Today, we woke up in a completely different world on Jekyll Island, GA.
Driftwood Beach
David got a serious case of Helmet Hair on our island bike ride
Yesterday,we visited Stone Mountain in north central Georgia, near Atlanta.
Stone Mountain, with it’s bas relief of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson
Of course we had to climb to the top.
The day-long drive from Stone Mountain to Georgia’s Atlantic coast took us through some pretty depressed areas. As the land flattened and moss appeared hanging from the limbs of trees, we travelled through cotton fields and lots of boarded-up and abandoned buildings. Failed businesses and shuttered factories passed by. Pawn shops and liquor stores ruled the day. Most of the homes still inhabited had wheels. The Sons of Confederate Veterans and multitudinous Baptist churches provided some comfort and maybe a reason to get up in the morning.
Grinding poverty is not a pretty sight. We felt extremely lucky, more so than ever, to be taking a trip like ours. You just never know how people live until you catch a glimpse of it. Night fell on a dismal landscape. My heart goes out to the people of central Georgia…
Approaching the ocean in the dark, you can smell it and feel it even when you can’t see it. The aroma of sea salt and marine life is unmistakable. An arching causeway took us over tidal marshes and the Intracoastal Waterway to Jekyll Island.
It’s so very different finding a place to camp in the dark as opposed to finding a roost in the daylight. So, we stopped in a convenience store and met Tyler, who pointed out the way to the campground.
He was a very poised and articulate young man. He listened to the story of our travels and then told us of his own experiences upon joining a carnival which roamed around the northern US and up into Western Canada. He was a kindred spirit; another traveller discovering that the journey itself is as important as the destination.
Coincidentally, Tyler’s Mom is the campground host on Jekyll Island. Since we knew her son now, we were treated like family and given a lovely, large campsite. Jean was her name; I’m sure she’s kind to everyone in this same way.
David’s early morning walk to the lee side of the island, where the Brunswick River becomes St Simon’s Sound, yielded some awesome photos, like the heron photo at the top of the post, and these:
A dolphin made an appearance in the tidal marsh
– Jane
The Voyage of the Tramper 
That’s one of my favorite new photos of David!
– Jane
You write beautifully, Jane, of these experiences. Larry and I took a very brief trip to Charleston, SC last week. We visited a privately owned but open to the public cotton plantation, too. Spanish moss, cotton fields, tidal flows were indicative of how the farm appeared long ago. They mentioned that dolphin swim in their tidal marsh areas, too. Interesting. Yes, I like your ” favorite new photos of David”, too :0)
You look genuinely happy in this photo, too, Jane-beautiful
I hope you go to Key West. Very bicycle . Maybe find a camp site on Stock Island and go to west end of Duval St. half hour before sundown for memorable celebrations. It’s the “Conch (konk) Republic” You’ll never forget it! I envy you!
just wow – beautiful pictures and descriptions of your travels. lovely!
We are unbelievably blessed to see it all.
Just catching up. Love the heron, but that and the other pics don’t enlarge when clicked. By all means, take a bike ride or a hike rather than fool with those details. 🙂
Every place you mention and I’m immediately off to find it on the map to see where you are. Keep on truckin’!
Thanks, Doug. One of these days, when we’re not biking or hiking, I’d like to post a map of where we’ve been. We’ve had some trouble with photos & slideshows lately. Time to check out Word Press tech support…