solo travel

Beaufort, Bluffton and the Wildlife Refuge

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Just five minutes over a beautiful bridge from Savannah pops me into South Carolina. And an hour drive (about 38 miles) lands me in the surreal, charming town of Beaufort. Beaufort is the second oldest city in South Carolina with its downtown considered a historic district filled with mansions with Victorian, Greek Revival, Neo Classical and federal styles. Wealth came from cotton and indigo plantations and trading. Beaufort has quite a history and was one of the first areas captured by the Union in the Civil War. I visited the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park which shared the history of how freed slaves grew wealth and prosperity in Beaufort, too.

After wandering the historical downtown with its shops and homes, I drove over the Woods Memorial Bridge to Lady’s Island. I wandered Whitehall Park and viewed Beaufort from afar across the marshlands. I returned to Beaufort for lunch and met a man who has lived in Beaufort for 45 years. He told me it is the place to live and he invited me to stay with him and his wife to experience the real Beaufort. Even crazier, his kids live in Bend. It truly is a small world. We exchanged numbers. For lunch I enjoyed a Lowcountry shrimp melt. Pete managed to eat about half of my fries!

Once lunch was done, I got into the car and headed to Bluffton about an hour away. It was another picturesque town on the May River dating from the 1820’s. The Union burned the town on June 4,1863. 13 houses and two churches survived and the town grew once again. Although no longer a center for trade, many summer homes and a bustling historic area continue.

After Bluffton, I drove another hour to the Savannah National Wildlife Reserve. This protected land has a four-mile drive-only loop with beautiful marshland, birds and alligators. I saw several alligators and was more than happy to stay in the car!

The beauty of this area astounds me. The green, lush foliage coupled with all the water make this area stunning and although hot and humid in the summer, I would definitely return!

Thunderstorms, tornado warnings and Savannah

Posted on by Seniye Groff

I was inconsiderately woken up by a thunderstorm at 4:53 this morning. I have to admit that Georgia has mild, balmy weather which at this time of year is so much better than Portland’s rain but the thunderstorms are vicious (different from the weepy, slow drip of Portland rain).

Once I got out of bed, I checked the weather for my drive to Savannah today and there were tornado warnings south of Atlanta. I know nothing about tornadoes as my world has been about earthquakes. I talked to a neighbor and he did some research and reported back to me that by the time I reached the tornado warning zone it would be over.

Savannah was a five hour drive south and east. I checked into my hotel and immediately headed to the historic district with Pete. Wow, I was blown away with the beauty. I visited Savannah for St. Patrick’s Day about 40 years ago (and if you haven’t been, trust me it’s a big deal)! But we drank and left.

This visit I sauntered through the old, historic streets. Gardens, parks, statues and historical markers are everywhere. And the architecture varied and divine and includes Victorian , Greek revival, gothic and Romanesque. Mansions galore and just beautiful Spanish moss tree-lined streets. Pete and I parked at Forsyth Park and walked to several of the squares including Pulaski, Madison, Lafayette and then down to the river. The gold-domed city hall was impressive and there were tons of restaurants, shops and cafes everywhere.

Forsyth Park

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Today I visited an amazing national park focused on MLK Jr.’s life and teachings. The park consists of his birth home (where he lived until he was 12 years old). It was located on the east side of Boulevard, which was the dividing marker of a white vs. Black neighborhood. Auburn Avenue was a desirable area for Black citizens. In 1906 a race riot occurred and then Blacks were able to buy homes in the area, which MLK Jr.’s grandfather purchased. The home is currently closed for repairs, as was the visitor center. The visitor center is temporarily in the historic Fire Station No. 6. Blacks were not allowed in the fire house until the 60’s!

I also visited The King Center, which had a small exhibit inside and, outside, a reflection pool and the tombs of Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr. I attended a tour with a park ranger of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. The church is 140 years old this April and has had only five senior pastors in that entire time. The ranger’s presentation was interesting and informative and I learned a lot. Did you know that MLK Jr’s name was Michael until he was five years old, when it was changed to Martin?

