We had a great vacation! If you tend to be bored by looking at other people's vacation photos, you may want to skip this entry. We saw many gorgeous things and explored lots of territory, so there are lots of photos. I have just selected a fraction of them, but there are plenty! Our destination for this trip was determined by the Nascar schedule. We decided that we would go to the race in Atlanta. From that point, we branched out to explore that part of the country. As I mentioned before we stopped in Memphis on the way then traveled territory that was new to us as we moved toward Atlanta. We ended up driving more than 3,500 miles. It's a good thing that we both love to road trip together!
After race day our next stop was the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia. We knew that a swamp was probably not a top vacation destination for most, but that means we did not have to deal with Spring Break traffic! We both enjoy learning about other environments, plants and animals. It's great to see places that are so different from home. It was another gorgeous day. The weather was perfect again. We were in a swamp with no bugs, lots of sunshine and temperatures close to eighty degrees. It was a beautiful day.
J.T. was our swamp guide when we took the boat tour. This man was a native growing up on the swamp and learning to navigate from his grandfather. He had many colorful stories and a unique dialect. This alligator was close to our boat. I did not use the zoom on the camera! It was another fun photography day for both of us.
St. Mary's in southern Georgia was our first stop at the Georgia coast. Again the sun was shining and the temperatures were perfect to enjoy the ocean breeze and the blooming azaleas. I love seeing palm trees and tropical vegetation. Traveling into Spring was wonderful. The colors and flowers were gorgeous. It was a wonderful place to stroll around on a vacation afternoon!
Since we were so close to the Florida border we decided to add it to our vacation. Dale and I had never been to the ocean together so it was very exciting for me to get the chance to take off our shoes, feel the water and waves on our feet and pick up seashells together. The sun was setting as we drove across Jacksonville so we took our first chance to get to the shore and parked near a public access in Neptune Beach. It was gorgeous and with the evening breeze the temperatures were at least ten degrees cooler on the beach.
St. Simon Island was one of my favorite spots, but my list of favorites is rather long. Near the lighthouse and overlooking the beach was a large community center with a very long front porch. This porch was lined with wooden rocking chairs. It looked like a great place to spend an hour or two, but we were busy strolling and exploring the town. We found a great little place for lunch very close to the beach. The sweet potato fries were great. Adults and children wandered in to get ice cream on their way to or from the beach. The town had a wonderful small town feel with a beautiful beach. We had a wonderful time watching dolphins and pelicans.
Jekyll Island is an Island off the coast of Georgia that has a restriction of only 35 percent development. It seemed like a good place to spend time. We walked around the historical section and pier before finding our hotel and beach. These chairs were at the historical inn. They seem to invite people to relax in the shade and sip sweet tea. There were very proper people dressed completely in white playing croquet on the front lawn. It was like walking by a scene in an old movie.
This tree has been sculpted by the wind off the Atlantic Ocean. It reaches toward our hotel which was on the beach. Even though it was a gorgeous day the tree tells of a very powerful force that must be quite common.
We got up early to see the sun rise on Jekyll Island. It was wonderful to be on the beach as the light and colors just began to fill the sky. Dale took lots of photos. I took a few and spent time walking in the surf and picking up seashells. It was peaceful and quiet. Even the seagulls were much more calm than they had been the afternoon before.
From the other side of Jekyll Island at Driftwood Beach, we had watched the sun set the night before. The sunset was beautiful and we were entertained by very active dolphins not far from the shore. It was getting pretty dark before we were ready to walk away from the beauty of the ocean that night. I saw more dolphins on this trip than I have seen in my entire life. Dale and I were impressed on several occasions and completely enjoyed the special treat.
If there is a lighthouse I feel the need to take a photograph! This one is located on Tybee Island. I do love lighthouses.
Tybee Island, near Savannah seemed like a great stop. We asked directions from the security guard at the Savannah visitor's center. He gave very simple instructions and told us that Tybee was his sanctuary. He loved to go out there, sit on a swing and drink a few brews when he wants to get away. Dale and I walked out on the pier and spent some time sitting in the swing. We saw some spring break kids and enjoyed the atmosphere of the little town and beach.
Savannah Georgia was a city that was high on our list of places to see while visiting the South. We were not disappointed by the trees draped in Spanish moss, blooming azaleas or city parks and green spaces. We drove around a bit and walked quite a while to see the historical part of the city.
Hilton Head was on our general path so we decided to stop by just so I could see the light house. As the boys at the visitor center said, "It's THE famous lighthouse." When we arrived, I was sure we must be at the wrong place. It was a very small lighthouse surrounded by buildings, shops and pavement. But this was the famous one. It just looks different in person. We did enjoy a stroll around the marina with gorgeous boats, but did not stay very long here.
Folly Island was a fun stop. Our main goal was to find the lighthouse. It was our last visit to the shore and it was very windy that day. The walk to the beach was about half a mile which felt further with the strong wind and my full bladder! I know, should have gone first, but I didn't. It was my favorite lighthouse of the trip but I didn't take the time to get a good photo. I could blame my little point and shoot camera but I think that this was more an issue of my patience!
Charleston, South Carolina is an incredible city. We had planned to stop by there but did not realize what a treasure we would find. We truly enjoyed walking down the cobble streets and exploring the waterfront area. We walked through the market and watched the Gullah women weaving their traditional sweetgrass baskets. The city is rich with history and very alive today. We also found a local restaurant to enjoy an authentic southern meal. I had purloo for the first time!
Although I have not included photos we also visited historical places including Ft. Pulaski and some other Civil War sites. We visited several state capitals (Georgia, South Carolina and Illinois) and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum (Illinois.) Dale is very interested in history and has lots of knowledge to share with me. I do enjoy learning and he is very patient with my questions. My retention is not great so I am sure that I repeated some questions from last year, but he still answers me. Even if my memory fades, I enjoy the learning process. Sometimes I do miss my memory but I guess at this age, the brain is getting full! I do have great memories of this vacation and plenty of photos also. Now Dale and I are already planning for the next vacation!
My garden work has started! Last weekend I started some seeds that I had collected last fall. I filled tiny clay pots and a cardboard egg carton with soil and seeds. They are lined up on a retired cookie sheet near the window in the guest room. A few have started to sprout.
