Fort Sumter

Saturday, June 2 – This, of course, is where the Civil War began.  Our overall assessment of the voyage:  Great ferry ride. Fantastic views of Charleston, the Ravenel Bridge and an aircraft carrier.  Very informed tour guide at the fort.  Good value for the money.  Even made friends on the ferry.  All that + beautiful day = Definitely worth it. 

We had such good seats on the top deck.  We - along with everyone around us - wanted to claim “same seats” for the ride back.  So, in the spirit of looking out for the team, which included a couple from Montgomery, AL on one side and a multigenerational extended family on the other, Sandy high-tailed it back to the ferry to save seats for everyone as most of the people were still taking their time in the fort.

As we were on our way back to Charleston from the fort, a “tall ship” on a cruise of the harbor also appeared.  Very appropriate.

BTW…  Today was laundry day, since it marked the end of week one.  We found a great Laundromat on the campus of the College of Charleston before we went to Fort Sumter in order to get our chores done.  It’s good to be clean.

Green and Lean 5K

Saturday, June 2 – In all three previous road trips, we had never done a race on the road, so we were on the lookout for one this time.  We got lucky, and found the Green and Lean 5K on the Charleston peninsula to benefit the mission to Keep Charleston Beautiful.  It took place in Brittlebank Park and around The Citadel on the Ashley River.  It was also sunny in the mid-70s with high humidity, so any runner knows that = hot…

It was a really nice, well-run race, that also gave prizes for first dog and first stroller to cross the finish line, so that gives you a good feel for things.  They announced that this year’s race had the most people that they’d ever had register, with 241 finishers.  And, in a first for my running career, I placed first in my age group!  That’s a feat I never come close as one of thousands in NYC races.  In addition to the visual proof with the photo of me accepting my medal, to back up this claim you can see the results HERE.  A nice start to a weekend in Charleston!

Welcome to Georgia

Wednesday, May 30 – Ok, so this state entrance was a little disappointing…  We entered the state from the Alabama suburb of Columbus, Georgia called Phenix City.  (That’s not a typo.)  The state line is also the Chatahoochee River, and since it is in an urban area, a lot was going on in almost every department: traffic, navigation and signage.  Thus, my state entrance photo leaves quite a bit to be desired.  And on top of all that commotion, there was no beautiful “Welcome to Georgia” sign.  Instead, it’s a mish-mash of signs marking the bridge, the highway number, the river, the county line, the city limits, the Chatahoochee River Inland Waterway, and a very non-descript state line sign that I almost missed.  At least I got a good shot of the Camaro billboard.  As you can see, I was pretty disappointed all around, including in my photography skills. 

As a consolation prize, I got the “buckle up” sign, which at least has the state of Georgia on it, even though it’s buckled-in.

Dinner by the River

Sunday, May 27 - After arriving in Natchez and checking in at the Dunleith Mansion, we headed to the riverfront bluff in downtown Natchez.  After taking a look at the view, we went down by the river and had dinner at the Magnolia Cafe.  Great spot.

Deerprocessin

Sunday, May 27 - Just in case you need some DEERPROCESSIN, stop by on one of the Louisiana Scenic Byways in St. Francisville.  They should be able to help you.

And oh, don't take this road out of town.  Pick one with a bridge.

Views from the observation deck

Sunday, May 27 - The views from the observation deck on the 27th floor of the State Capitol were pretty striking:

North: The petrochemical factories in the distance almost look like an alien skyline.  

West and Southwest:  The Mississippi River.

South: The Capitol Gardens with Huey Long's statue and grave, 

downtown Baton Rouge, and LSU in the distance.

East: Formal rose gardens.

Tweeting on the Levee

Ok, so Sandy doesn't actually tweet, but it sounded better than "Facebooking on the Levee" or "Playing Words With Friends on the Levee".

The levee is actually pretty amazing.  It's goes all the way along the Mississippi from New Orleans to Baton Rouge.  It was built in the 1930's after a devastating flood in the 1920s.  It's basically a big hill with a single lane dirt road along the top of it.  When you drive along the real road (down to the left), you can't actually see the river.

This photo on the levee was taken right across the street from Oak Alley Plantation, and is clearly a spot for tourists to grab a photo op of the plantation, which is across the main road to the left.  After we snapped our own photos, up pulls this bus, and out pops about 20 tourists.  That was our cue to high-tail it out of there.

My first question when seeing the name on the bus: "Tour company? Or dating service?"