Today we visited Fernandina Beach, which is the historic part of Amelia.
It has a very quaint main street, with lots of twee shops, though many seemed to have a 60's feel to them, as though here was the end of the line for hippies who had dropped out of the all the places that unconventional hippies drop out to.
There were shops that had decorated VW microbuses, a cigar shop that had a range of rock and folk guitars, a drug store that had gone straight, even the tour trolley bus was called Polly. The whole place was very 'cool man' (I think so anyway), in a nice way. The oldest house in the 'Historic district' was 1860, only just Anti-Bellum. We had a great time doing the walking tour, everyone is so laid back. The Chamber of Commerce lady took time to chat and tell us about her vacation in Las Vegas, but also gave us a whole heap of information booklets and maps, there was even one for the famous Amelia Island Lighthouse. The Trolley Man wasn't even at his trolley, a local lady said that he was probably gassing and gossiping somewhere, but would be back soon, the trolley eventually passed us about half an hour late. Even a driver stopped for a conversation when Sally and I were undecided about crossing a road. He just waited for us to make up our mind. A local passer-by stopped and gave us a mini life history of how he had ended up in Amelia. The guy in the Indian Trading Post Tobacco Store chatted for a good while about the range of second hand guitars he had, which were very nice.
After our wander we went to see the Famous Amelia Island Lighthouse. You would think that lighthouses would be easy to see, since they are built big and bright and are designed to be easily seen. Well not this one. We drove round for a bit (it was on the pretty maps we had) and eventually drove onto a housing area, in a back street, between two houses, behind some trees. But it was closed, the pretty maps didn't tell us what the Famous Amelia Island Lighthouse Pamphlet did tell us, but it was in the small print, so we did not notice. It had been closed for several decades awaiting renovation. It was to be opened again sometime soon - we decided not to wait.
All in all Amelia Island is a lovely place. It is a resort at the end of a road which goes nowhere but Amelia Island, which makes it very quiet and peaceful. Very nice.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Amelia Island sunrise
Got out this morning early. Boy was it cold!!!!!!
Which reminds me of a poem I have written
"the Sky is blue,
The sea is cold
It wrinkles my skin
Before I get Old!
But I think the results were worth it.
Which reminds me of a poem I have written
"the Sky is blue,
The sea is cold
It wrinkles my skin
Before I get Old!
But I think the results were worth it.
Amelia Island - Thursday
Having arrived back in Florida we have camped at Fort Clinch State Park, about as far north as you can get in Florida, and it feels it. This morning (Friday) I got up early to take pics. of the dawn and there was a biting North wind, you could feel the Canadian prairies in it (Does Canada have prairies?), I am getting ahead of myself here. We are always trying to rest, relax and do nothing, however we get bored and interesting things appear, so we do them. On Thursday we had a quick look at the beach, which was as interesting as sand dunes and a sandy beach, which stretches for miles can be. I walked along the water line a bit, picked up a couple of giant pink barnacle shells, a conch, saw a jelly fish, some King Crabs, pelicans, then an Osprey stooping to catch a fish. The damage caused by Fay (as informed by the Ranger) was evident in the eroded dunes. While Sally watched from a bench very conveniently placed at the end of the boardwalk. Very pleasant.
In the afternoon we wandered over to Fort Clinch, which is a very well preserved 19 C fort in the state park. We tagged on to a group of OSHER students (a bit like our University of the Third Age) as they were given a guided tour by a weather beaten old sargeant from the civil war. He was a most excellent guide. He gave us a real insight into life in the fort, transporting us back 1864 when the New York Corps of Engineers liberated the fort from the confederates. He gave us lots of detail about the rations, clothes, the place of women in the fort, the hospital and the jail. Very informative, one of the best tours we have had (and we have donea few this vacation).
It had been a very clear and sunny day and relatively warm, so after a 'cup' of chilli we lit a camp fire and sat out for an hour or two. Planning our day for Friday when we would assault the main street of Historic Fernandina.
In the afternoon we wandered over to Fort Clinch, which is a very well preserved 19 C fort in the state park. We tagged on to a group of OSHER students (a bit like our University of the Third Age) as they were given a guided tour by a weather beaten old sargeant from the civil war. He was a most excellent guide. He gave us a real insight into life in the fort, transporting us back 1864 when the New York Corps of Engineers liberated the fort from the confederates. He gave us lots of detail about the rations, clothes, the place of women in the fort, the hospital and the jail. Very informative, one of the best tours we have had (and we have donea few this vacation).
It had been a very clear and sunny day and relatively warm, so after a 'cup' of chilli we lit a camp fire and sat out for an hour or two. Planning our day for Friday when we would assault the main street of Historic Fernandina.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Smallest Church in America
On Wednesday as said goodbye to Savannah and travelled South. We turned off I95 onto the 17 to visit a little place called South Newport which has a little wayside church, when I say little I mean "very small". It will hold a congregation of 12, plus the minister. It has stained glass windows and an alter and lectern. It measures 15 and 10 feet.
It is a little bit of peace in a noisy world. Well worth the small detour for a visit and a good place for a picnic (benches are provided).
Over the last couple of weeks I have been amazed at the size of the estuaries and islands that stretch from North Carolina to Jacksonville. It is a huge flat area that has amazing animals and plants as well as a fascinating history.
I have uploaded some pictures I have taken recently.
We made Amelia Island in good time and were able to get a beach site at Fort Clinch State Park.
It is cold, but bright blue skies and a blazing sun make it feel much better.
We have done a touch of shopping and are ready to tackle all that Amelia Island has to offer.
It is a little bit of peace in a noisy world. Well worth the small detour for a visit and a good place for a picnic (benches are provided).
Over the last couple of weeks I have been amazed at the size of the estuaries and islands that stretch from North Carolina to Jacksonville. It is a huge flat area that has amazing animals and plants as well as a fascinating history.
I have uploaded some pictures I have taken recently.
We made Amelia Island in good time and were able to get a beach site at Fort Clinch State Park.
It is cold, but bright blue skies and a blazing sun make it feel much better.
