The Golden Isles of the Georgia Coast…

Leaving Savannah, we moved further south and pulled into a Georgia Visitor’s center for lunch. Upon walking into the lobby we were surprised to find Forrest Gump sitting on his park bench. How could we not seize the opportunity to take a candid photo with the man who said “life is like a box of chocolates.”  After lunch we moved on down the road and pulled into our next location, Golden Isles Vacation Park. which is yet another of our favorite Passport America parks not for its scenery but for its location.

From Brunswick, Georgia it is only a short 15 minute drive to scenic Jekyll Island. We have always enjoyed visiting Jekyll Island which is located off the coast of Georgia. It is one of the Golden Isles in the Georgia barrier islands. The island is owned by the State of Georgia and run by a self-sustaining, self-governing body who charges $6 to enter the park but once inside all parking is free.

I always wondered why this area was called the “Golden Isles” but can’t find a great answer. The tourism web site says: “One needs only to witness a gorgeous sunrise over the ocean or bask in the beauty of the sun setting westward beyond the mainland to know the namesake of this stretch of Georgia's coast.”

Another theory says that the area was known as a place of many riches drawing people hoping to make their fortune.. But the one I like the most is that the color gold prevails here. There is gold in the hues of the beaches, in the color of the setting sun and in the marsh grasses in winter time. We also love the glittering gold flecks often seen in the beach sand as the surf retreats.

Unfortunately the area was devastated by a hurricane last year and we visited shortly after its destruction.. The dead artistically arranged trees along the beach on Jekyll Island were used often as backdrops to many a wedding venue. Last year when we came it was sad to see that many of those beautiful trees we photographed in the past were toppled and destroyed leaving only a few behind.

This year a lot of rip-rap or rock on the beach has been placed to deter erosion and promote sand deposits to replenish the beach. There are still a few scenic spots that maybe could be used for a wedding but I am sure this area took quite a huge economic hit when the trees fell. As sad as it is, it is nature’s calling and there will be better days ahead for this otherwise scenic area.

We also drove over to scenic St .Simons Island as it is another place we like to visit along this coast. The iconic lighthouse and “wedding venue” grounds in the town historic area are fun to walk around. The architecture, gardens and Spanish moss draped live oaks lining the sidewalks are always pleasant to walk around.

In the evening the sunsets have been spectacular and we could often be found at another or our favorite little taverns, Tipsy McSways, for happy hour in Brunswick Georgia before we called our day complete…

NOTE: We are now in Gamble Rogers State Park in Flagler Beach Florida…

An Urban Stroll in Savannah Georgia…

The time had come to leave beautiful Charleston SC to continue in our southerly direction. We wanted to stay in Hardeeville SC which is 10 minutes from downtown Savannah Georgia but when we called there was a recording stating it was full. We found an alternative stay about 35 minutes south of Savannah which was a bit off the beaten path but as soon as we pulled into Fort McAllister State Historic Park we knew we were going to enjoy our stay there.

This shaded campground has a nice, but short, nature trail and is adjacent to the Ogeechee River. It has large spacious sites with glimpses into a salt water marsh as the park is actually located on an island called Savage Island. Racoons are reported as a frequent sighting and sure enough our first evening we had  a momma racoon bring her three babies over to our water faucet for a drink. The park faucet was a little leaky and these clever racoons already knew where to look for the water once a camper hooked up to it.

Early in the morning the next day I also spotted a too curious racoon who somehow had  a plastic cup or bottle stuck on its head. The poor thing was wandering around seeing quite the distorted world through the plastic I am sure. I do, however, have no doubt that the racoon was able to free itself from this debacle either by itself or with assistance from other racoons.

Now that we were near Savannah we simply had to go into the city which is one of our all time favorite southern destinations. The website The City Sidewalks has a map we used as a basis for our favorite Savannah stroll. Savannah, established in 1733 on the Savannah River, was laid out into 24 squares and there are currently 22 historic squares remaining  which we always want to see as they exude the southern charm and history of this wonderful city.

Each of  these Savannah's squares are named after someone or a historical event Most will also have a monument, unique statue, fountain, sculpture, or structure in the center. Some have been modernized but the most widely known one was the one visited by Forrest Gump, Chippewa square. Adding to the charm each square is shaded by large and stately live oak trees draped in Spanish moss surrounded by beautiful southern mansions making them very enticing as a place to sit upon one of the benches to take it all in.

These beautiful homes in the Historic District are gorgeous architecturally interesting homes which are a tour in themselves as many display historical plaques telling of famous previous residents of the city. We found one that that marked the beginnings of the Girl Scouts we found interesting. Several homes had civil war history as either hospitals or headquarters for the Confederates. The abundance of history is astounding.

After seeing all the squares which required a LOT of walking we caught the free Savannah River ferry on the waterfront. It gave us time to rest our feet and  enjoy the sights of the waterfront which mostly consists of shops, restaurants and hotels.

 

Before making our way back to the Visitor’s Center where we parked our car we stopped at a local pub for a cold beverage and had the chance to reflect upon our great day before heading back to camp…We both agreed we will definitely return to beautiful Savannah…a true gem of the South.

