Since June of last year, we have looked forward to returning to Thousand Trails: The Oaks at Point South. From there, we are about an hour from Savannah and Charleston, about 35 minutes from Beaufort and Hilton Head.
The drive was good and even better that it was only a two hour drive. You know, it took us four hours to get there. Nice big level site and an easy set up makes a travel day a good day.
Friday, 16 January 2026: After setup, we headed to town for a grocery run and supplies update. Being here for three weeks means we can stock up and not have to worry about running out of little things since we are about 30 minutes from most shopping areas, minimum.
Before shopping, we headed to dinner. Maria’s Mexican Kitchen had been on our radar for several weeks, and that was our spot.
Another great meal that was not as typical as most other Mexican restaurants. Maria’s is not authentic, just different, and very good. After dinner, we hit all the shopping spots and headed back to camp.
Saturday, 17 January 2026: Basketball was on slate for the day. Vols and ETSU both played, starting at noon. This was a good day for some R&R. Vols vs Kentucky was a close game that fell apart for us at the end. I could blame the officiating, but I let Rick Barnes speak to that. Vols for the loss. ETSU vs Samford. What a game with a last second shot for the Bucs win! 1-1 for the day with some very good ball to watch.
After the games we ventured out around the campground and walked the trail around the pond. It was a good day to be outside. We also took Boo with us on the walk. She enjoyed most of the trip but got a little upset near the end. We may try again.
Sunday, 18 January 2026: Our first day to get out and venture. We headed to Beaufort, SC and had lunch at the Red Rooster Cafe. This was our first time eating here, and the selection was very good. We opted for the BLT with Fried Green Tomatoes and the Italian. Very good meal but way too much food.
Next stop was the Marshview Mercantile. They had a sour dough bread making class going on while we were shopping. We do like bread but did not leave with any. It is neat to see these types of events in small shops. There were about ten ladies in the class making their own starters. We purchased some gifts and some spice mixes before heading out.
Next up was Wood Brothers General Store; not your typical general store because they had some high end art pieces, stone and cookware, along with a variety of jellies, jams, and other treats. We opted for some coffee and a latte.
We headed back toward camp and stopped at Carolina Cider Company, a familiar place. We restocked on some praline and glazed pecans, apple salsa, and some gift items. We like this stop, and the place is neat to browse.
The rain had fallen most of the day, and we returned to the site to find some decent water standing all around our camper. The moat was deep and not going anywhere. We had a similar event the last time we camped here. I worked outside trying to get our electrical cords from under water and open some of our valves since the temps were going to drop below freezing. I managed to get everything secure for the night and headed in.
Monday and Tuesday were both work days. We stayed around the campground, made future plans, cooked some meals, and enjoyed our time. We are getting used to being somewhere for more than a week, allowing us time to recover from our adventures out.
Wednesday, 21 January 2026: Back in adventure mode, we headed to Charleston, SC. The weather was great, warm enough to be outside and hardly any wind. First stop, the Nathaniel Russel House, an architecturally distinguished, early 19th-century house at 51 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Built in 1808 by wealthy merchant and slave trader Nathaniel Russell, it is recognized as one of the United States’ most important neoclassical houses. The house was great, and the docent was very familiar with the historical value the house holds.
Next, we headed to lunch at Bear E Patch Cafe in west Charleston. This place was hopping and had great staff and food. Kevin had the Dagwood, and Beth opted for sides of fried green tomatoes, potato salad, and a house salad. Excellent meal. We hope to return for breakfast soon.
After lunch, we visited Drayton Hall. Drayton Hall was owned by seven generations of the Drayton family before becoming an historic site. The site served as a working plantation, a commercial center of John Drayton’s plantation empire, which totaled 76,000 acres, and the family home. The property sat vacant for many years before being taken over by the National Historic Trust.
Thursday, 22 January 2026: We headed into Beaufort, SC for the day. We wanted to walk the downtown area and shops. The weather today was calling for highs around 70 – another great winter day to be out and about.
After hitting some of the shops in the lower part of town, we headed to Panini’s On The Waterfront for lunch.
Great table. Beautiful view. Good food.
A thought off topic:
I’ll pause right here to touch on what seems to be a recurring theme in our dining experiences. Nearly every time we sit down to enjoy a meal, we are accompanied—very closely—by a table of ladies. And almost every time, one of those ladies carries the conversation. Loudly. Continuously. Unapologetically.
Today was no exception.
We were not part of the conversation, nor did we make any effort to be. Still, by the end of the meal, we had learned quite a bit about our neighboring diner. She is approximately 66 years old, currently trying to buy a house, and believes her $700,000 cash offer may go through. She works “with” the Smithsonian, manages a local historical group, plans to keep her job as a boat tour guide, works directly with city docents, and also serves on the county historical board.
What we could not do was hear each other at our own table. We were completely overshadowed. So instead of conversation, we left with a biography.
The same thing happened at lunch at the Red Rooster Cafe. A group of elderly ladies had gathered—what appeared to be an after-church social. All five were engaged in spirited conversation, each trying to outdo the others. We paid little attention until the woman nearest us struck her knife against her coffee cup four times.
As we all know, the knife-on-cup ringing is elite. That’s not conversation—that’s a summons. The universal signal that lunch has been temporarily suspended so an announcement may be made to the congregation. Once glass is struck, resistance is futile. You’re no longer a diner; you’re an audience.
