Our morning began with an incredible explore of Wormsloe State Historic Site, found just outside of Savannah.

A breathtaking, 1½ mile avenue sheltered by 404 live oaks and Spanish moss leads to the tabby ruins of Wormsloe, the colonial estate of Noble Jones (1702–1775). Jones was a carpenter who arrived in Georgia in 1733 with James Oglethorpe and the first group of settlers from England. Wormsloe's tabby ruin is one of the oldest standing structures in Savannah.
We boarded a tram for a narrated journey through the oaks.
"The stunning live oak lined avenue beckons visitors to Wormsloe State Historic Site, whose abundant cultural and natural resources have been, and continue to be, shaped by the influences of the many inhabitants of the Isle of Hope through the centuries including those of Native American, African, and European descent."

At the museum, we learned more about Mr. Jones who survived hunger, plague and warfare in the rugged environment of Georgia. He went on to serve the colony as a doctor, constable, Indian agent, Royal Councilor and surveyor, laying out the towns of Augusta and New Ebenezer. He also commanded a company of marines charged with defending the Georgia coast from the Spanish. Jones died at the beginning of the American Revolution, but his descendants sustained Wormsloe until the state of Georgia acquired most of the property in 1973.






We then strolled to the Colonial Tabby Ruins. This mid-18th-century fortified house was built from tabby (a concrete-like mixture of sand, water, lime, and crushed oyster shells) by colonial carpenter and settler Noble Jones. The property was established in 1736 as a defensive outpost to protect Savannah from Spanish invasion, serving as one of Georgia's oldest tidewater family estates.

We were not the only people who found the dirt road leading into the property picturesque. Musician Gregg Allman's connection centers on its iconic, moss-draped live oak avenue, which inspired and visually represented his deep ties to the Southern Lowcountry. The ranger told us that Mr. Allman was at a fundraiser onsite. When leaving, he saw the avenue, got out of his limo, and had an employee capture this image which then became an album cover. Cool!


Home for the next few nights is in the Sunshine State where we were greeted with 81° temps and 87% humidity. Welcome to Florida.
We have turned onto Florida State Road A1A, a 338.752-mile major north–south state highway running along the Atlantic Ocean and officially designated as the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway. We won't be on it for long but it's still fun to say we're on the A1A... Yay!

As mentioned previously, we are trekking south with a set destination but Savannah was a stop along the way we just had to make. Because we had stayed there before (posts here), we were happy to have the THREE hours that we did. Enjoy this pictorial journey with us.

We spent day exploring as much of Savannah as possible before the sun went down (we have to get to a new camp before dark as Steve doesn't like uncharted territory. We're 12'9" and low hanging trees are our camper's enemy).



Paula Deen was big when we were here in 2010. It was sad to see not only her store closed, but many others were, too.

To get down to the waterfront, we took the historic Stone Stairs of Death,  a steep, 18th-century stone staircase. It consists of 33 steep, uneven steps with a roughly 40-foot drop, often built using old ballast stones from ships. Fun stuff.

A must is to walk along the cobblestone streets whose stones are not traditional European street cobbles. They were originally used as heavy ballast in sailing ships arriving from around the world (including Spain, France, Madeira Island, Canada, and the British Isles) to keep empty or lightly loaded vessels steady at sea. This is a great example of early repurposing.



I would love to explore more of the 118 mile William Bartram Trail, a network of hiking trails, canoe routes, and scenic highways that follows the historic 1773–1777 southeastern explorations of 18th-century naturalist and illustrator William Bartram.

We arrived in Columbia on Thursday afternoon. The last few days have been incredible and very busy. We are staying with my oldest friend (friends since college orientation in 1980) at her sister's lakeside home. I will clarify it all as this post unfolds.

Let me introduce the players... Bob and Annie, Dave, Steph and Steve. I call Steph's Steve SC Steve for less confusion. Dave is SC Steve's brother from Texas.
We were joined for our dinner out by Annie's son, Robby, and his wife, Alyssa.

This is how we began our Friday... a pinch me moment. Both couples live on Lake Murray, a major 50,000-acre man-made reservoir which is approximately 41 miles long, 14 miles wide, and has roughly 650 miles of shoreline across four counties. Friends Scott and Maureen arrived to join in the day's fun.

Our destination was here. The reason we're staying at Steph's and not Annie's is because Bob and Annie have purchased a new home and SC Steve (an excectional craftsman) is renovating it. We crossed the lake, via boat, to see the work in progress. WOW.

One day, in the not too distant future, I hope to see this home finished in person.



Our unforgettable day concluded at Icehouse Amphitheatre for Back in Black, an AC/DC tribute band.
I have never been a fan of the real band and only knew a few of the songs but this tribute group changed my mind about AC/DC. Together for 25 years, these guys from Dallas are FAMOUS and FANTASTIC.
Steve was in musical heaven. Oh man. Everytime I looked at his face I saw JOY!


How fun to get to meet vocalist Darren Caperna who is both of AC/DC's Bon Scott and Brian Johnson. I can't believe how AMAZING this night was. Who knew?!
Saturday, we visited Robby in his new home. He and his Uncle Steve worked together to build a spectacular place in which to live happily-ever-after.
We had no idea when we'd be in Annie's neck of the woods. I knew arriving for Halloween would be way different than it has in recent years for Steve and me. I was so right. The only costumes we had were our Oktoberfest ones so we were not part of the group's theme: Dead Historical Figures/Icons. When looking at these costumes, you must remember that we're in the South. They have a different sensibility here than most are used to or even comfortable with. That said, they were a hit. In case you can't figure out who each is: SC Steve is pretty obvious, Steph is Queen Elizabeth, Bob is Elvis, Annie is Marilyn Monroe, and Dave is the Outlaw Josey Wales... ALL dead.





This visit to South Carolina was way overdue, for some many reasons. I can't believe how much fun it has been. We were in the company of some pretty unique and special people. Moving on tomorrow is going to be tough. Oh, what memories.