Our march to the sea

We seem to be following General Sherman and his troops right along coastal Georgia.  We started our day at Fort Pulaski, outside Savannah.  The Confederates lost it early in the war, which greatly affected the role Savannah was able to play in supplying the South.  It was the first time traditional fortifications were lost to “rifled artillery,” suddenly rendering it and all fortifications in the world like it totally obsolete, as told by a Civil War re-enactor. This was fascinating to the hundred or so US soldiers just back from Afghanistan who were ordered to meet there yesterday, most with their young families.  Rather a touching counterpoint to the memories of past battles.

Then on to scenic highway Route 17, meandering along the route that I-95 plows through.  That enabled us to see the smallest church in America, for all you roadside-attraction fans.  Built in the 40’s, it is very sweet – and available for weddings.  Using it would certainly keep them affordable, as it only seats 12.

We had lunch in the little town of Darien — not at all like the place in Connecticut — and mercifully spared by Sherman.  That was a blessing as it allowed us to have some of the best fish ever cooked, at Skipper’s Fish Camp.  Don could hardly wait to dig into his freshly caught flounder.

We also toured St. Simon’s Island and Jekyll Island, just to see how the resort crowd lives.  Jekyll Island was the private reserve of the very wealthy up until WWII, when the government decided to evacuate them.  It was deemed unadvisable to have so many representatives of US capital in one place while enemy subs were patrolling the coast.  But now it seems acceptable to put them all in the “billionaires’ tower” on West 57th Street.  Guess they figure it’s safe from submarines. Go know.