The Hidden Jewel of St. Simons Island

Alex and I decided that we had been working much too hard and needed a break. And now I am going to surprise you and say we decided to go to the beach... outside of Florida!

We had heard a little about St. Simons Island and it seemed perfect in that it is a little over an hour away, is in another state so we could say we did a little interstate travel, and of course it would provide a chance to take some pictures! As usual, click on each photo for a better view.

We struck out with me playing the female Willie Nelson singing "On the Road Again" during the drive. The picture above is a pier we encountered which really amazed us because you normally do not think of beaches and piers when you think of Georgia.

To enter the island you have to cross this interesting bridge. I snapped this shot from the car. The suspension section at the top reminded me of sails on old sailing ships.

And after some discussion regarding directions, we saw the sign telling us we were going in the right direction.

After reading a little history of the area we discovered it was settled by the Spanish who took the name from inhabiting Native American dialect, and Fort St. Simons was built in 1738 under the command of our good friend General James Edward Oglethorpe. The fort was built to protect the entrance to the Frederica River where ships had to pass to reach Fort Frederica. At the time, the tip of St Simons Island was the most heavily fortified area in Georgia. The fort was later destroyed by the Spanish in 1748 (sounds a lot like the history of St. Augustine with the area changing hands back and forth between the English and the Spanish). Now, the area serves as a beach resort...

and one of the main attractions is the light house that long ago guided ships into the area . We discovered we were in luck, because the light house had been refurbished in April of this year and was presentable for all manner of picture taking.

I took a close-up of the globe lamp or lense which you should remember from our visit to the St Augustine Lighthouse.

One thing I really liked about the place was that bicycles and golf carts were the preferred mode of transport around the island so we felt right at home riding our bikes. There is a more personal feel to the place when compared to St. Augustine and the hotels and bed and breakfast houses blend into the charm of the area. This little hotel is a perfect example of the quaint feel of the place.

At night the island seems to take on an almost magical feel. A dusk view of the lighthouse seems very different from the view during the day.

Here is the globe in all it's glory...

Even the trees seemed to take part in the glorious dance of the night. Alex and I were walking along the beach, turned... and there they were!

And finally, my best shot of the adventure was taken as we walked near the water's edge. It seemed like a perfect end for the day. We both felt calm and rested and resolved to return for many more adventures to come...

Savannah: The Garden of Good and Evil

I love Savannah Ga! It is very high on my list of great places to visit, right up there with St. Augustine. I say that because Savannah's downtown area is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States.

I do not visit as often as I would like because it is a two hour drive versus thirty minutes for St. Augustine, but when we do go it is well worth the time. As always click each photo for a better view.

I love Savannah because it seems to blend together the historic with the scenic and does it with a sense of style and character that makes you feel at home. Founded in 1733 it was America's first planned city and the 23 parks or "Squares" as they are called provide a multitude of places for quiet reflection or fun people watching. It first came up on my radar in the Clint Eastwood movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" but you have probably seen parts of it in several movies from Forrest Gump to TV's Ghost Adventures.

Speaking of movies, here is the famous park bench from the Forrest Gump Movie;

The lady Chablis is still appearing in a local club since the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil;

and the Six Pence pub from Julia Roberts movie "Something to talk about" are all big tourist attractions. I like the pub because it is a bit of England dropped down in the old south.

The area abounds with cemeteries and ghost tours are a staple of any midnight visit.

Despite the fact the balancing girl is featured prominently in Clint Eastwood's movie, it is not a fixture in any of the cemeteries. But, as you can see in this shop window, a copy can be purchased almost anywhere in Savannah.

The guide indicated that each crypt holds about 18 people. Bodies were placed inside and nature and the heat were allowed to take their course so that in a few years decomposition would allow another family member to be interred. No wonder there is talk of ghosts, they are probably angry at being so crowded.

The same was true for the Jewish members of the settlement. James Oglthorpe designated this plot as Jewish holy ground and about 16 members of the faith are buried here.

James Oglethorpe looms large in the area as he was the founder of the Georgia colony and for his time was considered a revolutionary thinker in that he wanted to resettle England's poor and especially those consigned to debtors prison in Georgia. Few debtors took the offer and ultimately many Scots, poor English tradesmen, artisans and religious refugees from Switzerland, France, Germany, along with Jewish refugees decided to immigrate as a chance to start a new life in the colony.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement, was appointed by Oglethorpe as the Minister of the Parish of Savannah. His stay was short lived and filled with controversy but he too figures prominently in one of the squares.

But, the river views are what make the place. It is a combination of old world and deep south all rolled into one. There is the constant bustle of trips on the riverboats,

and minus the cars, the look of American Venice as you walk near the river's edge.















But, the trip could not end without giving tribute to "the old made new" in a discovery we made. If you look closely in the previous picture you see a truck parked near the street. A closer view shows that the owner has lovingly restored this symbol of a time long gone.

A look on the inside shows a lot of time and care was taken to make this baby shine.

The owner was more than willing to take time to give us the long and short of how he first found and then restored "Lucille" to it's current state... But then, that is Savannah!