We have done a touch of shopping and are ready to tackle all that Amelia Island has to offer.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Chillesville in Savannah and a trip round the world!
We have spent a couple of days chilling out, in more ways than one (temp down near freezing at night). Yesterday we just stayed around the campground, went for a short walk to the nature area, saw a Pot Bellied Woodpecker having a go at a dead pine.
Today we had another lazy day, this afternoon we took a quick look in the local Target.
A local celebrated feature in Savannah suburbia is the Savannah Mortgage Company. "Who?" you say "Why?" you say. Well this company has enabled me to go round the world in one day, well in about 2 minutes. "How?" you say. In their back yard there is an enormous propane gas tank, about 10 metres in diameter. It is completely spherical. The have had the bright idea of painting a map of the world on to it. So it sits there as an enormous globe. So when we visited it I was able to walk right round the world!! Oh what fun.
We found his attraction on an interesting website called Roadside America.
Tomorrow we leave for Amelia Island, once more in Florida.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Savannah on a Sunday
Today the sun rose into a clear blue sky. It was fresh, but bright.
Today we went back into Savannah to walk around a bit.
Parking is free on a weekend. We parked and started our DIY tour by going to the City Market - oh, it must be Coffee Time. We stopped at the Savannah Candy Store, which also sold coffee and cakes. Sally had, no, ordered, an apple muffin. I ordered a piece of Pecan Toffee Cheesecake, mmm, or rather, mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm and 'Can we have a box please, for the other half of the piece of cheesecake and Sally's muffin as well. It was enormous, I don't think that the woman could get more than five pieces from a full cheesecake, and it was about 4 inches deep, in five layers, separated by toffee, encrusted with sugar roasted pecans. Oh! was it good. AND, only cost $3.00 !!! The highlight of my holiday.
We strolled pleasantly down to the Riverside and looked at the river cruises, on the fancy (but false) paddle steamers. I noticed a little tug like boat tie up and Lo, it was a ferry (fond memories of the 'deal of the decade' when we took the Staten Island Ferry out of New York in 1978 for 25c). On enquiring the ferry across the Savannah River was Free! So we strolled down the riverside walk and then took the ferry back up the river. It was delightful and a great way to see the waterfront.
We started a short walk through the squares. Near to Oglethorpe Square is the Lewis Theater and we stopped for lunch at a fairly pretentious bistro on Broughton and Abercorn St. Continuing on we really appreciated the buildings that we saw, they were old and often beautiful. The highlight for me was Chippewa Square. It is here, on the north side that they filmed the bench scenes for Forrest Gump, very deep moment here. This was a very pleasant day, very relaxed.
We both have decided that we like Savannah a lot and would recommend it for a visit to anybody.
Today we went back into Savannah to walk around a bit.
Parking is free on a weekend. We parked and started our DIY tour by going to the City Market - oh, it must be Coffee Time. We stopped at the Savannah Candy Store, which also sold coffee and cakes. Sally had, no, ordered, an apple muffin. I ordered a piece of Pecan Toffee Cheesecake, mmm, or rather, mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm and 'Can we have a box please, for the other half of the piece of cheesecake and Sally's muffin as well. It was enormous, I don't think that the woman could get more than five pieces from a full cheesecake, and it was about 4 inches deep, in five layers, separated by toffee, encrusted with sugar roasted pecans. Oh! was it good. AND, only cost $3.00 !!! The highlight of my holiday.
We strolled pleasantly down to the Riverside and looked at the river cruises, on the fancy (but false) paddle steamers. I noticed a little tug like boat tie up and Lo, it was a ferry (fond memories of the 'deal of the decade' when we took the Staten Island Ferry out of New York in 1978 for 25c). On enquiring the ferry across the Savannah River was Free! So we strolled down the riverside walk and then took the ferry back up the river. It was delightful and a great way to see the waterfront.
We started a short walk through the squares. Near to Oglethorpe Square is the Lewis Theater and we stopped for lunch at a fairly pretentious bistro on Broughton and Abercorn St. Continuing on we really appreciated the buildings that we saw, they were old and often beautiful. The highlight for me was Chippewa Square. It is here, on the north side that they filmed the bench scenes for Forrest Gump, very deep moment here. This was a very pleasant day, very relaxed.
We both have decided that we like Savannah a lot and would recommend it for a visit to anybody.
Saturday in Savannah
Charleston and Savannah should be similar. They are both river mouth(ish) ports, both were established at about the same time, by the British settlers. They are no more than 100 miles apart. they have both been rebuilt several times. They have the same climate, they are both built on flat land (well Savannah almost is). Yet they are completely different.
Charleston grew organically, building outwards from a small walled town, always conscious that it was on a peninsula and land would always be at a premium. Savannah appears to have been built to a plan. It has a layout that, like a crystal lattice, ensures that the city is timeless and tranquil. Charleston is normal, it is Savannah that is strange. Instead of basing the town on the normal central crossroads, with a town square and roads parallel to the main thoroughfares its civic leaders laid out a matrix of about 30 small squares, each no more than 60 yards on each side. Each square is laid out with trees or gardens, each is surrounded by a road, houses, shops, banks, churches and civic buildings are built around he squares. The squares are about 100 yards from each other and are linked to the next by narrow roads. The effect of this is that even with the advent of the car you cannot move rapidly through the town, you have to keep negotiating these squares, driving round them to continue on the road of your choice. Every 100 yards, in any direction, you will come to a cool, shady, square, which you can walk through, or sit in, as you wish. There are, to be fair, a number of through roads which are threaded between the squares, but the feel of the place is dominated by the squares. We spent several hours wandering from square to square, each one different, each one surrounded by historic buildings. It was clean and tidy, a great pleasure to be in. I was reminded of the the nicer back streets of Paris, or Amsterdam.
On Saturday,when we first arrived we took a trolley ride to get ourselves oriented, no more carriages after the Charleston experience (just as well as it poured with rain half-way round the tour). This was great fun and very informative.
