NIINA & PINTA SHIPS AT BEAUFORT GEORGIA

It has been a very beautiful day today, but humid. We were glad that we had not planned to go into the city as it would have been a struggle to stay cool. This morning we went into town to see if our mail was in yet. But it was not. That is strange since it has been four days since they sent it out!! After that we stopped at Dollar General and came back home. Gary made a shelf for under the bathroom sink and called it quits after that. And I scrap booked for a couple hours and read while sitting out in the lounge. The kind of day I love!!

Yesterday we went north east to Beaufort SC to see these two ships that are in port there. The Nina on the right in this photo is a replica of a typical trading vessel of the 1400's. After many years of research and three years of construction, the Nina set sail from Salvador, Brazil with a crew of eleven. Her first port after 4000 miles at sea was Punta Arenas, Costa Rica where she was filmed for the production of "1492". She has traveled over 600 ports in the western hemisphere. Her voyages have taken her to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as well as the Great Lakes and the Mid-western river system. Her longest voyage, to date, has been 5200 miles in 34 days at sea.

From this stop in Beaufort she will be making more stops along the Atlantic coast including Philadelphia, followed by a stop at Lorain, OH as she sails through the Great Lakes, before traveling on to the Mississippi River.

This ship's boat provided transportation to shore from the "Mother ship". It can be sailed or rowed. This historically correct vessel was built by a 14 year old apprentice whose family built the Nina.

The captain's quarters, which we only saw from this picture, was a cabin below deck with two bunks and a very small navigation desk. There is only four feet of head room and no ventilation except through the open hatch. In addition to being the most historically accurate replica of a Columbus ship ever built, the ship is the only touring 'maritime museum' of it's kind. It is manned by hired sailors, but they also accept volunteers signing on for different lengths of time.

The construction of the second ship, the Pinta, in the photo was finished in 2006 for the purpose of day sails and private charters. In order to accommodate 100 passengers, it was made 50% larger than the Nina and was built with a combination of fifteenth century and modern techniques.

The Pinta

Unlike life aboard the Nina in 1492, today the crew have pipe berths rather than sleeping on deck. There is an icebox holding 1000 pounds of ice and a small propane stove for cooking on today's ship.

There were a few other ships docked in Beaufort and the city was preparing the area for "A Taste of Beaufort" on Saturday in the park near the dock. It was an attractive park but we were glad that we missed today's crowd.

In the park they had an Eagle Scout Project that we thought was neat!

It was a monument to Vietnam Veterans, recognizing all branches of the military.

We plan on another quiet day tomorrow after we attend a church down the road. But stay with us as we will be going back in to Savannah.

SAVANNAH GEORGIA

This is the view of the Historic District of Savannah from the bridge on Rt. 17 going over the Savannah River into the city. We drove over and around through the Historic District on Wednesday to see what kind of traffic we were up against and to find out about the Trolley Tours. We stopped for lunch at the Whistlestop Cafe' and ate out on the patio as the train dining car was full. Great food! The streets are very picturesque with the trees lining most of them as well as the many squares between the one way streets running east and west, causing you to drive around the square if traveling a north or south street. There were also tree islands between other streets . We also saw a roof top landscaped very attractively. I am anxious to take better photos of it when we are out walking.

Of course, there are many style of homes, row houses and apartment buildings that span three decades of architecture.

We intend to spend several more days spread out over the month in Savannah.

This area was first inhabited by Indians living off of the bounty of the sea along the coast. Savannah is a city that was founded by General James Oglethorpe and is the oldest city in Georgia. He devised the distinctive plan for the city as a system of squares, which are really miniature public parks. The parks played a military function as well, where citizens of the new colony could gather to defend the city. Twenty two of the original squares still remain giving the city much of it's charm. Savannah escaped being burned by Sherman's troops during the Civil War probably because it had been given to Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas gift by General Sherman.

On Thursday we returned to the city to take an Oglethorpe Tour bus around to listen to the narration about the city attractions and history. It was interesting, however, the guide was very ho-hum! It was the first time we have run into that. Oh well, you can't win them all!

After the tour we decided to begin waking some of the streets, heading to the river to work our south. After all we don't want to miss anything.

We began in an Antique store on Bay street and then decided to go down the steps to

to the cobble stone streets

between the walls made from the ballastone

brought in from England in the ships. Not the easiest to walk on, but beautiful none the less!

