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.
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.
“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:
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.
Industrial warehouses are filled with unmatched creativity with numerous studios and galleries. I love seeing the variety of art. Hurricane Helene wrecked this area but it is once again a thriving area along the French Broad River.
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.
15 minutes from Asheville is the cute town of Black Mountain. The air just felt fresher here! The downtown area is a few streets but galleries, craft stores, jewelry stores and cafes were plentiful. I had a tasty cafe con leche and guava pastelito, too!
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.
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