Savannah Trip-- Part 4: Trains and History and Kittens

MONDAY, APRIL 8

Trip to Savannah today.  We took a tour of the Savannah Railroad Museum which features a round house and had a nice talk with some people refurbishing an old engine.

Then we walked over to the nearby Savannah Historical Museum which has  a lot of stuff from all ages of the city's past.  Also on the grounds are some of the recreated American Revolution Battle of Savannah where the Polish officer/American General Pulaski was killed.

Today was also the much hyped Day of the Eclipse.  Ed and I didn't have the special glasses so didn't get too see it.  Julie was more fortunate and was with someone who had the glasses so she got to see it.

My sister Julie has established a cat rescue house and was involved with that most of the time I was there.  And, she did her best to get me to adopt one of those kittens and was sorely tempted, I must admit.  She brought two kittens home for me to play with:  Olaf and Daisy, but Daisy looked like one of those Star War Ewoks so that got to be her name.

Still Catless.  --RoadCat

Savannah Trip-- Part 3: A Confederate Fort, Low Country Boil, Church and a New House

SATURDAY, APRIL 6

Ed and I were off to Richmond Hill, Georgia, to the south of Savannah to visit Confederate For McAllister, site of several battles between the fort and Union ironclads as well as the destruction of the CSS Nashville.

We then went by Julie's old house in Richmond Hill.

We feasted in a low country boil which was bought from Wood's Seafood near their house.  We had more than enough for just $25.

SUNDAY, APRIL 7

Went to church with them at a modernistic one near them, then had breakfast at Henry's.  Later took a ride north to Bluffton, South Carolina and did a walk-through of Julie's son's nearly-completed home which is quite a structure.

--RoadGa.

Savannah Trip-- Part 2: All Sorts of History, Records and a Huc-A-Poo

My sister Julie's boyfriend, Ed, really could be my brother from another mother.  We are really a lot alike.  He is a history nut, overly zealous collector and was even a deejay.  I sure did a lot with him while there.

APRIL 4, THURSDAY

A really busy day.  We (that would be Ed and I) went to Parris Island, a huge USMC training base and visited the museum there, then to Fort Fremont, an 1898 battery and drove around Beaufort S.C. and saw the house where the movie "The Big Chill" was filmed then went to the Beaufort National Cemetery and paid our respects at the Confederate section.

Later, we went to a train club meeting at the Savannah Round House and then saw a concert by Ricky Skaggs and his band.

APRIL 5, FRIDAY

This was record store day for us.  We went to Rody's in Savannah where I bought a Delbert McClinton and James Hunter Six CD.  Next was Coastal Records in Wilmington, Ga. (near Tybee Island).  I found out we were close to Huc-A-Poos on Tybee and went there.  Ed had never even heard of it.  Talk about an experience.

Then it was to Julie's cat rescue house and Ed's Ranch where he has a huge model train layout.

--RoadDog

My Trip to Savannah in April

From Wednesday, April 3 to Tuesday, April 9, I flew from Milwaukee to Savannah by way of Atlanta and back for a seven day visit with my sister and her boyfriend.  I hadn't been on a plane for many years, but am thinking of flying more often now.

I am writing more extensively about the trip in my RoadDog's RoadLog blog.

April 3--  Wednesday

It was a rather eventful trip to Savannah and essentially involved all day after the flight out of Milwaukee on Delta was delayed three hours causing me to miss my connection in Atlanta and not getting to Savannah until after midnight.  Way past my bedtime.  This was a hard day of flying, but I will go on another flight.  If you want to know the fun details go to RoadDog's Blog.

--RoadFun

The $3800 Six Mile Auto Trip Nov. 10, the Next Day

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11

And that is considering that since March 16, I haven't driven further than 25 miles from home.  With this virus, it is just no fun to drive anywhere.  We even dropped plans to join family in Savannah, Georgia, this coming Thursday for Thanksgiving.  We had that in the plans for a year and a half.

That storm, as bad as it was, was over in about an hour.

Anyway, the next day, I walked out by the car and saw the garage floor was very wet under the front of the car(perhaps, I thought, from all the rain we had) but there was nothing by the back tires.

I looked at the front of the 2011 Malibu and could see the license plate and holder were a bit bent and he bumper under it was dented as well.  Then I saw a piece of wood jammed in there, but I couldn't loosen it. (Nor could I get the hood up after I pulled the inside lever to do it.  I couldn't find the latch in the engine.)

I started the car, and it started right up.  Backed it out of the garage and drove around a couple blocks.  It ran well.  No warning lights came on either.

Parked it on the driveway which was dry, figuring I would see if it was still leaking.  I went out a few hours later and the driveway was covered with some sort of liquid.

I called our Chevy dealer to have it towed in the next day.

Watch Out for Them Motivating Big Tree Branches.--RoadWreck

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why do we press harder on the remote when we know the batteries are getting weak?

The Last Three Weekends-- Part 1

APRIL 24-26:

 In Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia

FRIDAY, 24th-- was my niece's wedding rehearsal dinner at the Chart Room on the Savannah River and barhopping along Bay Street and, of course, Savannah's Ultimate Dive Bar, Pinkie Master's.