The tour started in the fellowship hall (basement) and then moved to the sanctuary where the church is still in its original state. Even the pews are original, as is the piano that Mama King would play until she was shot and killed in 1974. This NP is a must-see and is even free, believe it or not.

Hotlanta!

Posted on by Seniye Groff

I’ve been in Atlanta less than three weeks and it feels like months. Granted, I’ve been busy cleaning, organizing and running errands. But a routine is forming, too. I joined a gym for the next three months and it offers a bevvy of activities such as open play Pickleball, Barre, Pilates, Yoga and even trivia night (which we placed third – amazingly – given my lack of erroneous knowledge).


My day starts (and ends) with walking three dogs…wowzah! Anyone watching must be waiting for a catastrophe to happen. All three dogs sleep with me nightly, too. I am wedged in the corner of the bed – the dogs sleep comfortably.

Being in one place means being able to cook again. Yesterday at the grocery store, I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned, someone kindly said, “You are beautiful”. Whoa, that hasn’t happened in 30 years!

I’ve met several Turkish people. That never happens. I recognized the language immediately and one of them is helping me reinvigorate my lacking command of the language.

I survived the ice storm. We lost power for four hours and ice coated the roads. The daytime highs range from 16 to 28 degrees…not exactly the warm, Southern weather I anticipated. Snow is forecasted again for this Saturday but should not be as debilitating as the ice.

I am getting braver about driving here. Yes, I drove across the country but am timid in Atlanta due to the myriad of the spiderweb tangle of I-285, I-20, I-75 and I-85 and the smaller side roads like 140. It’s intimidating but I will figure it out since next week my car is being serviced. I will drive the farthest distance, yet, in the city.

This weekend we are renting a U-Haul to move belongings from an assisted living unit to the storage unit. Once this happens, I should have more time to explore Atlanta and beyond. My immediate exploration list includes Asheville (scheduled for February 26-March 1), Charleston, New Orleans and Montgomery (to see The Legacy Museum).

Life is not flawless (even if social media tries to convince us otherwise) and my experimental journey stretches me on a daily basis. But I know that I am lucky to have this freedom and am enjoying this unburdened time. Having a stopping point for three months is a great break from being in a different location nightly. I have a temporary address so I can complete some larger tasks. Come visit me.

Gee’s Bend

Posted on by Seniye Groff

This morning I left Camden (goodbye!) and headed to Gee’s Bend. Gee’s Bend refers to the area historically known as Gee’s Bend (but currently listed as Boykin, AL on maps). This is an extremely remote area with not even a coffee shop. I did drive by an assembly of double wide trailers with a Hunting Club sign. Private. Keep out. Clearly hunters outweigh coffee drinkers here.

My friend told me about this area a couple of years ago and I was intrigued. The quilters of Gee’s Bend are currently residing in the area or are descendants of folks from that area. The Quilters Collective is located within Boykin. These quilts have received worldwide acclaim.

https://www.geesbend.org/history-of-gees-bend

My plan was to complete the self-guided tour and then meet up with one of the quilters. The signage isn’t great so it took me a bit to find it (and a few phone calls to my friend). Unfortunately, the person I was supposed to meet did not show up so I drove around and read the panels and looked at the beautiful photos of the quilts. I had forgotten that Sundays in the South are extremely quiet. I am sure my quilting meeting would have happened if it were not a Sunday.

My plan was to move on to Selma and I secured a short-term rental for the night. It was about a 45 minute drive and I arrived around noon in Selma. The perimeter of the city was lovely so I was really surprised when I drove down Broad Street. Buildings were empty, boarded up and some were falling down. Glass was everywhere. I couldn’t imagine leaving my rental at night (even during the day was sketchy). I decided to walk Pete over the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge. As I was walking over the bridge I realized I did not feel comfortable enough to stay the night.

My dilemma became what to do next. The three museums I wanted to see in Montgomery are closed Monday and Tuesday, which meant Sunday until Wednesday I would need to figure out how to fill the time. I looked at the map and realized a drive to Atlanta would only be about 3.5 hours. And so that is what I did.

