TYBEE ISLAND RALLY - 2013

Dunes Inn - Tybee Island, SC

December 5 -8  (686 miles)

By Tony and Jill Barcia

We left Thursday morning to meet Paul and Becky and drive to Beaufort, SC to Becky's brother and sister-in-law's home.  Angie and Duke have an amazing house beautifully decorated for Christmas (there was a tree in every room).  The drive to Beaufort was in the 70s ... a beautiful day for December 5.

Duke, Becky, Angie, Tony, Paul

I added this photo to emphasize that this decoration is REAL fruit.  

Thursday night we had an oyster roast and for desert Angie made a Gooey Butter Cake from a Paula Dean recipe which I mention because this tops my list of treats.  Tony and I experienced southern hospitality and wonderful home cooked meals.  We can't thank them enough.

Friday morning Paul and Becky went with us to visit Parris Island (the recruit depot is only about 1/2 mile from the house) and the Marine Corps Museum.  The museum is a 2 story building with lots of Marine memorabilia from all eras and a film on recruit training.   Then we rode the motorcycles on the Iron Mike History Tour which is a 15 mile loop through part of the 8,000 acres.

Charlesfort-Santa Elena National Historical Monument

We are about halfway around the driving tour and Paul and Tony are having a rest while Becky and I look for a geo cache.  We were looking for an "artifact" and finally found what we both decided was the best geo cache yet, this was Becky's 89th geo cache and my 3rd.

The following is a bit of information about the plane.  "These are the remains of a Brewster Buccaneer.  Not a good combat bomber, most were assigned to training.  This plane, attached to Page field,  crashed in 1943.  Parts worth salvaging were removed, and the remainder, now upside down, was towed here where it would not obstruct the airfield.  Both crewmen survived."

The Golf Course

The Firing Range

The Iwo Jima Monument

The Parade Deck

Three hours later we left USMC Parris Island and went back to Angie and duke's for a "ham sandwich" before going to Tybee Island.

Angie's ham sandwich lunch:  shrimp cocktail, potato salad, fruit salad, ham, pimento cheese, rolls, fruit cake, homemade chocolate candies and more of that yummy gooey butter cake!

Finally we were ready to leave for Tybee Island.

This year we went back to the Dunes Inn where we met up with Jerry and Barb

Jerry and Sugah 

Deedee and Ian Schmeissser (who has the column Always an Adventure in the BMW ON magazine),
Barb (and their friend and bridesmaid Ginger), Jerry and Tony

Friday night's dinner was next door at Stingray's with very good margaritas.  Saturday was another beautiful day in the 70s and Barb, Becky and I found 2 more geocaches on Tybee Island.

Becky recording the find

Barb found out this geocache had fireants!

Tybee Island Christmas parade which passed in front of the hotel.

Getting ready for the parade

The end featuring Santa!

Saturday night everyone goes to the low country boil at the community center in Tybee.   The weather was changing and getting cold and very windy but Jerry had his truck and many of us had a ride to dinner.

Sunday morning Paul, Becky, Tony and I left at 7:30 in much different weather than we had for the last 3 days.  Rain was forecast and it was foggy, cloudy and 52 degrees when we left.  By the time we got home the temperature was 42 degrees, but we didn't get a drop of rain!