Travel from Columbia to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

We drove our coach 150 miles, about three hours of driving, from Columbia, South Carolina to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Reaching the East coast! (Other than Florida.)

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route map

An interactive map:

Leaving the state park:

Leaving state park

A line for the dump station; we didn’t need to dump, but had to wait for a bit to get past:

Line for dump station

The dump station:

Dump station

I-20 East:

I-20 East

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Iron Skillet Restaurant at a Petro truck stop:

Iron Skillet Restaurant

We like Petro, as not only do we get fuel discounts there, but they are often very large, with lots of parking spaces and uncrowded fuel lanes:

Petro fuel stop

Our fuel fill; as usual, we paid less than the pump price thanks to our fuel discount card; we paid $204.71, a saving of $27.47:

Fuel fill

Easy parking:

Parked

Petro has laundry and showers facilities, and even a hair salon:

Laundry and showers

And the aforementioned Iron Skillet Restaurant, where we had breakfast for lunch:

Iron Skillet Restaurant

Menu

Breakfast for lunch

Back at our coach, Paladin asleep on the dash:

Paladin

Paladin

I-95 North:

I-95 North

Route 76 East:

Route 76 East

Crossing over a portion of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), an inland water route near the coast that runs almost all the way down the East coast from Massachusetts to Florida and across the Gulf to Texas:

Intracoastal Waterway

Arriving at Myrtle Beach State Park:

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Camper check-in:

Myrtle Beach State Park

Following the coach to our site:

Myrtle Beach State Park

Travel from Rutledge, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina

We drove our coach 187 miles, about three hours of driving, from Rutledge, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina. The first of a series of new states for us.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route map

An interactive map:

I was a bit concerned about leaving our site, as it was kinda steep:

Leaving site

Leaving site

But we managed without too much difficulty:

Leaving site

We left the park via Knox Chapel Road, to avoid a bad railroad crossing in downtown Rutledge:

Knox Chapel Road

We still had to go over an unlevel railroad crossing, but this was the best of the three options:

Railroad crossing

Nice new road surface:

Nice new road surface

Joining I-20 East, with an Eisenhower Interstate System sign:

Eisenhower Interstate System

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

A Southern swooper; we’ve noticed that Southern drivers tend to swoop in front of us, way too close for safety. Give some space before moving over, people!

Southern swooper

We parked at a Love’s truck stop and went to the adjacent Waffle House for lunch:

Waffle House

Truck parking

Coach parked with trucks

Waffle House

Waffle House

Waffle House

Paladin waiting on the dash for us to return:

Paladin on the dash

Entering South Carolina:

Entering South Carolina

Paladin asleep:

Paladin asleep

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Fun with zoom

Exit to route 1:

Exit to route 1

Sesquicentennial State Park:

Sesquicentennial State Park

Entrance station:

Entrance station

Splash pad:

Splash pad

Campground entrance:

Campground entrance

Our site:

Our site

Paladin on the dash while getting leveled in the site:

Paladin

Travel from Red Bay, Alabama to Rutledge, Georgia

We drove our coach 332 miles, about six hours of driving, from Red Bay, Alabama to Rutledge, Georgia.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route map

An interactive map:

Water streaming off our slide topper as we brought in the slide, from recent rain:

Water streaming off slide topper

Toading up:

Toading up

We left Red Bay via downtown:

Red Bay

Red Bay

SR-19:

SR-19

On to I-22 East:

I-22 East

A bathroom break at a truck stop:

Bathroom break

Our coach in travel mode:

Coach in travel mode

Paladin in his nest on the stacked dining chairs:

Paladin in his nest

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

I-65 South:

I-65 South

Birmingham:

Birmingham

I-20 East:

I-20 East

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

I-20 East:

I-20 East

A large load:

Large load

Fuel and lunch stop:

Fuel and lunch stop

91.717 gallons:

91.717 gallons

Heading to the parking area, with Paladin on the passenger chair:

Heading to parking area

Parked:

Parked

We had Popeyes for lunch:

Popeyes for lunch

Popeyes for lunch

A branch on the roof; we found it on the truck when we arrived:

Branch on roof

Talladega Superspeedway; apparently there was a NASCAR race on:

Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega Superspeedway

Eisenhower Interstate System sign:

Eisenhower Interstate System

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Welcome to Georgia:

Welcome to Georgia

Eisenhower Interstate System

Entering Eastern Time Zone, where we’ll be until July:

Entering Eastern Time Zone

Another bathroom break at the Georgia Welcome Center truck parking:

Rest stop

Atlanta:

Atlanta

Atlanta

Fun with zoom

Fun with zoom

SR-11:

SR-11

I chose this route to go over this railroad crossing, as the one in downtown Rutledge has a very high crown:

Railroad crossing

Horse properties:

Horse properties

Hard Labor Creek State Park:

Hard Labor Creek State Park

RV check-in area:

RV check-in area

RV check-in area

Trading Post:

Trading Post

Trading Post

The camp host happened to be in the trading post when we checked in, so she offered to guide us to our site; that’s the driveway on the right:

Guided to our site

Paladin surveying our steep driveway:

Paladin surveying our driveway

Yeah, doesn’t look very level:

Our site

Travel from Scott, Arkansas to Red Bay, Alabama

We drove our coach 278 miles, about five hours of driving, from Scott, Arkansas to Red Bay, Alabama.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map:

The tow bar was at a strange angle, due to toading up on a curve, but that’s fine (just need to pull forward slowly until it locks in place):

Tow bar

Don’t need the dump station on the way out this time:

Don't need the dump station this time

I-440 East:

I-440 East

I-40 East:

I-40 East

Paladin in his safe spot next to the passenger chair… and saying get that phone out of my face:

Paladin

Wide load:

Wide load

Paladin asleep:

Paladin

A lunch stop at a large Petro truck stop:

Lunch stop

We were going go in to an IHOP, but decided we didn’t have time for that, with a long drive still ahead, so just ate in our coach:

Lunch stop

I-55 Alt South:

I-55 Alt South

Crossing the Mississippi River:

Mississippi River

Tennessee welcomes you, unless you drive a truck:

Tennessee welcomes you, unless you drive a truck

Tennessee welcomes you

Bass Pro Shops pyramid:

Bass Pro Shops pyramid

Only in Tennessee briefly in Memphis, then on to Mississippi:

Welcome to Mississippi

“Orange You Going to Slow Down in Work Zones?”

Orange You Going to Slow Down in Work Zones?

I-269 North:

I-269 North

I-22 East:

I-22 East

Paladin asleep again:

Paladin

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Paladin one more time:

Paladin

Rest break at a truck stop we often visit on the way to/from Red Bay:

Rest break

Fun with zoom again:

Fun with zoom

Fun with zoom

Our fourth state of the drive, Alabama:

Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama

Our destination, Red Bay Acres:

Red Bay Acres

Our site next to a sibling coach (a 2018 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40AP; one year newer, and a different floorplan):

Our site next to a sibling coach

Travel from Paris, Texas to Scott, Arkansas

We drove our coach 243 miles, about four hours of driving, from Paris, Texas to Scott, Arkansas.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Map

An interactive map:

Depressions in the grass from our neighbor’s jacks and tires, due to rain making the ground a little soft:

Depressions from our neighbor's jacks and tires

Our coach:

Our coach

I put a couple of tiles below the AquaHot exhaust, but the surrounding grass still got a little singed:

Singed grass from AquaHot exhaust

Our jack pads got embedded in the soft ground; not too difficult to pull out. The larger pads help spread the load, though, and better than having the jacks get stuck in the ground:

Jack pads embedded in ground

Leaving the full hookup area:

Leaving full hookup area

Solar section:

Solar section

Onto I-30 East:

I-30 East

A fuel stop:

Fuel stop

As usual, we paid less than this, due to our fuel discount card:

Fuel stop

Back on I-30 East:

Back on I-30 East

The Texas overpasses had the Lone Star and state outline:

Texas overpass

Texarkana water tower:

Texarkana water tower

Welcome to Arkansas:

Welcome to Arkansas

The Arkansas overpasses had a less distinctive state outline (reminded me of a Solo cup):

Arkansas overpass

A lunch stop at Southfork Restaurant in Gurdon, Arkansas:

Lunch stop

Truck parking:

Truck parking

Paladin on the passenger chair:

Paladin on passenger chair

Our coach parked with trucks:

Coach parked with trucks

Into the restaurant:

Restaurant

Menu

Menu (they also have burgers and such, but we were in the mood for breakfast):

Menu

Super slow service, but over an hour later we got our breakfast for lunch:

Breakfast for lunch

We’d ordered biscuits with our breakfast, but they only had one, so provided extra potatoes and lots of toast instead:

Toast and biscuit

Back to our coach:

Back to our coach

Back on I-30 East:

Back on I-30 East

Arkadelphia water tower:

Arkadelphia water tower

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Oversize load:

Oversize load

Rough road:

Rough road

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Narrow road due to roadworks:

Narrow due to roadworks

Slow truck:

Slow truck

Overpass:

Overpass

Arkansas River:

Arkansas River

Exit to Scott:

Exit to Scott

An unmarked turn to the park:

Unmarked turn to park

Residential road:

Residential road

Entering Willow Beach Park:

Willow Beach Park

Park entrance station:

Park entrance station

Campsites:

Campsites

Our site (the back-in with the shelter):

Our site

Our site

Our coach after untoading:

Our coach

Our site; a bit of a slope on the driveway, but a flat concrete pad:

Our site

Our site