Charleston grew organically, building outwards from a small walled town, always conscious that it was on a peninsula and land would always be at a premium. Savannah appears to have been built to a plan. It has a layout that, like a crystal lattice, ensures that the city is timeless and tranquil. Charleston is normal, it is Savannah that is strange. Instead of basing the town on the normal central crossroads, with a town square and roads parallel to the main thoroughfares its civic leaders laid out a matrix of about 30 small squares, each no more than 60 yards on each side. Each square is laid out with trees or gardens, each is surrounded by a road, houses, shops, banks, churches and civic buildings are built around he squares. The squares are about 100 yards from each other and are linked to the next by narrow roads. The effect of this is that even with the advent of the car you cannot move rapidly through the town, you have to keep negotiating these squares, driving round them to continue on the road of your choice. Every 100 yards, in any direction, you will come to a cool, shady, square, which you can walk through, or sit in, as you wish. There are, to be fair, a number of through roads which are threaded between the squares, but the feel of the place is dominated by the squares. We spent several hours wandering from square to square, each one different, each one surrounded by historic buildings. It was clean and tidy, a great pleasure to be in. I was reminded of the the nicer back streets of Paris, or Amsterdam.
On Saturday,when we first arrived we took a trolley ride to get ourselves oriented, no more carriages after the Charleston experience (just as well as it poured with rain half-way round the tour). This was great fun and very informative.
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Country round Charleston
I can understand why the rich and well to do moved into Charleston. I cannot really understand why they stayed there. On Wednesday and Thursday we took time to visit the area surrounding Charleston.
On Wednesday we visited the oldest plantation house, Drayton Hall, which dates from around 1740. The hall is now empty, but an excellent guide showed us many interesting features of the house and provided some of its history. we really enjoyed this visit. The grounds were also very attractive, with a long river frontage. This visit opened up a new world of the use of archecture and interior design as a means to explain and define the purpose and status of the house and each room. I must investigate this further.
Thursday was supposed to be a quiet day, so we visited a local, small, nature reserve. The Caw-Caw Interpretative Center. This park is based on an old rice plantation and still has the visible remains of the rice fields and irrigation system. The production of rice is an important and integral part of the history of South Carolina and the growth and development of the plantation culture. I may return to say more of it later.
The production of rice in eastern USA collapsed when cotton became more profitable around 1800. So the rice fields, which though they were fresh water, were constructed as part of the the estuaries of the area, were often abandoned as they could not be used to grow anything else. Because they were fresh water they became swamps. This park shows how the habitat has changed over the last 200 years. It is very tranquil and beautiful. We saw a large alligator (saw is not really the correct word, it was sunning itself across the path, forcing us to retrace our steps) and a large snake sat in the fork of a tree. A very pleasant park,well away form the bustle of Charleston.
On Wednesday we visited the oldest plantation house, Drayton Hall, which dates from around 1740. The hall is now empty, but an excellent guide showed us many interesting features of the house and provided some of its history. we really enjoyed this visit. The grounds were also very attractive, with a long river frontage. This visit opened up a new world of the use of archecture and interior design as a means to explain and define the purpose and status of the house and each room. I must investigate this further.
Thursday was supposed to be a quiet day, so we visited a local, small, nature reserve. The Caw-Caw Interpretative Center. This park is based on an old rice plantation and still has the visible remains of the rice fields and irrigation system. The production of rice is an important and integral part of the history of South Carolina and the growth and development of the plantation culture. I may return to say more of it later.
The production of rice in eastern USA collapsed when cotton became more profitable around 1800. So the rice fields, which though they were fresh water, were constructed as part of the the estuaries of the area, were often abandoned as they could not be used to grow anything else. Because they were fresh water they became swamps. This park shows how the habitat has changed over the last 200 years. It is very tranquil and beautiful. We saw a large alligator (saw is not really the correct word, it was sunning itself across the path, forcing us to retrace our steps) and a large snake sat in the fork of a tree. A very pleasant park,well away form the bustle of Charleston.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Today we are impressed
Today was one of the highlights of the holiday. A visit to Fort Sumter. A nice ride on a little cruise ship and an hour on the fort that saw the start of the Civil War in 1861. It was fascinating to hear, read and see the story of the fort, not just when Major Anderson was forced to surrrender the fort at the start of the war, but also how the confederates held the fort against the might of the Union navy for nearly two years, to keep the symbol of their struggle. What was easily gained, without a single fatality was not so easily kept. In the end the confederates abandoned the fort, in favour of more important objectives. So there never was a military victory for the Union, despite firing up to 10,000 rounds of canon and large rifle fire from three other forts and 9 ironclad vessels.
When we returned to Charleston we had a little walk to some of the very fine houses to the north of the old town walls. The pleasant weather made this a very nice day.
When we returned to Charleston we had a little walk to some of the very fine houses to the north of the old town walls. The pleasant weather made this a very nice day.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Charleston's chance to impress
So today was Charleston’s chance to impress and ignite our enthusiasm.
Shame was, for me it didn’t really. There were lots of beautiful buildings, but I don’t think we got to the stories behind the houses.
There were endless leafy avenues with oak, or magnolia or palmetto.
On reflection I think that here is too much. I couldn't get the whole picture of what Charleston is about, so felt left out, unable to find ‘It’ that makes Charleston so famous and well loved by all who visit.
We had decided that after the fun of the carriage ride in Wilmington we would have another in Charleston, to set the scene. What we were not prepared for was the industry that carriage rides have become in Charleston. Having found the carriage area we found our first problem - parking. When we had sorted that we approached the carriages, which were pulled up like a taxi rank, however to get to the front we had to pass a number of people who were trying to sell us tickets for their companies carriage – a bit like Star Maps in L.A., or coach tours in Las Vegas, Time Shares in Atlantic City. They had you as the Mark, you were the idiot tourist. They were in control of what we were going to do – I don’t like that. So we fought off the touts and duly went to the front carriage and asked him if he was available, ‘yes’ he said, ‘Now’ I said, ‘No’ he said. ‘When’ I said. ‘in twenty minutes’ he said. As he drove off from the front of the line, with an empty carriage. We were confused to say the least. It seems that we had to choose a tout, go with them to their ticket office, then to their stables, then we could ride in a carriage. This was feeling so like being marked for a Time Share. Which of the five companies to choose, we didn’t know, or have the criteria to make a decision, which is awful. We eventually went for the guy in the bright red ‘Red Barn’ jacket, because he was most insistent, not the best way to choose something, but there you are. It seems that the carriages just line up like taxies as a piece of showmanship, to let people know that there are carriage rides!!!
