Georgia Roadtrip Day 6, Onward to Tybee Island

Day 6
Thursday December 5

    Today was always going to be a light day,  Starting it off, sunrise from behind B&B.

     The owners of the Darian Waterfront Inn certainly keep a nice place.  They've only been doing this for about a year and a half and like the quiet of their town.  My room was large with access to a communal balcony.  I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again, unlike the next place.

      From Darian, Hwy 17 north took me by a place I had visited years ago that goes by the name Harris Neck.  The first plantation was built on the land in the 1750's.  In 1816, the Thomas family bought the land to farm cotton.  When the civil war ended, the family sold off much of the land to their newly freed slaves.  The community thrived until World War II.  The federal government took over the north end of Harris Neck to build an airfield.  After the war, the land was turned over to the county.  It's now a wildlife preserve.
 

      Apparently this place gets really busy during migration season.  In early December, it was really quiet.

    The old airfield is triangular, with each side being a mile in length.  It did make for a good three mile walk through the preserve.

    On the drive out from the preserve, I passed a small wooden sign reading Old School Diner.  It seemed random and led to a nondescript road back into the woods.  This time, my curiosity got the better of me.  There really is a diner at the end of the road, but it's only open on Friday and Saturday this time of year.

  Back on Hwy 17 is where you'll find yet another place claiming to be the World's Smallest Chapel.  It isn't.  The last time I drove through, there was a crew on the lot rebuilding.  Someone had decided to burn it down.  The front door still remains unlocked, but there are now signs warning visitors they're under surveillance.

Further up Hwy 17...                                                                                                     

                                                                        

   
      Eventually, Hwy 80 took me through Savannah and out to Tybee Island.  On my last visit, I had good luck at one of the budget motels.  This time I tried the Dunes Inn.  The main facility seemed fine.  But, they put me in the Annex, out back.  It became quickly clear just why this place was so cheap.  I was okay with it, but it's certainly not somewhere I'd book again, especially if I was traveling with someone else.

With no other plans, it was time to find some dinner and settle in for sunset.  There's a public

boat ramp on the western side of the island.  It has an unobstructed view and it's a prime viewing       

spot.  I met one of the condo owners who lives adjacent to the ramp and complimented him on          

his view.  He and his wife watch it from their balcony every night.  He then offered me access to their private pier.  I gladly accepted.