South Carolina

24^th Mar – Travel to Charleston

Another 120 miles north up the I-95 – over the Savannah River and into South Carolina.  Similar to the Georgia coast this is another low-lying area, a few feet above sea level, with many winding tributaries feeding into the rivers.

25^th Mar – Magnolia Plantation

The Magnolia Plantation is the oldest one on the Ashley River and has been in the ownership of one family since 1676 (11 generations).  With nearly 500 acres of land it is primarily known for its gardens but we also joined the guided tour of the house.  It was not the original house as that had been demolished twice; the first by fire and the second during the American Civil War. 

We also had a tour of the slave cabins where 148 slaves had once  lived in just 13 houses (single-roomed with loft space).

Whilst Georgia had Cotton, South Carolina had Rice. Originally Magnolia Plantation grew the rice, known as Carolina Gold.  The cypress swamps were cleared and turned into rice fields by the slave work force over the decades.  During the rice season as much as 30% of a crop would be lost to birds, despite the birds being caught and eaten in there hundreds.  The rice fields no longer exist and most of the area has been allowed to grow wild and act as a refuge for wildlife.

In the gardens there were many flowering plants including Azaleas, Camellias and Orchids in the conservatory. Many of the Live Oak trees covered in Spanish moss were older than the Plantation.  During Hurricane Hugo, in 1989, the Spanish moss was ripped from the trees –

 this place would not have had the same atmosphere without the moss.
 

At one of the many bridges over the ponds, lakes and rivers we heard a strange cry.  By the waterside a garter snake had hold of the leg of a frog.  I   So human intervention
know we shouldn’t interfere with nature but the frog’s cry for help was heart rendering (frogs know fear) and could not be ignored.
meant the snake went hungry.

By the time we got back to the car it was totally covered in a yellow-green file of pollen.  (Keep taking the allergy tablets).

26^th Mar – Charleston and Tea Plantation

We visited the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island, which is used to make Bigelow tea.  We had a tour of the tea-bush fields and the green house where they grow bush cuttings to avoid any cross pollination of plants grown from seed.

 

 

The climate here is ideal for the tea-bushes as they like rain, humidity and temperatures over 35C.  The growing season is between May to Sep so harvesting will begin in about 6 weeks with cuttings taken every 2-3 weeks. The harvesting machine is a special one off, made only to harvest the leaves at a certain height.

The tour of the tea factory explained the process for turning the same tea leaves into either black, Oolong or green tea. The type of tea depended on how long the leaves were left to oxidize. We don’t recall there being any mention of washing the leaves harvested from the bushes.  (There are some big birds flying overhead).

The city of Charleston was named after Charles II and is known for the first shots of the Civil War being fired at Fort Sumter, a fort at the mouth of the harbour (where 3 rivers converge).  At the height of the rice-growing period almost 30% of the world’s rice was exported from this port.

 

We stopped in at the Slave Market Museum.  Originally just a street between buildings, this location became the centralised point for the buying/ selling of slaves.  The street is now covered to create a  small and informative museum.

We wandered around the streets and along the waterfront.  The town houses here were perhaps a little grander than those found in Savannah – many were of a Georgian style with balconies and grand columns. 

Georgia

15^th Mar – Travel into Georgia

Having spent 105 nights in Florida (minus 4 at sea) we finally left the state and moved into Georgia.  On the drive up the I-95 we were passed by many motor-bikers who were leaving Daytona after Bike Week.  Our camp site was right on the banks of the St Mary River. 

16^th Mar – Okefenokee Swamp

We spent the day in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.  Over 400,000 acres of swamp provides water for the sources of both the St Mary and the Suwannee River.

The Wildlife Drive took us onto Chesser Island by passing over a deep channel which had been an attempt to drain the swamp in 1891.  We visited the Homestead occupied by the Chesser family in 1921.  The sandy yard around the buildings was well-swept revealing the white sand; in those days this activity ensured any venomous snakes could be spotted if they came near. 

There were also some gourds hanging in the trees to encourage swallows and other insect eating birds to nest in an effort to reduce the mosquitoes.

 

We were surprised to learn that ‘prescribed burns’ are a necessary part of managing the swamp and we saw a lot of evidence of a recent ‘burn’.

A ¾ mile boardwalk took us right out into the swamp.  There were insect-eating Pitcher plants along the path. 

At the end of the boardwalk was an observation tower which took us up to the same level at the tops of the cypress trees and we had a 360 degree view of the swamp. 
We were surrounded by the noise of frogs.  The two most common were Pig frogs – they sounded like grunting pigs – and Cricket frogs – so named because of their size and they sounded like two pebbles tapped together.  We saw no alligators and no black bear although we understand there may be as many as 800 bear in the swamp.

