wandering

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

The Legacy Sites

Posted on by Seniye Groff

“Slavery is the next thing to hell.” Harriet Tubman

I visited The Legacy Sites today in Montgomery, Alabama. The sites include the Legacy Museum, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. I started with the Legacy Museum where no pictures were allowed but the stories contained in the modern building were powerful and sobering. The museum begins with enslavement, moves to racial terrorism, segregation and finally to mass incarceration. One fact that stood out was that from the years 1783 to 1861 enslavement increased 5 times over creating extraordinary wealth for some in the U.S.

In the wing covering mass incarceration, I was able to pick up the phone and listen to an inmate’s story while watching the video of the inmate. It mimicked sitting on the opposing side of glass and it was a powerful way to bring jail to life for me. Another section, asked the visitor to take the voter questionnaire in order to register to vote. The questions were impossible to answer and the intention of not being able to register to vote was loud and clear. For example some of the questions:

  • How many seeds are in a watermelon?
  • If a person charged with treason denied their guilt, how many persons must testify against them before they can be convicted?
  • How many bubbles are in a bar of soap?
  • How may a county seat be changed under the constitution of your state?
  • Print a word that looks the same whether it is printed frontwards or backwards.

The last room in the building was a gallery with amazing art including two quilts from Gee’s Bend! The National Memorial for Peace and Justice was a six acre outdoor memorial dedicated to lynching. The grounds were pristine and the metal towers had the various locations and number of lynchings in that state or county. There were another set of metal structures that simulated coffins and a large water feature to honor the unnamed victims.

I took a boat ride down the Alabama River to the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. This was the same way slaves were transported quickly to be sold or transported once sold. I landed at the 17 acre sculpture park that housed amazing sculptures, slave cabins, a railcar and holding paddocks. At the end of the loop was a memorial wall with thousands of names. Photos were limited to just the entry and the memorial. The art and sculptures were beautiful so you must visit yourself to see them!

Overall, I was impressed with Montgomery. It was clean and the old brick buildings and large, county buildings were beautiful. This museum was modern, clean and very thoughtfully mapped out. The metaphors were powerful and thought-provoking exhibits were well-done. Visitors undoubtedly walk away with a clear understanding of how institutional slavery has developed into a permanent hierarchy through our legal, political, religious and science institutions. Racism has been justified as necessary and enforced through violence and continues in our present day.

Biltmore House

Posted on by Seniye Groff

175,000 square feet and 250 rooms define the former residence of the Vanderbilt’s estate. The construction began in 1890 and required so many laborers. Art and antiques from Gilded Age fill this museum. The grounds are spectacular and house several buildings across the expansive property including an exhibit hall, winery, hotel and more.

The gardens are equally spectacular and the conservatory was packed with beautiful plants and flowers.

Asheville, NC

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Asheville is an easy three hour drive from Atlanta driving through north Georgia, a sliver of South Carolina and climbing to an elevation of about 2,100 feet to land in this quaint area.

We dropped our belongings at the hotel and found a cute lunch place for a small bite to eat. We then walked around and explored the downtown area including the Asheville Urban Trail and the Basilica of St. Lawrence. The Basilica is not open for tours but from pictures it looks stunning. We meandered and visited the many shops, galleries and cafes. The downtown area is larger than I expected but easy to navigate and very walkable.

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.