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Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Crooked River State Park

 We arrived at the Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort yesterday afternoon, set up and proceeded to one of our favorite spots, Charlie's L'Etoile Verte for dinner.   It's just around the corner after all.....

site 360

Normally we don't leave Beluga upon arrival,  after moving from one location to another. Breaking camp, hooking up the Jeep, going through "the check list", driving (especially on windy days!) finding our next park and site, settling in and hooking up is tiring for us.     We made an exception last night.    Charlies offers half price on their extensive wine list on Mondays.....a bargain too good to pass up!




The food is exceptional as well.....interesting preparations using super fresh seafood (probably other things as well, but we never look further!) .....we've never had a bad or even mediocre meal there.

fresh Swordfish with wild mushroom sauce.   Mmm



Crooked River State Park, near St. Mary's, Georgia.     I picked this State Park (a favorite from the past) because I couldn't get a spot at Ft. Clinch State Park near Fernandina Beach, Florida - our real destination.


Crooked River was only about 30 miles from Fernandina Beach, not too far to drive for another good meal.     This IS the FOOD, friends, family and familiar favorites tour after all.   (friends and family coming soon, I promise)   Our first choice restaurant, pretty little Le Clos, closed suddenly due to "unforeseen circumstances".      We were both very sad to see the cheerful yellow cottage shuttered indefinitely .    Sigh.      The town of Fernandina Beach is a small, quaint waterfront spot with lots of shops (tourist and otherwise) and nice restaurants.     We strolled the streets while we waited for our next choice restaurant to open.     We discovered a bakery selling Venetians and Kouign Amann.   Of course we had to buy some, you know, so we could A/B with the ones from Vilano Beach.    (note:  I liked Vilano Beach's version better, Dave chose Fernandina Beach)


 


 Espana Restaurant and Tapas more than made up for the loss of Le Clos.    We'd been there years before and hoped that it's quality and choices hadn't changed.     They haven't....choices galore.     One of our favorites was Patatas Bravas.    I took no other pictures of the table laden with our tapas selections.   We may have eaten more than we needed to....ah well.




The weather at Crooked River was on and off.    High humidity and temperature was definitely ON....Precipitation was on and off, mostly ON.  



We got out in between rain drops and thunder to explore a few of the riverside trails.








 


We saw quite a number of large Gopher Tortoises around our site, walking briskly down the campground roads and nestling down in the pine straw next to us.  








  On one of our walks, however, we spied a large one, blocking it's burrow with a baby next to it!     They are one of the oldest living species on the planet and can live to 60 years old in the wild.   They burrow into the soft sandy soil in the park and are native to the southern states, although now classified as "threatened".  

I read that these tortoises exhibit no maternal care of their eggs or young,  so we wondered about this little one.   



 Was this one of those bratty little kids that won't take "NO" for an answer?    Was it trying to claim this burrow for itself.    Was it lost?      Why was the big one blocking the burrow's opening?    Hmmmmm.

Some things you're not meant to know I guess.


So, that's a glimpse at our weekend at Crooked River State Park......Oh, and one more picture.   Sweet old Sam walking himself past our window, wagging his big plumy tail.    awwww




     

20 comments:

  1. Awww...bummer about that rain. But, take heart, I've got lots of beautiful sunshine on order for your NY days since you are driving across the country to see Judi Kraft and I!!!! That is an adorable little tortoise whatever his story might be. And that Golden ...well, that's a heart-warming dog right there. Makes my heart go pitter-patter. Love you guys. I can hardly wait to see you both. CindyP

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  2. Jodee Gravel5/23/23, 1:10 PM

    What a lovely site in Hilton Head!! Even with the rain it looks like you had some pretty skies. And definitely some more yummy treats :-) Love the tortoises. Haven't seen a baby in many years, they're so dang cute.

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    1. Yep, more yummy treats ahead! We loved seeing the little one, hope it makes it!

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  3. I think Dave likes the Venetian in front of him the best ;) Beautiful site! And more wonderful looking food!
    There must be a sign that sys dogs must be on a leash at all times.

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    1. I think you "get" Dave! Yes, Sam followed the rules and kept himself on a leash at all times......