So we eventually get to get on a carriage, but were forced to sit four to a seat, which was clearly meant for two people to ride on. We then get to go on the tour. Well we trotted (well the mules did) round various back streets and leafy lanes, with the guide giving us wisecracks, which at least she thought were clever. There seemed to be an awful lot about the fire (1861), the earthquake (1876), the hurricanes, about the colour of the houses and how difficult it is to make alterations because of the planning laws. However we left the tour knowing very little more about Charleston than when we started. Which was slightly dissatisfying. Still we tried to cheer ourselves up by having a shrimp lunch at Bubba Gumps (named after the film, not vica versa).That was good, then we had a bit of a wander round the streets, which were very pretty, but I think just too many for us to take in, so we came home, however as we approached the car we were forced to enter a coffee/wine bar, and forced to sit and drink and nice Latte and Capuccino, and forced to share a massive piece of cake, called Hummingbird cake, similar to carrot cake and just as scrummy. When we escaped from there we were decidedly full, if not feeling sick.
We returned to the campground to only to find that the very special Festival of Lights, which starts on Friday, was all lit up, they were having a check to see that it all worked, so we were able to drive round the park and admire the light show, with hardly anybody else there at all, so now we do not feel so bad about moving on Friday.
Tonight we had a campfire, nice and bright and warm.
Shame was, for me it didn’t really. There were lots of beautiful buildings, but I don’t think we got to the stories behind the houses.
There were endless leafy avenues with oak, or magnolia or palmetto.
On reflection I think that here is too much. I couldn't get the whole picture of what Charleston is about, so felt left out, unable to find ‘It’ that makes Charleston so famous and well loved by all who visit.
We had decided that after the fun of the carriage ride in Wilmington we would have another in Charleston, to set the scene. What we were not prepared for was the industry that carriage rides have become in Charleston. Having found the carriage area we found our first problem - parking. When we had sorted that we approached the carriages, which were pulled up like a taxi rank, however to get to the front we had to pass a number of people who were trying to sell us tickets for their companies carriage – a bit like Star Maps in L.A., or coach tours in Las Vegas, Time Shares in Atlantic City. They had you as the Mark, you were the idiot tourist. They were in control of what we were going to do – I don’t like that. So we fought off the touts and duly went to the front carriage and asked him if he was available, ‘yes’ he said, ‘Now’ I said, ‘No’ he said. ‘When’ I said. ‘in twenty minutes’ he said. As he drove off from the front of the line, with an empty carriage. We were confused to say the least. It seems that we had to choose a tout, go with them to their ticket office, then to their stables, then we could ride in a carriage. This was feeling so like being marked for a Time Share. Which of the five companies to choose, we didn’t know, or have the criteria to make a decision, which is awful. We eventually went for the guy in the bright red ‘Red Barn’ jacket, because he was most insistent, not the best way to choose something, but there you are. It seems that the carriages just line up like taxies as a piece of showmanship, to let people know that there are carriage rides!!!
So we eventually get to get on a carriage, but were forced to sit four to a seat, which was clearly meant for two people to ride on. We then get to go on the tour. Well we trotted (well the mules did) round various back streets and leafy lanes, with the guide giving us wisecracks, which at least she thought were clever. There seemed to be an awful lot about the fire (1861), the earthquake (1876), the hurricanes, about the colour of the houses and how difficult it is to make alterations because of the planning laws. However we left the tour knowing very little more about Charleston than when we started. Which was slightly dissatisfying. Still we tried to cheer ourselves up by having a shrimp lunch at Bubba Gumps (named after the film, not vica versa).That was good, then we had a bit of a wander round the streets, which were very pretty, but I think just too many for us to take in, so we came home, however as we approached the car we were forced to enter a coffee/wine bar, and forced to sit and drink and nice Latte and Capuccino, and forced to share a massive piece of cake, called Hummingbird cake, similar to carrot cake and just as scrummy. When we escaped from there we were decidedly full, if not feeling sick.
We returned to the campground to only to find that the very special Festival of Lights, which starts on Friday, was all lit up, they were having a check to see that it all worked, so we were able to drive round the park and admire the light show, with hardly anybody else there at all, so now we do not feel so bad about moving on Friday.
Tonight we had a campfire, nice and bright and warm.
Charlston cut short
We planned to stay in Charleston until Sunday, to give us a good chance to see everything at a leisurely pace. We had good reports of St James Island County Park Campground so booked in there. The only problem was that the campground was full from Friday onwards. Why? Because The park is the host to a Festival Of Lights, where they lay out millions of lights in all sorts of scenes for Christmas. This is so popular that the campground (which is in the park) is full from 15th Nov until Jan 5th when the display finishes. This meant that we could only stay until Thursday night, double shame really as we would be short of time and miss the Festival of Lights, still we took the booking and duly arrived on Sunday afternoon. It is indeed a very pleasant campground (though very pricy at $39.50 pe night!!! Our most expensive park ever).
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Something Different and something the same
We had decided that as we were on the sand bar to the south of Wilmington we would take the ferry to Southport, cutting off a road journey of about 40 miles. After we had visited Fort Fisher we went and waited in line for the ferry and, with a bit of careful driving, were loaded on by the nice chaps who worked the ferry. It was about a 25 minute boat ride, down the Neuse River, passing the local features, such as the nuclear power station, I told you the area was a lot like Teesside. Passing a large oil tanker, watching the kite surfers. Not a bad excursion for $15, including the trailer. $5 for just a car. we really enjoyed being on the water, it blew away some cobwebs.
