On Thursday, December 11, 2025, we traveled from Hunting Island, South Carolina, to Jacksonville, North Carolina. We had arranged to stay five nights at the JCO Campground. When we arrived, the view from our trailer door at site three was so splendid that we briefly considered whether zoning laws might allow us to build a house right there.
On Friday, we enjoyed a quiet morning in the trailer until about 11 a.m., when my sister arrived to take us to a celebration of life for her daughter-in-law, who had recently passed away. We helped set up for the event and then spent several hours greeting and visiting with friends and family before returning to our trailer. Later that evening, the whole group went to dinner at Camino Real, a Mexican restaurant that somehow managed to seat all 20 of us—an accomplishment worthy of its own celebration.
Saturday was a slower-paced day. We hung out at the trailer and ran a few errands. In the evening, we went to Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen for dinner and then caught a movie at a local theater with my sister. It was good to be together, laughing our way through a genuinely funny movie—always a welcome change from real life.
After returning to our campsite that night, we caught a shooting star out of the corner of our eye. Then another. And then several more. We soon realized we were witnessing a meteor shower that appears to emanate from the constellation Gemini, and called the Giminid Meteor Shower. The night was dark, clear, and moonless—perfect conditions for watching shooting stars. We counted somewhere between 20 and 30 meteors before deciding to call it a night. We did venture back out around midnight, when it was supposed to be even better, but by then the show had apparently decided we’d had enough.
Sunday morning greeted us with a bracing 18 degrees. To warm our souls, we attended the Jacksonville 3rd Ward with my nephew’s wife. The services were pleasant, and the people were welcoming. It’s always good to attend church and worship, no matter where you are. Afterward, we gathered at one of my nephew’s homes for dinner and a birthday celebration. We ate, celebrated, played games, and generally enjoyed a fun evening together.
On Monday, it was time to put the trailer away. We dumped the holding tanks, cleaned up, and towed it to the Pinnacle Storage facility. We decided to leave our campsite one day early so we could take our time backing into a long, narrow storage unit rather than doing it under the pressure of an impending flight home for the holidays. The unit measured 50 feet by 15 feet, and with a bit of care—and perhaps a few held breaths—we managed to fit both the trailer and the truck inside. Unfortunately, we snagged the shore power cord on an interior building stud and broke the receptacle. It shouldn’t be too hard to repair when we return, but it did provide a fitting final reminder that nothing ever goes perfectly. We emptied the refrigerator, secured the remaining food, and left the trailer there. Then we checked into a local hotel in preparation for our flight to Utah the next morning.
With the day’s chores behind us, Our group of eight headed to a drive-through Christmas light show set up by a local farmer. There was pleasant Christmas music playing and many light exhibits. Afterward, we strolled through a small collection of shops and picked up a few items. We wrapped up the evening with dinner at Blackbeard’s, then said our goodbyes for the holidays.
On Tuesday, we stored our truck and caught a ride to the Jacksonville airport with my sister. The Albert J. Ellis airport is a small simple to navigate airport. The image to the left shows the entire waiting area and food court. It was a fun but busy week in Jacksonville. We’re already looking forward to returning, heading south, finding warmer air, and having no schedules pressing in on us. Until then, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
| Nights | Total Nights | Miles | Total Miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 326 | 313 | 30678 |