I Left My Heart In Georgia

I must apologize for my late, late entry but I have been somewhat distracted, in a very good way!

Love at first site. That`s how I explain how I fell hard for Georgia.
Now all my love can`t go straight to Georgia, in fact, I really loved South Carolina too.
Ah, I`m  torn.
Here is me loving South Carolina (Hilton Head).

Georgia has so much to offer any tourist, not just sailors.
Sailors have fond memories of the high tides and strong currents on the waterways as well as sweet welcoming hospitality.

Now if you don't know Savannah, Georgia as being the most haunted city in America, you can't really judge her, for the beauty and sweet, sweet people far out-way the haunted homes, creepy trees and eerie islands that we experienced.

We arrive on Wednesday, November 19th, after a rainy motor from Hilton Head, South Carolina. With several winding turns in the river, marsh on either side, we are thankful for the wild dolphins that guide us through the shallows around a questionable red nun (small red marker).
Morningstar Marina, Thunderbolt (Savannah),Georgia is our marina home for the next two days, and boy do we have a great time exploring Savannah with our group!

I managed to pull into this tight spot. Ask Tony how he got us out!

We have lots of catching up to do with our friends so we have a dinner at an outdoor patio restaurant within walking distance.

Jan and her husband Stan and a happy Tony.

Our fearless leader in yellow,Wally Moran (and wonder pup Aduana) share some drinks
with a friend that owns a bed and breakfast in Savannah.

Jan is wonderful at sourcing out things-to-do while at port, so we join her and Barb and Steve for a trolley ride through historic Savannah on a lovely sunny day.

Back seat for Stan-the-Man

The Old Town Trolley Tours operate in a few other historic cities in the U.S. : Boston, Key West, San Diego, St. Augustine and Washington. It is quite worth the $30 each, as it was a hop-on-hop-off tour and you could really see all of Savannah's historic streets with great commentary too. This is when I fell in love. The homes, streets, people smiling and waving, food and history just wooed me in.

Looks like a hotel!

Homes with wrought iron were a sign of a wealthy family.

And then there is THIS HOME, said to be the most haunted in all of Savannah.

Google research found this comment: Omi Waldon who was Assistant Secretary of Energy under President Carter owns the house and has since 1973. She sends workers over to check on the roof etc. regularly but refuses to sell. She bought the house for $75,000 and now it's worth about 1.4 Million. I'm not sure if she's keeping it as a nest egg or what but she refuses to sell. She currently lives between Alma Georgia and Hilton Head SC. 

432 Abercorn Street

Excerpt from http://ghosttoursinsavannah.com/haunted-savannah/

Many guests on our ghost tours, and the ghost tours of other companies, have captured weird abnormalities in photographs outside of the house.

A true story about the house at 432 Abercorn Street is that is was built on top of, or right beside a slave cemetery which was originally in Calhoun Square. It is very possible, based on the timelines, that bodies were removed from the area this house was built upon. That in itself can create some very negative energy and contribute to hauntings.

The Ghosts and Gravestones trolley tour will help you explore the haunted areas and buildings in Georgia, so you can decide for yourself!

On a lighter note, we drove past a very cool ice cream shop called Leopold's. This is the famous store where the famous Little Richard wrote his song called "Tutti Frutti". If you watch this video, Little Richard looks even scary to me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVWm9PQeYtE

The trolley tour has 16 stops and trolleys come past every 20 minutes, so there is no worry of missing your ride back where you began (or being left at 432 Abercorn).

The streets are not only enjoyed by tourists this time of year but as well by students from the nearby Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Many of the projects include the restoration and re- purposing of the old buildings. The college opened in 1971 with just 71 students, current enrollment is now 11,000.

I really loved to see the public squares that we toured around, just 4 original left, however there used to be 24 of them. General Olgethorpe was the founder of Savannah and created the park-like settings to bring the people of Savannah together.  The idea of making public squares is delightful, for families, weddings, book readers, lovers, and of course tourists enjoy for their own reasons these days. I believe every square I saw had huge oak trees draped with Spanish moss and a fountain. 

