Never wanting to get too comfortable, I accepted a dog sitting gig with Trusted Housesitters in the city (as opposed to where I am staying in the suburbs). I’m staying in the Old Fourth Ward which is MLK Jr.’s birth place and a popular neighborhood to live in Atlanta since it’s on the Beltline, Ponce City Market (a previous Sears warehouse) and Krog Market (food hall and shops).
What I love about the neighborhood is its walkability and numerous cafes and restaurants. There’s also a ton of green space including the Historic Fourth Ward Park.
It’s obvious it’s trendy because there is construction everywhere. But the kind of construction I hate. Small, modest, historic homes are being replaced with monster modern monstrosities. I know it’s the thing to do – it’s happening in Portland, too.
The dogs got lots of walks as I meandered the neighborhood. Scotch and Pete got along well and the weather was perfect. It’s so easy to make a dog happy with just walks, treats and scratches behind their ears!
Today I visited another amazing museum. I’ll be honest I didn’t have high expectations after the Legacy Sites in Montgomery. After visiting so many civil rights museums, I do really enjoy seeing the different ways of presenting information and the power and impact those messages can make.
This museum decided to address human rights, in addition to, civil rights. Upon entry, the civil rights section was really crowded so I decided to go upstairs and do the human rights section first. I’ll admit I got emotional almost immediately. This museum leads with powerful stories and shares how average, ordinary people took risks to promote human rights. The exhibit “A Mile in My Shoes” was particularly powerful as I listened to personal stories of complete strangers. Each story is linked to a real pair of shoes worn by the person you’re listening to. This delivery really humanizes their experiences.
The second floor also housed the Action Lab. Of course, I’m incredibly action oriented and so this exhibit definitely struck me. The visitor learns about a variety of issues and causes, and then is given ways to find resources and opportunities to be involved with that cause.
Downstairs is focused on civil rights. There was a ton of information, pictures, videos, and other multimedia that presented details about civil rights. For example, there was a full sized depiction of the Freedom Riders bus with all the pictures of the Freedom Riders. You could pick up a phone and listen to their stories. There was also 1,100 books from Dr. Martin Luther King’s personal library. And two quilts from Gee’s Bend!
But the most powerful thing in this museum was the lunch counter sit-in. Museum visitors are invited to sit at the lunch counter with a menu in front of them and place headphones over their ears, close their eyes and place their hands on the lunch counter. Audio begins and depicts what folks at the lunch counter heard and experienced. The sound quality of the audio was really amazing. I could literally hear somebody breathing in my right ear. I felt that there was somebody right behind me and the screaming was truly scary. The audio lasted one minute and 25 seconds and mimics being at the lunch counter. It is an experience I will not forget. And it really showed me how courageous the college students were that sat at these lunch counters.
There are so many layers to this museum and I loved how it coupled civil rights with human rights. If you’re in Atlanta definitely visit this museum.
This morning, I got my workout done early so that I could head into Atlanta to visit the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Since it wasn’t open yet, I decided to take a walk and I landed at the Centennial Olympic Park. What a nice surprise since I didn’t realize it was right next to the museum.
It was raining, but plenty of people were out. The park is beautiful and I love the different features, including, of course, the Olympic rings the various water features, flowers and open spaces. Definitely a nice walk on a Sunday morning.
Today I visited the The Atlanta History Center. It is one of the most varied museums I’ve seen with a large museum, three historic houses, and 33 acres of gardens and trails. Key things to see include the iconic Cyclorama painting, the elegant Swan House mansion, and the interactive Smith Family Farm.
The Golden Isles of Georgia are comprised of four barrier islands: St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island. Since Sea Island is private and Little St. Simons Island can only be reached by boat, I am exploring the remaining two islands.
My day started in Savannah and an easy hour and a half drive south landed me in St. Simons Island. I visited Fort Frederica first. This fort was built in 1736 to protect General Oglethorpe’s Georgia colony from the Spanish in Florida. It sits on the Frederica River and was a perfect stop to stretch our legs.
Fort Frederica
We then headed to Pier Village where my hotel is located but since check-in wasn’t for a few hours, Pete and I walked the pier, the iconic lighthouse and the beach.
With more time to kill, I decided to drive to Jekyll Island. Although not far away in miles, it is not exactly a straight shot so it took about 40 minutes to get there.
I drove to Driftwood Beach first. A short sandy path drops you onto a breathtaking beach that you truly don’t expect. Once a forest, erosion and salt water created this symphony of tree trunks littered on the beach and in the water during high tide.
I then drove a few miles to the Historic District on Pier Road. Originally this area was an exclusive winter retreat for the wealthiest families in America. It’s 240 acres and now contains shops, in addition to a luxurious hotel.
We drove a few more miles to the west end of the island to see St. Andrew’s Beach. It’s supposedly the spot for sunset pictures.
It was truly a perfect day with sunny weather and beautiful sites. The busy season is just starting here and I can easily imagine lazy summer days in this unique area.
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!
Tybee Island is an easy 30 minute drive from Savannah and is a quintessential tiny beach town. I could easily imagine lazy summer days on the beautiful beach and lots of seafood in between!
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.
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.
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.
seniyegroff 