Season III - Chapter 8

The U.P. and Heading Down

“Changing Pace in the (S)Lowcountry”

Our march to the sea is a far cry from Sherman’s more infamous one, however, I think both of us were enriched by this place when we arrived. Sparing Savannah was Sherman’s Christmas gift to Abraham Lincoln and we are grateful that he chose to do that. The landscape here is intoxicating, from it’s Georgian architecture to the Spanish Moss draped oaks in it’s many squares, you can easily be transported to a place of tranquility.

We begin our time in the Lowcountry with a trolley tour of Savannah. We had entertained this idea in Chicago, but opted for an Italian Beef Sandwich and a Dog at Portillo’s instead. 😋 Savannah lends itself to this type of tour with the many churches and points of historical significance, and the food here can certainly compete! Seeing the highlights of this relatively small town made us realize that we can cover much of it on foot. From Chippewa Square (Gump’s bench) to the Cotton Exchange is a mere 8 blocks.

When you share with others that you are going to Savannah you will receive two responses:

“I love Savannah, it is my favorite place!”

Or:

“I can’t wait to go to Savannah! Be sure and take lots of pictures.”

We understand both sentiments as we could not wait to arrive and can honestly say Savannah is now one of our favorite cities.

We have many things planned in the coming weeks for “The Hostess City of the South,” so we will focus in on some other treasures to be discovered in South Carolina and Georgia’s Lowcountry. So many Isles and Forts... so little time!

Fort Pulaski, Cockspur Island Lighthouse, and Tybee Island are a short sprint from our RV...via...BMW..! (lotta letters there). Pulaski is a beautifully preserved pentagon shaped fort strategically positioned to protect the Confederacy against an advancing Union Army, and it did... for 30 hours… that was all it took! On the Tenth of April, 1862, the Union, with it’s 11 batteries on nearby Tybee Island, relentlessly fired it’s superior rifled canons on Pulaski, forcing surrender inside of 2 days. We continued our ride to Tybee Island and agree that this place resembles more of Cape Cod than Bunker Hill.

Cockspur Island Lighthouse with Tybee Island in the background.

We have experienced perfect weather, despite warnings of Hurricane Nicole lurking off of the Florida coast, perhaps to stage another attack... She DID!! Nicole made her way to Georgia and 5 days later Pulaski was under six feet of water from a storm surge and tropical downpour. Knowing that we still had time to “batten down the hatches,” we elected to run down to Jekyll and “hide”... Island that is. 😃

Sixty miles south of us lies a real Georgia peach: Jekyll Island. This former private hunt club for the rich and famous is now a state park, best known for it’s striking Driftwood Beach. We ride past the Butler Plantation and take extra time to pause and reflect on one of our country’s darkest chapters. Our ride home is dappled with patches of wind and clouds as Nicole begins to make her presence known. The days that followed required us to hunker down, but allowed us to plan the hikes and rides to come.

As the water began to recede we venture out on a couple of hikes: Wormsloe and Skidaway. Both offer little elevation change, but each present stunning scenery around every corner. The two words that come to mind are inviting and accessible. These two areas should make every traveler’s list, and don’t forget your camera.

And finally, we head up to South Carolina to see Beaufort and St. Helena. The Talmadge Memorial Bridge which connects Georgia to South Carolina, is 185’ high; ninety five feet shy of the Lowcountry’s highest point, offering us a view of the entire region.

We tour the Penn Center, the first African American school in the South, and we crossed the path of Dr. Martin Luther King at Darrell Hall. It is in this room that he penned his “I Have a Dream” speech. Chapel of Ease Ruins, Fort Fremont, and a drive along Bay Street in Beaumont, round out this day of discovery.

We have laid out our plans for the final weeks here, and they have a pleasant and relaxed vibe, as they should. After all, we are...

“Changing Pace in the (S)Lowcountry.”

Thanks for riding along. We look forward to sharing the rest of story in the coming weeks.

John and Caroline 🍀

Stay tuned for Part II…

Points of Interest:

1. Stop in at a Piggly Wiggly.

2. Drive to Jekyll Island and hike along Driftwood Beach. There are several beaches to choose from and plenty to do if you want to spend the day.

3. Savannah Hop-on Hop-off Trolley was worth it for us. Try the Low Country Boil at Savannah Seafood downtown. A definite local cuisine and enough for two people.

4. Hike to the lighthouse at Fort Putaski and Cockspur Island. We made it during low tide to get just a bit closer to the lighthouse.

5. Hike: Wormsloe State Park and the Wormsloe Tabby Ruins. The live oak entrance is a classic movie location with the picturesque row of trees and more Spanish Moss than you can imagine.

6. Hike Skidaway Island State Park.

7. Hike the Redbird Creek trail at Fort McAllister. We made the stop at Fish Tales for Taco Tuesday on the way home. Very good!

8. Take the self-guided tour at Penn Center School on St. Helena Island, South Carolina.

9. Visit Tybee Island.

10. Hike the historic Savannah-Ogeechee Canal nature center. Be sure and call ahead to confirm hours of operation.

Above: Hiking Fort McAllister

Above: Photos from Penn Center School on St. Helena Island, South Carolina.

Above: Fort Fremont on St. Helena Island, South Carolina.

Scenic Motorcycle Routes:

1. Savannah and this area of Georgia is quite flat with very few curvy roads. We take Highway 17 South to Jekyll Island for a nice day ride and enjoy walking along Driftwood Beach.

2. Taking Highway 17 north we find ourselves in Beaufort and Hilton Head, South Carolina. Both area simply beautiful.