Day Five: Charleston to Fort Clinch, Florida

What if Santa can't find us? What if I ruin Christmas for the kids? What if they end up disappointed and deflated on what should be the happiest day of the year?

I'll admit it: I was worried, and not altogether sure I could pull off a proper Christmas celebration in a 24' travel trailer parked at a KOA in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. We packed the stockings and a miniature tree with lights. I snuck in "The Night Before Christmas" and new pajamas. I made sure we had carrots in the fridge and cookies in the pantry for Santa and his reindeer. We hung lights on the windows and snuggled into bed not sure what the morning would bring.

At 6:30 am, I heard the first rustling. Though we'd said nothing to them on Christmas Eve, the kids remembered a 7 am rule from years past and spent the next 30 minutes whispering to each other about the time and trying to quiet Boo's wagging tail. Then, at 7 on the dot, they pulled back the flimsy accordion door that separates our bedroom and found a mountain of packages and stockings. Santa came through!

It turns out the kids only needed a few things to satisfy their Christmas criteria: A few packages to unwrap, a little time to play, and a lot of snuggles. We had no hot cocoa or bacon, no sticky buns or coffee, but we still hit the road for Savannah with happy kids and a happy dog.

Two hours south in Savannah, we found the streets bustling with activity on a sunny, 60-degree Christmas Day. We stumbled through charming squares of Spanish moss, walked the cobble stones down to the water, and ate some super greasy pizza in a plaza with Boo. Then we jumped back in the truck and motored out of Georgia, just over the Florida line to Fort Clinch State Park.

I'm not a huge fan of Florida (2000 Election, ya'll). But Fort Clinch is one of the more charming and magical places we've visited. Deer lazing across a road overhung with a canopy of Spanish moss, crooked tree limbs, and native palms. Pristine beach. And a lovely campground of families celebrating the holiday with lights and trees and brand new bikes.

We capped off our Christmas with a fancy pants dinner at the Ritz Carlton in Amelia Beach, which boasts the world's only gingerbread pirate ship, a two-story tall Christmas tree, and some pretty entertaining people watching (and listening as the old white guys at the table next to us LOUDLY debated Trump and Pelosi over their holiday dinner, allowing us the opportunity to explain white privilege to the kids.) Merry Christmas one and all!