I decided to walk to the Horton House Ruins and from there, I took the Tupelo Trail to Horton Pond. It was a peaceful and lovely walk in the woods. This is a manmade pond that started as a borrow pit for dirt for projects on the island. Over the intervening years, it filled with water and became a habitat for water snakes, turtles, birds, and gators. There have been recent improvements and there is a nice observation deck where I spent some time in the quiet.
At 11am, we took the Jeep and our bikes and drove over the bridge to Brunswick. This is another island in the Golden Isles.
We had read that there was live music at the Mary Ross Waterfront Park from 12-3. We got to the park and there was no music.
We took our bikes and rode through historic Brunswick.
The Municipal Court.
City Hall.
Lots of parks and fountains. This is Hanover Square.
We biked to the marina and then back to the Jeep.
There was live music coming from Bubba Garcia’s; a restaurant across the street. We had lunch there. The music was very good!
While we were biking, Tim spotted a dirt road. Tim cannot resist the temptation of a dirt road and so we went to explore. We saw manatees in the canal, a string of 5. We also saw a brilliant pink pair of roseate spoonbills.
We got back in time for Tim to watch the NASCAR championship. His driver, Denny Hamlin, was so close to winning the race. It was exciting and nerve wracking and then…he didn’t win…heartbreaking.
Tim and I each set out on separate walks this morning.
I walked from the campground and onto the paved path. From there. I took the sandy trail to Driftwood Beach.
I saw this couple getting ready to say their vows.
I walked back to the main trail and that took me across to Clam Creek. I saw Tim approaching from the other direction.
It was a great 3-mile walk. I was able to quicken my pace today. It is taking longer than I anticipated to get back to my pre-injury speed, stamina, and endurance…but I am making progress!
After breakfast, Tim out our bikes on the Jeep and we drove to Oceanview Beach. We took our bikes and went down the ramp and onto the sand. We cycled 3.5 miles to the end of the island. It was so freeing and such a delightful gift to be able to bike on the shore. The wind was at our backs and the hard packed sand was smooth. Tim chose to stay at the water’s edge and I biked at the high tide line.
Tim carried our bikes up a steep set of steps at the Village. We looked for a place to have a late lunch. We decided to travels on the paved path to Tortuga Jack’s. We sat outside with a view of the ocean. We had good food and the best atmosphere.
We didn’t need a big dinner and so I took an apple and Tim took lunch leftovers and we drove to Saint Andrews Beach.
It was high tide and so the beach was tiny. We walked as far as we could.
Ghost crabs.
We climbed onto the observation platform and sat.
We walked the Wanderer Memorial Path. This ship brought more than 400 African people to Jekyll Island in 1858.
We drove to Riverview Park where we sat on a bench and watched the sun go down.
Jekyll Island is 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. On our evening drives yesterday and today we saw a total of more than 20 deer, 7 racoons, and an armadillo!
A shorter than normal walk this morning. I have been walking a lot and today I was stiff and sore. I took it easy.
We went to Publix for a few groceries and then we packed up the RV for moving day. We drove about two hours to Jekyll Island; part of the Golden Isles in southern Georgia.
We settled into our site and I took all the laundry across to the campground laundromat. Two hours later and everything was clean and folded and put away!
Tim and I took our bikes and cycled to Clam Creek and the fishing pier.
We continued on the paved bike path. We found a table on the edge of the marsh and we sat awhile.
This evening, we packed omelet fixings and went back to the picnic area and cooked and ate our dinner.
There were several birds roosting in the trees.
A spoonbill and a stork sharing a tree.
While we were there, we could see the tide change. As the shadows lengthened, the marsh came alive; with squawking and chirping and other sounds deep and low. We could hera the flapping of wings as a flock of ibises passed overhead.
There were no clouds and the sun went down clean and uncomplicated.
1301 October 30, 2025 Owens -Thomas House And Slave Quarters
It was the perfect combination of chilly and sunny this morning. This buck was very intent on his meal of acorns. He didn’t bolt as I walked by. I gave him wide berth and he continued to graze.
Today, we went back to Savannah. The historic district is so vibrant and lovely. Savannah was founded in 1733. It was the first planned city in the US. It was built on ancient Native American burial grounds. This city has a lot of history and it was our goal to learn more about it. We went to the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters. We purchased tickets for the 12:15 tour.
In the orientation room, we perused the timeline for the house. Constructed in 1816-1819, this was the home of the Richardsons. This mansion was built in the neoclassical style.
This plot of land had been designated for a church or school but Mr. Richardson was wealthy enough to purchase the property for his private residence. The orientation room was in the old carriage house. This room also contained a Wall of Names. Richardson and the subsequent owner, Mr. Owens, were both involved in exporting slaves and both had enslaved workers on their many properties. Over 600 enslaved people were kept or moved by these men. This wall has 600 blocks. The names of the known slaves are etched into the wall. The blank blocks of wood represent the other men and women whose names are not known.
