Savannah, GA and Beaufort, SC

We were in Thunderbolt, GA waiting for our alternator to be repaired until Thursday the 15th. May is starting off to be an expensive month too! Here’s one of the yachts in the boatyard, “Kisses”. I wondered if the owners were some of the Hershey family.

Paul heard one owner’s bill is currently at two million dollars; hard to imagine, isn’t it? Evidently it was in a horrendous storm in the Atlantic and has been in for repairs since last fall. The owners of these yachts are rarely onboard but their crews were certainly busy keeping them squeaky clean just in case they ever showed up.

We did get to spend a day in Savannah, known as the birthplace of Georgia. General James Ogelthorpe founded the colony of Georgia in 1733 when he landed on the Savannah River bluff 18 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. There are over 1,000 historic buildings restored and in use in the 2-square mile historic district. The city was spared being burned as Gen. Sherman had his headquarters here. We took the 90-min. tour on an open-air trolley, shopped a bit, had lunch at The Cotton Exchange at the riverfront and Em finally got her birthday treat (a huge brownie sundae) at Leopold’s, famous for ice cream since 1919. Filming on some famous movies was done here, among them: "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"; "The Legend of Bagger Vance" and "Forrest Gump". Here are a few of the sights:



These green areas are called squares, not parks. The city was laid out on a grid system and there are still 21 of the lovely squares in use. The trees are Live Oaks and what we call spanish moss hanging from them is neither spanish nor moss but air plants.



This is Whitfield Square, named after George Whitefield, an English clergyman who ministered to the city's earliest colonists. The gazebo is a popular spot for weddings.


This is the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. We toured the inside, the stained glass windows are incredibly beautiful. Another interesting thing about Savannah is it is known as the most haunted city in America as a result of the large number of violent and untimely deaths.

Paula Deen has a restaurant and retail store here called The Lady and Sons. Evidently it's hugely popular and you make your reservations for dinner at 9:30 AM. We went past it on our tour and could see the piles of fried chicken at the buffet table through the windows but thought we'd keep our arteries clear and take a pass!

We traveled the ICW through more of the Low Country, though it didn’t look quite so low and marshy with more trees on shore. We were in the Sea Islands of South Carolina after crossing the Savannah River. We were able to sail quite a bit of the day with southerly winds.

This is a view of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

We went past the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island where Marines have been trained since 1915 (no not the same ones). I got a kick out of the 1 800 MARINES on the water tower. After sailing through Port Royal Sound we decided to get a slip at Port Royal Marina, just south of Beaufort, SC. This is the one pronounced BEWFORT, not to be confused with Beaufort, NC pronounced BOWFORT. I think we finally have that straight! We have never bobbed around so much tied up to a dock; the winds were crazy! There were several things to be excited about: free wifi and cable tv AND a courtesy pick-up truck! We haven’t seen that in a very long time. Since it was supposed to storm the next day, we decided to stay two nights. Dockage fees are getting better, $1.50 per foot but now there are charges for pump-outs whereas in Florida it was usually free. We think Florida receives federal funding to help with the costs as part of an environmental program. Whatever the reason, it was much appreciated.

Beaufort is supposed to have all the history and charm of Savannah and Charleston without the traffic. There are a lot of art galleries, shops and eateries in the historic district. A lot of the historic homes along the river are now bed and breakfasts. Here are a few of the sights of Beaufort:
Here's a "swinger" at the riverfront. I thought these swings were a great idea.

We've seen holly bushes before but these had the red berries. It sure doesn't feel like Christmas! Next destination, Charleston, SC.