Camping Across the South -- Part 1: Operation "Roughing It"
Earlier in the year, Julia and I decided we’d travel to the Philmont Training Center by car. And for those who don’t know, we live in northern Virginia and the PTC is located in the mountains of New Mexico. We also opted to do a little hammock camping along the way as well as include a trip to visit my son who lives in Tampa, Florida. Yes, this would become “Operation Rough’n It.”
If you’ve ever tried to extend your travel budget while also taking your time to see this great country, well then planning a cross-country trip connecting national, state, and county parks is definitely an option one should investigate. Weeks went into the planning of this expedition. An extensive map reconnaissance was conducted — both using on-line map apps as well as an old Rand McNally atlas. A three-ring binder was filled with spread sheets, short articles on our various check points and intended campsites. Several meetings were held to review the trip. The anticipation grew as our launch date approached.
In short — even during the planning phase — we had a blast! Most of the time.
Here you see Julia and John dropping by the Airborne & Special Forces Museum in Fayetteville, NC. Any cross-country adventure needs to have an operations plan, yes?! Well, “Rangers lead the way!” There needs to be support from above. And over all this is a fun stop should you find yourself anywhere near Fort Bragg.
South of the Border
Our first bivouac was established just south of the border near the town of Dillon. The Little Pee Dee River is your landmark and there’s a very nice State Park available for camping, fishing, hiking, as well as family games and campfires. This park advertises that it’s “Scout Friendly” with a couple of larger sites specifically designed for a circle of tents and troop or patrol cooking.
Country Roads
We took the back roads between Little Pee Dee and Savannah, Georgia. This allowed for a few photos of the local VFW as well as a stop by a farmer’s market to buy some fresh peaches. Later we stopped for a meal in Savannah, Georgia, down along the river. The fresh seafood was absolutely delicious. What’s not shown is the ice cream — which we ate so fast we forget to capture a photo of it. After a little sightseeing, it was time again to hit the road.
