Savannah and Tybee Island

After leaving St. Augustine, we spent several days in Savannah, Georgia.

We stayed at a comfortable camping site about 20 minutes from Savannah's downtown historic district. The facilities were nicely maintained and we had a nice little "lake" front view.

However, the wifi we were assured was available turned out to be an extremely weak signal accessed on a park bench outside of the main office or at a cramped table in the laundry room which closed from 9:30 p.m. to 9 a.m each evening.

We didn't travel there to spend time online, but taking care of "business" on the road is a challenge.

We spent an entire day touring the Savannah Historic District, an area which roughly corresponds to their city limits prior to the American Civil War. The original plan for the city was laid out in 1733 by this gentleman, James Oglethorpe.

We decided we would take a 90 minute city tour. When that finished, we started walking throughout the district, starting with the city center, where we found a statue of composer/lyricist Johnny Mercer, a native of Savannah.

Oglethorpe planned the city in 1733 around four open squares. Additional squares were added in the 18th and 19th centuries. 21 of these original squares still remain.

The squares are named in honor of a person or historical event and most contain monuments, markers and statues. They also were in full spring bloom.

We ate lunch in The Pirate House. The original section of this structure was built in 1733  as a gardener's shelter. We ate in a section built in 1753, which was built as a tavern and became a notorious hangout for pirates.

We enjoyed our meal until a family with EXTREMELY obnoxious children was seated next to us.

Now, we love children and have certainly eaten many of our meals surrounded by them. This table of people included two elementary aged children who had absolutely no clue how to behave in public. Paul had to finally ask the little boy, around 8 years of age, to please leave our table so we could eat our lunch. No, we had not seen Jack Sparrow. And maybe an "inside voice" would have been more appropriate as well. They received no guidance from their parent. It was really quite odd. We hurried so we could get back outside.

Ah, that's better. The azaleas were in full bloom. We walked until we got tired and then we would sit down in one of the squares or parks and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Being ultimate tourists, we took Paul's picture where Forest Gump's park bench was located. "Life is like a box of chocolates."

The colonial charter of Savannah prohibited Catholics. The English were afraid the Catholics would be more loyal to their enemy, Spain, than to England. Saint Augustine was a little too close for their comfort. After the Revolutionary War, Catholics were allowed to settle in the city. As their numbers grew, they built a huge French Gothic Cathedral. Who could ask them to leave after they built such a big church?

We walked past the childhood home of Flannery O'Connor, located very close to the cathedral. I think seeing the proximity to the church helps one to better understand her Southern Gothic novel, "The Violent Bear It Away."

We couldn't get enough of those beautiful azaleas in each square.

The next morning we went to Tybee Island, Savannah's beach area.

Of course, our vehicle found its way to the lighthouse.

We  are both drawn to learn about the way the lighthouse keepers lived. This keeper's home was very well restored.

In order to boost morale in such remote locations, there was a rotating library system provided for the keepers and their families. This home had library box number 313 on display. I tried to imagine opening each box as it arrived to see what books would be available.

The lighthouse is painted in the 1914 day mark. It still provides a working signal.

In fact, we could see several ships waiting to come in on the next high tide as we stood on the top observation deck.

Savannah is a perfect combination of history and beauty.

I am so glad Paul convinced me to make this stop on our way home. Next stop, South Carolina.

We meander northward

We are "working" our way home. We left St. Augustine to spend several days in Savannah, Georgia.

We went from there to spend several days in Charleston, South Carolina.

We are now heading to Minnesota. Seriously. Tonight we are in Knoxville, Tennessee.

We have so much to share about the past week. However, the internet access in these RV parks has been erratic.  I will wait until we are home to share pictures. Almost back to reality!!!  Can't wait to be home! Talk to you soon.

St. Augustine

We had a great visit to St. Augustine,  experiencing six days of absolutely beautiful weather. We love history, so this city, founded by the Spanish in 1565 was right "up our alley."

Our first tour was at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. The castle was built by the Spanish to protect their empire in America. Construction was started in 1672, which makes this one of the oldest standing structures in North America.

Some of the cannon could shoot 3 miles out to sea. Unbelievable.