Savannah is an 18th century town with wonderfully wobbly cobblestone streets and of course, an old pub, that used to be a cotton warehouse. 

The Boar's Head Grill and Tavern is our lunch stop with friends, as we enjoy Savannagh "She" crab soup and a delicious steak salad. An open kitchen and oh-so-friendly chef adds to the rustic interior as we are seated in the Mermaid Room. 

Bumpy stone walkways remind us to step lively and of historic footsteps that once walked on these same streets.

Shops along the riverfront.

Walkways behind the shops along the riverfront.

 Lunch time!A portion of this unique warehouse was constructed in 1780 and helped establish Savannah
as one of the world's largest headquarters for the cotton trade.  
Many bricks of the inside walls still have burn marks from the great fire in 1917.

Our server strikes a pose.

This is the Mermaid Room.

Great friends, Steve, Barb, Jan and Stan accompanied by great food.

We've had an incredible day in Savannah and of course, must stop for treats from the candy shop.

Can't resist the chocolate fudge with pralines. The free samples at the door were enough to lure me in.
I am a cheap date, and keep falling for this magical place. Bringing some home for my daddy!

Dinner location has been decided by Mike and Marjolaine, the youngest couple in our group from Quebec, from the sailing vessel Basta (french translation: Enough).

We have ordered our Uber taxi and are headed to where the locals go - The Wyld Dock Bar. 

This place is located down the river, and I mean down the river and around the bend. Parking spaces are decided by staying on the grass and not in the river. We hop out and smell the all-you-can-eat oyster roast for $20!

Young and old know how to shuck.

It's a cool night and friends are enjoying the band, the setting and the delicious food  such as fish tacos with blackened mahi mahi. Is your mouth watering yet?

Mary, Jim, Wally, Marjolaine and Mike

Warming up!

The setting is on a large dock that overlooks the river.

And a band? So cool.

Three boats from our rally (Basta, Frui Vita and Gypsy Wind) are shallow enough to dock
at the bar...just mind your step after a few!

Our days in Savannah are over, but I swear I will return.
But more Georgia coming up.

We meet up with friends Laura and Jacob on Life Aquatic as they come into Morningstar Marina for gas. They are not part of the rally but Wally welcomes them to join us and with any assistance he can offer along the way.

THIS IS BELLA

Bella goes wherever she wants, under the watchful eye of her owners on Life Aquatic.

We are underway on Saturday, November 21st at 11 am, to catch the high tide at 2 pm in order to safely cross through Hell Gate. This dangerous shoaling area is just a 10 minute trip through, but you have to wait for the high tide in that area. We are quickly learning about tide tables and currents too.
Tony skillfully bends and twists Deja Vu from our slip inside the dock at Morningstar. I am pretty darn good at docking going in forward gear, but reversing for long distances, well, forget it. I can't figure it out. So Tony is the star player on this day!

Deja Vu must go out the way she came in - back down the channel between boats and out into the ICW.

Today's voyage takes us to Walburg Creek, where the group will anchor for one night.

St. Catharine's Island is not just land with trees and don`t let the island`s name fool you into thinking it is totally pleasant in nature. Something felt eerie when we approached to anchor in the creek. 

Christopher, from Sea Squirrel, says it looked like the Island of Doctor Moreau.  I agree.

Wikipedia:  The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction novel by H. G. Wells, who called it "an exercise in youthful blasphemy". The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick, a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat who is left on the island home of Doctor Moreau, who creates human-like hybrid beings from animals via vivisection. 

Was it the grunting noises Tony heard at dusk? Or perhaps the rustling of the marshes close to the edge of the water? Owls hooting?

I suppose the fact the Wally told us the island is inhabited by ring-tailed lemurs (the largest colony outside of Madagascar) and wild hogs might have done it!

A few of our friends with dogs actually DID dinghy ashore to walk them, a short walk mind you.
Both Max and Scout came back with burrs on their paws.

