Sometimes the lure of the deal is simply too great to pass up. Our original plan for this trip was to drive to Virginia and spend a week exploring The Mariners' Museum, Colonial Williamsburg and adjacent areas. Little One has taken a great interest in Civil War Ironclads (the first iron protected warships used in battle) and The Mariners' Museum has several artifacts from both the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia, which he really wanted to see. However, when a one-way motorhome relocation special from Miami to New Jersey came up, priced at under $100 per day with insurance, we modified our plans. We would still visit The Mariner's Museum but would also visit several other locations along the eastern seaboard that we've never been to before. I've posted about last minute motorhome relocation specials in the past, and this deal was from El Monte for a medium sized motorhome (24-26 feet) for about $27 per day (not including insurance) with 2500 free miles and unlimited generator usage. While it was tight for our family of 5, I wasn't about to spend thousands more for a larger model. The motorhome we rented had a bed over the front cab, a bed in the rear, and a dinette that converted to a bed. Here is a picture of the dinette converted into a bed.
Believe it or not, but there is a human kid somewhere in that sleeping bag:
Sleeping in the motorhome...somewhere USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Snuggled up in the overhead bunk:
Sleeping in the overhead bunk at Anvil Campground, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
An example of the floorplan for the motorhome we rented can be found here:
https://www.elmonterv.com/rv-rental/rv-details/class-c-medium/Although the maximum permitted rental period for this deal was 12 days, we only had 9 days after the kids finished school before the motorhome had to be returned. An added bonus was being able to visit friends and family in communities along our route. We visited DW's cousin and family in North Miami Beach, DW's classmate in Jacksonville, and my friend in Silver Spring MD.
The deal we found:
Motorhome Special - MIA to NJ by
P Bryan, on Flickr
When my father heard about our renting a medium sized motorhome, and not understanding how inexpensive this deal was, he thought money was tight and offered to help out so we could get a larger motorhome. I assured my father that we were fine and that we specifically chose this motorhome based on price and not out of financial necessity.
Part 1 - Planning and Preparation
Our itinerary was as follows but you have many different options to choose from for a similar trip [since we visited Washington DC twice in the past year and a half, we decided to skip DC on this trip, although each time we go we have a great time]:
Day 1 - Flight into Miami, stock up on food, pick up the motorhome and overnight at a campground somewhere not too far away from Miami. Since we woke up very early for a 7:30 am flight, I didn't feel like driving very far on our first day. We chose Jonathan Dickinson State Park located about a 2-hour drive from Miami for our first night;
Day 2 - Overnight at Wekiwa Springs State Park;
Day 3-4 - Visit Kennedy Space Center and overnight at Jetty Park Campground in Cape Canaveral for two nights, including Shabbos;
Day 5-6 - Drive to South Carolina, overnight at Santee State Park for 2 nights, and visit Congaree National Park;
Day 7-8 - Drive to Williamsburg Virginia, overnight at Anvil Campground for 2 nights and visit Colonial Williamsburg and The Mariners' Museum;
Day 9 - Overnight at Lums Pond State Park in Delaware, and return the motorhome in Linden, NJ.
Part 2 - Arrival In Miami And Overnight At Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Not wanting to drive a motorhome into Miami Beach, we hired a car service to pick us up from the airport, take us for lunch at Bagel Time Cafe (where the food was delicious), and then stock up on food at Kosher Price A - Z supermarket. Afterwards, we were off to pick up the motorhome. It took a few hours to go through the required orientation and inspection before we were finally able to leave. On the way to our first campground, we stopped at a Walmart in North Miami Beach, where DW's cousin and family met us. Their kids had a great time inspecting the motorhome and we were treated to homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Then we were off to our first campground of the trip - Jonathan Dickinson State Park. We chose state parks for the majority of our overnight stays because they are generally cheaper than private campgrounds and offer much more space (unlike private campgrounds where you are sandwiched between other motorhomes into much smaller spaces). We chose to stay in campgrounds rather than park for free in parking lots/rest areas for security reasons and because we needed, at minimum, electrical hookup to run the AC.
Information about Jonathan Dickinson State Park can be found here:
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/jonathan-dickinson-state-parkOur campsite at Jonathan Dickinson State Park:
Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Part 3 - Wekiwa Springs State Park
Florida has many beautiful state parks with natural springs where you can swim. Wekiwa Springs State Park is one of these parks and we chose to spend our second night here, hoping to swim in the spring. However, shortly after we arrived, a thunderstorm developed which lasted all night and into the morning, so I didn't swim in the spring. DW's take was - you're getting wet anyway, so who cares if it is raining when you go swimming. But I didn't want to become a human lightening rod and prefer to swim when it's hot. Hopefully we can return one day in the future.