We are in Georgia, in the south. As you can imagine, the issue of slavery has deep roots here. This museum did and extremely good job of presenting information in a thoughtful, factual, and non-judgmental way. The language used was carefully chosen…the power of words…
Our tour began in the slave quarters where 6-14 men, women, and children would have shared the space. These West African people were responsible for maintaining the house, the yards, minding the children, doing the laundry, and for preparing lavish feasts for large numbers of guests.
The ceiling in the slave quarters had 17 layers of haint blue paint. West Africans believed that evil spirits could not pass through water. The blue paint was applied as a protection from haints. In rural areas, indigo was used. In urban areas such as Savannah, laundry soap was used to color the whitewash.
This garden area would not have looked like this at the time that the house was used. This area would likely have held clotheslines, chickens, and a kitchen garden.
The privy for use by the enslaved people was also in this courtyard area.
The well was here.
The rooms were richly decorated with lots of attention to detail. How things appeared was very important to the owners of this home.
This residence was the first to have a system of cisterns inside for the purpose of using collected rainwater for indoor plumbing. The cisterns contained thousands of gallons of water and were extremely heavy. In order to accommodate the cisterns, the walls were thick and were fabricated with tabby; a combination of ash, lime, sand, and oyster shells. There was even a water closet with a toilet. Only the family was allowed to use the indoor facilities.
The nursemaids for the children slept in the house on roll up bedding. They had 24-hour responsibility for the care and well being of their charges. Often, when the children were grown, they inherited their caretakers.
The scullery and the kitchen were located in the basement. The enslaved women spent most of their time in these areas.
The men who owned this house were actively involved in slave trade. They did not allow the children of the slaves to be educated. They worked hard to suppress discussion of abolition. Their businesses, wealth, and lifestyles depended on forced labor. Often, the slaves were punished and abused.
This tour explored the mansion from the perspective of the enslaved. It is important to learn from our history. It is possible to see how that history impacts present day race relations. These events did not occur that long ago. I am glad that we went to learn more, to hear the stories, and to gain a better understanding of the complicated relationships here in the south.
After our tour, we wandered back down to the waterfront.
We ate a late lunch on the upper level of Vic’s on the River.
It was windy down on the riverfront. We walked along the shops and stopped for bourbon pecan ice cream.
SCAD is hosting the Savannah Film Festival this week.
It was cloudy and chilly this morning. The dampness was wearing off as I set out for a walk. I walked the campground and then the paved roads in the park. I saw one deer…
And then another appeared.
Tim walked a trail.
This morning, we went to see the University of Georgia Aquarium here on Skidaway Island. This small facility has 13 ocean exhibits featuring marine life from the Georgia Coast.
We saw this pair of seahorses, intertwined and moving together. Most seahorse species are monogamous. They have a daily ritual of dancing through the water. It is thought to be a courtship ritual that may strengthen bonds.
There is a problem with litter in our ocean waters. We could all do better!
Diamondback terrapins are native to this coastal area. They live exclusively in this brackish water.
Oysters are an important part of the ecosystem. They act to filter the water. They also from reeflike structures along the shoreline that help to stabilize the land.
Blue crabs live here as well.
Watching fish swim is so soothing.
Lionfish have venomous spines. They are an invasive species with no natural predators. As they feed and their numbers increase, they can affect populations of other fish in a habitat.
We walked the nature trail.
This huge live oak is more than 300 years old. In 1950, scientists reinforced the tree with steel rods and cables to prevent it from being damaged by high winds.
I took a bike ride this afternoon. I cycled out of the park and saw a sign for a prayer labyrinth at the Methodist church. I walked the path and as I walked I made a mental list of all of the things that I am grateful for. A spiritual experience.
This evening, we took a picnic dinner to the Rodney Hall Boat Ramp. We finally have some blue sky and some peeks of sunshine!
We enjoyed our meal and then walked around the park.
We were surprised to read on an educational panel that there are manatees in the Skidaway River. We had no idea that manatees came this far north! As we were standing on the pier, we saw a manatee surface in the water…how cool is that!
The clouds were too dense at the horizon at sunset but the sky was beautiful before that.
The weather in Tybee Island had not been ideal. There are beautiful beaches and I had yet to walk there because of the wind and rain. This morning it was in the mid-fifties. It was damp and the wind was still blowing. I was determined to get out on the beach and walk. I found a boardwalk that took me over the marsh and onto a sandy path.
The swallows were still there. Thousands of birds. They are migrating and this marsh and lagoon area is perfect for feeding and bathing. They are really mesmerizing. They dive and soar. Their movements are graceful and ballet like.
