DigitalRoadtrip: Autumn Roadtrip, Days 1-5

Wednesday, October 9. 2026

Since I was up and out so early, I added a stop to the roadtrip. Georgia doesn't have many ghost towns. But, Griswoldville was an easy detour, and only a few miles north-east of Macon.

Samuel Griswold moved to Georgia with his parents in 1818. He started a company that made cotton gins, eventually becoming the largest manufacturer in the country.

With the Civil War looming, he retooled and started making revolvers for the Confederacy. When General Sherman came through on his March to the Sea, his forces burned it all to the ground.

Just east of the mill site is the Griswoldville Battlefield. The fight was a clear win for the Federal Army. However, afterwards they discovered most of the Confederate wounded were older men or younger boys.

The rail line that made Griswoldville grow... still in service. The rails were torn up to isolate the town during the first attempt to take it. But, the Confederates were dug in.

Before ripping out the rails, the Federals took a captured train, then sent it into town full steam. It hit a few cars parked on the tracks and derailed. The town was captured four months later.

It was still way too early for lunch. This brought me back to Amerson River Park in Macon. The trails aren't that long, but a few laps around certainly felt welcome.

After lunch in Macon, it was time to head east for a while. I-16 would eventually take me to Hwy 441 South to the city of McRae-Helena. McRae and Helena merged together in 2015.

A few miles before Dublin, there's an interstate rest stop. I only mention it for what I found.

Behind the sign are yellow and orange flowers. The sign explains how butterflies and bees pollinate them. It also asks travelers not to pick the flowers.

McRae is where you'll find Little Ocmulgee State Park, the first of the tour. The park centers around a lake, with plenty of camping and picnic spots. With the summer season over, the lake front area is being renovated, thus closed. Based on the amount of carts, the park's golf course was getting plenty of use.

There's only one trail inside the park, with some spurs along the way.

I do realize this part of Georgia was once the coastline. But, it does feel a bit weird walking on sand.

A spur trail into the swamp...

Most communities have memorials to local residents who fought and died serving our country. McRae is no different.

My home for the night was the Relax Inn. As you can see, it's under renovation.

Some of the wooden furniture is showing a bit of age. Every else looks great.

As for McCrae on a Wednesday night... this is why I always pack a few books.

Sunset, such as it was.

Day 2

Thursday, October 15, 2026

Today's drive was pretty short, just to the town of Waycross. Along the way, I'd be stopping in Douglas to hit park #2, General Coffee State Park.

Yeah, I know I'm really not supposed to do this. It was just too tempting.

The GPS wanted me to take this shortcut down a road of soft sand. Nope.

The park is named after John Coffee, a retired general in the Tennessee Militia. He served in the War of 1812 and was part of the battle for New Orleans. Unlike yesterday, this park has numerous trails to choose from.

Between connecting trails and doing a loop twice, it totaled just under five miles.

It all starts with the boardwalk over a small swamp.

The rest was once again walking through the woods on sand. No scenic overlooks or viewpoints. Just a pleasant walk with the mosquitoes.

A second loop deeper in the park added another 1.3 miles.

After leaving the park, it was a short backtrack along Hwy 32 into the city of Douglas. The city is named after Stephen A. Douglas, former senator from Illinois. In 1858 he defeated Abraham Lincoln to retain his congressional seat. It's now the seat of Coffee County.

Adjacent to he city's airfield is the site of a WWII pilot training school, one of fifty-five scattered around the country. The city turned it into the World War II Flight Training Museum.

When it became clear war was coming, the military had no system in place to train pilots, especially in the quantity they would need.

The short term solution involved airfields like this one. It was already in use by the local college, helping students who wanted to fly.

The Army Air Corp hired civilian pilot trainers to teach cadets their basics, and weed out the ones who couldn't handle it.

The school has over two hundred PT-17 biplanes in rotation. They also rented fields from local farmers to use as makeshift runways. Otherwise, everyone would be using the same airstrip. At the end of the day's lessons, they would come back here.

This PT-17 is in one of their remaining hangar. It's under renovation.

