Distance: 449 miles
Drive Time: 8 hours, 15 minutes.
Ah Julia, you are responsible for so many changed plans! Topping my list of changed plans (which is probably significantly different from Stacy's list) is figuring out how to vacation in the Everglades with a baby. Since I wasn't able to figure that one out, we decided instead to take an easier vacation this year: Savannah, Georgia. Days would need to be shorter with more breaks for naps and easier activities. We had planned on going to Savannah several years ago, but were diverted at the last minute, and went to the grandparent's house instead. Ever since then it has been in the back of our mind waiting for the opportune time.
We left the house on Tuesday, and took the 8 hour drive to Savannah. We arrived at our house in old Savannah 1304 SE 36th St, Savannah GA. It was a small house built in 1940. The first thing you will notice about Savannah is the Southern Live Oak. The city is covered with them. They will be growing on both sides of the road and frequently in the median as well. These tree have huge branches that like to grow straight out from the tree causing the roads to be completely overshadowed by the large limbs. It is a beautiful sight that I have not seen anywhere else. And this brings us to Savannah's main feature. It is a stunningly beautiful city! Everything about it oozes a Southern charm that is missing in modern cities like Huntsville or Atlanta. Savannah is old school. It is one of the oldest cities in America, had a revitalization during the roaring '20s, and its last major growth spurt was in the years after World War 2.
Our vacation plans were in constant flux due to weather. During our stay, there was a tropical depression swirling about Florida. This led to very unpredictable weather. We never knew from day-to-day what to expect. Each morning we checked wunderground.com to determine the days expedition. Wednesday turned out to be the least likely to rain, so we quickly decided that it would be the beach day. Like many other parts of Savannah, the beach is a throwback to older times. Savannah beaches were a major tourist attraction in the 1920s, but they have since been eclipsed by Charleston to the north and Jacksonville to the south. To get there you have to drive through several swamps and marshes and across a couple islands until you arrive at Tybee Island. Tybee is a small island with a great beach, that was built up many years ago. While there are many restaurants, stores, and cottages, you won't find a high-rise hotel anywhere on the island. The signs were so obscure that we got lost trying to find one of the two main beach parking lots.
We spent the morning playing in the waves. The three older kids loved the water (although they continually commented on the bad taste). Julia was fearless, if her siblings could play in the waves, so could she. She jumped at the chance to play in the ocean. While we were splashing in the Atlantic, we saw dolphins jumping in the distance. At lunch time, we went to the picnic area and got to enjoy another perk. May is the best month to go on vacation, whether it is the mountains, the beach, or anywhere else. Most tourist businesses are open by May, but most people are still waiting for their kids to finish school. The weather hasn't yet turned to the brutal summer heat, but instead is pleasantly warm. The picnic area was mildly attended and we had no trouble finding a table in the shade.
After lunch it was time to visit the museum near the beach. Since we were carrying a baby with us, the most important feature we look for is, of course, whether or not it is stroller friendly. So obviously the place we decided to go was the Tybee Island Lighthouse.
This lighthouse is the oldest and tallest in Georgia. At its height, it was home to three keepers-the head keeper and 2 assistants. Each one had his own house.
The head keeper's house was open as a museum showing how he lived. For the time, it was a very large house with both a winter & detached summer kitchen. It was furnished to look as close as possible to how the last keeper lived. One of the interesting features of the house was a huge hole in the kitchen. The was an outside pipe that collected rain water and stored it under the kitchen for easy access. I forget the exact storage size, but it had to be 1,000s of gallons. In the girl's room Elisabeth found a book that she found interesting: The Van Rensselaers of Old Manhattan.
The 2nd assistant keeper, on the other hand, lived in a one room house more reminiscent of a frontier home than a home built during the turn of the century. Inside was a video of the daughter of the last lighthouse keeper telling what life was like living at the lighthouse. The 1st assistant house was reserved for staff and not open to the public.
After looking around the homes, we made the 178 step climb to the top of the lighthouse. It was an amazing view-one that scared Rebekah half to death, but amazing at the same time. After the kids and I ascended the stairs, Stacy got her turn. Julia was sleeping at the time, so she had to stay at the bottom. Rebekah declined to make a second trek up the stairs, so the three of us rested in the shade while everybody else got a view from 145 feet up.
The last part of the day was Fort Screven.The fort was part pf America's Coastal Defense System. It now is home to the Tybee Museum. We had to go through it quickly as we were almost out of time on the parking meter (I should mention there is no free parking anywhere in Savannah) and Julia was about done for the day. The museum had exhibits on colonial Savannah through the peak of its popularity during the roaring twenties.
We went back to the house for a quick dinner and then spent the evening at Savannah River Baptist Church. a small church with a big vision for Christ. Stacy was thrilled to be able to observe and take notes on how they run their Master Club program and the kids were happy that they were able to say their verses for the week. We got back to the house late with everybody exhausted and ready for bed.
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