When I got back to the campground, I got us ready to move. Today we had a 45-minute drive to Skidaway Island. We got settled in our new home and then went to Publix for some groceries. After lunch, I actually took a nap. Tim did also and then he left to ride his bike. He was gone when I got up. I listened to my audiobook until it was time to make dinner. It was 58 degrees and so Tim decided to make a campfire. I grilled shrimp and we ate outside…warm and toasty!
Tim was awake very early. I heard him get up but it was still dark outside. I rolled over and went back to sleep. I woke up after 8am. It was grey and misty. It has rained during the night and the forecast was for rain today. Tim got all of his stretching done and he went to the gym. He returned and e left for his walk. I was slow moving but I finally got out there to walk. I didn’t finish because it began to rain…just a little at first and then it really rained. I had no umbrella. I got wet! I tried to take shelter on the porch of the police department.
This hawk was hunting in the dunes.
The squirrels scrambled about in the branches of the live oak tree above our site. The acorns ping against the roof at regular intervals. Tim thinks that maybe the squirrels are collecting the acorns and carrying them back up into the tree to drop them again. At night, the squirrels settle and the pinging becomes occasional.
We wanted to drive to Savannah today but there was drenching rain for much of the morning. I looked up stuff to do in Savannah on a rainy day. Because it was Monday, our options were limited. We decided to drive into the city anyway and we took our raincoats and umbrellas.
It took a little while to find parking. We walked toward the riverfront. We love historic Savannah. It is a city full of parks with fountains and huge old trees dripping with Spanish moss. There are beautiful old buildings. Many of the streets are cobblestone, made of the stones used as ballast in the ships that came here from Europe. The red bricks that were used to construct many of the old houses were fashioned here in Savannah with sand from the shore and red Georgia clay. The riverfront area has lots of shopping and dining choices. We walked for a long time, wandering through the market place, along the river, and in and out of shops. There was some intermittent drizzle but not enough to stop us. We stopped for a late lunch at Huey’s and it rained while we enjoyed our meals. The rain had abated by the time we were ready to walk back to the Jeep.
Tim saw this woman having trouble negotiating the steep and slippery steps. He ran to assist. The other day, he helped a young mother carry her baby in the stroller down the steps in Charleston. He is always quick to step up and help…a gentleman!
We had a nice afternoon…better than we thought!
This evening was damp and chilly. We had a small snack for our dinner. Then, I sat bundled in a blanket!
This morning it was very windy. Tim chose to take his walk on the beach. I walked to the beach ramp but I found it too windy to walk out there. There was a huge flock of thousands of swallows swooping and soaring.
I made my way to the lighthouse.
The lightkeepers house.
I walked to Jaycee Park.
I love these giant and twisted and gnarled live oak trees.
Turtles around town.
Wood stork.
I spent a large part of the day catching up with family. I talked to my mom, my sister, my aunt, and my uncle. I also worked to puzzle together reservations for the next week or two and then also planned a trip to Stone Mountain in mid-November. Then, I worked to make reservations for January at Florida RV parks.
This evening, we had tickets to a comedy show: Jeff Allen – The Human Condition: We’re Still Not There Yet at the Tybee Post Theater. He calls his show a story of brokenness, addiction, redemption, and hope. He spoke his own truths about life and love and marriage and he was very funny. I did not agree with everything he said. There were moments that made me cringe. I am not sure it is possible to go listen to a comedian and not have something strike a nerve. His message though was honest and positive and clean and we enjoyed his show.
We went to Sting Ray’s for dinner. We shared mussels. Tim had fish tacos and I had a fabulous softshell sandwich.
Happy Birthday, Kyle! We love you and we are so proud of you!
This morning, I walked on the Spanish Moss Trail.
We left Beaufort at about 10:30am. We had a short drive to Tybee Island. We traveled on 95S from South Carolina and into Georgia. The campground gave us very specific directions so that we could avoid the congestion and low hanging trees in Savannah. Finally, we were on the Tybee Scenic Route.
We arrived in early afternoon. It was very windy. Tim wanted to go for a bike ride. Unfortunately, his tire was front tire was flat…again!!! He found a bike shop nearby and he left to get his tire repaired…again!!! When he got back, he cycled to the water’s edge. He saw this container ship headed to the Savannah Harbor. There is a warning in the campground brochure. These large ships can produce huge waves that can come ashore and cause harm.
I spent the day doing domestic stuff. I put oatmeal in a crockpot and then took all of the laundry to the campground laundromat. When I finished, I grilled chicken, roasted butternut squash, and made quinoa bowls for dinner. I prepped some turkey meatballs for later in the week and boiled some eggs. Then it was time to clean up the gigantic mess and put away the clean clothes. Sometimes, its is nice just to have a normal day and do normal stuff.
