left to carry on without their loved ones. It was a touching reminder of Ross’s sacrifice as he served as a Marine and just missed by one year the Beirut bombing that killed 273 Marines.

Back at Joanie and Ross’s house we played train dominoes. Skip and I had never played so they took the time to explain the rules and strategy. Then it was game on! After enjoying a few rounds, Skip and I headed out for groceries and fuel.

Back at ChILL we had grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh Brussels sprouts and tomato soup for dinner. What a life!

Myrtle Beach State Park Campground > Magnolia Lane Campground – Pollocksville, NC

18 Saturday Apr 2026

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4/18/26

Location: Myrtle Beach State Park Campground, Myrtle Beach, SC

Location: Magnolia Lane Campground, Pollocksville, NC (near Joanie), site 2, full hookup
Joanie and Ross
ChILL
Spunky McDoogle’s 
New Bern waterfront
ChILL

After a driver change a little less than halfway, Skip took over and completed the uneventful and comfortable drive from Myrtle Beach to Pollocksville, NC. Magnolia Lane Campground is unique in that they do not staff their office, ever!  My contact person, Mae, sent a text on Friday confirming our site number and provided the codes for the bathhouse and laundry, neither of which we used during our stay. Our site was paid and assigned in advance so we didn’t need any assistance from the campground. Just have not encountered a campground that is not staffed. A phone number was provided if contact was needed. Our site was full hookup but no shade at all and the campground was decent and quiet. If we visit the area again, we would not hesitate to book a site again.

Joanie and Ross came to the campground and took the detailed tour of ChILL. Fun to share it with them because they have some interest in purchasing an RV at some point.

Joanie and Ross drove us to New Bern where we had a delicious dinner at an Irish pub named Spunky McDoogle’s. Joanie loves the Reuben sandwich and onion rings. Skip ordered a Reuben too. Delicious corned beef, cabbage and potatoes was my choice. Ross opted for blackened chicken. My meal was delicious with perfectly prepared corned beef. Joanie and Ross generously paid for our meals.

After dinner we walked along the waterfront in New Bern. The 90 degree afternoon had become a beautiful evening of moderate temperatures with a breeze making our waterfront stroll quite enjoyable.

After bringing us back to ChILL, Joanie and Ross headed home. How wonderful to spend that time with them and then go back to the comfort of our own home.

James Island County Park Campground > Myrtle Beach State Park Campground – Myrtle Beach, SC

15 Wednesday Apr 2026

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Wednesday, 4/15/26

Location: Campground at James Island County Park

Packed up the truck, hooked up ChILL and prepared to head out. Skip noticed that the front marker light on the passenger side of ChILL was flickering. Unfortunately it is a difficult light to remove and replace. Fortunately the repair can wait until we return to St Augustine without causing any travel issues.

Trip started out with me as the driver as Skip helped me navigate the Charleston streets including the cable-stayed Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge that spans the Charleston Harbor. The bridge’s design is similar to the Dames Point Bridge in Jacksonville, Florida. Our route was mostly on US17, changing to US17 Business Route for the last leg of the trip which has convenient access to our campground. US17 is more relaxed than the interstate with less traffic, all good things. Long stretches with no places to pull off to change drivers can be challenging but the Georgetown area had a few good choices for us.

Along the way we saw a couple of signs that said Wildlife Viewing Area. I asked how all the wildlife know they are supposed to go to that area? Skip had a completely different take saying that is where all the wildlife go to view us! He’s a crackup!

In an empty parking lot in Georgetown we opened up ChILL and our lunchbox and enjoyed the sandwiches I prepared before we left Charleston along with very tasty grapes.

Location: Myrtle Beach State Park Campground, site 301, full hookup

What a wonderful campground with easy access to the Atlantic Ocean! It is heavily wooded making most campsites comfortably shaded. The roads are one-way and somewhat narrow with enough room for even the largest rigs to maneuver. Some of the sites require the tow vehicle to park across the site which can make backing the Airstream into and pulling out of the site more challenging. Skip did a fantastic job of backing into the site even though the neighbors’ truck made it a tight situation. Apparently it was good entertainment for our chatty and somewhat distracting neighbors who were sitting outside with a group of their friends. The show continued since the neighbors’ site was on the utility side of ChILL and our water, sewer and electric connections were very close to their site making Skip the main event for a little while as he hooked up our connections. 

Skip has a good routine to get us setup, connected and level at the campsite and disconnect the truck. My role is much easier than his as I unload the perishable items such as bread and chips from the truck and setup inside ChILL. Together we can have everything done in 30 minutes or so. We relaxed outside in our Strongback chairs enjoying the gorgeous weather and our nature view.

Laundry is part of the plan for this location so we walked around the campground to find the laundromat, located across from site 229. The washers and dryers look decent and cost $2 each per load, using quarters to pay.

Our campsite is located just a few sites away from a walkway to the bathhouses and dumpsters. The walkway provides an easy shortcut to the loop that has the closest laundry facility to our site. With the folding wagon, which Skip typically uses to transport his EC12 sailboat, equipment and chair from the truck to the pond, taking the clothes to and from the laundromat is much easier.

It was another tasty freezer dinner night after we microwaved some spaghetti pie that I had made for us before we left St Augustine and rounded it out with some raw veggies and dip. Another successful day!