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Georgia On My Mind: And What to Do About It

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008

by Robert Painter

Reprinted from TravelLady Magazine

You won’t run into Ray Charles, but if you head on down to Woodbine, Georgia, you can take in some great country and bluegrass music on the weekend. Friday night at the Woodbine Opry a lot of the local folks will be gathered around to listen to some pretty good acoustic Bluegrass and Gospel and when they come back on Saturday they might just pull the old guitar out of the closet to join in on some of their favorite country

It’s not the Ryman Auditorium, but neither does it cost $50 for a front row seat. For about eight dollars you have a fine country dinner before the music starts. The music is free but you can buy a ticket for the homemade cake raffle or make a donation if you’re so inclined. All in all it’s a terrific evening of good clean family fun. And dinner for the kids is only four dollars so bring everyone.

From Woodbine you can take a short drive down to Kingsland which is a good starting point for those wishing to venture a bit west into the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuse and Wilderness Area. Or go a few miles east to the delightful little town of St. Marys. Be sure to visit the Oak Grove Cemetery. Remember to ask someone about the resident ghosts.

If you’re ready for a bit of exercise and looking to find a few dolphins you probably ought to hook up with Up the Creek Xpeditions for a half day kayaking trip on the St. Marys River. And, if you’re really adventurous they can even arrange a night trip into the Okefenokee to spot alligators with your headlamp. If you haven’t kayaked before don’t let that stop you. They’ll give you excellent instruction and the equipment is first rate.

It’s time to turn a bit north and travel up the coast to Brunswick and the Golden Isles of Georgia. If you’re getting hungry for some fresh shrimp your next stop should be the Lady Jane Shrimp Boat. This is a real shrimp boat that has been refurbished and Coast Guard certified for passengers. The good news is that it is still a shrimper. It’s rigged to troll the waters in a nice, calm protected area (don’t even think about getting seasick) and you’ll have the opportunity to watch the authentic operation. The net pulls up a lot of creatures. Different kinds of fish, crabs shrimp and even the amazing horseshoe crab. You can even help sort the shrimp and toss the horseshoe crabs back into the water.

The real treat comes when the fresh shrimp are cooked and served right on the back of the boat. All you can eat, fresh and delicious!

As long as you’re in the neighborhood you wouldn’t want to miss the famous and historic Jekyll Island Club. It’s a wonderful place to overnight and walk around the grounds to view the historic district. You’ll recognize some of the names of the early club members. Marshall Field, Joseph Pulitzer, William Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan, Frank Goodyear, William Rockefeller are but a few on the list. The grounds are meticulously cared for.

A visit to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center found here will both entertain and educate you. Injured and ill turtles are cared for in a state-of-the-art facility and you can actually watch the staff in action. The staff will introduce you to some of the patients and you can learn much about the several varieties of turtles in the facility.

A short walk from the Center you will discover the unusual and scenic Driftwood Beach. It’s not really “driftwood” but rather trees that have been uprooted by the changing tides and left in place to be polished by the water. The shapes are beautiful and if you forget to bring your camera you’ll regret it later.

One of the biggest surprises on the island is an enormous colony of wood storks. Don’t miss them. I doubt if you’ll ever find a group like this again.

From Jekyll Island and Brunswick it’s an easy two hour drive on up to Savannah, unless you make a few stops along the way. Wolf Island, Blackbeard Island and Harris Neck and Sapelo are just a few of the National Wildlife Refuges and Sanctuaries you might want to visit.

Savannah is a perfect city for walking. There are scooters, segways, trolleys and even a GPS tour for the trendy techies. I like to walk and you can pick up a good map for your tour around the city. The trolley is an on and off vehicle so you can stop wherever you want and catch the next one when you’re ready.

You may know that Savannah was Georgia’s first city. You may not know that people were free to worship as they pleased. Excluding Catholics, however. At first, rum, lawyers and slavery were forbidden. I wonder what they had against rum.

It could be that the first Sunday School started here. A fellow named Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin at a nearby plantation in 1793 and in 1912 Juliette Gordon Low formed a little organization called the Girl Scouts.

Savannah has many faces. America’s Most Haunted City has a wonderful river walk with plenty of restaurants in which to sample the local southern cuisine and enough bars to keep you from getting too thirsty. There are lots of interesting shops including the typical tourist places on River Street. And, if you don’t like “tourist shops” stop in a couple of them anyway. You might stumble upon one pulling taffy or making that delightful southern treat, pralines. And, don’t miss the City Market in the heart of the Historic District.

If you’re a shopper you’ll discover the many antique shops, galleries and gift shops with lots of local hand-crafted items and folk art that you will find nowhere else.

Savannah is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in the country. There are 22 squares that are experienced by millions every year. The beautiful sprawling oaks trees decorated by nature with the lacey Spanish moss contribute to the antebellum look of the city along with the restoration of many Colonial, Victorian, Georgian and other architectural gems.

An important part of the history of Savannah is its Black heritage. There are numerous monuments, homes, parks, churches and institutions marking this cultural aspect. I remember walking past a monument and stopping to read the inscription. I was surprised to read that the young drummer boy grew up to eventually become the King of Haiti. The oldest standing brick building in Georgia is the First African Baptist Church, built by slaves, for slaves, in the evenings following a full day of work in the fields. I’ll leave it to you to discover more about the Gullah culture when you visit.

If you haven’t read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil I would recommend you give it a look before your trip to Savannah. It might just make you curious about some of the people in this enchanting city. There is probably a festival of some sort every month so show up and join in the fun.

A couple more hours up the road and you’ll discover Augusta, another Georgia treasure. You’ve probably heard of Augusta National Golf Club, official site of the Masters Tournament, but you may not know about the National Science Center, also in Augusta. It was created by law to promote science and math education for all ages nationwide. It is a fascinating place. Take your kids or go without them, but whatever time you allot for the visit plan to tack on another hour or two. The interactive displays and hands-on exhibits may just make you forget about looking at your watch.

Augusta is filled with beautiful homes, parks, gardens and monuments. Spreading oaks covered with Spanish moss and antebellum homes. A delightful Riverwalk and a great canal that used to be used to haul cotton and other goods. Some of the old mills have been restored and converted into businesses and residences. You’ll want to visit the childhood home of Woodrow Wilson and learn a bit more about life during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

I hope you manage to visit the Augusta Museum of History and see The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown exhibit. It is the first major exhibit dedicated to James Brown and will be at the museum through May 2011. James Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He grew up in Augusta and used his fame to be a positive advocate of peaceful race relations in the south.

The Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy located in the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park is a great way to spend part of your day in Augusta. The mission of the Academy is to promote environmental stewardship through education, research and public outreach with a goal of seeking solutions to healthy and sustainable natural resources. You’ll love the boardwalk and you’ll see waterfowl and maybe even an alligator or two.

I had a great time visiting this time and yes, Georgia is still on my mind! Now, I want to see the rest of the state. I’m planning to return, but just don’t know when – maybe I’ll see you there.

Keep on traveling!

Story and Photos by Robert Painter: rpainter2006@comcast.net

Photo of James Brown courtesy of Frank Christian