We had a quiet night after dropping the hook at 5:30 pm, didn't sleep too well, but just past dawn we released the hook out of Walburg Creek and we skedaddled away from there! I spook easily.

Did I mention Georgia has some of the highest tides and currents on the ICW?

Following Pigeon Toes IV to the anchorage

Deja Vu is on her way to another free night on the hook, toward Frederica River, a creek just off of the ICW. We set down the hook at a quiet anchorage surrounded by marshes and plenty of marsh birds, and to keep with the haunted theme, a creepy old fort, called Fort Frederica National Monument.

Following Basta through the shallows of the creek.
 Thank you Mike and Marjolaine for shouting out depths on VHF to us

Basta and Frui Vita at anchor around the bend in the river.

Pigeon Toes IV at anchor opposite the fort.

We have seen how some boaters went ashore on their dinghy and thought they had timed the outgoing tide, but mysteriously were stuck on the island and no way to reach their dinghy from the dock they had tied it too. We never went ashore.
And not because of the uneasiness I felt, ah-hem, but because of the tides and our time to depart.
We still have that lovely 7 ' keel and had to find some deep water to set the anchor, so when the 8.4' tide is out and with a strong current too, we are not on the bottom. We dropped in 30' of water on the northwest shore of the marshes.

Beautiful orange-red sunset at anchor

Tony and I have our celebratory drink after our days run. It's a ritual now.
Time to relax, reflect and listen to the shore birds chatter

 We took into consideration the strong NW winds that were forecast in the morning, and we are so glad we did. Popping my head out of the cabin the next morning, I see Deja Vu has been blown by those winds into the middle of the creek. We are now very close to the other shore. Our anchor and chain held us well, but freaky to wake up on the other side!

It's only 42F in the boat. Brrr. Toques and gloves today.  That NW wind (from Canada, I am sure) blew in and we can see our breath. Tea, coffee and steel cut oats to warm us up. At least the sun is shining and we are once again for the full enclosure to help block the winds.
Tony spends each evening plotting our route for the next day. Today we have another shallow area of concern, so we have to leave early enough to have the high tide to get out of the creek safely, and yet time the right arrival time for Jekyll Creek shallows. We either leave very early at high tide and hope to make the afternoon high in Jekyll or wait for the mid-tide rising, knowing we can make it before sunset through Jekyll.
The Deep Draft Buddies (Pigeon Toes IV, Basta, Frui Bita and Deja Vu) decide to leave at 2 pm. We follow Basta out from the creek and hear on the VHF from Pigeon Toes IV to give the bends in the creek a wide berth, for they kissed the first bend leaving the anchorage. Safely they are out of the shallow area and continue on. As the tide continues to rise, we are seeing higher numbers on our depth finder. Smiling, we make it out and back into the ICW, headed to Jeykll Island!

Crossing the sound we pass Saint Simons Island and the ocean inlet to our port side. 

It's November 23rd and with toques and gloves on, but sun shining, we warm up and are dreaming of a hot shower at the marina. Arriving on the face dock, just under a fixed bridge on the ICW, it's 4:20 pm and we are glad to be past those shallows.

Here is when the love affair I have with Georgia, kicks into high gear. We are surrounded by natural beauty .

Restaurant, showers, pool and hot tub at Jekyll Island Harbour Marina

Picnic area with bbq's and campfire pit too, overlooking the boats. Sunsets are incredible here too.

We've come in under the fixed bridge, greeted by pelicans. Busy area for fishing as the tides bring in yummy new fish for birds and fishermen.

High tide gives this bridge clearance 63". Our mast is 58". When we came in, the tide was not this high.

Jekyll Harbour Marina with a very high tide.

The lower concrete bridge in the foreground still remains. It splits just before the area to cross under the new fixed bridge. Fishermen can walk along and use this as a great dock to cast a line.

Tony and Steve learn how to operate the electric car we have rented for the day to tour the island. 