In the other hangar, a group is trying to restore a B-17 in the hopes of getting it back in the air.

Fascinating place and I'm so glad I stopped in.

From Douglas, it's an easy drive east to Waycross. My home for the night, the same Super 8 as the last time. No real frills, but perfectly fine.

This was on the wall of my room... My old workplace was on the left, just behind that Atlanta sign.

The view from the room...

Dinner was a place called Fuji Bar and Grill. Good food, fun staff and conveniently located across the street.

Sunset from the neighboring parking lot...

Day 3

Friday, October 16, 2026

Just a few miles east of Waycross is Laura Walker State Park. I've been here a few times. In February, the state was in the process of reworking a few trails and replacing a foot bridge.

So, I packed up the car and left nice and early.

The hope was for a nice sunrise over their lake.

Considering all the mosquitoes at the lake, I hit the bug spray before heading off to the trail. Good thing. Every time I stopped to take a picture or look at the map, I was still swarmed.

It was mostly like the last two days, a walk in the woods, but on sand.

The boardwalk section is still closed. It was damaged in a big storm last year.

I had walked three and a quarter miles when I got back to the trailhead. I could call it a day, of apply more bug spray. I decided the latter.

The second time around, it was just the big loop.

Not a bad start to the day at all.

From the park, it was an easy drive north towards Savannah and my happy place, Tybee Island.

But first, my brewery stop of the day. First City Brewing opened in May in Savannah. So, I felt obligated to stop. Great space, great staff and tasty beer.

I did my usual flight of four, 5oz pours. Yeah, I'd definitely come back here.

From here, it's an easy drive to Tybee Island. My home for the night, The Sandcastle Inn. Once again, you're typical beach motel.

Of course it wouldn't be a visit here without the sunset walk along the beach.

At one point, I walked by an obvious wedding proposal. Their friends were of course recording it on their phones.

I'll forever be that guy randomly walking past in the background giving them a thumbs up.

Also seen on the beach..

Day 4

Saturday, October 17, 2026

With the clouds on the horizon, I wasn't expecting that much. Patience was rewarded.

Day one on Tybee is usually the same, a long walk up the beach. Today wasn't any different. Well, except for the wind.

Still felt good though...

Weird to see so few birds. Apparently, they were all here.

After a while, walking into the wind does get old. Kinda nice to get out of it.

As usual, lunch was at Huck-a-Poos. Bree was my server and couldn't have been any nicer. There's just something about this place.

From the walk back to the motel... This was mostly dry back in February.

And of course there was the walk out for sunset.

Another photo shoot on the beach...

Still a big windy...

There's a diner here called The Breakfast Club. They're only open from 7-1. I've been there numerous times. I only mention it because tonight it was all lit up. I asked the guy outside what was going on. They're shooting a student film.

Day 5

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Just like yesterday, wind was expected all day. The good thing, it played into my plans for later.

As for sunrise, just add a layer or two and it was fine. Yeah, just a bit windy.

Since I'm always looking for something different to do while I'm here, I did a hiking trail search and found one that looked promising. It was a seven and a half mile loop trail that seemed to have everything, even alligators.

Every review mentioned three things, a lack of trail markings, scenery and bugs. With a windy day, the bugs wouldn't be a problem.

From the parking area...

It's an area known as Priest's Landing. After the Civil War, Benedictine monks opened a monastery and school here. It was damaged by a tidal wave and later a fire.

Now it's a hiking trail.

When you use the All Trails app, you get a map that looks like this...

Call up the trail and hit start. The app shows you where to go.

For some reason, I missed a step and didn't notice right away. Instead, the app kept track of my progress, while showing the trail. Where I was walking didn't seem to be following the trail, more like following the vague direction.

The difference being, I wasn't getting information on turns. But, I did see a map of where I had gone.

One thing I hate while hiking are unexpected forks. I took a few wrong ones. Every bridge felt like I was on course again.

After numerous forks and wrong turns, I took this as a sign to turn around.

Still, not too shabby.

Still, it was way too early to call it a day. I had passed Skidaway State Park a few miles back. I'd been there before. But, it was the perfect place to get in a few more miles.