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.