We drove down the coast to Myrtle Beach. 15 years ago this was a sleepy section of the South Carolina coast about 30 miles long. Its assets were that land was cheap, that it is a stretch of coast that does not have islands, so it has an easily accessible beach.
It has now been 'developed' It is now a 15 mile long strip mall. Business Route 17 runs parallel to the coast and is literally one shop, garage, crazy gold, mall, superstore, beachware store, restaurant, waffle house after another, for at least 15 miles. There are now more high rise buildings that Atlantic City (personal opinion, not fact). It has 118 golf courses (not including the crazy golf).
Still we have arrived here at the Myrtle Beach State Park campground and it is lovely. We have walked to the seashore and onto the pier, wher we watched loads of people catching loads of fish (called Spot, because it has a black spot just behind the gills, not because they didn't like the name Fido).
We drove down the coast to Myrtle Beach. 15 years ago this was a sleepy section of the South Carolina coast about 30 miles long. Its assets were that land was cheap, that it is a stretch of coast that does not have islands, so it has an easily accessible beach.
It has now been 'developed' It is now a 15 mile long strip mall. Business Route 17 runs parallel to the coast and is literally one shop, garage, crazy gold, mall, superstore, beachware store, restaurant, waffle house after another, for at least 15 miles. There are now more high rise buildings that Atlantic City (personal opinion, not fact). It has 118 golf courses (not including the crazy golf).
Still we have arrived here at the Myrtle Beach State Park campground and it is lovely. We have walked to the seashore and onto the pier, wher we watched loads of people catching loads of fish (called Spot, because it has a black spot just behind the gills, not because they didn't like the name Fido).
Fort Fisher - The South's last outpost on the sea
Warning, this section may be boring to many.
We packed up today and moved on, but as we left Carolina Beach we called in at Fort Fisher. This fort was the last to fall in the Civil war. The visitor centre tells the story of how the South was able to get supplies during the war. Any group of fighting men in 'modern' warfare is only the sharp end of a long line of logistics tht stretches, ultimately, back to factories and farms. The North had the advantage of a well established industrial base. The South had to rely mainly on foreign governements to supply arms in exchange for cotton. So its 'supply line' stretched all the way to europe. In order to strangle the supply of materials the North moved quickly to blockade as many sourthern ports as it could. By 1864 the only port which remained open was Wilmington, which has a direct rail link with Richmond and so was very important.
Wilmington remained open because of its position on an estuary, which had two openings to the sea and a lot of dangerous sand bars. This meant that to blockade it required covering a length of coast 50 miles long. very difficult. As the noose tightened on Wilmington there were up to 62 ships blockading the port. Another factor was the building of Fort Fisher on the outer sand banks at the entrance to the River Neuse. As the war progressed what was a small gun battery was developed into a huge fort with sand ramparts, the biggest of which was 60 feet high. Cannon and large rifle enabled Fort Fisher to very effectively protect the entrance to the estuary.
Materials coming into the port were brought from the Bahamas, Bermuda or Nova Scotia on ships called 'Blockade Runners'. Small, fast, steamships which would navigate the estuary at night, dodging the blockade ships and the dangerous sand banks, until they caould come under the protection of the guns of Fort Fisher. Dangers were many, but profits were high. The development of naval and marine tecnology leapt ahead as people tried to outwit the blockaders.
The town of Wilmington grew at a tremendous pace as it was the only route left to supply the war needs of the the South.
Fort Fisher ultimately fell in January of 1865, just 1 month after Shermans march to Savannah, 100 miles to the south and 2 months before Johnstone surrendered to Sherman a hundered miles to the north. The battle for Fort Fisher was a major combined assault by both naval and land forces. An armada of ships bombarded the fort, up to 10,000 shells and cannonballs landed on the fort. While a force of up to 10,000 men were landed to the north of the fort and advanced on it. Inside fort tere were barely 2000 men and only 44 large guns. It did not really stand a chance. It fell within the day, with 4000 killed or injured.
The stranglehold was now complete and Wilmington became impotent as a port. Not a shot was fired on it. The fall of Fort Fisher was another major blow to the South's war effort, no longer could the South get arms and materials. This action made it's capitulation as inevitable as the loss of any, or all, its armies would have done.
We packed up today and moved on, but as we left Carolina Beach we called in at Fort Fisher. This fort was the last to fall in the Civil war. The visitor centre tells the story of how the South was able to get supplies during the war. Any group of fighting men in 'modern' warfare is only the sharp end of a long line of logistics tht stretches, ultimately, back to factories and farms. The North had the advantage of a well established industrial base. The South had to rely mainly on foreign governements to supply arms in exchange for cotton. So its 'supply line' stretched all the way to europe. In order to strangle the supply of materials the North moved quickly to blockade as many sourthern ports as it could. By 1864 the only port which remained open was Wilmington, which has a direct rail link with Richmond and so was very important.
Wilmington remained open because of its position on an estuary, which had two openings to the sea and a lot of dangerous sand bars. This meant that to blockade it required covering a length of coast 50 miles long. very difficult. As the noose tightened on Wilmington there were up to 62 ships blockading the port. Another factor was the building of Fort Fisher on the outer sand banks at the entrance to the River Neuse. As the war progressed what was a small gun battery was developed into a huge fort with sand ramparts, the biggest of which was 60 feet high. Cannon and large rifle enabled Fort Fisher to very effectively protect the entrance to the estuary.
Materials coming into the port were brought from the Bahamas, Bermuda or Nova Scotia on ships called 'Blockade Runners'. Small, fast, steamships which would navigate the estuary at night, dodging the blockade ships and the dangerous sand banks, until they caould come under the protection of the guns of Fort Fisher. Dangers were many, but profits were high. The development of naval and marine tecnology leapt ahead as people tried to outwit the blockaders.
The town of Wilmington grew at a tremendous pace as it was the only route left to supply the war needs of the the South.
