TS6 Hop 6: Cove City NC to Myrtle Beach SC

188 miles via US 17, NC 55, I-140 (north of Carolina Beach) and SC 31 with two brief rest area stops. 214 truck miles. 1081 cumulative tow miles. 1416 cumulative truck miles. The extra truck miles were entirely due to a refueling trip into New Bern NC where I got diesel for $1.88 per gallon (I love NC fuel prices!) and some groceries.

The first rest area stop was just a few miles into the trip when I took an unplanned detour to avoid a bridge with a 6-ton weight limit (it turns out that it was a 6-ton-per-axle limit so the detour was unnecessary), saw the rest area and decided to double-check that the TV antenna was down (it was). The second was at the SC Welcome Center on US 17 where I adjusted Jett’s pillows and blankets. She has made this trip in the back seat of the truck, which is more tolerable to her frail body. Rusty doesn’t mind riding up front with me.

This stretch of US 17 was not fun. It had a lot of traffic and a lot of stoplights. The “future I-87” is truly a distant dream here. To make matters worse, the GPS seemed to be unaware that some sections of US 17 had been rebuilt and rerouted. It took me several miles down the old route before connecting me with the new route. Worse, it told me to take a left where none was allowed and forced me into a 3-mile loop to get that corrected. The same thing happened when we reached I-140 – it told me to continue on US 17 even though both the signage and my knowledge of the route (from studying the map before we started the hop) suggested that I-140 was the better route. For about 5 miles on I-140 the GPS had no clue where I was. Not a proud day for the GPS.

The one night in NC was spent at the Turkey Quarter Campground and RV Park. This campground has only a Facebook page, not a complete website. You should take a look at their page to get a sense of just how unusual this place is. For starters, when I called the number to book a site I talked to a man who simply answered “Hello” – no campground greeting. He informed me that he takes messages for James, the campground owner and gave me James’ number. I called James who was at the garage getting his truck fixed. He told me that, yes, he had a space for me – number 3 – full hookup, pull-thru, then launched into a long, incomprehensible series of directions and informed me that it was cash or check only – no credit cards. I got off the phone unconvinced that this was a real business or that we could even get there. But Google knew of the place and an aerial view showed that there was, indeed, a small campground at that location. I could even make out where site 3 was located.

Later, having second thoughts about this weird place, I noticed that there was a KOA not far away. However, the KOA was charging $80 per night versus Turkey Quarter’s $35 cash. Ever frugal, I couldn’t see spending an extra $45 for a night of sleep in my own RV. So I crossed my fingers and hoped that the place would not be a mess.

It was not a mess. Far from it. The entrance, rather than a scene from “Deliverance” was more like the opening shot of an episode of “Dallas” – sprawling exurbian plots with nice homes along a winding gravel drive. The site we were given was a long, level, shaded pull-thru, very clean with – and this is a first in our 8 years of travel – a firering with free firewood. We didn’t use it but I had to note it because it was truly remarkable.

Also remarkable was James, the owner, a salty backwoods guy with the appropriate North Carolina drawl. He made sure I got into the site and didn’t need any other assistance. Then he told me he would be by in the morning with breakfast. I thought he was kidding, but he was very serious. Around 10am he came by with a pan of cheese biscuits, country sausage and molasses. The cheese biscuits were good but the country sausage with molasses was outstanding. Free. Delivered to the site. Another first.

All for $35. Amazing.

I have to comment on the landscaping too. Someone put some serious money into this place to prep the sites, construct the fishing pond and add all the little designer details, like the artistic display of old farm implements. Imaginative and highly unusual.

I have to say that this campground is nicer than all but a few I have seen. And one of the cheapest. Good and cheap – a great combination.