  

After lunch we went on a boat tour into the swamp.  Alligators were more evident in this part of the swamp, as well as wading birds.  There were some lovely areas covered with flowering plants; Bladderwort, Lilies and Golden Club. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17^th Mar – Travel to St Mary

Our next campground was at the coastal town of St Mary which is home for Kings Naval Submarine Base where nuclear submarines are stationed.  We walked along the waterfront and visited the Submarine museum.

18^th Mar – Crooked River State Park

We would have liked to visit Cumberland Island National Seashore, just off-shore, but the ferry times were not suitable so instead we had a hike around Crooked River State Park which was opposite the campground.  We saw evidence again of ‘prescribed burns’ to control the ground vegetation around the trees.  Gopher tortoises are known to nest in the park but we did not see any.

19^th Mar – Travel to Savannah

Our journeys continued further north, up the I-95, to Skidaway State Park just outside Savannah.  There was a Spring-like air to the forest.  Many birds were singing everywhere and squirrels chased each other through the trees.  We noticed a yellow-green scum on the top of all the static water puddles.  It was pollen that had been washed from the trees by last night’s rain.

20^th Mar – Savannah

The courtesy mini-bus from the State Park took us into the city for a Trolley Tour.  This guided tour went through the streets of Historic Savannah; around the Colonial Houses and 22 park-like Squares. 

The houses were well presented and the Spanish moss hanging from the trees everywhere created a delightful ambiance to the city.

The city was founded in 1733 on a bluff approximately 30 feet above the Savannah River.  Back then the river was about 12 feet deep but now it is over 40 feet deep as it has been dredged over the years so that 90% of the world’s cargo ships can access it. Everything in the US is made in China.

We were surprised to learn that Savannah had originally been anti-slavery.  However the law was changed to suit the economics of the time and the port of Savannah became one of the main exporters of cotton during the 19^th century (upward of 2 million bales per year).

The trolley tour allowed passengers to get on and off as desired so we visited Forsyth Square for coffee where a Mothers and Toddlers Group were having fun doing yoga in the middle of the Park.

We got off the trolley again to walk along the water front which was accessed via steps, ramps or even an elevator, to get down to the river level.  We would have had lunch by the river but the “no-see-ums” (gnats) became a nuisance the minute you stopped moving. 

In the Peanut shop we spotted a young lad helping himself to handfuls of the free samples until his pockets bulged.  Needless to say the staff soon asked him to leave.

21^st /22^nd Mar – Skidaway Island

 

The next couple of days were spent in the State Park.  There was around 7 miles of hiking trails that followed the salt-water marshes, with boardwalks and an observation tower.  We saw evidence of an old Liquor Still.  Apparently the Island was used to distil Moonshine during the prohibition years.  We saw hundreds of fiddler crabs when they came out in the sun and postulated at each other with their ‘big’ claw.

Feeding time for the reptiles at the education centre was interesting.  We were expecting the reptiles to sleep through most of the feeding process. However there was a particularly active garter snake that was so hungry she devoured 2 (dead) baby mice.  The skink and turtles were also hungry for their (live) crickets.

Some of our time was also spent on preparatory work on the RV as it is now advertised on the Internet.

23^rd Mar – 8^th Air Force Museum

We spent most of a wet cloudy day, at the museum of the US 8^th Air Force which was mainly dedicated to the Forces efforts during WWII.

The 8^th AF was first activated at Savannah Air Base at the end of January 1942, and within a couple of months thousands of US personnel arrived in East Anglia.  The B-17 (Flying Fortress) and B-24s (Liberators) provided dedicated strategic bombing over Europe 1942-45.

The museum’s main exhibits covered the build-up to WWII; life for personnel arriving in ‘a foreign land’; life for POWs; those who helped escapees (an often forgotten effort form civilians).

The actor, James Stewart, served with the 8^th AF during WWII.  We were surprised to learn about the WASPs (1047 woman pilots).  They were trained and employed by the US Forces to fly aircraft and free up male pilots for combat duties, and yet were classed as civilians.  It wasn’t until 1977 when the headline “woman pilots to fly US air force planes for first time” appeared that they stepped forward to remind everyone of the WASPs and hence received proper recognition which led to them being granted Veteran Status. 

We smiled at the section highlighting the cultural differences between US and UK in the 1940s as we identify with many of the differences even these days such as language/food/weather/outlook.

The 8^th AF continues in active service up to the present day, although the HQ is in Louisiana.