SATURDAY, 25th--  River Street, the wedding at the Isle of Hope Methodist Church and wedding reception, then barhopping.

SUNDAY, 26TH--  Huge traffic jams out to Tybee Island and back.  Toured Fort Pulaski.  Went to another dive bar, Hick-A-Poos on Tybee Island.  Traffic going nowhere on way back, so stuck on the island.  Got a room and did some barhopping.

--RoadDog

Heading to Jacksonville Beaches, Ended Up in St. Augustine

APRIL 27TH, MONDAY:    So much nicer leaving Tybee Island today as the traffic jam was gone.  Drove to Savannah and toured Old Fort Jackson and saw the divers working on the wreck of the CSS Georgia.  Then drove through Savannah along a regular oak tree/Spanish moss tunnel and out to I-95 and took it to Jacksonville, Florida.

We were hoping to find a motel and check out any of the three beaches by the city, but only found two expensive hotels and got back on I-95 and took it to St. Augustine, where we found an NTN place called Mardi Gras and played there.  Decided to stay nearby and got a room at the Howard Johnson's about two buildings down.  Drove around the town and then played NTN at the BW3 (Buffalo Wild Wing).  Paid $5.70 for two Pepsis.  BW3s are EXPENSIVE!!!

Back to the Mardi Gras and watched the Bulls lose their game.

--RoadDog

To Tybee Island, Georgia: Traffic Jams, A Civil War Fort and Stuck On the Island Again

APRIL 26TH:  Met the family at the breakfast area and had a nice long talk before folks started leaving.  Liz and I drove to Tybee Island, the big beach town for the Savannah area.  Unfortunately, most people in the area had the same idea and we sat for a long time in a traffic jam.  Finally got to Fort Pulaski which I toured.  Then more traffic to Tybee Island.

It was so crowded, we decided to leave, but found a place I'd heard about called Huck-A-Poo's and stopped for a drink and decided to eat.  Unfortunately, when we finished and got back on the road, it was nothing but a big parking lot.

After traveling several hundred feet in 30 minutes, we turned around and went back to the island and got a motel for the night.

"Stuck On the Island Again."  --RoadDog

A Wedding in Savannah

AUGUST 25TH:  I had breakfast with the family, starting with Andy, Andrea and kids, then Bob, Mom,Mary and Vicki.  Hard to beat those Holiday Inn Express hot breakfasts.  It was a real family reunion and one of the rare times everyone was together during the wedding.

It started raining and raining so we were stuck in the room and started catching up with blogs and watching huge container ships go by.

Drove out to the Isle of Hope Methodist Church for the wedding, which featured a black choir which was very impressive.

Back to the hotel and then caught a private trolley to the wedding reception near the famous Pirates's House.  They had an excellent band. but it started as soon as the wedding party arrived and played throughout the whole time, making it fairly impossible to talk.   We ended up outside with Andy, Andrea  and kids and eventually Bob.

Another, much worse, thunder storm that just about blew the auxiliary tent over came through.

When the band stopped, we went back to the hotel, changed and then went to Churchill's again.

--RoadDog

To Savannah

APRIL 24TH

Ate at Cook-Out and I had their great (and cheap) bbq plate.  Drove to Savannah from Augusta.  Surprisingly there is no interstate connecting the two cities.

Arrived in Savannah and found the hotel, then drove around.  The squares are very frightening to drive.

Found Savannah's best-known dive bar, Pinkie Msters, and had drinks.

Checked into the Holiday Inn Express on Bay Street downtown and that is where I had the fun and games with that mocking luggage cart (read my RoadDog's RoadLog blog about this).

Had drinks in the hotel bar and then walked over to the Chart House on the river for the rehearsal dinner.  Stopped at JJ Bonerz (a Packer bar) and Churchill's (an English bar) on the way back to the hotel.

--RoadDog

Got 'Dem Old "Statesboro Blues"

JUNE 3RD

We picked up the Dodge Avenger at Enterprise Car Rental at the Savannah Airport.

Took Julie over to her high school to help her clear out her room.  Such a sad time when you retire and have to do that,  Congrats, Julie.

Then drove to Statesboro, Georgia, ate at the Steak 'N Shake and dropped Julie off.

Mom and I drove US-301 through Georgia and into South Carolina.  This road kind of reminded me of Route 66, with towns that have definitely seen better days and lots of older 40s-50s motels, many in advanced stage of deterioration.  .

We were surprised to find a Georgia welcome center at the SC line, but, it wasn't open on Mondays, unfortunately.  Usually welcome centers are on the interstates these days.  I understand that US-301 used to be a major route to Florida, until replaced by I-95.  US-301 was a very scenic drive.  Eventually got on another road and then over to I-95 and north to North Carolina. 

Filled up with gas at a station near Florence, SC, for $3.18 and gas around Savannah was generally $3.25 to $3.30.  Considering that Saturday, gas in Fox Lake, Illinois, hit $4.10 to $4.20 and gas in Wisconsin had jumped from $3.86 to $4 yesterday.  Something needs to be done about the GRBs at Big Oil.

Took I-95 to US-13 and drove to Goldsboro.  We had rain off and on from Florence to Goldsboro.

Pretty Long Day.  --RoadDog