NOTE: We are now in Gamble Rogers State Park in Flagler Beach Florida…

An Urban Stroll Through Charleston SC…

With the wedding behind us it became time for us to hit the road and continue our nomadic journey around the USA. We pulled out of Raleigh and drove south to Bass Lake RV Campground in Dillon SC which is a Passport America park we have stayed at many times in the past. We spent two nights as we waited for a storm to pass through entertaining ourselves by cooking new dishes such as Spicy Lemongrass Chicken.

Once sunny skies prevailed we continued southward to another Passport America Park near Charleston, SC called Lake Aire RV Park. We always love to visit this charming southern gem of a city.

We really didn’t do anything new but we always look forward to taking an urban hike through downtown Charleston as it is always enjoyable. The history, the architecture and the allure of the southern charm make strolling through Charleston a delight. There are so many beautiful homes and gardens to see. We also noticed a little Halloween Décor here and there.

Called the Holy City for all of it churches and the religions they represent Charleston is vibrant and full of life. It was bit crowded for a weekend in fall but we soon realized the excess people we were seeing were folks from one of the cruise ships docked at the port for a day of sightseeing.

No walk would be complete without a stroll along the waterfront. Lots of shops, restaurants and taverns dot the street along with the older southern homes and businesses. A smattering of street art and a few fountains make the walk relaxing especially as we gazed over the marsh grasses out to the ocean. We certainly enjoyed our first day in Charleston…

Next we strolled through the rainbow  row which are nearly 200 year old buildings and we discovered a very old opera building we hadn’t seen before. Inside the Opera House we learned it hosted the very first opera seen in the US in the 1700’s. It was like walking back in time as we could picture ourselves sitting in the seat backs watching turn of the century entertainers. What a cool building…

We ended the day visiting the Craftsmen Tap House who had an excellent selection of craft beer and an excellent happy hour. As fun as all the wedding and its preparation was, it sure is great to be back on the Road of Retirement…

NOTE: We are now in Brunswick GA for a three nights before moving on to Flagler Beach State Park in Florida…

We had a Blast in Cincinnati… Who Would’ve Thought?

I was so excited when John told me we would be staying in Cincinnati as I love to explore cities. In fact one of my bucket list items is to immerse in city life by living downtown in a big city for a season or at least a month. Our friends John and Jane stopped RVing to live in Cedar Rapids  Iowa and visiting them gave me a taste of what life in the city is like. They live in a loft downtown and walk to EVERYTHING they need such as grocery shopping, doctor visits, hair appointments, restaurants and the gym. Seems like fun to me!

Anyway in researching Cincinnati I discovered a downtown trolley called the Bell Connector. The route was only a little over 3 miles long but went to many of the downtown sites I wanted to visit. I found that the fare is 2 dollars a person and could be purchased in a phone app. Next I grabbed the Downtown Cincinnati app which had several free self guided downtown tours, one of which followed the streetcar route and would point out the interesting architecture along our route. It also had tips for parking locations and I decided the easiest place to park from our RV site would be Findlay Market which is also a stop on the streetcar route.

The North Lot for Findlay Market was easy to find via our GPS and would be only 50 cents an hour with the first hour being FREE! After paying for parking we meandered around east and west Findlay Market which featured fresh produce and craft vendors along with many colorful buildings. Next we found our trolley stop and began our tour. John helped me look ahead at buildings of interest on the architecture app while I paid attention to our next stop which would be Washington Park.

Washington Park features a massive old circa 1800's building now serving as a music hall for the city. It was once a cathedral and is really stunning. The surrounding park has a waterfall and musical fountain which kids enjoy splashing in . It has a huge green space with many inviting chairs and benches beneath large shade trees as well as some civil war history which we also explored.

Back on the trolley our next stop would be Fountain Park which features a huge fountain and a stage for music as well as a huge big screen TV on a bank building which showed a REDS baseball game while we visited. There are many shops and restaurants so we walked the full two blocks all around the square and stopped to visit the Contemporary Art Center which was a free museum of 6 floors featuring interesting art.

 

Back on the trolley we went to the BANKS which houses the Reds baseball park and the Bengals Football Stadium which I definitely wanted to see. While there we also saw the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Riverfront Park. The park is expansive and scenic as the impressive 1800's John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge dominates the landscape.

Walking along the river was a blast. We enjoyed the Queen City sign and took pictures of it not really knowing its significance at the time. Later we realized it is the nickname of Cincinnati because during the westward expansion it became the fastest growing city in the west. Thus it was dubbed the Queen of the West or Queen City. The highlight for me was the REDS ballpark! Its courtyard is open to the public, the vibe and the sculptures are fabulous! I loved it.

From the Banks we ventured over to Rock Bottom Brewery for a cold beer before catching the trolley to once more enjoy the murals, the buildings, the parks and the beauty of Cincinnati! What a great day!

NOTE: We are now in Raleigh NC where we will stay for a while as we attend some wedding related functions for our daughter’s upcoming wedding…