Travel Journal – June 25, 2015

I hate to report this, my bad. Google led me down the black hole again. I thought I looked on the map before I left, but apparently not, as here we are on a one lane dirt road to nowhere.

Aiken bound

Let me start from the beginning. South Carolina’s highway system is quite unique it seems. A lot of the main road and state roads are two lanes and some are very narrow. They’re almost like residential streets, but you are traveling at 55 mph against opposing traffic. Some take you through neighborhoods along with beautiful farms.

Getting to Aiken required a number of these highways and off one of these Google had me turn onto a two lane gravel road. We are close to the State Park and that in itself isn’t unusual, so I make the turn. After

Typical Farm South Carolina along our drive

a half mile or less it’s down to one lane, mostly dirt with soft sand on the shoulders. “Oh boy Jagger, I may be it trouble here”. I tell myself I will go on for another mile and abort if I don’t see the entrance. I wish I would have taken some pictures, you would have appreciated my predicament.  But being so stressed, I didn’t think of it.

“This just isn’t right Jagger”. I pass a side one lane road that looks like it leads to a farm house. I stop and slowly back up. How can I turn this rig around. I get out and walk around the rig. Opposite the road there is a wash, pretty soft sand, but I think I can pull this off using the Workhorses four wheel drive. I pull into the drive going to the farm, then back out turning the rig as tight as I can. Off the trailer goes into the wash, dropping a few inches at most for fifteen to twenty feet. Then I straighten up and pull forward. Hallelujah, I made it. I brush the sand off my rear bumper and apologize to my Coach for the rough treatment. 🙂 Now we go back down the road to the main highway, hopefully finding cell service so I can try this again, but the right way.

Arrival Aiken

Camp Aiken – We are in the back

After only one more u-turn on another highway, that required backing up on a side road, we arrive at Aiken State Park. We pull into multiple roads with very little signing. Really? This just isn’t right. Well I guess which road to take and find a self pay entrance for Day Use, but I already paid online so we proceed slowly down the rough, but paved road. We pass a day use park, very nice setting around a small lake. Then about another quarter mile we come upon a building. Looks like an office but only one vehicle. A Park Ranger was getting in his vehicle and we stop. Excuse me, am I in the right place? He affirms that and gives me a temporary tag for my Workhorse. Also he explains we can drive down another quarter mile to the campground.

Our View for Aiken Camp

On arrival to the campground, a young lady comes over to our campsite to welcome us. It’s the Host of our new homesite. She is very friendly and we visit several times while camped here.

Once we are settled I contact a friend who I haven’t seen in years. Cheryl used to live in California. We plan meeting for dinner on Friday.

What a nice dinner and visit we had, making more plans for my stay here in her neighborhood. Cheryl lives in Georgia, only 20-30 minutes over the state line. I’m only staying here at Aiken for a week. My Aiken stay was last minute planning as I arrived here a week before I originally planned. My first reservation will be at Modoc Campground on the Clarks Hill Lake in South Carolina also, but much closer to Cheryl, next week.

Early Lunch

Saturday we met for lunch and then took a drive over to the Augusta Locks on the Savannah River. This was an important point in the history of this area. Boats traveling up the Savannah River had to negotiate the locks. A very interesting and beautiful place.

Savannah River

Savannah River

Cheryl and I at August Locks – Savanah River

Savannah River Augusta Locks

Tomorrow we are planning a visit to the Aiken Museum, near our camp.

Until then, Safe Travels…Gary

More Photos: Aiken State Park, Augusta Locks on the Savannah River 

CAMPGROUND REVIEW

My visit to Aiken State Park did get off on a bad start due to the difficulty finding it. Both Google Maps and the lack of enough signage. Once there we had a nice, relatively quiet stay. The park had 30 amp electric and water at each site, with a Dump Station fairly easy to get into with a long RV. The Nightly Rate was awesome at $12. We only had a few campers during the week, but the park got pretty full on the weekend, since school vacation was still in process during our stay. The campground, bathroom and shower was very clean. This was probably due to our Host. She raked every sight after each stay and the interior roads by hand. It looked immaculate.

I would give it 4 stars out of 5