Final Days in Florida

6^th March – Palm Bay

A chance conversation with a fellow camper last night led to us accepting an offer for our inflatable kayak.  So after we ‘did the deal’ we set off from Fiesta Key driving the 280 miles up to Palm Bay – mostly along I-95 and passing Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

7^th – 11^th Mar – Long Point City Park

 Using this campground as our base we visited our friends, Maggie and Grant.  We had stayed with them back in the beginning of December.  Paul spent some time fishing from both the campground on the Indian River and also from nearby Sebastian Inlet state park where Alison had a long walk along the seashore. It was sunny and the beach was almost empty with a few surfers having fun in the waves.

Our campsite was on an Island but there was also another smaller island accessed via a bridge.  Walking around one day we came across a tortoise.

One day we had some excitement when a Racoon was spotted wandering around under RVs; very unusual to see one like this in daylight so near people.  Close up it looked very skinny, possibly   So the Ranger was alerted, caught it, and put into a cage – it was not normal behaviour for a Racoon not to put up a fight.  

old or ill?

12^th Mar – McLarty Treasure Museum

We visited the McLarty Treasure Museum which had an excellent video explaining all about the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet and the quantity of Treasure subsequently found. 

Prior to 1715 gold and silver mined in the New World was being accumulated by Spain because it was unsafe for ships to sail across the Atlantic due to the seven year war. At the end of July 1715 11 ships laden with all the treasure set sail heading for Spain. A hurricane decimated the fleet just off-shore and, although 1000 people survived, many were drowned and only one ship ran aground.  The beach in August was a harsh refuge; fresh water, food and shade were sparse.  People would bury themselves in the sand at night to avoid the biting insects.  Eventually help came from St Augustine further north.

However, only some of the Treasure was recovered during the 18^th century, leaving a lot still beneath the waves.  In the 1950s Kip Wagner discovered where the survivor/salvager encampment had been – his dog found a make-shift fresh water well.  During the 1960s Treasure worth millions has been brought up from this region of the coast; silver pieces of eight, gold doubloons, gold bars, pearls, jewellery etc.  Every year something is discovered from the beach – it made us want to get a metal detector and start beach combing ……

Barrier Island Sanctuary

We then visited the Barrier Island Sanctuary which highlighted the importance of the area as a nesting site for Sea Turtles.  Three species nest here each year; Green, Logger Head and Leatherbacks. 

Whilst hiking the nature trail we surprised a family of Racoons.  The mother and one youngster fled but the other youngster climbed up a tree.  It then realised that was a mistake as we were stood almost eye to eye.  We watched as it turned round on the tree and jumped back down on the ground before  

running off in the opposite direction of its mother.

One of the weirdest trees we have come across is the “Strangler Fig”. It starts life similar to Mistletoe. As it grows on the host tree it throws down roots

circling the tree and eventually rooting itself. Apparently it does not harm the host tree.

Just as we were leaving the camp site Paul spotted this Woodpecker making its nest in the side of the rangers hut, the sound must have been deafening inside.

 

 

13^th Mar – Travel to St Augustine

We travelled further up the I-95 to St Augustine where we were hoping to meet up with friends, Sue and Ian, whom we visited in February.  However due to illness they weren’t able to make it.  After setting up came we popped into the city for a visit in the late afternoon and were delighted to find such a quaint historical town with lots going on.  The Spanish and British influence over the years was evident.

14^th Mar – St Patrick’s Day Parade

The streets were lined for the annual St Augustine’s St Patrick’s Day parade which started at 10am.  The whole weekend was designated as a Celtic Festival covering all things Irish and Scottish; including Star War Storm Troopers in Kilts ………

 

After the parade we toured the fort; the Castillo de San Marcos.  Built at the end of the 17^th Century this fort was for many years the northernmost outpost of Spain’s New World Empire.  The fort’s use, over the centuries, reflected the history of Florida as the state was passed from Spain to Britain to Spain and then the USA.

After lunch in the Prince of Wales pub (including sticky toffee pudding and custard) we spent some time at the Celtic Festival grounds watching some Irish dancing and tossing the Caber.

 

The Keys

26^th Feb – Travel to Key Largo

We headed further south through Florida City and onto the Florida Keys.  Key Largo is one of the first Keys just 50 miles from Miami and our campsite is at MM 101.5.  Everything along the road – Route 1 – is measured in miles from Key West.

27^th Feb – Flamingo – Everglades

Flamingo is a section of the Everglades that was closer to our campsite in Key Largo so we drove down to the Bay and then worked our way back.  At the Visitor Centre there was an Osprey in his nest by the dock, just feet away from humans.  We saw another Osprey nest and also a Roseate Spoonbill getting his lunch at Eco Pond. Spoonbills are not rare but are very shy birds, so to be able to photograph one this close was a rare treat.

