I said, Georgia, oh, Georgia. No peace I find…according to Ray Charles from the song Georgia On My Mind. On day four gliding into Savannah, Georgia for one night with designs to check on Tybee Island the next day.
Southern eats was top of mind for the one-nighter in Savannah after a lively day on Day 3. Savannah, Georgia, was established in 1733 by James Edward Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia. Savannah is a whimsical tiny hamlet snuggled adjacent to the Savannah River. Evening grub was secured at Huey’s and came highly recommended by Yelp. Other suggestions that you may want to try if you are in Savannah are The Grey, The Olde Pink House, or Cotton & Rye.
Let America Be Great Again Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. (America was never America to me) - Langston Hughes
Tybee Island
Day 4 sprang into action with a jaunt and bike ride on Tybee Island and concluded with a visit to Fort Pulaski, a National Monument in Georgia.
Tybee Island is a city and a barrier isle found in Chatham County, Georgia, 18 miles (29 km) east of Savannah, Georgia. The etymology of the name “Tybee,” like the story of the Island itself has numerous explanations. Most historians think “Tybee” originates from the Native American Euchee Indian term for “salt” which was one of many natural resources found on Tybee. Those resources have played an important role throughout the Island’s history.
The ride throughout Tybee island was very smooth and scenic. Rambling through multiple neighbourhoods, gazing at the regional architecture and visiting the Tybee Island lighthouse. A little shopping ended the day on Tybee and a stop at Fort Pulaski.
Fort Pulaski
Kazimierz Pułaski, English Casimir Pulaski, born March 6, 1745, Warsaw, Poland—died October 1779, aboard a vessel between Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. A Polish patriot and U.S. colonial army officer, a hero of the American Revolution.
The defining milestones of Fort Pulaski transpired during the American Civil War. In April of 1862, Union troops directed rifled cannon fire at the fort breaching the southeast angle. The instantaneous success of this innovative cannon startled military tacticians globally. The efficiency and reach of the rifled cannon rendered masonry fortifications antiquated. Quickly after capturing the fort, Union Major General David Hunter, a fervid abolitionist, ordered the liberation of area slaves. Many were recruited into the Union army comprising the First South Carolina Colored Regiment.
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek— And finding only the same old stupid plan Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak. - Langston Hughes
The moat that encircles the fort is seven feet deep and 32 to 48 feet wide. The water in the moat was delivered by a waterway from the Savannah River and managed by tide gates.
Walking about the fort I marvelled by the technological advancements achieved in the nineteenth century. Such as cooling convection apertures at the foundation of all rooms in the fort. There is also a rainwater collecting system that purified water from the vegetation on the roof into storage receptacles on the parade grounds.
In the parade areas, cavities were excavated into the dirt to catch rolling cannon shot. Confederate protectors of the fort erected earthen traverses between the guns and over the magazine. They also fabricated a substantial timber blindage to blanket the interior perimeter of the fort to guard against projectile fragments.
Next, stop on The Dirty South road trip? Atlanta, Georgia.
How long are you travelling for?
I have been traveling for about a week.