The Red Bug has been around since the late 1910s, which was then a completely open-aired vehicle. It was specifically developed and used by the members of the Jekyll Island Club. The island roads are paved with crushed oyster shells so driving around Jekyll with Red Bugs was easy.  The gasoline version was replaced around 1925 with an electric model. 

Our Red Bug had seat belts and it's maximum speed was 25 miles per hour as well. We plugged in at parking lot spaces specifically marked for the Red Bug.

Our first tour of the island is through the historic district; a tree lined neighbourhood with estate homes, all ready for Christmas.

This is the Mistletoe Cottage

Setting up for Christmas Tree lighting event on the weekend.

Quick lunch at the Snack shop.

Hand-blown Glass shop

This is the Jekyll Island Hotel.

The Jekyll Island Hotel.
Lawn bowling anyone? The building on the left was once a home, while the other was the club house in the 1920's.

Do you remember visiting the Weall and Cullen Miniature Village in Whitby? This part of the island reminds me of it. Imagine yourself shrunk down and walking down those adorable small streets, around grand homes that were artistically manicured. This is how I can best describe the historic area.

These walkways meander all through the old village. No Red Bugs allowed on these mini-streets.
Walking is much nicer.

                                                                                                                                 

We visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Centre.
His name is Goose.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is Georgia's first marine life rehabilitation, research and education facility. It's right in the heart of Jekyll Island's historic town. Thousands of visitors each year have the opportunity to experience hands-on exhibits as they learn about this amazing hospital for sick sea turtles. Goose was very lucky. He and another 3 turtles were found by some fishermen on the shores of Saint Simons Island, barely alive. Unfortunately, the other 3 turtles did not survive. Goose had many barnacles stuck to his shell and large goose neck clams, which told the researchers he was near the end. Luckily, with their help he was rescued and brought back to the centre for the best care possible. 

We have adopted him and the donation goes toward his care. Most likely he will be released in the summer and we can attend!

Here is the OTHER side of town. This is the Beach Village.

This is the new oceanfront Weston Hotel, complete with a Starbucks.
The streets around have all kinds of shops, cafes and a bank too.

Barb, Steve and Tony and I visit a park area with a great look out over the ICW and the marshes. 

Soft sand beach full of oyster shells and a bit smelly too.

The Great Egrets are always fishing these shores.

Tonight, we are booked on the Emerald Princess Casino Boat Cruise at 7 pm.  The 200' yacht with 5 decks, has a dinner buffet for $7 a person. Barbara and Steve join us for some fun on the slots while we ride the high seas as the nor'easter approaches. It's very tricky walking in the boat down the isles during the swaying (lol). The captain has to take the boat out 3 nautical miles in order for us to gamble, so we have some pretty high waves to ride. He decides to end the cruise 1 hour earlier (10 pm) and bring us back to the dock. Thank you Captain.

We decide the next day to walk into the historic town on these lovely walkways and pathways from

the marina. We also borrowed bikes and toured the island as well. Unfortunately, my camera lost those photos - really sad because they were of Driftwood Beach, named as one of the top ten most romantic beaches on the Atlantic Coast.

We enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving Day lunch with Sylvia, Greg, Barbara and Steve at Latitude 31 on the waterfront. While the warm butternut squash soup, salad with roasted pears, turkey (or ham) with your two choices of either mashed potatoes, green beans almondine, corn bread stuffing and another I don't remember (lol) and dessert choice of pumpkin bread pudding with warm pecan caramel sauce or key lime pie or traditional pumpkin pie doesn't make you really smile, then the bottle of wines (red or white) for just $10 surely will! We all bought a bottle and brought the remainder home. What an amazing lunch for just $30 a person.

(Photo compliments of Google image search)

Almost every day and night, I must have said a hundred times, how much I love Georgia. The air is warm just like the people who live there. We were the most relaxed here.

I especially loved when the locals addressed me as "Miss Christine", and said "Yes Ma'am".

Good-bye Georgia. Hope to see you again some time.

Our next destination -  FLORIDA!!!!

Love Sailor Christine
xo