An announcement followed. She had located a building without stairs, easy to access, and planned to begin hosting yoga sessions—for those with hip replacements or knee issues. She then outlined the plan in considerable detail, which I will spare you here.
One might say we should simply mind our own business. Trust me—we try. But there are moments when conversations are no longer private. They become broadcasts. And whether we want or not, we are drawn into the message.
These events deserve a name. Something like The Accidental Oral Biography Effect. You sit down for a meal, hoping for food and maybe a little conversation, and instead you’re handed a full résumé, real estate update, non-profit org chart, and future wellness business plan—whether you RSVP’d or not.
We didn’t eavesdrop; we were drafted. 🙂
Refreshed, we continued our journey back through the town hitting a couple of thrift shops along the way.
It was a perfect day for some ice cream. We found Maynard’s in Port Royal served up what we were looking for.
With the winter storm coming, we felt the need to stock up on some rations. I think it will drop into the 40s here Sunday. I could not talk Beth into her cactus find. Kevin has his milk and bread, and Beth has her fix as well.
Friday, 23 January 2026: A work day for us, but we took advantage of a local dive for dinner. Harold’s Country Club. We had driven by a couple of days ago and had heard people discussing it around the campground. Only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we had dinner plans. We arrived just after 5pm.
The bar area was full of people, but the dining area was empty. We chose to sit in the bar area with what appeared to be mostly locals. The night’s menu included wing, tenders, and burgers. We passed on the burgers. Since there was no silver or plastic ware, the meal was finger licking good.
Saturday, 24 January 2026: We headed south for the day to Savannah, GA. Specifically the Savannah Convention Center to attend the Savannah RV show. We were greeted by Spider-Man! Had to get the photo for our nephews, Braxton and Emmitt. The arena was packed with RVs from five dealers and a couple of vendors. We wandered through every size camper and motorhome finding a lot of the same across the brands. We like what we have the best.
In the other side of the convention center, we found a home and garden show. This show was done right. Home improvement, landscaping, specialty vendors, and more. We enjoyed this better than the RV Show we came for originally.
After the shows, we headed to lunch. We found a cafe in downtown Savannah, Debi’s Restaurant. Tagged as a southern restaurant, we found breakfast all day and a variety of sandwiches. The atmosphere was very cool, and the food was delicious.
Next, we headed to River St to walk along the river and visit some of the shops. The wind was fierce, and the air was cool. We made it most of the strip and found a few goodies along the way. Of course, we made it to Savannah Candy Kitchen.
Sunday, 25 January 2026: We headed to Hilton Head for lunch and an afternoon exploring. Guiseppi’s Pizza and Pasta has been on our list since last June. Great choice. Bruschetta, salad, an Italian weggie, and spaghetti. Beth got the largest weggie she has ever had.
Next, we visited Stoney Baynard Ruins, the remains of an old plantation on the edge of the water. All that is left are the foundations of each building.
Wanting some ice cream, we found Kilwin’s at one of the two Tanger Outlets in the area. Not the best ice cream, but we still enjoyed.
Monday, 26 January 2026: We hung out most of the day on Monday and headed to Beaufort for dinner. The Upper Crust. Another good meal. A few errands and we returned to camp.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026: We have some cooler weather coming this week, and we evaluated our plans. We decided to head further south to chase the 60 degree weather over the cool 50s. We changed our reservations accordingly and will be migrating toward southern Georgia instead of the western side.
We had dinner plans in Charleston with a former coworker of Kevin, Patrick Collins. Patrick saw our post from Panini’s in Beaufort and messaged he would be in the area training this week. We met up at Home Town BBQ on his suggestion. Best food we have had this trip by far. Two hours of catching up about the past 22 years and enjoying a great meal. We may catch up again in a week or so since, we will be very close to his hometown on the Georgia coast next week.
Wednesday and Thursday, 28-29 January 2026: Work days spent hanging out at camp. We did venture out Thursday night for some B for D.
Friday, 30 January 2026: We headed into the metropolis of Yemessee today. We visited the three antique shops and the post office. The locals are proud of being able to keep their community going and offer a little bit of everything.
The last stop was Fletcher’s General Store and Cafe. In each of the shops we were reminded to visit the next place around the corner, and this was our last. Walking in, we found a few items for sale and several tables. Since it was lunch time, we took advantage. French Dip Special for Kevin and pimento cheese for Beth. Excellent choice. Open Thursday – Saturday, we may be back.
Next, we headed to Walterboro to hit a few consignment and antiques shops. This will be a place we may revisit. Neat little town.
Along the way we found soft serve, the good creamy, thick kind.
The last stop in downtown brought Beth a find from the past. Brand Name; Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Saturday, 31 January 2026: We headed to town for a few things and went back to Carolina Cider for to buy their last jar of apple salsa and some baked goods. We tried Fletcher’s General Store and Cafe for lunch, but the area had simply shut down since a snow storm was forecasted for that afternoon. We were content hanging out at the campground watching some basketball.
Sunday, 1 February 2026: Snow!!. We had about an inch of snow Saturday afternoon, and it still lingered on Sunday. We took the day for some R&R.
Monday and Tuesday, we were very busy with work both days. We did not leave the campground. Tuesday night was a packing up night in preparation for our next adventure.
We enjoy this stop and more than likely will return. The weather did not allow us to see some of the outdoor sights that we wanted to see. We will mark this stop as “to be continued” sometime in the future.