Information about Wekiwa Springs State Park can be found here:
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/wekiwa-springs-state-parkOur campsite at Wekiwa Springs State Park:
Wekiwa Springs State Park, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Part 4 - Kennedy Space Center And Camping In Cape Canaveral
After leaving Wekiwa Springs State Park, we headed over to Kennedy Space Center. While driving, we saw a SpaceX rocket launch. I have always wanted to see a SpaceX launch and photograph one properly, but the next launch was scheduled for a few weeks in the future. In retrospect, we should have done some research about scheduled SpaceX launches.
Information about Kennedy Space Center can be found here:
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/Wanting to enrich our experience at the Kennedy Space Center, we booked the Launch Director Tour with Mike Leinbach, who was the launch director at the time of the Columbia Space Shuttle tragedy. Information about the Launch Director Tour can be found here:
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/explore-attractions/shuttle-a-ship-like-no-other/kennedy-space-center-launch-director-tourMr. Leinbach, who insisted on being called "Mike," was very humble despite his tremendous accomplishments. This is a man who was the shuttle launch director for eleven years, serving as the person to give the final “Go” for launch. Mike met many presidents and even received the prestigious Presidential Rank Award, an award given by the office of the President of the United States for "exceptional long-term accomplishments." I asked Mike which president he was most impressed by and he said it was Jimmy Carter, as he was a nice normal guy (I told Mike I was not a fan of Carter). I then jokingly asked Mike which president he was least impressed with, but he politely declined to answer. I do, however have my suspicions based upon some of the things mentioned who it was and no, I do not believe he would have said Trump.
Mike took a series of questions from our group, and regaled us with stories from his time as launch director. One of the interesting things Mike mentioned was the time woodpeckers pecked holes in the orange external fuel tank (which contained the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer), causing NASA to hire a "bird guy" to keep the birds away. Mike then led our tour through the Atlantis Space Shuttle exhibit, and he explained that while in orbit the shuttle would fly backward to avoid debris hitting the front cockpit and glass area, and he showed us all the pockmarks in the rear of Atlantis from debris strikes. Mike also explained how there were thrusters all over the Atlantis and that it could be maneuvered in any direction. This was Mike's final tour and we consider ourselves very fortunate to have been able to join a tour led by him.
Question and Answer Session with Mike Leinbach:
Mike Leinbach at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Photos of Shuttle Atlantis:
Atlantis, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Shuttle Atlantis, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Shuttle Atlantis, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Shuttle Atlantis, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Look closely and you will see impact marks from space debris, as the Atlantis flew backwards in orbit:
Shuttle Atlantis, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Maneuvering thrusters on Atlantis:
Shuttle Atlantis, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Mike Leinbach giving a tour of Shuttle Atlantis:
Mike Leinbach at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Exhibit on the Challenger and Columbia tragedies:
Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Left Side Body Panel Fragment of Challenger:
DSC00055 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Cockpit windows of Columbia:
Columbia Cockpit Windows, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
There was an exhibit about the astronauts who lost their lives, among them an exhibit about Ilan Ramon:
Exhibit for Ilan Ramon, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The famous Astrovan, used to transport astronauts from the Operations and Checkout Building at the Kennedy Space Center to the launch pad, was on display. The Astrovan was used from 1983 through 2011.
Astrovan, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
There is usually an "astronaut encounter" at the Kennedy Space Center, where veteran NASA astronauts are available for a meet and greet and to sign autographs. Information about the astronaut encounter can be found here:
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/explore-attractions/heroes-and-legends/astronaut-encounterWhile we were there, retired astronaut Frederick D. Gregory, a veteran of three Shuttle missions who logged about 456 hours in space, was signing autographs. The kids got their pictures taken with Mr. Gregory and we purchased autographed souvenir photographs. For those that are interested, information about Mr. Gregory can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_D._GregoryAfterwards, we drove over to Jetty Park Campground in Cape Canaveral, a short distance from Kennedy Space Center, where we spent Shabbos. Jetty Park Campground is very close to where large cruise ships dock at Port Canaveral, and we were able to see several large cruises ships coming and going. Seeing large cruise ships coming and going provided some excitement, but hearing the incessant blaring music from the ships was annoying.
Information about Jetty Park Campground can be found here:
https://www.portcanaveral.com/jpcOur campsite (with the motorhome in Shabbos mode):
Jetty Park Campground, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Part 5 - Congaree National Park
We left the campground at Cape Canaveral on a Sunday morning, for the long drive to South Carolina. Along the way, we stopped in Jacksonville, to visit DW's classmate, get treats at a kosher Krispy Kreme, and to grab lunch at Gili's Kitchen, where the food was pretty good.