This south side of River Street was mostly warehouses which had fallen in to disrepair after the great period of the cotton industry until the mid 1970's when a River Street renewal project began. It was completed in 1977 at the cost of 7 million dollars, with the Bohemian Hotel restored and many little boutiques, galleries and restaurants rising out of the project.

This is the opposite view of the river which is still busy today. The river is dredged regularly to maintain it's 42 foot depth for the large ships.

This ship passed us as we were watching a lot of activity in the area.

There were buses of school children taking time out on their tour for lunch. They are sitting at the base of the statue of Florence Martus who is said to have waived to all ships passing this water front for forty-four years of her live, never having missed a ship.

As we walked back toward our Jeep to finish the day, we passed the Pink House

and the square that had the Vietnam Memorial

the city hall which boasts a dome finished with 24 carat gold leaf

and last but not least, Lady and Sons Restaurant.

However, we had lunch at Five Guys Burgers and Fries!

Just wanted to be sure our sons know! They would be more impressed that we did that than Lady and Sons! We WILL do Lady and Sons before leaving Savannah, though.

Check in with us again soon.

FERNANDINA BEACH and CRINCH STATE PARK

After moving from St. Augustine into Georgia, we have just three days to see all in this area! So we began our Friday going in to St. Marys to check things out. We found a Marine Museum that would have been great especially for a Marine because most of it was memorabilia, uniforms, newspaper clippings and anything historical to the military. There was some equipment. But what was most beneficial and interesting to us was the film that they showed!! I really enjoyed it as it showed Marines beginning a tour in a submarine from the time they prepared for their tour of duty and boarding, clear through the return and restoring the sub for it's next trip. Like I said, very interesting! We even kept the lady running the ticket booth overtime for five minutes. We did not know that it was so close to their closing time! We checked out the restaurants along the water-front but decided it would not fit our pocket. So we moved along the dock to see what was happening on the water! We found a ship out there that our neighbor in the campground had mentioned to us. They had seen it up the east coast when it was being built. Then they happened upon it anchored here when they were out in their kayak. When they could not find anyone answering from on board, they finally found them in one of the restaurants where many of the local seamen hang out. So we decided to photograph it and show it to you. It was a beauty! It is a home made steel craft one hundred feet in length. The Steel Away. While at the dock in St.Marys, we decided that it looked interesting across the river. So we checked it out the next day. The signs said Fernandina Beach. Beach being the key word, it did not take us long to grab our lawn chairs, stop for a Subway sandwich to split and grab our hats. The water was cold, but not excessively so! But we could feel an undertow that we were not interested in struggling with. It was overcast part of the time, but that did not keep us from sitting out there to enjoy and watch other people play and fish. We loved it and decided that it was some place that we would return to!!! Not sure when though! When Gary talked with one of the local fishermen, he was told that even in peak season it was not real crowded. So that convinced us that this is our style place! We also checked out the Main Beach and it was not over crowded, but beautiful! This was one of the apartment buildings facing the beach. And there were many single family homes and cottages, as well as condos. We think this fellow was was practicing with his kite for surfing. It was a breezy day for it. When we left the beach area, after driving up and down the streets to see the houses, we found a sign for Crinch State Park with a Fort. So as is usual with our Jeep, it easily turns around and we went back that road. We are so glad that we did!! We had been looking for the access to the long pier that we saw from our place on the beach, that went out over the water. It had to be at least a mile long, at minimum!! But we never found the street to it. Distance when you are on the beach is always deceiving. Well, that also could be because we had to find it from the State Park!!

We walked more than half way out on it, but decided that it was more than we wanted to tackle to go clear to the end, as we had already walked plenty on the beach! Along to the right of the pier notice the large rock break wall. And then note the beach to the right of that barrier, where you could swim.

We had also noticed that there was a campground that we decided to check out. So glad that we did as it was small and very clean with much white sand around. It had water and electric hook ups. So we are thinking that some day we will try to stay here. The gentleman at the gate told us the rate, which was moderate, but that we would need to reserve way in advance as is very much in demand! When Gary left him, he wished him "Good luck" on getting reservations. Did we know a good thing when we saw it? I think so!!

While in the State Park, we also decided to look over their claim to fame, the Fort used in the Civil War.

View looking out to sea from the Fort.

View from the wall down into the Fort.

A room in the building inside the Fort walls.

The laundry room within the walls of the Fort.

We could see some differences from this and the fort built by the Spaniards in St. Augustine. But a fort is a fort, right?

Monday, April 26, we move on north to spend some time in Savannah. Check in again soon. Take care!