Daufuskie Island, South Carolina

Men, freed during and immediately after the Civil War, and their families, made up almost all of the population of Daufuskie Island until near the end of the 20th century. Many of these people owned small farms or worked in the oyster industry. Daufuskie Island is listed in the National Register of Historical Places as of 1982.  It is a 5,200 acre island accessible only by boat or ferry and lies between the Cooper and New Rivers in South Carolina. Spanish and English explorers mention it in their writings as early as 1521 and again in 1665. Indigo was the main crop on the island before the Civil War. In 1861, when Union forces captured the sea islands, most of the plantations were abandoned by the plantation owners. Those that were left behind were the workers and their descendants. They continued living on the abandoned lands establishing small farms and eventually became involved in oyster harvesting.

Since Daufuskie is an island, it's only accessible by boat or ferry. We booked passage on the  Calibogie who provides daily trips to the island, transporting passengers and goods.

On the way to the island, we passed many beautiful plantation style homes lining the river.

Nestled among those trees is a small lighthouse to assist sailors in navigating the rivers surrounding the island. It is privately owned and sits at the end of Haig Point, a private enclave.

Along the way we kept an eye out for dolphins. We spotted two pods but none swimming close enough to our vessel for a decent picture.

After about 45 minutes, we arrived at the Freeport Marina at Cooper River Landing. The large building is the marina lodge where we enjoyed a delicious grouper sandwich.

After having lunch, we headed out the main road leading into the island. While vehicles are allowed on the island, they are not prevalent. Golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation here.

We decided to rent one of the many golf carts on the island and do a self guided tour of the island. Armed with a set of maps and tourist information, we headed out onto the "Attitude Adjustment Boulevard" to begin our exploration.

First thing we discovered was the south facing beach along the Atlantic Ocean.

The beach was uncrowded and provided an hour and a half of beachcombing for us. We found several sand dollars and many beautiful shells

Along the way, we found this big nest in one of the trees. It is the home of one of the bald eagles that frequent the island.

This is Daufuskie Island's oldest and largest oak tree. That home is a 1700 square foot home.

An early church on the island.

Behind the church above, is this small building. This one room structure was used as a "prayer" room. It housed several benches and many prayer books. Church goers would enter this room to pray quietly. Soon someone inside would begin a song and everyone would join in.

After exploring the island, we returned to the marina, turned in our golf cart and spent a few minutes relaxing on the deck of the restaurant waiting for our ferry to return to take us back to the mainland.

Finally, we spotted the boat coming into the port. I thought the bird house off the pier was unique.

The "Calibogie" arrives in port. The ferry was named for the Calibogie river which runs along the northern side of Hilton Head Island.

All good things must end, and we bid goodbye to Daufuskie Island.

Savannah, Georgia

While visiting Hilton Head Island, we decided to take a day trip into Savannah, Georgia. We found a quaint village like atmosphere with many friendly people, good food and charming shops. They have a riverwalk that has lots to do and see....

Crossing the Savannah River across Hutchinson Island into the City of Savannah.

Overview of some of the working ships in the Port of Savannah.

We arrived downtown and found many old buildings, all in excellent shape and a vibrant City that looked like it takes pride in what it stands for.

There is a City park that runs the length of the downtown area. It's a delightful stroll with many areas with statues and stories to tell.

This is the statue of John Wesley, an early religious leader and leader of the Methodist movement in the early colonies.

Remember, Savannah has lots of history. It's the oldest City in Georgia, was the State's first Capital, and is Georgia's fifth largest city.

It is home to many preserved churches, homes and businesses, many dating back to the early 1800s.

The downtown area has been left in early use motif. The roads are cobblestone or brick, narrow and many one way and one lane roads.

This area consists of shops and
restaurants and has three levels.

Overviews of the downtown area between Montgomery Street and the Savannah River.

If you look closely, you can see the shelters along the boardwalk on the left. These housed art for sale, tourist trinkets and food. There are finer restaurants on the right side of the street.

Strolling along the boardwalk, one can see the ships moving up and down the river. The Port of Savannah is a major shipping port located about 18 miles inland from the Atlantic. It is an international port meaning vessels from all over the world are served here.

Along the boardwalk is this memorial to World War II. It depicts a 'world divided' and is in two halves with a walking path in between with a granite wall naming those from Georgia who gave their lives in WWII.

This view shows the many shops and restaurants along the riverfront.

It was enjoyable to simply walk around the downtown area. There is much to see and do all along this area. We found it to be a relaxed and comfortable stroll.

If walking is not your thing, one can take a leisurely tour in one of the horse drawn carriages.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Well, surprise! Let's start out with touring the highlight of the Island....the Hilton Head Island Lighthouse. This beautiful island has so much to offer. We toured the island, went on a dolphin trip and visited the nearby island of Daufuskie, access only by boat. Below are pictures of the area and of the lighthouse....enjoy.

By now, everyone knows I love lighthouses and what service they provide our sea faring brethren. This unique structure was not built to assist sailors on the open sea. It is a private structure built by Charles Fraser in 1970. The construction of the lighthouse was ridiculed by many in the area as unnecessary and nothing more than a tourist item. However, upon it's completion it was instantly popular and today is the most widely recognizable symbol of Hilton Head Island.

Pay a small fee to enter Sea Pines Plantation and another small fee to enter the lighthouse and you can climb to the top of the structure. There is a gift shop at the top. For those having difficulty climbing the metal spiral staircases found in most lighthouses, you'll be pleased to find this one has regular stairs. I was still near the top when I snapped this picture of Debi catching up.

Finally reaching the top, this sign welcomes all visitors.

