Days 5 & 6 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Monday May 11^th, 2026, we traveled from Savannah Georgia to Santee State Park in South Carolina. We left Savannah on US 17 N. In Georgia US 17 is a 124-mile coastal route, often called the "Ocean Highway" or "Coastal Highway," running from the Florida border to the South Carolina line at the Savannah River. It is generally a two-lane road that is a scenic alternative to I-95. The Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge, named to honor the former politician, is a major cable-stayed bridge spanning the Savannah River, connecting downtown Savannah, Georgia, to Hutchinson Island and Jasper County, South Carolina, via US 17. Completed in 1991, it features a 185-foot vertical clearance, a vertical navigational clearance of roughly 185 feet, and a 1,100-foot main span.

The Savannah River begins at the confluence of the Tugaloo and Seneca rivers at Lake Hartwell in Northeast Georgia. It flows for over 300 miles, before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Savannah, Georgia. The Savannah River defines the border between Georgia and South Carolina.

Fun fact about that border. On June 29, 1977, an altercation between Georgia law enforcement officers and a South Carolina shrimp boat captain attracted national press and rekindled a controversy that would not be resolved until 1990. South Carolina and Georgia disagreed over the exact location of the boundary in the lower Savannah River, as well as ownership of several islands in that region. At stake in this border dispute was not only tax dollars but also potentially millions of dollars in federal aid. On June 25, 1990, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of South Carolina and awarded ownership of most of the islands in the Savannah River. Adding three thousand acres of land and seven thousand acres of water to the Palmetto State.

South Carolina features over 344,500 acres of salt marsh, the most of any state on the Atlantic coast. These marshes serve as a vital ecosystem that acts as a natural buffer against coastal storms and a nursery for marine life. These tidal wetlands are characterized by vast expanses of green smooth cordgrass, tidal creeks, and mud, defining the scenic landscape of the Lowcountry.

We turned off US 17 in Hardeeville Georgia onto 321. Just after Tarboro, we turned onto US 601. We followed 601 all the way into Orangeburg, SC. One of my favorite parts of traveling these two-lane roads is the sights we see. I love diving through the “tree tunnels.” In the south, the Oak canopies create stunning "tree tunnels," particularly where massive live oaks and Spanish moss drape over roads to form shaded, magical corridors.

Hampton County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at Hampton, South Carolina. It was built in 1878 and was originally a two-story structure constructed of brick laid in the common bond pattern in the Italianate style. In 1925, the courthouse was renovated and additional wings were added to the front and rear facades. Also located on the property are two small modern annexes situated directly to the rear of the courthouse, and a two-story brick annex.

Hampton is also the home of the world's original Watermelon Festival. Since 1939, Hampton County's most colorful crop has been celebrated with a Watermelon Festival, headquartered each June on the Hampton County Courthouse Square. It is South Carolina's oldest continuing festival. Cordele, Georgia, may be widely recognized as the "Watermelon Capital of the World," a title it has held since the early 1990s due to its high-volume production. The city serves as a major hub for growing, packing, and shipping over 200 million pounds of watermelons annually.

In Orangeburg, we saw the Veterans Memorial Park, which is part of the Edisto Memorial Gardens. It is a 175-acre site honoring South Carolina military members, dedicated on November 11, 2009. It features a 25-foot obelisk, granite, and water features, located on a historic 1865 Civil War conflict site.

We arrived at Santee State Park, our home, for the next two nights. Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures.

On Tuesday May 12^th, 2026 we enjoyed a relaxing day at Santee State Park.

Santee State Park is in the Sandhills of South Carolina on the western edge Lake Marion. Santee State Park is 2,500 acres in the heart of Santee Cooper Country. It has two campgrounds, 158 water & electric sites for RV or tent camping, 48 of them have 50-amp service. Two boat ramps that provide access to 110,000-acre Lake Marion, the largest lake in South Carolina. Ten plus miles of trails for hiking and biking. There are thirty modern cabins, ten are uniquely located on a pier over Lake Marion and 20 on the lakeshore.

On my morning walk, I found my favorite place at Santee State Park. It is by the lake when the lake catches first light. No motors. No voices. Just calm water and soft color through the leaves of the trees. It is earned by showing up early. It’s a view does not impress, it invites you stop and look. It reminds me that the most sacred places ask nothing from you.

This place was not built for checklists. It’s a place to relax, let your shoulders drop. Walk a trail without rushing. Sit by the lake and do nothing. When the wind died down, we enjoyed sitting out and talking to anyone who walked by. We even met a man from Buffalo New York.

Lake Marion is the largest lake in South Carolina and is centrally located within the coastal plain where it is bordered by five counties. There is over 500 miles of shoreline. Lake Marion is the uppermost of the two beautiful water bodies that comprise Santee Cooper Reservoir. Its head waters extend upstream nearly to the confluence of the Wateree and Congaree Rivers, where seasonally flooded, forested wetlands form the wildlife rich Sparkleberry Swamp.

The reservoir was constructed to provide hydroelectric power to rural South Carolina and to provide needed jobs for a depression ravaged state. Because of World War II, the completion of the project was moved ahead and Lake Marion Dam was closed before the clearing of Lake Marion was completed in November 1941. As a result, fishermen will find there are thousands upon thousands of stumps, dead tree trunks and live cypress trees. 

The 6.5-mile-long Diversion Canal connects lower Lake Marion to Lake Moultrie and provides a productive and weather protected area for anglers. The closure of Lake Marion Dam trapped a founding population of striped bass and a thriving population developed in the reservoir. Blue catfish and flathead catfish were introduced into the system in the mid-1960s. They have readily adapted to the Santee Cooper lakes system and today provide many anglers with the opportunity to catch the largest freshwater fish they will ever encounter. Largemouth bass and shellcracker fisheries also draw anglers each spring, providing unique opportunities to catch large fish.

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures as we head further north, before we head south again.