At one of the Overlooks we stopped at a lady volunteer who pointed to a Barred Owl resting on some nearby branches.  We watched talking to the Ranger in low tones whilst Paul took some photos.  We were astounded when another visitor came along and started shaking the branch so that the owl flew off!

You might forgive a child/youngster but this was a man of our generation. The Ranger spoke to him but Paul would have used different words!

28^th Feb – John Pennekamp Coral Reef SP

Just a mile up the road was John Pennekamp State Park.  Looking at a map of this coastline there is a continuous zone, between here and Miami, of parks and sanctuaries which protect the USA’s only living coral reef.

We took a glass-bottomed boat tour out to one of the coral reefs.  On the journey out there was a sucker fish hanging onto the glass; but he came off once we picked up speed.  We saw a lot of coral; mostly Fan, Feather and Stag coral and also Sponges in the shape of vases. There were many different types of fish; also a shark, some sea turtles and 2 different types of stingray.  It was a most delightful and informative trip.

1^st Mar – Travel to Fiesta Key

The 30 miles to this campsite took nearly an hour due to the weight of traffic on the road but was easy to find as there is nothing else on the Key.  After an hour by the pool we gathered with other campers to watch the sunset over the Bay – a ritual we did every evening whilst here.

2^nd Mar – Dolphin Research Centre

With 27 dolphins in various pools at the DRC you got a feeling of being surrounded by dolphin.  Two of the dolphins had given birth just a week ago.  They used artificial insemination to keep the gene pool mixed.  Some of the dolphins were 4^th generation from the start of the film Flipper.  They also   had 4 sea lions and some iguana which are free to roam. Iguanas are not native to Florida but the Centre catches them, and neuters them before releasing.

There was a lot going on with many people taking part in the various ‘packages’ offered by the Centre to get close to a dolphin.  At all the presentations the dolphins were encouraged to ‘play’. 

 However we left feeling that there seemed as much emphasis on entertainment as education.  Dolphins were still doing the usual tricks seen in shows including getting one to paint on a T-shirt with a brush in its mouth.

The most interesting presentation was about manatee rescues that they do.  We saw little evidence of research on Dolphins.

3^rd Mar – Turtle Hospital

Driving further west we came across the Turtle Hospital and joined a 90 minute talk and tour of the facilities.  The hospital currently has 47 turtles, of which 13 are permanent, and there are 4 out of the 7 different Sea Turtle species.  We learnt about the issues and hazards sea turtles encounter; one of which is “Bubble Butt”.  This is when a turtle has endured damage to its shell which affects its  

buoyancy and is treated by adding weights to the shell.

The tour took around the tanks where we fed the turtles and you could see the beautiful colours of their shells.  The guide told us the story of each turtle.  One turtle had many health issues when rescued which left it so weak they could not put it in water for nearly 2 months. 

This in turn led to the equivalent of bed sores which then required treatment.  It also had lockjaw and had several weeks of therapy opening and shutting its mouth until it could eat on its own accord.

The hospital originally began as a motel with a swimming pool full of fish.  Back when Teenage Ninja Turtles was popular a child asked why there were no turtles which gave the owner the idea to find out more and before long became a place for rescued turtles to recuperate.  It now has the support from local vets.

 

 

 

 

 

4^th Mar – Key Deer and Offshore Fishing


Up early to get Paul down to the marina at sunrise, and onto the Blue Haven boat, to go Offshore Fishing for the day with 3 other fishermen and a crew of 2.

Alison drove over 7-mile Bridge to Big Pine Key in search of the Key Deer Wildlife Refuge.  The Keys have their breed of miniature deer.  With only 600 left they have been cross-bred with white-tailed deer in order to increase the gene-pool.  The deer wander unrestricted around the Key and were spotted at the side of the road and in people’s gardens. 

By the bridge to No-Name Key Alison paid a quick visit to see the inside of the No Name pub which is literally dripping with $1 notes.  In this out-of-the-way pub it has become tradition for dollar notes to be stuck onto ceilings, walls, pillars and the bar.  Some estimates say as much as $60,000.  Every year as much as $8000 is donated to charities.

Paul arrived back at the marina at 3pm.  The ‘catch’ – of over 50 Yellowtail, some Mahi-mahi, and other miscellaneous fish – all were duly filleted by the crew and shared out among the 4 fishermen.  The pelicans provided entertainment fighting over the left-overs. 

The freezer was now full.  Guess what we will be eating for the rest of the month?

5^th Mar – Fiesta Key

This is the furthest south we will be on this trip.  With less than 2 months left in USA we start heading north tomorrow.