A very successful fortress, the castle was never taken in battle. It changed "hands" several times, but always through treaties.

I highly recommend a stop at this monument if you find yourself in St. Augustine.

We did a walking tour of St. George Street, the best known street in the city. The city streets were laid out by the Spanish in 1598. Paul said, "Take a picture of an old teacher in front of the old school building." Do you think they had a music department in that school?

In addition to the historic Spanish section, we also walked around the Flagler Buildings. Henry Flagler, co-founder of Standard Oil Company fell in love with St. Augustine during a winter visit in 1883. He made a huge impact on the architecture and economy of the city, building hotels and homes for his family and company executives. The "flagship" of his buildings was the Hotel Ponce de Leon. The structure was built in 1887 as a luxury hotel and is considered one of the finest examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture in America. It now houses Flagler College, a small four year liberal arts school. What a beautiful campus!

We also enjoyed the Lightner Museum, which was built by Flagler in 1889. It was originally the Alcazar Hotel.

The grounds were absolutely beautiful. St. Augustine's city hall also is housed in a portion of this building. 

Paul was fascinated by the Lightner Antique Mall, which used to be the hotel's  pool. At the time, it was the world's largest indoor swimming pool. The floor of the mall slopes from the shallow end to the deep end.

We spent a morning touring the St. Augustine Light House and Museum as well. It has gone through an incredible restoration.

What a great view from the top! 

We also enjoyed walking through the restored keeper's quarters.

The walk down was much easier!

When we weren't on historical walking tours, we spent time at the beaches. Here is the public beach. People were out enjoying the beautiful weather.

 

We didn't stay there long. We much preferred the solitude at the beach at Anastasia State Park, where we  stayed.  

One morning, we walked for two miles down the beach. We had stretches of the shoreline all to ourselves.

On the other side of the dunes we spotted the lighthouse. Time to stop and turn back!

We also enjoyed some good meals back at the camper. Come to think of it, we never did try a restaurant. Found some good shrimp, though! I'll post this recipe when I get chance.

Jim and Mary and Kent and Margie stopped for lunch at out campsite on their way to Augusta for The Masters. Of course, we had to go check out that beach before they left!

So, our stay in Florida for 2010 has come to an end. I decided on Tuesday I was ready to pack it up and head for home. But, Paul convinced me to stick to our original plans and visit a few spots up the east coast before we turn west. And, you know, I am glad he did!  I'll keep you posted!

Same house, new yard!

Thursday morning we were on the road by 8 a.m., driving from Venice to St. Augustine. We are taking the scenic route back to Minnesota!

I love this about traveling with our camper. We have our comfortable little home and we get to have a new yard every time we move. Our new location is a beautiful campsite in Anastasia State Park.

Our campsite is a two minute bike ride to the ocean. Here I am stepping into the Atlantic for the first time in my life.

And Paul is saying, "This is a beautiful beach, but where are the shark teeth?"

We are enjoying St. Augustine and will leave here next Wednesday. I'll talk to you soon!

Good bye, Venice!

We wrapped up our stay in Venice this past week. My brother, Kent, finally got back into town after being in Colorado for the past month. It was nice to get a chance to see him before we literally pulled up stakes and headed out of town.

Tuesday evening found us out in their lanai watching the sunset.

We shared a few cocktails while Kent and Margie cooked an excellent dinner.

This next picture is for you, Zuel! Missy told me you like the food pictures. They grilled a beautiful piece of salmon on a cedar plank. Awesome!

The next evening found us out in Beth and Gary's lanai. A pair of sandhill cranes came over to visit their resident back yard gator. The male crane found it necessary to taunt the gator. It was very fascinating to watch! I kept expecting the gator to grab the bird's leg, but he pretended they weren't even there.

We had ham and sweet potatoes. Yummy!!! Thanks, Beth and Gary and Kent and Margie for great farewell dinners. We will miss you!

And, Paul is going through withdrawal because he is missing his daily walk on Caspersen Beach. He is so drawn to the gulf coast in Venice, we have already made plans to be back next winter.

Now we are on to new adventures. Thursday we were up early and on our way to the east coast. We will keep you posted on our new location!