MFI and I planned on spending summer and fall 2020 ASing north along the Atlantic coast ending in Maine, but that was all pre-pandemic. We instead decided it would be best to err on the side of caution and limit our travels before returning early to our home base in the DFW area. The modified plan included stopping in St Marys, GA; making a quick stop in Savannah, GA; spending sufficient time at Pisgah View Ranch near Asheville, NC to settle business there; and finishing the abbreviated northern route with a stay in Island Heights, NJ.

We stopped in St Marys to visit with retired friends Rob and Barb Dickman. Rob was the commander of the 45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB, FL when I worked for him as the commander of the Civil Engineering Squadron back in the mid 1990s. While he and I obviously knew each other professionally, we were also next-door neighbors and began what has turned into a long-term family friendship. It was there we also met their precocious 4-year old son, Tad.

We again used RV Trip Wizard (the “Wizard”) to find a park near St Marys and pulled in to Country Oaks at mid-afternoon. It was a small, beautiful park, but there was a creepy feeling when I stopped at the office to register. Four people our age were chilling on the porch. I greeted them politely. One woman got up silently and entered the office, one man responded curtly and quietly in a strong southern drawl, and the others just stared expressionless at me in a moment of unpleasantness that only seemed to be missing banjo music. Nobody but me was smiling. Yet, I was grateful to see social distancing, masks, and a plastic shield in use during the check-in process.

We arranged to meet at the Dickman house the next morning 3 miles away in Osprey Cove. They had purchased a beautiful four-bedroom home sight unseen some years prior. Their backyard abutted the fairway of one of the country club holes. Rob is a club member and typically enjoys three rounds a week. Ahhh, retirement! They hosted us for lunch at the club where social distancing was observed, and then Rob took us on a tour of St Marys. When I say tour, I mean it in the strictest sense because Rob is an official, volunteer city tour guide. We boarded a multi-passenger tour cart and received what we’re sure was the private, deluxe version. The area has a long and rich history, made all the more interesting by Rob’s knowledge and colorful storytelling. I took many pictures but here are some of the most interesting.

The three pictured homes best represented the popular neoclassical, victorian, and Greek Revival styles of the early 19th century. Built in 1802, the Archibald Clark House is possibly the oldest home in town and is still privately owned. The Spencer House Inn was originally built in 1872 as a local hotel and remains a unique local B&B today. Orange Hall was built between 1830 and 1838 for Horace Southworth Pratt, the founding pastor of the 1st Presbyterian Church located across the street.

Large Southern Live Oak trees are found throughout St Marys. These trees also have a storied history and are said to live over 300 years. Rob related the reason for their longevity was that oaks grow for 100 years, live for 100 years, and take at least a 100 years to die. To celebrate America’s live oaks, the National Live Oak Society was established in 1934, and only registered trees, not humans, from its membership. Currently, the president of the society is a 1200 year old tree with a trunk circumference of 38 feet. To be a registered member, an oak must have a minimum trunk circumference of 8 feet. There are currently 28 live oaks in St Marys that are registered society members. I calculated the circumference of the pictured trees at greater than 16 feet each.

Near ther center of town was an historical marker identifying the Washington Oak and Pump. Oddly, there is no longer a pump at the spot, although there is a freshwater well, and the oak is nothing but a stump. On the day President George Washington was buried at Mount Vernon, VA, a memorial casket burial was also performed in St Marys. Four commerative live oak trees were planted on the spot where the casket was buried; and during the year, a freshwater well was drilled there. As an interesting aside, Rob informed us that the lumber made from the four Washington Oaks were later used in the restoration of the USS Constitution.

After the tour, we returned to the 1st Presbyterian Church on Conyers Street across from Orange Hall. The church had been organized as nondenominational when built in 1808, but was reorganized as Presbyterian in 1822 with Reverand Horace Pratt becoming its first pastor. Rob and Barb took us inside, and Rob regaled us with the history of the church including the design changes made over time and how that impacted black parishioners who were required to use a separate entrance.

Rob also took us on a windshield tour of the family housing on Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, the RV park inside the nearby Crooked River State Park, and the Tabby Ruins in McIntosh Sugarhouse Park. Except for the submarine static display at the entrance to the base, one would never recognize the base supports an Ohio Class Nuclear submarine mission. We had researched staying at the Crooked River State Park; however, the daily cost exceeded our desired budget.

Rob expertly grilled our dinner once back at their house. We wined and dined, laughed and reminisced for the rest of the evening. Their son Tad is now 31 years old and employed with the NFL’s Jacksonville Janguars. They both told interesting stories of Tad’s courtship, engagement, and wedding, while we enjoyed the associated photo albums. Our sincerest thanks for great hospitality, a terrific visit, and warm reunion.

We stayed a third day at Country Oaks to spend more time cleaning and settling into Arthur. During the morning, a gentleman named Richard stopped by, introduced himself, and asked if his friend Selena could mask up and take a stroll through Arthur. She was the newest owner of a vintage Airstream parked four spots away from us, and her stay at Country Oaks was her maiden voyage before setting out on an extended trip to northern Georgia. We agreed to show off Arthur and invited them back later for wine and hors d’oeuvres.

Richard was a retired en gineering executive from General Motors. He was a widower, and because Selena and his wife had been best friends, he and Salena were continuing the friendship. Turned out he is quite the renaissance man with broad interests and skills including being a pilot, owner and restorer of antique cars, and all-around handyman. He owned several Rolls Royce Silver Clouds, the latest of which was named after Salena, and was seen parked nearby. He explained how he has the privilege to help others secure substantial discounts on the purchase of new Chevy vehicles and provided us with his contact information. We emailed him recently just to say hi and follow-up on the results of Salena’s Georgia trip. Their relationship had paid off as two of her trailer tires blew while she was towing in route. She of course called him for help, and he was able and willing to come to her rescue. During our evening together, this was exactly how he had explained that’s the way they roll.

*****

We spent a day in a KOA park 11 miles outside of Savannah. Our friends Claudia Schlosser and Nick Fermor have lived there for a number of years, and we had visited them a year ago when we were still helping at the ranch. When MFI contacted them about our plans, we learned they were in the process of selling their home and returning to California, Santa Clarita to be exact. We invited them to dinner at the park and had a nice masked cookout. In return, they invited us to their house for breakfast. Claudia as usual put on a fantastic and healthy spread. She was also proud to show us the master bathroom renovation she had done with contractors. The finished job was impressive and no doubt helped with the quick sale of their place.

*****

We made the drive to Pisgah View Ranch in about 5-1/2 hours. With Cogburn permission, we parked Arthur in the driveway between Chickadee and Webbwood cabins; the same spot where we lived in Arthur after first buying him in September 2019. MFI had operated The Gift Stall at the Ranch since 2012. We stayed for a little over two weeks in order to complete paperwork to support closing the stall, sell as much inventory as possible (without opening), pack remaining inventory and move it to storage, and clean the store before locking it for good. While we were there primarily for business, it was a brief chance for us to re-experience many of the things that kept us coming back for nine years.