Stopping at Krispy Kreme so Oldest Kid could get her free dozen birthday donuts:
Krispy Kreme, Jacksonville, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Stopping at Krispy Kreme, Jacksonville, Florida, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Information about Gili's can be found here:
https://giliskitchen.com/Afterwards, we continued on our way to Santee, South Carolina, where we stayed for two nights at Santee State Park. For those that crave "luxury," no need to go to the Maldives for over water bungalows - you can find them at Santee State Park as well. And the Maldives doesn't even have gators. Some years ago, a 12 foot long 700-pound gator was caught at the Santee River.
Information about Santee State Park can be found here:
https://southcarolinaparks.com/santeeOur campsite at Santee State Park:
Santee State Park, South Carolina, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Since Santee State Park didn't have a sewer hookup, I had to dump the tanks at the dump station:
Santee State Park, South Carolina, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The following morning, we visited Congaree National Park. The park was nearly empty, which was a treat compared to the many other crowded national parks. Since most of the park was flooded (which is normal depending on the time of year), we were only able to walk along some sections of the boardwalk that were above water, to observe the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southern United States:
Congaree National Park, South Carolina, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The mosquito meter, although we didn't see any at Congaree - perhaps they forgot to change the setting:
Congaree National Park, South Carolina, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Congaree National Park, South Carolina, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Congaree National Park, South Carolina, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Flooded boardwalk:
Congaree National Park, South Carolina, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Congaree National Park, South Carolina, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Looking for little critters in the water:
Congaree National Park, South Carolina, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Part 6 - Colonial Williamsburg
Our next destination was Colonial Williamsburg, where we spent an entire day. On the way to Williamsburg, we stopped by a Buc-ee's gas station. Buc-ee's is widely known for having the largest truck stop in the world, but that of course is located in Texas, not South Carolina. Inside, we were greeted by a plethora of Buc-ee's merchandise. If they make it, Buc-ee's sells it, emblazoned with a giant Buc-ee's beaver logo. Middle Kid insisted on getting a Buc-ee's Beaver onesie - the same one that Kara and Nate bought and dressed up in.
We chose to stay for 2 nights at Anvil Campground, the closest campground to Colonial Williamsburg. I completely forgot to take photographs of our camping spot, but I will say you're not missing anything. Anvil, a private campground, was not only the most expensive campground of our stay, but we were sandwiched like sardines between other motorhomes. The one redeeming feature of Anvil was the game room, which had an old PlayStation, Sega Genesis, an arcade style game cabinet, foosball, a pool table, and an arcade style basketball game. We all had a lot of fun playing in the game room. That being said, unless you need the convenience, we would not recommend this campground.
Information about Anvil Campground can be found here:
https://www.anvilcampground.com/Pictures of the game room:
Anvil Campground, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Anvil Campground, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Campground meal at Anvil - not every meal was a fancy BBQ:
Campground meal, Anvil Campground, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Information about Colonial Williamsburg can be found here:
https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Despite the heat and long distances we had to walk, all had a great time at Colonial Williamsburg. We have heard from others that Colonial Williamsburg was boring, but it's exactly the sort of thing we enjoy. To get the most out of this experience, we recommend engaging with the people that work in Colonial Williamsburg to learn about life in colonial times. Below are some of the sights and experiences we observed.
Peyton Randolph House:
Peyton Randolph House, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Peyton Randolph House, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Demonstration on steps to firing a canon:
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
We visited The Public Hospital of 1773, the first American hospital devoted exclusively to treating the mentally ill. The original name, however, of this hospital was the "Hospital for the Maintenance of Idiots, Lunatics, and Persons of Insane or Disordered Minds."
The first visiting physician to The Public Hospital was a Portuguese Jew, Dr. John de Sequeyra. Dr. Sequeyra was a renowned physician, and author of a group of writings on the diseases of Virginia. In 1769, Dr. Sequeyra was frequently called upon by George Washington to treat his stepdaughter "Patsy," daughter of Martha Park Custis, who suffered from epileptic seizures. When Dr. Sequeyra retired from the hospital in 1795, it reportedly took two doctors to fill his position.
Portrait of Dr. John de Sequeyra:
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
One way they used to deal with "Idiots, Lunatics, and Persons of Insane or Disordered Minds" in the old days - The Tranquillizer Chair - complete with toilet:
Tranquillizer Chair, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Tranquillizer Chair, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
James Geddy House, Circa 1762:
James Geddy House, Circa 1762, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
James Geddy House, Circa 1762, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Learning to play the old-time game of "Hoop and Stick":
Learning to play "Hoop and Stick," Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The Public Gaol (Jail):
The Public Gaol, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The Public Gaol, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The infamous pirate, Blackbeard a/k/a Edward Teach or (more likely) Edward Thatch, who reportedly tied lit fuses to his long black beard to frighten his enemies (imagine your Rebbe doing that to get you to learn), was killed on November 22, 1718, near Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. The captured pirates from Blackbeard's ship were then brought to the Public Gaol in Williamsburg, where they were held before they were hanged and left to rot on the gallows. Rumor has it that Blackbeard's skull was made into a drinking vessel, and supposedly it is now at The Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the skull is not on public display because there is no real evidence that it is actually Blackbeard's skull. Not my idea of a kiddush cup, but to each their own.
