Old Dominion

"Sweet, sweet Virginia always keeps an open door"

11/12/15

Left Savannah for the final trek home because honestly, I'm a little tired of driving around. Decided to still stop by Congaree National Park in SC even though it was flooded. After weaving around some closed roads due to flooding and storm damage, made it to the park and saw the floodplain swamp forest in "action." Continued on from there to my parents' house in southwestern VA. And with this, the epic road-trip is done! Now I need to figure out where I want to live and what I'm going to do with my life from here...

floodplain swamp at work

floodplain swamp at work

yeah, the boardwalk was under water...

floodplain swamp at work

the boardwalk was blocked this direction because of a downed tree

I disagree with this Mosquito Meter reading "All Clear" since I got at least 3 mosquito bites while there

"When you're talking home you mean the Old Dominion"

Leg 5 from Monument, CO to Burnt Chimney, VA
Miles Traveled: 3,831.6 via car

Starting Point: Savannah, GA --> Congaree National Park (SC)
Ending Point: Burnt Chimney, VA
Miles Traveled: 476.4


Total Miles Traveled During This Trip: 19,568.4 via my car, ~822.5 via another car/truck, ~143.5 via boat, 17.8 via cog (train), 5.34 via aerial tram

Other Totals: 322.04 miles walked, 1,993 floors climbed, would've paid $384 in national park entrance fees without the Interagency Annual Pass (paid $80 for the pass)


~Elizabeth/Lizzi/ET/Country


all photos copyright 2015 Elizabeth M. Turner

Georgia On My Mind

"Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind"

11/10/15

Visited several places today:

• Bonaventure Cemetery - historic old cemetery with some interesting people buried there including:
• Johnny Mercer - Academy-award winning lyricist, singer/songwriter/composer, and founder of Capitol Records
• John Walz - sculptor of stone architectural sculptures and relief ornaments for many of Savannah's public buildings, and funerary monuments
• Gracie Watson - 6 y/o girl who died from pneumonia in April 1889. Her father had John Walz sculpt a life-size statue of her for her grave. Some say that she can be seen playing in Johnson Square...
• Fort Pulaski National Monument - in 1862 during the Civil War, the Union Army successfully tested rifled cannon in combat making brick fortifications obsolete. It was also used as a prisoner-of-war camp. The fort was engineered by Robert E. Lee.
• Tybee Island - went by the lighthouse, but it was closed on Tuesdays. Walked out to the beach to enjoy the sound of the ocean.

Went by Wormsloe Historic Plantation, but got there after they closed; I did get to see their famous driveway, though, through the gates (kinda' too dark for a good picture, though).

Bonaventure Cemetery

John Walz's grave & his family's

Gracie Watson's grave (sculpture by John Walz)

the fence around Gracie's gravesite

Johnny Mercer's grave

bench by Johnny Mercer's grave

at Fort Pulaski

the island has become much larger than it was when the fort was built due to dredging of the river and dumping on the island

Tybee Island Lighthouse

Tybee Island Lighthouse

Starting Point: Savannah, GA --> Tybee Island, GA
Ending Point: Savannah, GA
Miles Traveled: 64.3


11/11/15

Did some walking around downtown Savannah after meandering my way around the Veterans' Day Parade route. Visited St. John's Episcopal Church, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Juliette Gordon Low's Birthplace, Cracked Earth Monument (WWII Memorial), Moon River Brewing Co (supposedly haunted), and walked along the water down River St. Went to dinner at Crystal Beer Parlor and then passed by the Mercer-Williams House.

Veterans' Day Parade

inside St. John's Episcopal Church

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

inside the cathedral - it had to be rebuilt after a fire in 1898

inside the cathedral - it had to be rebuilt after a fire in 1898

posthumous Medal of Freedom

Savannah River

Savannah River

Cracked Earth Monument (WWII Memorial)

Cracked Earth Monument (WWII Memorial)

Savannah River Queen

Mercer-Williams House

Starting Point: Savannah, GA
Ending Point: Savannah, GA
Miles Traveled: 30.2


Total Miles Traveled Thus Far: 19,092 via my car, ~822.5 via another car/truck, ~143.5 via boat, 17.8 via cog (train), 5.34 via aerial tram


~Elizabeth/Lizzi/ET/Country


all photos copyright 2015 Elizabeth M. Turner

Long Time Gone

"Me, I've been a long time gone."

11/6/15

During the drive yesterday, the car had some crazy warning lights come on (after 5p, of course). Took the car by a Subaru place this morning, and they were too busy to look at it, but said that combination of lights could mean one of the sensors was "malfunctioning"; the car was "safe to drive", though, just no cruise control. Pretty much drove all day to Daytona to stay with some family. Made an appointment to have the car looked at tomorrow...it's due for an oil change anyway...

Starting Point: Navarre, FL
Ending Point: Daytona Beach, FL
Miles Traveled: 434.4


11/7/15

The dealership's not sure why those lights came on, but reset the computer so they're no longer on. Visited Ponce de Leon Inlet and the lighthouse (Florida's tallest lighthouse). Also went by Daytona Beach Brewing Company.

Halifax River

Halifax River

looking out at the Atlantic Ocean from the top of the lighthouse

looking out at the inlet from the top of the lighthouse

looking down at all the stairs in the lighthouse

looking up at all the stairs in the lighthouse - 203 steps

the lighthouse - 175' high, completed in 1887

Starting Point: Daytona Beach, FL
Ending Point: Daytona Beach, FL
Miles Traveled: 23.1


11/8/15

Hung around with the family that I came to Daytona to visit.

Starting Point: Daytona Beach, FL
Ending Point: Daytona Beach, FL


11/9/15

Left Daytona and went to St. Augustine. Visited Fort Matanzas National Monument and Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Continued on to Savannah to stay with a family friend.

Do you see the little crab?

Fort Matanzas

Inside the fort

The view from atop the fort

The view from atop the fort

The view from Castillo de San Marcos

These little guys are everywhere in FL

Starting Point: Daytona Beach, FL --> St. Augustine, FL
Ending Point: Savannah, GA
Miles Traveled: 221.6


Total Miles Traveled Thus Far: 18,997.5 via my car, ~822.5 via another car/truck, ~143.5 via boat, 17.8 via cog (train), 5.34 via aerial tram


~Elizabeth/Lizzi/ET/Country


all photos copyright 2015 Elizabeth M. Turner