Fort Fisher ultimately fell in January of 1865, just 1 month after Shermans march to Savannah, 100 miles to the south and 2 months before Johnstone surrendered to Sherman a hundered miles to the north. The battle for Fort Fisher was a major combined assault by both naval and land forces. An armada of ships bombarded the fort, up to 10,000 shells and cannonballs landed on the fort. While a force of up to 10,000 men were landed to the north of the fort and advanced on it. Inside fort tere were barely 2000 men and only 44 large guns. It did not really stand a chance. It fell within the day, with 4000 killed or injured.
The stranglehold was now complete and Wilmington became impotent as a port. Not a shot was fired on it. The fall of Fort Fisher was another major blow to the South's war effort, no longer could the South get arms and materials. This action made it's capitulation as inevitable as the loss of any, or all, its armies would have done.
Friday, November 7, 2008
A day in the life of Wilmington
No, Americans are not like English people.
‘Up North’ we always, without fail say that ‘Southerners’ are not friendly.
Well I would like at this point to say that compared to the average American (that we have met), Northerners are just as unfriendly and insular.
Without fail wherever we have travelled (and that is quite a long way now) we have found, without exception, that ‘the man in the street’, the next person in the queue (yes Americans do queue, even more assiduously than we do), the person behind the counter, the people on the next table at the café, or restaurant will always give a friendly smile, a ‘how you doin’, a ‘hello’. Drivers will stop to let you cross the street, or car park in front of them. People will hold open doors. There is often a dish of pennies on a counter for people who have slightly too little change. It is taken as almost an insult if your groceries are not packed for you, at the slightest sign of inconvenience the trolley will be taken and unloaded for you (no tip expected). People stand for old and disabled. One of the reasons for our enjoyment of America is that people do care, do take the time to say ‘Hi’, going shopping is a pleasure, sitting in a café is a social experience. And we love that.
Today we explored Wilmington. A town you probably have never heard of. It has a population of perhaps 150,000 in its conurbation, about the size of Middlesbrough; in fact it is very similar to Middlesbrough. It has a river frontage, with warehouses, it has an old district, with some fine large houses (a bit like Oxford and Cambridge Road) built in the 19th and 20th Century, with a few 18th C buildings. It was a boom town in the 19thC, based on being a port, the railways, shipbuilding and chemicals (the man who discovered Acetylene came from Wilmington). Though it was the largest blockade running port for the Confederates, and the last port to fall, it was never fired upon and remained largely untouched by the destruction which followed the war. Nothing remarkable there.
It will be most appreciated by the British for its shipbuilding. In the Second world war, in 36 months, it built 243 ‘liberty ships’. Cargo ships which plied the North Atlantic carrying vital food and munitions supplies.
So why did we like it? Well the weather was exceptional, clear blue skies, upper 70’s, low humidity. The whole place seemed to be interesting. Houses had stories to them, buildings were all different, some of the earliest skyscrapers, interesting warehouses converted to shops, loads of coffee shops (though not one Starbucks, etc did I see). We were able to take a carriage ride round the town at a leisurely pace, with very little traffic. The driver not only pointed out the buildings, but also people we saw, by name.
The riverside had been renovated and turned into a walkway. There was trolley ride one could take. The local trams were free to use.
But what really made Wilmington a top experience was the people. Even without our propensity for instant life history exchanges (not once were grandchildren mentioned, oops sorry, we had to explain about Bens Birthday to the waitress, oh and waiter, that fixed up the power supply for the laptop in Fat Tony’s bar) we seemed to be party to so many cameo scenes. (oh yes Wilmington is quite famous (but only within about 15 miles) as a movie town as it has a Screen Gems studio and is the backdrop for loads of films and Dawson’s Creek and other stuff).
1. Sat a pavement café table having a coffee at 10.30, waiting for the next tour trolley. Woman on next table starts to tell us how nice the carriage ride is, and it was excellent.
2. Woman in the nice information booth happily explained about her next vacation which was to be in Ireland, but also expressed joy at Sally’s choice of hat.
3. Walking along street, group of handicapped people catch up and come past, giving cheery welcomes then talking about what they are doing there; one of them came from Florida. We walked along and talked for a bit, they were on their way to The Dixie Grill for lunch.
4. Looking for a sandwich, we go into a coffee shop which looks ok, but they do not do sandwiches, so a long conversation ensues between the two ladies who discuss various options as to where we can get a good sandwich.
5. Walking past another coffee shop (I told you there were a lot of them) three youths sat there, one asks about my camera, just as we were passing (one could easily have found that aggressive, but no, we talk cameras for a bit, then we talk politics, about Obama, We swap names, he is Tim. The we wander on.
6. We go into a shop for an ice cream. We can’t just say ‘oh I will have a choc ice’. It is an intimate discussion of the variety of flavours, with each description there is a little scoop of ice-cream produced, ‘here try this’. About ten minutes later we have made our choice and are strolling down the sidewalk with ice creams at the ready.
7. We sit down (again by the information kiosk, as it happens) and a young man comes up. ‘hey, where did you get those ice creams, my wife would love an ice cream’, followed by a short conversation.
8. Couple with two dogs comes along; family with 2 little girls plus bump come and pet dogs, long conversation ensues with two families and information woman, we were only watching, though somehow included in the whole conversation and activity.
9. Still sitting a man with a clipboard comes along, stands around for a bit. Then gets messages over his walkie talkie. We chat to him for a bit. He is the Harbour Master, casually waiting to greet a boat arriving at the dock behind us.
Now I can almost guarantee that I could go into Middlesbrough, visit the information centre, get and ice cream, have coffee, walk around, have lunch, go to the riverside and not have a pleasant conversation with anybody. I think that is one of the reasons we enjoy being in America.
Notes:
Blue Velvet A film shot in Wilmington
Anna MacNeil - Whistlers Mother
‘Up North’ we always, without fail say that ‘Southerners’ are not friendly.
Well I would like at this point to say that compared to the average American (that we have met), Northerners are just as unfriendly and insular.
