We left Winterville, North Carolina, to continue our southern trek. Our next stop was only two hundred miles down the coast at Savannah, Georgia. Now we had already visited Savannah, and while we loved the historic old town, we decided to check out the areas history by visiting the Tybee Lighthouse, Fort Screven and Tybee Beach, and Fort Pulaski National Monument.
Driving to Tybee Island took us through the city and down a beautiful oak lined street. Spanish moss draped the trees and nothing else makes you feel like being down south than being under the bearded oaks. Renita drove and while she struggled a bit with our large truck she did an admirable job and made it down the shaded avenue.
Soon we were crossing marshlands and tidal flats, much like the Louisiana coast. The main visible difference was the elevated boat docks lining the waterways. Here the tidal range is much greater, its the Atlantic Ocean after all, and as we reached Tybee island we spotted the Lighthouse standing proud above the trees.
Renita parked the truck at the Lighthouse parking lot, one of the few places free with a light house tour ticket, It was nice to see the senior rate and as parking on the island costs two dollars an hour it was like getting to see the lighthouse for free. A volunteer described the lighthouse grounds and museum and gave us all a warm welcome to the place.
Heading to the light house we were soon climbing the one hundred and fifty plus steps, pausing at each window to enjoy each view. It was a lot easier than hiking up Clingmans Point, and we quickly reached the top. The access to the Fresno lens was restricted but we were able to walk outside on the circular ledge surrounding the top.
Feeling somewhat acrophobic, (I prefer solid mountain tops to man made structures), I forced myself to look down the Towers side. Renita never made any comments about the height and easily walked along the outside of the narrow metal grate and handrail.
The descent was obviously much easier and after watching a short film of the history of the lighthouse we toured the First Light keepers house. The house has been refurnished with the actual furniture from the last light keeper with all the pieces being classic early twentieth century. One piece really stood out, an art deco clock and radio, and really caught our eye.
Next we headed over to Fort Screven and Tybee Beach. Some of the fort was actually sold and converted to private residences, but we were still able to tour a small museum and stand on top of the fort. .It must have been a dull existence for the men assigned to guard the mouth of the Savannah River.
Walking the beach, Renita commented on the scarcity of shells, but still managed to glean a few pieces for her ever growing collection. Still shells are kind of like rocks, you can never have enough,
and there is always room somewhere in our traveling house.
The last stop of the day was at Fort Pulaski. It was a beautiful example of the last of the brick made forts and was finished only fourteen years before the start of the civil war. Constructed with twenty five million bricks and mortar, it only lasted thirty hours against the Union's new rifled parrot guns.
The rifled Parrot guns had the ability to reach the fort and blasted holes through the thick walls. When one shell passed through the breach and exploded setting fire to the gunpowder magazine, the Confederate commander, who had proudly stated that, 'He had been put in command to defend the fort not to surrender it!", wisely ran up a large white flag.
The Union Commander actually freed the slaves, captured with the Confederate forces, and later enlisted them into the Union forces. It was a bit of history that we had read about but standing in the fort helped us to realize the importance of that decision.
Returning to Savannah we just missed the rush hour traffic It had been a good day, as every day retired has been, and who could ask for more than a day visiting a light house and a day of history in Savannah, Georgia! Clear skies
Good post. We need to spend some time in that area.
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