Places You've Never Heard of......

From Orlando we drove to Tampa to visit family.  Babygirl and I took the opportunity to go and see "The Fault in Our Stars" since we had read the book together.  I brought a packet of Kleenex.  It was almost enough. 

Having skipped Savannah on our way into Florida, we decided to check it out on our way out.  By this time we were pros at cancelling and rearranging campsites all over the south (Hubby figures we'll get blacklisted at some point, but until then....), so, atlas in hand, we headed out, planning to camp just outside of Savannah and tour it the next morning.

We never really make any solid plans for the road itself.  We just go with the flow. 

Lunchtime approached and I began to watch road signs and the atlas for likely stopping points.  We got off the highway to check out an antebellum plantation only to discover the road there was hopelessly under construction.  Back on the highway I saw a billboard for Skipper's Seafood.  It sounded promising, and there was a marker on the map for a National Historic Site nearby.

Signage is quirky.  You get off the main drag, and there's a sign pointing to the right.  You go a couple of miles, and the road ends in a T.  Left?  Right?  Well, the fort is to the right, so lets go that way.  We crossed a river, realized that there was no civilization in the swampland on the other side, and crossed back. 

Traveling down an ever narrowing Spanish-moss-overhung road past homes that clearly might just have backyard 'gator infestations, we arrived at Fort King George.

This little fort was the southernmost outpost of the British Colonies.  It was built by infirm elderly soldiers, most of whom died of either malaria, yellow fever, (the park rangers told us the 'skeeters aren't as bad as they used to be) or drunken accidents (I kid you not.  The museum displays said so).  Oddly, it was built to defend Georgia against the Floridians, who were, at the time, Spaniards.  Fortunately for the old alcoholic soldiers they were never called upon to fight.  We took a nature walk around the grounds.  At one point I slapped my leg and killed 6 mosquitos at one time.  Not my best vacation moment, but it may have inspired my best vacation running time.

The park rangers gave us directions to Skippers - we'd driven past it twice.

I bought local wine along the way.  All I can say is:  Don't. Unless you want diabetes.  And who's ever heard of the Darien River?  or the Darien River wine country?

 

It looks like a log.  But it has eyes.  It was our only live 'gator sighting.  We ate his cousin for lunch, with a side of excellent crab stew.

Completely satisfied with our odd historical tour (and our lunch) we headed in to set up camp. 'Gator- and 'skeeter-free camp.

DeeDee