With travel, flexibility is key and with a car I can pivot easily. Pete is thrilled to be out of the car and running around in a large backyard. I look forward to creating a routine and digging deeper into Atlanta. I can visit Montgomery during a day trip or a quick overnighter while I am here.

Tulsa, OK

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Today I drove about an hour and forty-five minutes to Tulsa. I went to the Greenwood Rising Black Wall Street History Center in Tulsa. It shared the story of Greenwood as a successful enclave of Black business until the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921. This museum created an immersive experience. My favorite was the barbershop where I was able to sit in the barbershop chair and watch holographic barbers talk about early dreams for Greenwood.

The museum shared examples of systemic oppression and asks visitors to commit to racial reconciliation. I loved the message of the museum through media, stories, pictures and interactive displays. The museum does not shy away from the work that still needs to be done by all of us.

http://www.greenwoodrisong.org

I then drove down Route 66.

Afterwards I wandered the downtown area to see the many churches, examples of art deco and numerous murals. Tulsa was very clean but few people are out and about on the streets.

Oklahoma City, OK

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Once I crossed the border into Oklahoma (which I did not even realize because there is no grand announcement or large sign like many other states) I immediately saw Windstar Casino which is quite the vision – look it up! I did a double take.

After digesting it, I was struck with the wide open space on both sides of the highway. Wind turbines were present (another unexpected sight) and the air smelled so sweet and fresh. I took a quick detour to Turner Falls but could not walk it because no dogs are allowed (even though AI told me the opposite). I am learning AI cannot be trusted. I have found so many inaccuracies as I have used it during my travels.

My senses were alerted to all of the unexpected glimpses of Oklahoma. I love how travel can oh so quickly dispel the false notions of what is my head about a place! The surprises continued as I reached downtown. The city is beyond clean (like Singapore clean). Just wow!

I am visiting Oklahoma City because my mentee asked me to and I am so glad I did. We met for lunch as soon as I arrived in Norman, Oklahoma. Norman is the cutest town with University of Oklahoma as its main tenant. After a meeting, we met at the dog park. Needless to say, Pete was thrilled to meet all the fun-loving Oklahoma dogs! We then went to dinner in an area called the Paseo Arts District.

After dinner we went downtown since I wanted to see the Clara Luper Sit-In Memorial. I did not know about Clara or what she did. Her bravery was incredible and the bronze life-sized statues were impressive. Afterwards, we went to Tellers. It is a restaurant, hotel, bar and apartments in an old bank building. The bar is in the vault and we had a drink, of course. I also learned that Oklahoma has a sinners tax so be prepared for your liquor bill to have a 13.5% tax on top of the 8.5% sales tax! Thank goodness the building was beautiful, historic and so cool.

The next morning I visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, which was a sobering lesson in the Oklahoma City bombing. We walked the site with the ranger and he explained all the thoughtful details that went into designing and building the site including leaving the building wall with its damage exposed and the chairs in the garden that represent all the folks that were killed, including five lined-up chairs that represent the five people outside the building on the street that lost their lives.

I then drove to Myriad Botanical Gardens. Although this is not its prime season, it was still pretty and has a lot of great elements such as the ponds, children’s area, a stage and downtown as its backdrop.

I also drove through Bricktown. Needless to say, the weather has been amazing. My introduction to Oklahoma has been educational and surprising. I am really enjoying this part of the country. Tomorrow I will see Tulsa!

Sonoita and Elgin

Posted on by Seniye Groff

I did not realize that Arizona had a wine region but they do! At about an elevation of 5000 feet (for reference Tucson is at about 2500 feet) the vineyards are plentiful in this beautiful area of grasslands, rolling hills, Santa Rita Mountains and ranches (both cattle and horses). I stopped at Sonoita Vineyards and the Elgin Winery and Distillery. I tasted a few wines and bought a bottle. The wines were very good (to my unsophisticated palate).

The drive took about an hour each way and was beautiful. Cactus gave way to yucca plants and grassland was plentiful. The vineyards often couldn’t be seen from the road but once I drove up the dusty driveways, the rolling hills with vineyards emerged.