I’m not going to even try to capture Savannah in words or pictures. Savannah is to be experienced.
We spent the first two nights in Georgia at Skidaway Island State Park just a few miles south of the city, but truly worlds away. Skidaway Island is a barrier island that shelters the mainland and the only bridge there was built in 1960, so it remains undeveloped and natural. During Prohibition, it was the site of hundreds of moonshine producers who used boats to carry their contraband up river inlets for sale.
We (especially Coco) enjoyed hiking and running through the miles of trails, and gathered downed logs for evening fires (allowed!). I took in one of the park’s lectures at their Interpretive Centre about life in the tidal flats. This area is so unlike our western coast with the landmass basically jutting directly out of the ocean. Here there are vast tracks of shallow swamp riddled with brackish water, a mixture of salt ocean water and freshwater rivers that supports a unique host of plant and animal life.
Sadly for Coco, we also learned that it’s no joke about this region being endemic for ticks. We took a well-fed one off her nose after driving into the park, then luckily found two more after hikes before they had a chance to latch on. Then today in Savannah, after buying prescription-strength repellant/killer, we discovered three more that had lodged themselves into her muzzle! Thankfully, all removed successfully and we talked to a local who said they’ve never heard of a dog getting sick from a tick bite.
(Aside: I HATE parasites!!! I don’t know where this deep retched disgust comes from, but the things that give me the most heebie-jeebies in this world are ticks, tape worms, ringworms, etc - UGH! The idea of something feeding off you....grosssssssssnesssssss! Unless it was a hot vampire like Lestat).
Okay, back to topic. Today we rolled into downtown Savannah under clear sunny skies and found our home for the night at the Visitors Centre parking lot - $16 for 2 spots (truck + trailer) X 24 hours. And then off to stroll away the afternoon.
I said it in Chicago and I’ll say it again here - cheers to city planners who provide for a ton of public green and waterfront space. Every second block in the historic district features a small public square with trees, benches, fountains and monuments. And I noticed the first one dedicated to a Native American - Tomo-Chi-Chi - regarded as a co-founder of the state of Georgia.
Everywhere I noticed signs for “Drinks to Go”. Our lunch server informed us that the historic district in Savannah is one of only four places in the USA you can legally drink in public places, the other three being Las Vegas, Key West, and Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Huh - who knew?!
We sauntered down to the riverfront steps below the main part of town over cobbles that must have been there since the 1700s and read plaques describing Savannah’s part in the slave trade. And took in the setting sun with a brew in a plastic cup bought across the street from the park. Again, words can’t capture it. Or at least not my fumbling ones.
However, we’ve always found that one day in an urban centre is enough - especially when travelling by RV with a dog. It’s a different matter when you’re in the heart of Manhattan and want to visit all the museums, posh eateries and Broadway. In the RV, the focus is more on nature and living simply. So our next two weeks will be at nature parks in southern Georgia and northern Florida, and the forecast is looking good :-)
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