Without fail wherever we have travelled (and that is quite a long way now) we have found, without exception, that ‘the man in the street’, the next person in the queue (yes Americans do queue, even more assiduously than we do), the person behind the counter, the people on the next table at the café, or restaurant will always give a friendly smile, a ‘how you doin’, a ‘hello’. Drivers will stop to let you cross the street, or car park in front of them. People will hold open doors. There is often a dish of pennies on a counter for people who have slightly too little change. It is taken as almost an insult if your groceries are not packed for you, at the slightest sign of inconvenience the trolley will be taken and unloaded for you (no tip expected). People stand for old and disabled. One of the reasons for our enjoyment of America is that people do care, do take the time to say ‘Hi’, going shopping is a pleasure, sitting in a café is a social experience. And we love that.
Today we explored Wilmington. A town you probably have never heard of. It has a population of perhaps 150,000 in its conurbation, about the size of Middlesbrough; in fact it is very similar to Middlesbrough. It has a river frontage, with warehouses, it has an old district, with some fine large houses (a bit like Oxford and Cambridge Road) built in the 19th and 20th Century, with a few 18th C buildings. It was a boom town in the 19thC, based on being a port, the railways, shipbuilding and chemicals (the man who discovered Acetylene came from Wilmington). Though it was the largest blockade running port for the Confederates, and the last port to fall, it was never fired upon and remained largely untouched by the destruction which followed the war. Nothing remarkable there.
It will be most appreciated by the British for its shipbuilding. In the Second world war, in 36 months, it built 243 ‘liberty ships’. Cargo ships which plied the North Atlantic carrying vital food and munitions supplies.
So why did we like it? Well the weather was exceptional, clear blue skies, upper 70’s, low humidity. The whole place seemed to be interesting. Houses had stories to them, buildings were all different, some of the earliest skyscrapers, interesting warehouses converted to shops, loads of coffee shops (though not one Starbucks, etc did I see). We were able to take a carriage ride round the town at a leisurely pace, with very little traffic. The driver not only pointed out the buildings, but also people we saw, by name.
The riverside had been renovated and turned into a walkway. There was trolley ride one could take. The local trams were free to use.
But what really made Wilmington a top experience was the people. Even without our propensity for instant life history exchanges (not once were grandchildren mentioned, oops sorry, we had to explain about Bens Birthday to the waitress, oh and waiter, that fixed up the power supply for the laptop in Fat Tony’s bar) we seemed to be party to so many cameo scenes. (oh yes Wilmington is quite famous (but only within about 15 miles) as a movie town as it has a Screen Gems studio and is the backdrop for loads of films and Dawson’s Creek and other stuff).
1. Sat a pavement café table having a coffee at 10.30, waiting for the next tour trolley. Woman on next table starts to tell us how nice the carriage ride is, and it was excellent.
2. Woman in the nice information booth happily explained about her next vacation which was to be in Ireland, but also expressed joy at Sally’s choice of hat.
3. Walking along street, group of handicapped people catch up and come past, giving cheery welcomes then talking about what they are doing there; one of them came from Florida. We walked along and talked for a bit, they were on their way to The Dixie Grill for lunch.
4. Looking for a sandwich, we go into a coffee shop which looks ok, but they do not do sandwiches, so a long conversation ensues between the two ladies who discuss various options as to where we can get a good sandwich.
5. Walking past another coffee shop (I told you there were a lot of them) three youths sat there, one asks about my camera, just as we were passing (one could easily have found that aggressive, but no, we talk cameras for a bit, then we talk politics, about Obama, We swap names, he is Tim. The we wander on.
6. We go into a shop for an ice cream. We can’t just say ‘oh I will have a choc ice’. It is an intimate discussion of the variety of flavours, with each description there is a little scoop of ice-cream produced, ‘here try this’. About ten minutes later we have made our choice and are strolling down the sidewalk with ice creams at the ready.
7. We sit down (again by the information kiosk, as it happens) and a young man comes up. ‘hey, where did you get those ice creams, my wife would love an ice cream’, followed by a short conversation.
8. Couple with two dogs comes along; family with 2 little girls plus bump come and pet dogs, long conversation ensues with two families and information woman, we were only watching, though somehow included in the whole conversation and activity.
9. Still sitting a man with a clipboard comes along, stands around for a bit. Then gets messages over his walkie talkie. We chat to him for a bit. He is the Harbour Master, casually waiting to greet a boat arriving at the dock behind us.
Now I can almost guarantee that I could go into Middlesbrough, visit the information centre, get and ice cream, have coffee, walk around, have lunch, go to the riverside and not have a pleasant conversation with anybody. I think that is one of the reasons we enjoy being in America.
Notes:
Blue Velvet A film shot in Wilmington
Anna MacNeil - Whistlers Mother
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Moving down to the coast
Tuesday 4th November
This afternon, we went into Fayetteville in the rain. It was too wet to wander down the historic part of town, which looked quite ineresting, so we wandered round the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, instead. It was very interesting and well set out. We were particulary interested in the account of the D-Day landings - especially the mention of the paratrooper who got caught on the steeple of the Church in St. Mare-Eglise, as we had spent a holiday visiting the landing beaches in Normandy the year of the 60th anniversary of D-Day.
We had a long chat to a serving soldier who was waiting to be retired through ill health after being wounded in Iraq. He was great to talk to and told us that he had served for 21 years in the army, having been stationed all over Europe with his family. He had been in actual combat several times during his career, eventually being wounded in Iraq. We wish him well in his retirement.
We had a great steak dinner at Chris's Steakhouse, recommended by the museum staff, before heading back to the trailer.
Wednesday 5th Nov.
Just remembered that it's Bonfire Night back home - will miss our visit to Stockton Riverside to see the firework display. All quiet here - no celebrations - but big celebrations for Halloween. It's also Rod's (Terry's brother) birthday today. Happy Birthday Rod.
Today we moved down to Wilmington on the coast. The weather is warmer and the sun actually shone today. We plan to stay here for four nights so we can explore the local area.
This afternon, we went into Fayetteville in the rain. It was too wet to wander down the historic part of town, which looked quite ineresting, so we wandered round the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, instead. It was very interesting and well set out. We were particulary interested in the account of the D-Day landings - especially the mention of the paratrooper who got caught on the steeple of the Church in St. Mare-Eglise, as we had spent a holiday visiting the landing beaches in Normandy the year of the 60th anniversary of D-Day.
