February 25, 2011

journey to the sea - savannah

there are not words for me to describe the downtown area of savannah, georgia.  the majestic live oaks draped with the spanish moss, the beautiful buildings, the squares, the fountains, the sense of history...so i will leave you with these shots of my morning.  many stores were not opened with the president's day holiday and i longed to take a road never traveled before.  i don't know that i admitted to myself yet, but this is what my adventure was about - the road never travelled....









out of savannah, i decided to take all rural roads down to the "golden isles" - the sea islands that dot the coasts of georgia (similar to the islands off the coast of north and south carolina) - in this case brunswick, st. simons and jekyll.  i rode along highway 99.  the wonderful thing about taking rural roads.  you might find the world along with you for the ride....


or you could find america's smallest church (so they say).  this precious little church sits along highway 99 between savannah and darien.  under a canopy of live oaks, the one tiny room has beautiful stained glass, one pulpit and maybe eight chairs.  behind the altar are scattered pictures of loved ones with prayer requests, statues and other offerings.  it was a sweet and touching experience to see these.





darien is located along one of the many rivers along the coast - a huge fleet of shrimping boats were docked but i couldn't get close enough for great shots.  this area also had rice plantations and you can see the grasses filling a lot of the low tide areas along the banks of the rivers.

 

for some strange reason i quit taking pictures once i got to brunswick and st. simons.  maybe it was late in the day and i was tired.  the traffic was hectic and heavy - there was construction across high bridges (which wig me out anyway) and i wasn't the daredevil that i was on sunday.  i made my way to the mullet bay seafood restaurant - a popular place as it was quite full even later in the afternoon.  i love sitting at the bars because you meet other people alone.  i chatted with a nice older man about the book i was reading (the happiness project) and to another gentleman who was treating his mother to lunch (he was 65 and she was 90!).  leaving there, i felt the siren call of being on the road.  so, i decided to drive the backroads of georgia....

the problem - the gps decided it was time to quit the quiet roads and kept routing me back to interstate.  finally, in macon - i found highway 80.  but...it was also dark and i decided i was close enough to home and headed that way.  the deer along the highway were beautiful and the dark made it feel as i was alone in the world.  peaceful - quiet - wrapped in dark silk with me and the radio.  life was good...well, until i couldn't find a gas station for a while...but that resolved itself too. 

i made it home - back to montgomery - having seen new places and new things, with a belly full of shrimp. 

life is indeed very good.

25 comments:

  1. nothing like a road-trip, char. my boys and i love to get on the road and listen to the tunes, windows down, wind in our (their) hair, stopping for food, coffee, and of course, the sights. look forward to more snaps.

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  2. Gotta love back roads! They always seem to have the best secrets!

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  3. What charm in that little church. I'd imagine those photos and mementos inside are filled with beautiful, moving stories.

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  4. i have so loved taking this virtual trip with you - your photos have brought so many lovely memories of college for me. grazie, amica! xx

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  5. Nice! Thanks for taking us along!...What? You didn't get a shrimp doggie bag for us?! LOL

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  6. Love your texture shots! I love traveling back roads too. That little church was very touching indeed...lots of conversations with God there, I bet!

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  7. ah shrimp .. your photos .. not necessarily in that order :) .. your trip photos are a window into a very special world ..

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  8. What fabulous photos...seems like you had a wonderful time, yes life is good. :)

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  9. Every kind of beautiful , Char. The very idea of you doing this, the photos, the gorgeous textures and life, and sharing of it .
    Thank you.

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  10. I loved this post, Char. Everything from the tiny church, the hidden roads and the darkness that wrapped itself around you like silk while you drove to the sound of the radio - all of it was a joy to read and see. Beautiful.

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  11. Another blogging friend is traveling there right now! I've never been there, but from your photos, I'd say it's well worth the trip.
    Brenda

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  12. Glad you had a good time. I love this area of the contry so much.

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  13. Your words and photos have set off a yearning in me....I have never traveled alone and I have a feeling it is very fulfilling...Your trip was perfect!

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  14. thanks you guys - yes, i highly recommend traveling alone and exploring. if you do, remember be safe, check in with someone who knows you're on the road, and best of all, have fun

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  15. Oh, that shot of the camellia is gorgeous! That was one of the best things about living in Baton Rouge...the abundance of camellia bushes...and the crape myrtle, and the azaleas, and the magnolias, and the gardenias, and the jasmine. I think it's time for a trip. :)

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  16. We are so going to Savannah!
    What a wonderful trip Char.
    Reading about the Smallest
    Church made me teary eyed.
    What wonderful stories you
    can carry with you. :D

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  17. go girlfriend!!! you are brave, beautiful and loved!!

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  18. Love this little trip, it sounds so refreshing to get away and experience another world for awhile. That little church captures my imagination so. Thanks for sharing your travels!

    xo Mary Jo

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  19. I have so loved traveling vicariously with you! Your voice and your images will stay with me as I spend this rainy day doing housework and dreaming of spring... :)

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  20. I've always wanted to visit Savannah ... now I'm thinking I might need to take the road less traveled as well! Your photos are beautiful (as always) ... and I absolutely adore that red door!

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  21. You are the third blogger I know of that has either gone to Savannah, or is going. The way you describe it makes me long to visit. I've had the house tour bookmarked for almost a year, knowing we couldn't make it, but by some miracle hoping things might change. My husband already knows it's one place we HAVE to visit!

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  22. I'm on my way to Savannah in two weeks. So excited. I really love all the beauty you captured there.

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  23. a change of scenery will always do the soul good. as will the feeling of being alone in the world - with some good music, of course. :-)

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  24. Charlane, this trip sounds so wonderful! I've put a trip to see that little church on my bucket list. Lovely photos!

    Sharon

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i feel as if each comment was between us as we sat and sipped something warm....i love to hear what you're thinking.