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  4. Hi Sue…I guess I don’t need to say that high humidity is one of the big reasons we don’t live in Georgia anymore. The picture looking out your rainy window brings back lots of memories of days gone by there. The green is so green, those giant trees are so wonderful, the baby tortoise is priceless, and the Butterfly Pea is a first for me…

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    1. Butterfly Pea! I didn't identify it, thanks......It has a somewhat different botanical name, blush......

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  5. When we were at Crooked River we were visited by 5 Cardinals! Did you see some? The tortoise reminded me of LT, hopefully he will find his way back to his hang out. Oh boy those yummy Spanish dishes and in the Philippines, we also call them patatas! - ML

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    1. Yes, plenty of Cardinals. I just saw a pair this morning when I pulled up the shades. All our Tapas that evening were stellar, and oh those patatas! I hope LT waits til we get home to stop in!

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  6. Ohhhh--that seafood looks divine! There was a golden in our small town who would walk himself on his leash, even sit outside establishments and wait for his owner--such good dogs! Love the baby turtle.

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    1. Last night was the first time I didn't have seafood for dinner or lunch! It's been great. I have a real soft spot for Goldens. When we raised Guide Dogs, our personal mission (I should say "my" personal mission) was to get a Golden Retriever to graduate. Needless to say we ended up with a houseful of failures....they're so soft and sweet it's hard for them to disobey their owner, even for safety's sake.

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  7. I'd love to try some of that food but certainly not that humidity. I would melt into a puddle!

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    1. We're definitely NOT fans of such high humidity, we aren't spending as much time outside as we'd like because of it. But, air conditioning is a great invention and it's much appreciated here. We normally chose to dine outdoors but inside next to the large windows in air conditioned comfort has been our MO lately!

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  8. Your spot at Hilton Head is wonderful. No wonder you enjoy returning. I don't blame you for heading out with the Monday night special. I usually give John an hour to rest before I start our adventures in the next stop...haha! Your FL looked lovely despite the wet weather and humidity. What fun to see that baby gopher. I'm glad you included the photo of Sam following the rules! You mentioned him on fb but no photo. Lots and lots of good food! I had to laugh with you knowing restaurants in each city and thinking of us. I think the only place we ever discussed returning because of food was Bluff for chicken noodle soup and fry bread at the Twin Rocks Cafe. Too funny!! Enjoy HH and your gorgeous spot!

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    1. Yep, the four of us are similar in many ways but different in a few! Don't forget the meatloaf at Hells Backbone Grill though.....you were the ones that turned us on to that little gem! We do really enjoy the discovery of a great restaurant, love the different experiences and food, the luxury of being served and of just putting the napkin down and leaving the table when finished.... This trip we're traveling in a more relaxed, chill way. No real schedule, no hurry, just relax and enjoy. I made sure to include Sam's picture just for you. I wish I had gotten one from the front so you could see his big grin....

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  9. Oh, the humidity! I do miss a rain that doesn't bring cold behind it, however. That cobblestone site in the first pic is stunning. The food, as ever, makes me hungry, especially the tapas -- what a fun thing having a tapas meal is. The baby gopher tortoise is such a cutie, and I think that while mama doesn't provide any care, it (and its siblings) live in her burrow until they're able to dig their own. Kind of like humans who live in their parents' basements until they block the entrance, too :D

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  10. Having a larger group with tapas is more fun, more things to try. The two of us end up ordering more than we really need because everything sounds so good. Then, of course, we must eat everything ordered....burp Good thought about the gopher tortoise parent - it really looked like she (he) was blocking the door on purpose! hahahaha!

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  11. We've had gorgeous weather here for the past two months in the Carolina mountains, and I have my fingers crossed that it's going to stay that way for your visit! It looks like you had a delicious time in Hilton Head and Crooked River/Fernandina Beach. We fondly remember Le Clos and I'm very sorry to hear that it's no longer there. And we also had a delicious tapas meal at Espana! Great minds, hahaha. I'm filing away Charlie's for our visit to Bluffton/Hilton Head this winter. See you very soon! 😊

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    1. Finger's crossed! But, any weather will be perfect for a visit with you.... Do check out Le Clos when you drive down south, there were indications that it may reopen after whatever happened is resolved. Great minds for sure! You'll enjoy Charlie's, especially on Monday nights! See you soon - Yay!

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