We had a long chat to a serving soldier who was waiting to be retired through ill health after being wounded in Iraq. He was great to talk to and told us that he had served for 21 years in the army, having been stationed all over Europe with his family. He had been in actual combat several times during his career, eventually being wounded in Iraq. We wish him well in his retirement.
We had a great steak dinner at Chris's Steakhouse, recommended by the museum staff, before heading back to the trailer.
Wednesday 5th Nov.
Just remembered that it's Bonfire Night back home - will miss our visit to Stockton Riverside to see the firework display. All quiet here - no celebrations - but big celebrations for Halloween. It's also Rod's (Terry's brother) birthday today. Happy Birthday Rod.
Today we moved down to Wilmington on the coast. The weather is warmer and the sun actually shone today. We plan to stay here for four nights so we can explore the local area.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Its Election Day
Sally and I are sat in our trailer, listening to the election coverage. Interestingly we are finding the most comprehensive coverage is from BBC Radio five.
So over the last few weeks we have been immersed in Election Fever. Every where we have been, in supermarkets, restaurants, museums, people we have spoken to have been eager to tell where they stand and to find out who we would support. World events have washed over the campaigns, pushing opinion this way and that. First terrorism, then Irag, then Sub-prime, the effect of women in politics, with Clinton, then Palin. Always the question of race. Recently the world financial crisis. Every time Obama seems to have been able to get through it clean, whereas McCain has had to consistently fight against the failings of the current administration. He is republican, Bush is Republican, so McCain smells of the rotting flesh of Bush's presidency. For this reason alone I think that Obama will win the election tonight.
So over the last few weeks we have been immersed in Election Fever. Every where we have been, in supermarkets, restaurants, museums, people we have spoken to have been eager to tell where they stand and to find out who we would support. World events have washed over the campaigns, pushing opinion this way and that. First terrorism, then Irag, then Sub-prime, the effect of women in politics, with Clinton, then Palin. Always the question of race. Recently the world financial crisis. Every time Obama seems to have been able to get through it clean, whereas McCain has had to consistently fight against the failings of the current administration. He is republican, Bush is Republican, so McCain smells of the rotting flesh of Bush's presidency. For this reason alone I think that Obama will win the election tonight.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Out and About in Durham and Raleigh NC
We have safely arrived at the Falls Lake State Park Campground, just outside Durham NC.
It is a very pretty site, not many people camping, best of all the weather is warmer.
we have now got into campfires. I spent some time each morning collecting wood for our fire in the evening.
On Saturday we visited Raleigh, in particular the Museum for Natural History, because they currently have an exhibition showing some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The exhibition was excellent, the pieces we saw were very small, each one was perhaps postcard size, but it was amazing to see something that was central to the belief of millions of people and is at least 2000 years old. Bits of the bible written at the time of Jesus, by the the people who knew him, in the area where he was. It was a very inspiring artifact.
The weather was pleasnt so we had a walk over to the Old Capitol Building. Very interesting.#
Sunday November 2nd
Remembered to put the old clocks back. Today we took a short trip to Durham, to see the Bennett Farm. This is an old farm in which General Johnstone signed the surrender of his army to Gen Sherman in 1865. This more or less signalled the end of the Civil War.
Following this we had a look at the Duke University, which is quite famous in this area. We first had a wander round the Duke Gardens, which were beautiful and realy interesting. Quite busy with families and students on a warm November day.
Then we had a look round the University chapel, which was built on very grand line. Similar in some ways to Our own Durham cathedral back home in England. Though much newer.
Monday 3rd November.
Today we moved on to Fayetteville, which is to the south of Raleigh. We are making this stop because there is rain forecast at Wilmington, which is our next destination, which we hope to get to for Wednesday.
On the way to Fayetteville we stopped off to look at Bentonville Battleground. It wa here that the last major battle of the Civil War took place. Gen Johnstone attacked part of Shermans army as it was marching North after his infamous 'March To The Sea'.
Johnstone was hopelesly outnumbered, but it was his last opportunity to break Sherman's men before it was re-supplied and met up with Gen Grant's Army at Richmond.
Johnstne lost this battle, which then led to him havng to surrender to Sherman and Bennett Farm
It is a very pretty site, not many people camping, best of all the weather is warmer.
we have now got into campfires. I spent some time each morning collecting wood for our fire in the evening.
On Saturday we visited Raleigh, in particular the Museum for Natural History, because they currently have an exhibition showing some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The exhibition was excellent, the pieces we saw were very small, each one was perhaps postcard size, but it was amazing to see something that was central to the belief of millions of people and is at least 2000 years old. Bits of the bible written at the time of Jesus, by the the people who knew him, in the area where he was. It was a very inspiring artifact.
The weather was pleasnt so we had a walk over to the Old Capitol Building. Very interesting.#
Sunday November 2nd
Remembered to put the old clocks back. Today we took a short trip to Durham, to see the Bennett Farm. This is an old farm in which General Johnstone signed the surrender of his army to Gen Sherman in 1865. This more or less signalled the end of the Civil War.
Following this we had a look at the Duke University, which is quite famous in this area. We first had a wander round the Duke Gardens, which were beautiful and realy interesting. Quite busy with families and students on a warm November day.
Then we had a look round the University chapel, which was built on very grand line. Similar in some ways to Our own Durham cathedral back home in England. Though much newer.
Monday 3rd November.
Today we moved on to Fayetteville, which is to the south of Raleigh. We are making this stop because there is rain forecast at Wilmington, which is our next destination, which we hope to get to for Wednesday.
On the way to Fayetteville we stopped off to look at Bentonville Battleground. It wa here that the last major battle of the Civil War took place. Gen Johnstone attacked part of Shermans army as it was marching North after his infamous 'March To The Sea'.
Johnstone was hopelesly outnumbered, but it was his last opportunity to break Sherman's men before it was re-supplied and met up with Gen Grant's Army at Richmond.
Johnstne lost this battle, which then led to him havng to surrender to Sherman and Bennett Farm
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