One of our favorite houses to visit was the apothecary, where one would go for medicine in the old days - no prescription needed:
Apothecary, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Opium was readily available:
Apothecary, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
And don't forget the candy - again, no prescription required:
Apothecary, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Joiner (woodworker):
Joiner, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Silversmith shaping a charm:
Silversmith, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Tinsmith:
Tinsmith, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
We ended the day by watching a marching band playing colonial tunes:
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Part 7 - The Mariners' Museum
Last but not least, and the primary impetus for this trip, was our visit to the Mariners' Museum, where artifacts from the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia are on display.
The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The Union ship USS Monitor and Confederate ship CSS Virginia were the first iron protected warships used in battle, namely the Battle of Hampton Roads. On March 8, 1862, the CSS Virginia, a casemate ironclad built on the hull of the scuttled USS Merrimack, steamed into Hampton Roads and began to demolish the blockade of Lincoln's Anaconda Plan. Having sunk the USS Cumberland and set the USS Congress ablaze, she turned her attention to the USS Minnesota, but for various reasons could not finish the job that day, and departed planning to return the next day. By then, the USS Monitor, a totally new type of iron ship that had been built in Brooklyn, had shown up and engaged the Viriginia in battle. After four hours of fighting, the battle resulted in a stalemate, with both sides claiming victory. Only one thing was certain: wooden war ships were now obsolete. The USS Monitor sank on December 31, 1862, during a storm, approximately 16 miles southeast off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The USS Monitor was located on August 27, 1973, lying upside down in 310 feet deep water. It was explained to us that the USS Monitor was top heavy, with a heavy turret, and flipped upside down as it sank. Although the hull of the USS Monitor was badly deteriorated after being under water for over 100 years, the engine, propeller, guns, and turret were recovered and are on display at The Mariners' Museum.
Gun of the CSS Virginia, had its muzzle shot away by the USS Cumberland during the Battle of Hampton Roads:
Gun from CSS Virginia, The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
This red lantern (used as a distress signal to its tugboat), the last item of the USS Monitor to be seen on the fateful night of December 31, 1862, was the first artifact recovered from the wreck:
The red lantern was the first artifact recovered from the USS Monitor, The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Turret of the USS Monitor, laying upside down (as it was found in the ocean), inside a 90,000-gallon tank filled with a caustic solution:
Turret of the USS Monitor, The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The moment Little One was waiting for:
Viewing the turret of the USS Monitor, The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Dahlgren Gun from USS Monitor turret:
Gun from USS Monitor, The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Anchor chain from USS Monitor:
Anchor chain from USS Monitor, The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Propeller from USS Monitor:
Propeller from USS Monitor, The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Anchor from USS Monitor:
Anchor from USS Monitor, The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Anchor from USS Monitor, The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Engine register from USS Monitor, which let the ship engineer know how many hours had been logged on the ship's engine:
Engine register from USS Monitor, The Mariners' Museum, Virginia, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Part 8 - The Long Way Home
After visiting The Mariners' Museum, we continued our drive north towards Lums Pond State Park in Delaware, located about 2 hours away from where we needed to return the motorhome in Linden, NJ. Along the way, we stopped in Silver Spring, MD, to visit one of my friends and to get lunch. There is a convenient shopping center in Silver Spring, Kemp Mill Shopping Center, where there is a kosher supermarket, kosher pizza store, and kosher Chinese restaurant. This way everyone was able to get whatever they wanted in one spot.
We finally made it to Lums Pond State Park after dark. Information about Lums Pond State Park can be found here:
https://destateparks.com/pondsrivers/LumsPondOur campsite at Lums Pond State Park:
Lums Pond State Park, Delaware, USA by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The following morning, we got an early start as we needed to get home early with enough time to prepare for Shabbos. Returning the motorhome was relatively uneventful, and I made sure to take pictures and videos of the motorhome upon pickup and return, to ensure that El Monte wouldn't try to blame me for any alleged damage. Although our purchased insurance covered most damage, it did not cover damage to the roof or interior.
Part 9 - Fun Facts:
Total Miles Driven - 1739
Gallons of Gas Used - 183.93
Total Amount Spent On Gas - $535.05 (including 3 fill-ups at a discount of $1.55 off per gallon)
Number Of States Visited - 8
Total Amount Of Kvetches - lost count. But, while the kids kvetched about motorhome trips, they admitted to missing the motorhome when we got back.
Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoyed this trip report.