What better way to view the Island than from 100' up? Here is the Sea Pines harbor. Most of the yachts here are privately owned.

Looking at the parking lot and the sailboats below. This is from the north side of the lighthouse.

All of these vessels  moored here offer charters from dinner cruises, fishing trips or dolphin cruises.  You name it and one of these captains can fulfill your request....for a price, of course.

The island in the distance is Daufuskie Island. We will visit that island later.

Probably one of the most recognizable holes in golf. This is the 18th hole of the famed Harbour Town Golf Links, where The Heritage Golf Tournament is held every April. Tune in this coming April 13-19, 2015 and you'll see the players from this vantage point on the lighthouse. 

I don't know who owns that yacht anchored there, but it was beautiful.

Moving around to the other side of the tower, we get another view of the island and Sea Pines.

The weather was picture perfect!

One interesting feature of the lighthouse is each level depicts a panorama of history of South Carolina. If you visit, be sure to take the time to read each display.

Back down on land again. I love to watch the sailboats move across the bay.

At the base of the lighthouse are many shops and restaurants. Spend an hour or two, or spend an entire afternoon here. There is also a beautiful little park with picnic tables adjacent to the shopping areas.

Here's our site at the Hilton Head Island RV Resort.

St. Augustine, Florida

After visiting the lighthouse, we spent a couple more days in the St. Augustine area. There's lots to see and do here. The city itself dates back to the early 1600's. We visited the fort, the mission and Old Town. Here are a few pictures:

Our first stop was to cross this bridge for a religious experience. Known as "America's Most Sacred Acre",  tradition has it that the colony's first mass was celebrated here. The chapel was built in 1615, honoring Our Lady of La Leche. It was a very quiet and humbling experience. The grounds were immaculate.

Known as Nombre de Dios Mission, or Name of God Mission, it served as a gathering spot for the local Indian tribes of the area. As early as the 17th century, the Timucuan Indians would come and sing songs in Latin.

This cross was erected in 1966 and is the world's tallest cross at 208 feet. It marks the approximate spot where in 1565 the cross of Christianity was first permanently planted in what is now the United States.It is built of 70 tons of stainless steel plates filled with concrete so as to withstand hurricanes.

Novena Prayer to Our Lady of La Leche:

Lovely Lady of La Leche, most loving Mother of Jesus, and my mother, listen to my humble prayer. Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need. To you only, his spotless Virgin Mother, has your Divine Son given to understand the sentiments which fill my soul. Yours was the sacred privilege of being the Mother of the Savior.

Intercede with him now, my loving mother, that in accordance with his will (mention your request here). This I ask, O Lady of La Leche, in the name of your Divine Son, my Lord and Savior. Amen

Lovely Lady of La Leche, most loving Mother of Jesus, and my mother, listen to my humble prayer. Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need. To you only, his spotless Virgin Mother, has your Divine Son given to understand the sentiments which fill my soul. Yours was the sacred privilege of being the Mother of the Savior.
Intercede with him now, my loving mother, that in accordance with his will (mention your request here). This I ask, O Lady of La Leche, in the name of your Divine Son, my Lord and Savior. Amen
- See more at: http://missionandshrine.org/#sthash.NLTz76r1.dpuf

Lovely Lady of La Leche, most loving Mother of Jesus, and my mother, listen to my humble prayer. Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need. To you only, his spotless Virgin Mother, has your Divine Son given to understand the sentiments which fill my soul. Yours was the sacred privilege of being the Mother of the Savior.
Intercede with him now, my loving mother, that in accordance with his will (mention your request here). This I ask, O Lady of La Leche, in the name of your Divine Son, my Lord and Savior. Amen
- See more at: http://missionandshrine.org/#sthash.NLTz76r1.dpuf

The founders of the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine are buried here along with six federal soldiers of the Civil War. Most of the remaining graves are of parishioners buried here prior to 1900.

After visiting the mission, we headed over to Old Town. Cobblestone streets and quaint shops of all types await you. Take a stroll back in time.

Another stop is the Old Jail, more of an eclectic collection of shops and restaurants. They have live entertainment nightly, all set in period venues.

What's an old jail without the "chain gang"? The inmates were hauled to the rock pile in the wagon where they proceeded to make small stones out of large rocks. Now they simply have to pick up trash along the freeways.

Leaving St. Augustine, we headed back toward Flagler Beach. I took this picture because of the street's beauty.

Not to be missed was the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse. 

Unfortunately, it was closed when we were there. Only the gift shop was open. 

It is 175 feet tall, making it the tallest lighthouse in Florida and one of the tallest in the United States.

We decided to take a short cut to the beach by taking the old "Beach Road". Constructed in the early 1800s, it went from Old Kings Road to the Atlantic Ocean.

It was also the entrance road to the Bulow Sugar Plantation and is still in use today to view the Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park.

It is pretty much as it was in the 1800s.

It had rained and was cold and windy when we arrived at the Atlantic Ocean so we decided to stay in the car, but we still wanted to see the water. Fortunately, they allow vehicles on the beach as long as you don't speed.

We spent some time on the beach watching the fishermen and the surfers. While there we had a picnic inside the car with sandwiches Debi had made and brought along.

Next up was a very unique area, Vilano Beach. Now consisting of marinas and a pier, it formerly held the distinction of being home to the Vilano Beach Casino, built in 1927. Gambling was not allowed in the casino but vaudeville acts and Big Bands from NYC performed here. While being an oceanfront casino, it also boasted a salt water swimming pool, 150' long and 50' wide. Storms of 1936-37 washed the casino into the sea and it was never rebuilt.

This is the pier mascot, the "Bluebird of Happiness".