Greetings One and All,
After completing a ten day stretch(the
joys of being the floater), the boss gave me three days off. I couldn’t just spend them at home, though I
do have a rather large pile of books that I haven’t read yet. Love those library book sales.
It all came down to the weather. Monday was gray, cold and damp. It was the kind of day my mother would have
referred to as “raw.” But, the weather
guessers had better news for Tuesday and Wednesday. With that in mind, I packed the car and hit
the road.
Monday December 10, 2018
I’ve seen a lot of my adoptive state of
Georgia. By far my happy place is still
Tybee Island. The weather guessers were
calling for clear and mid-50's for Tuesday.
That’s all I needed to know.
With the car packed, I pulled out. I slipped some Rainbow into the cassette
player and took the backroads across to I-75.
From there it was a straight shot south to Macon, then east on I-16. It’s about 180 miles from Macon to
Savannah. Since I got an early start, I
did the last 150 miles along Hwy 80.
Sure, it easily took me twice as long.
But, I had plenty of time. And
given my druthers, I’d much rather see this...
Than just the interstate. I got off in the town of
Montrose and watched the sky alternate between patches of blue and rolling black clouds.
Hwy 80 would eventually take me the entire way
across the state, through Savannah and onto Tybee Island. Some of the ground I had covered before. But, I really wasn’t in any hurry.
Passing through the town of Adrian, I
passed a house with an impressive holiday display.
By the time I passed through Swainsboro,
I was ready to just get out of the car and walk around a bit.
I was seriously thinking lunch when I
pulled into the town of Portal. The sign
at the edge of town says “Welcome to Portal, Turpentine City.” From the 1930's to the 1960's, the Carter
family operated a large turpentine distillery here. They cooked pine tar and distilled it
down.
Lunch was at Pepperjacks Deli and
Grill. The chicken sandwich was pretty
good, but nothing special. On the table was a bottle of their
own hot sauce, made with vidalia onions and peaches. I sprinkled some on my sandwich. It definitely had an interesting flavor and
just enough heat. I liked it enough to buy a small bottle to go.
Eventually, Hwy 80 would bring me to
Savannah. There’s a stretch where the
trees create a canopy across the road, dripping in Spanish Moss. There was still another fifteen miles to grow, but the mellow was definitely building. Eventually, it would bring me to the
Sandcastle Motel, a one minute walk to the beach.
Ordinarily, I would have immediately
headed to the beach. But, oddly enough I
wasn’t feeling it. Perhaps it was the
leaden sky and chilly wind. I knew I
wouldn’t get a sunset, so I left the camera in the room and just took a walk.
My feet would eventually take me to my
favorite restaurant on the island, AJ’s Dockside. As always, the gumbo was delicious. I tried a Southbound Scattered Sun Ale. It had a hint of orange and lemon as well as
something else that seemed awfully like cloves. Not bad actually.
Tuesday December 11, 2018
As I always do when I visit Tybee Island,
I took a cup of coffee and my camera out to the beach for sunrise. The clouds were still a little thick to
expect much. But there’s still just
nothing quite like standing on the beach at dawn. It has a certain calming effect that feels good for the soul.
Breakfast was in an aptly named place called Sunrise. And yes, during the meal, the sun did in fact come out and the clouds started to clear. So, back to the motel to wash up and ditch a layer of clothes before heading back out to the beach. I left the room a little before 10A. Other than one brief stop back in the afternoon, I was out in it all day long. It was just what I needed.
To get to the beach on Tybee Island, you have to cross the dunes on one of the many elevated walkways. While plentiful, there are still those who choose to cross the dunes themselves, despite the numerous warning signs of fines up to $1,000. So, the city tried something new and put up these signs.
For the most part, I had the beach to myself. It just made for a really great day.
Lunch was way up the beach in a quirky place named Huc-A-Poos. I had eaten here before and the food is always good. Their pizzas are one size, 18". One slice is still a big meal. That was enough. A local porter ale and I was good to go.
The walls are covered with signed dollar bills from visitors and the ceiling over the bar is covered with album jackets from the 70's and 80's. Their Christmas tree...
Instead of just walking back up the beach, I decided to cut through a small municipal park towards the lighthouse.
This is where I met Patty. She was out walking her dogs and saw me creeping close to this White Heron. Her dogs started barking and the herons scattered. But, not this one. It seemed unfazed by it all. Patty winters on Tybee Island and summers in Vermont. She loves it here, but could do without all the summer crowds.
For dinner, I just stopped into the place across the street from the motel, Stingray. I've had some drinks there, but never dinner. The fresh, Georgia shrimp were delicious. The oyster stout ale, a little heavy on the oyster. But, a great way to end the day.
Tuesday, December, 12, 2019
When I know I have a four hour drive home, I like to get an early start. But, I still had a date with the sunrise.
PS: This really is it for the year. For the last one, this definitely fit the bill. There's a reason I keep doing this trip. Sure, it's a long drive. But, I always come back in a better mood.
