Amelia Island, Florida

On Monday we arrived in Florida and made camp at Fort Clinch State Park. The park is on Amelia Island which is the northeastern corner of Florida. We are across the St. Mary's river from Georgia. There are two campgrounds in the park. One is on the Atlantic beach the other is on the river side. We drove around yesterday to explore the island which is about ten miles long. The city of Fernandina is an old historic port town that has a nice central area with shops and restaurants. We walked the town and took pictures of some of the old homes and buildings. The island also has lots of exclusive resorts and beautiful neighborhood developments with very nice homes. Plenty of golfing too in the interior of the island.

At the northern tip of the island Westrock Corporation operates a huge paper and packaging plant. This looks like it must be the biggest employer on the island. Lots of trucks hauling logs in to be processed and ships waiting to be loaded.

One of the cargo ships at the plant.

This building is the customs and port authority. Looks like it's been here awhile.

Well shiver me timbers. An old pirate in Fernandina.

A bit of history from the area. Amelia Island has been under many flags over the centuries. French and Spanish from the 1500's to British in the early 1700's. Then  during the revolutionary war ownership ceded to Mexico and finally back to the U.S. since the early 1800's.

Low tide in the harbor. Floating docks compensate for the six foot tides in the area.

Waiting for the water to come back.

A view down main street in historic Fernandina.

Lots of historic buildings and homes from the mid 1800's.

Live oaks at the park. Amelia Island has thousands of these old trees. 

Looking across the marsh at the Amelia Island Lighthouse. (center above the treetops). 

A closer look.

Still at Skidaway Island

Skidaway Island State Park is a great place to set up a camp to explore the Savannah area. Not far from the city and close to Tybee Island for additional exploring. On Sunday we visited Fort Pulaski which sits at the tip of Cockspur Island separating the south and north channels of the Savannah River as it enters from the Atlantic Ocean. At Tybee Island, across the South Channel, there is a cool beach town that is built on the ocean. Lots of history here, as well as a big beach and fishing pier. During the civil war the union army set up cannons on the beach at Tybee to take down Fort Pulaski and gain entrance to Savannah and the river. Today the island is a beach community with a bustling business area, resort hotels and quaint neighborhoods.

Still at Savannah's riverfront, we enjoyed the old buildings and maritime atmosphere. 

We took a ferry boat ride across the river to the convention center and them back to the east end of the port area.

This monument was dedicated to the African American soldiers who fought during the civil war in Savannah. There was also a monument to all U.S. veterans who fought during our 21'st century wars.  

City market in downtown spans three blocks and has lots of shops. cafes, and live entertainment.

A memorial to Casimer Pulaski who was a polish immigrant in the early 1800's who came to the U.S. for the love of freedom. 

On Sunday we explored Fort Pulaski National Monument east of town. This was one of a series of forts that was built by the US government in the mid 1800's to protect our waterways from foreign invasion. 

A view of the fort. The earthen mound were built to sheild the fort and hide it from the sea. 

Inside were cannons and the yard where the soldiers carried out their routines.

This is one of the best preserved and refurbished forts in the country even though it sustained heavy damage in the civil war. The CCC was responsible for a lot of the renovation.

The end of our stay at Skidaway Island.

Savannah Georgia (continued)

Walking around Savannah there is so much to see and do. It's hard not to snap photos at every turn and just marvel at the art and architecture. I think about what the city must have been like a hundred and eighty years ago. 

The building across the street say's "Arts" on the awning. Not to be confused with Art's in Glen Arbor.

The city squares contain monuments and landscaping to draw you in. 

Modern tours take tourists on explorations of the city.

And there are slower paced means of touring as well.

History abounds.

Walking through the cemetery was another interesting time. This man was born four days after our country declared it's independance! 

Some of the tombs resembled beds with their occupants snoozing comfortably.

Outside the Savannah Police department. 

This was my favorite front porch on one of the old historic homes. 

River Street along the Savannah River. This is among the busiest ports in the country. Huge container ships move past daily. The old buildings were a bustling port center nearly two centuries ago. 

The Georgia Queen offers dinner cruises and sightseeing on the river.

Another view down River Street. 

Savannah Georgia

Our second time visiting Savannah we took a day to walk around and visit a couple of the restaurants. This is a beautiful city full of history and beautiful city parks plus a historic port along the Savanna River.

We walked the streets of Savannah and enjoyed the historic homes, city squares, churches and old neighborhoods of the city. Many of the historic places have markers in front that tell their story and give the year of relevance. 

The old historic homes are magnificent and huge. The buildings have been well maintained over the past nearly two centuries.

The designers of the city set aside land for city squares or parks throughout the neighborhoods.

A view of the historic buildings along Whitaker Street. 

Brownstone houses and cobblestone streets give the area a wonderful colonial flair. 

A marker for Pulaski Square. Casimer Pulaski was a soldier from Poland that came to the United States and died fighting for the freedom he revered in this country. There is a fort named after him on Tybee Island near Savanna. 

I found this boar wearing a Christmas hat in front of a beautiful white brick home. 

And what a home it is!

The artwork and detail in one of the fountains was incredible.

An Forsythe Park Animal hospital built in the 1840's

Another example of the elegant architecture of the houses in Savannah. This one is available and can be viewed on the Seabolt real estate website. 

There were several old churches that were some of the first churches of their denomination in the country.

The first Synagogue in Georgia.