The Deep South

It has already been over a week since last time I wrote and so much has happened to me that I can hardly believe it! The daunting drive from Massachusetts to Georgia wasn't nearly as bad as I thought.  (I'm constantly learning that the things we worry most about are the things over which we should stop worrying entirely.)  I broke it into 3 days: Salem to Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania to North Carolina, and finally, North Carolina to Georgia.  I got lucky with my drive to North Carolina because I drove that segment on a Saturday.  Despite this fact, I ran into some "dense" spots traffic-wise around the city areas.  Besides that I was mostly alone with my thoughts and a lot of good music.  I am especially pleased to be in Christian radio territory again after my long stint in the godless state of Massachusetts where such a thing could not be found.  

In North Carolina I joined up with a friend and we caravaned the rest of the way to Georgia.  Along the way we stopped at "South of the Border" in South Carolina which was essentially a big tourist trap.  We took some pictures and promised to come back later to buy fireworks, but that was about enough.  

Tonight, some friends and I went out to dinner and to explore the local area.  Above is a picture of a lighthouse and one side of a fort at St. Simons Island in Georgia.  There's a National Park nearby related to this site's history that I'll have to go back and visit soon.  Everything was closed this evening so we couldn't go inside.

Above are some palm trees.  They are everywhere down here!  I don't see them in MA even though we are by the ocean because it isn't warm enough. Also, I haven't been to too many tropical places yet in my world travels so palm trees are still unique and very cool to me.  They make me feel like I'm on vacation.  The other really cool thing about the trees down here is that they are all draped with Spanish Moss.  It gives them a swampy, creepy feel.  Yet also a dramatic, regal kind of elegance.  The contrast between these two kinds of trees provides frequent visual interest.

This is the St. Simons Pier at sunset.  I got a chance to walk down it and what makes it unique is that on either side there are people lined up along the edges fishing.  You have to be brave and always ready to duck and cover your head because you never know when someone is going to real in a fish or cast a line into the water.  I think I almost got hooked a few times!  My first adventure out into southeastern Georgia was fun.  I'm looking forward to what the rest of the weekend holds!