Christmas Roadtrip 2025, Days 7-11

Day 7

Monday, December 22, 2025

     Of course the day began with a chilly, windy walk out for sunrise.

     I've been coming here for Christmas for years.  I don't remember the pier being decked out quite like this...

     I think I would have remembered a mermaid putting the star atop a tree.

    As for sunrise...

      Tomorrow, it's supposed to be warmer, with a lot less wind.  Seemed like a perfect excuse to head into Savannah for the day, saving the beach for tomorrow.

      Naturally, I started by the riverfront...

       A few years ago, I came across a nice coffee and bagel shop called Spreads.  

       Randomly zigzagging to get there, I passed this curious place.  Being a child of the early '80s, I stopped in.

      Not the Asteroids I remember...

      Of course I just had to play this one...

     I'd eventually find my way to Forsyth Park at the fountain.

      Walk around and find the right angles...

      And another sunset on the beach...

     Just a little windy...

Day 8

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

     Of course the day began with a walk out for sunrise.  

      There's a small diner a block off the beach called The Breakfast Club.  I've stopped in for a post sunrise breakfast many times.  There are two guys I've see enough times to get to know.  They've both lived here for a very long time and always have some stories to tell.  Over breakfast, they asked if I knew about the naval battle off the coast between Spain and France.  

     In 1520, Lucas Yasquez de Ayllon declared Tybee Island for Spain.  In 1605, France tried to take the island.  Their fleets fought it out off the coast with the Spanish Navy being the victors.

     The battle was fought over, of all things, Sassafras root.  At the time, it was considered a miracle cure for countless ailments.  

     By late morning, it was time for my regular walk to lunch.  One of my favorite places to eat is a quirky pizza place called Huc-a-poos.  From the motel, it's two and a half miles each way.  For years I've been making this walk once per trip.  Today was perfect for a walk along the beach.  

     While I've walked this beach many times, I don't every remember seeing it quite like this.

      This section is generally quite wide, with no berm.  Love the creativity...

   And of course there was the walk back down the beach for sunset...

     Walking back from the beach, I passed this sign...

     Looking it up on line, some sources claim the western terminus is in Dallas, Texas, while another claims it to be near the border of California and Arizona.  

      It's hard not to notice the night sky here.  Even on the main roads through downtown, you can clearly see more stars than I'm used to.  With that in mind, I did go out later to the pier to see what I could see.  

     Taking into account this photo were taken with a four second exposure, hand held on my phone, I was pretty excited about it.

     This last one took a while to get right.  I was holding the phone against a post for stability.  But, you can't tell what you've shot until afterwards.  So, plenty of trial and error.

     This seemed like a great way to end the day.  And yes, I did come back out to try again the next night. 

Day 9

Wednesday, December 24, 2025 

     Of course the day started with sunrise.  And yes, I know I take this picture every morning of Christmas week.  I just like it.  

   With nowhere I had to be, I looked for new trails to try.  That brought me to Whitemarsh Preserve.

     I've done the exterior loop trail.  Today, I was tackling the interior, four miles trail.

     They call it the Twister Trail for good reason.

    It's a nice and level, running through the woods.  Multiple trails cross cross and could be marked more clearly.

     At this point, I started suspecting it was also a bike trail...

     I encountered no bikers, just a few runners.

     This is why they call it the Twister...

      I really had nothing else to do.  So, I went around again.  Just felt good.  

    Of course I did go back out for sunset...

     After dinner, I made another attempt at shooting the stars. 

    Not bad considering it's a hand held six second exposure.

Day 10

Thursday, December 25, 2025

    A perfect way to start Christmas morning...

     I've seen my share of sunrises.  I don't recall seeing one quite like this.  On the horizon, it almost looked like a second sun coming up.

       After breakfast, I was off to one of my favorite local trails.  It's a six and a half mile rail trail.

      

     Just past the three mile point is the site of Battery Hamilton.  Federal troops set up an artillery battery to block Confederate resupply at Fort Pulaski.

    It's secondary use was keeping the attention of those in the fort.  The main battery was quietly being dragged through the swamp to the east.  

     

     This seemed the perfect spot to turn around.  Six miles was a good start.

     Most of the restaurants are open by early afternoon.  So, I simply took it easy until sunset.

     I did go back out a few hours later and tried shooting the stars again... I really need to start bringing a tripod.

Day 11

Friday, December 26, 2025

     It's always a bit of a bummer walking out to the beach for one last sunrise.

     And with that, I packed up the car, checked out and made the long drive home.

Dave 

12/2025

PS: In the mail, I did get my replacement driver's license and ATM cards.  The new medical insurance card is on its way.  I stopped by the library and got a new card this afternoon.  Still no sign of my old wallet.  Weird.