Sergeant Jasper Park - Alligators, Misc. Wildlife

Today we took about a four mile walk through Sgt. Jasper Park which is connected via a trail to the campground.  This is a very nice park with 9 small lakes and plenty of wildlife.  Sergeant Jasper was a revolutionary hero from the area (see second image below).

A large egret that wasn't thrilled with our presence. 

He immediately took flight upon seeing us and landed across the pond.

He is looking pretty smug with his escape from us.  We walked around to the other side of the pond and he had to repeat the process, returning to where he was originally.

Our first alligator sighting in South Carolina (have seen them in Fla. before but not here)

This is the same alligator - it is 6 to 7 feet long - an average size for the area from what I understand.  Darby was backing up into the woods - somehow he knows this is not something to mess with.  Donna thinks I should learn from him. 

Slider turtle - nothing remarkable just thought it was a nice picture.

More sliders

Turkey vulture showing white underside of wings - Donna calls them buzzards

The same turkey vulture

A very friendly Mockingbird - he let me get quite close for his photo.

The same Mockingbird

Hilton Head, SC - Lighthouse - Sharks?

We spent a few hours in Hilton Head on Friday.  The temperature reached 80 degrees and it was a perfect day to go to the beach - warm and not a cloud in the sky.  Hilton Head island was nice but we found it congested - narrow roads with lots of traffic and difficult to find parking for a dually with an 8 ft. bed. It is also very spread out with no real central downtown area making it difficult to find your way around to the highlights. Again it is a very nice place and I don't want to sound negative but it was not one of our favorites.  The first picture is of the famous lighthouse at Harbour Town on Hilton Head.  

The walkway to Forest Beach. 

 View Of The Beach

Another View Of The Beach

Large horseshoe crab - still alive in a tidal pool although the water doesn't show up well in the photo

Another view of the beach

Shark?

Nope - just a dolphin - lots of them were feeding or playing about 100 yards offshore.

Obligatory shot of seagulls

Camp Lake Jasper - Hardeeville, SC

We had an uneventful trip from Harrisonburg, VA to Hardeeville, SC.  We drove about half way the first day and spent the night at a restaurant parking lot in Statesville, NC.  The second day we drove from Statesville to our destination of Camp Lake Jasper Campground in Hardeeville, SC (about 20 min. from Hilton Head, SC).  This is a really nice campground on a small lake - very well maintained, nicely laid out and several amenities including a pool, laundry room, dog park, fishing piers, hiking trails, great internet and free cable TV hookup.   It is adjacent to a large park (Sergeant Jasper County Park) that has many hiking trails (they connect to a trail from the campground), 9 fishing lakes, picnic areas,  primitive camping, and disc golf (Frisbee golf).

Entrance To Campground

Laundry Room Bldg & Shower Bldg 

Our truck and camper (in the center)

Amenities Sign (Note the palmetto trees)

 Fishing Pier

 Fishing Pier

Warning Sign 

Dog Park 

Short Video Of Darby In The Dog Park

Island Across From The Campground

The campground from the island

Two of the nine fishing lakes at the park

Spanish Moss Everywhere

Layout of Sergeant Jasper County Park next door to the campground 

Fishing pier & fountain at the park  

 Fishing pier & fountain at the park 

 Alligators apparently like to walk too!

 Watch Out For Flying Discs! (Disc Golf Area)

Mount Sidney, Virginia, Harrisonburg, VA - Augusta Military Academy

It has been a while since I have posted anything.  We left Pennsylvania on Nov. 16th and arrived in Harrisonburg, VA that same afternoon.  We have put the RV in temporary storage while we are spending the Holidays with family.  We will be leaving Harrisonburg on Jan. 4th and will take a couple of days to get to our next stop in South Carolina.

We did take a couple hours the other day to visit Mount Sidney, Virginia (about 15 miles South of Harrisonburg) where we used to live in the 1990's.  We parked the truck at the park behind our old house and walked around town for a couple hours.  Much of the Mount Sidney downtown area is on the Register of Historic Places and our old house is listed in the Historic District even though it is not as old as most of the others.  The first two pictures are of our old house where we had an antique shop for many years.  The house is known as "The Mary Ann Chine House" and was built in 1875.  We lived in the main part of the house and had an antique shop in the three other attached buildings (you can only see two of them in the picture).  

Log cabin across the street known as the "James Ross House" built in 1840.  

One of the only antique shops left in Mount Sidney - there used to be several.

Abner Shumake House - c.1839 (antique shop above is attached to it) - Clapboard section is all logs underneath - this is a beautiful home inside.

Edward Moorman House c. 1835 - this was an antique shop when we lived here.

Harper's Store c.1820 

Small log cabin behind the Shumake House 

The Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains looking East from behind our old house

Just down the road from Mount Sidney and also on the Register of Historic Places - Augusta Military Academy

 The main building of the Academy

More Trains - The Mason-Dixon Line

We hiked the last section of the Heritage Rail Trail today - starting at Mile 3 in Railroad, PA and hiking to mile 0 in New Freedom, PA - a six mile round trip hike.  Mile 0 is at the Maryland/PA border and the Mason-Dixon Line.   All of the trains and the train museum are in New Freedom, PA - nothing in Railroad, PA - go figure - somebody missed a marketing opportunity on that one. 

New Freedom Train Station (and museum) - restored to I believe its 1940's appearance.

Railroad worker Lodging cars equipped with bunks, kitchen, and an office - designed by PRR - from the 30's and 40's.

The Party Caboose

 Railway Office

Restored passenger cars (late 1800's)

An old diesel engine

The Mason-Dixon Line - terminus of the York County Heritage Rail Trail (PA) and the Northern Central Railroad Trail (MD)

York County Heritage Rail Trail Map (Pennsylvania)

Northern Central Railroad Trail Map (Maryland)

Darby in Maryland and Donna in Pennsylvania - which state's leash law is applicable here?  Just a question for a sharp legal mind.   Of course we did the traditional one foot in Maryland and one foot in Pennsylvania dance (now I'm in MD, Now I'm in PA, etc., and, now I'm in the North, now I'm in the South, etc.)  and a reenactment of the Geico, Bristol, VA/TN commercial - now if standing in both simultaneously would I be in Maryvania or Pennsyland?