June 21 Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum

In our many drives up and down I95 we've seen the 8th Air Force Museum from the interstate.  This time we decided to stop in.  We left Savannah after breakfasting with the Girl Scouts and National Guard and drove the 20 minutes out to the interstate and the museum.

 The WW2 B-17 City of Savannah is the primary display item in the museum.  They are actively restoring the plane, for display and not for flight.  We were lucky visiting on a Wednesday since that's the day that the restorers, all volunteers and good old boys, are at the museum.  Attendance was light.

 I got a personal tour of the B-17 interior from one of the restorers, and later a tour of the machine shop where they do their restoration work.  The guys who flew the B17 had to be much younger and thinner than I am.  The bomber is cramped, crowded and filled with sharp angles and protrusions.

 This B-47 is visible from the interstate.  That's why we visited.

The museum has a few other planes, and lots of storytelling exhibits.

Worth the stop.  Particularly when the restorers are around to give you the inside tour.

June 19-20 Savannah Georgia

After the morning in St. Augustine we took the short drive up I95 to Savannah, stopping at a Sonny's BBQ in west St. Augustine on the way.  Like our drive on Sunday, there was rain along the way.  We were lucky that all of the rain we saw during our trip occurred when we were driving between locations.  Never had to put our ponchos on.

We arrived in Savannah, checked into the Fairfield Inn Historic District hotel, and walked down to the river.  Savannah is famous for its squares, and this was the first we hit in our wanderings around the old city.  Franklin Square and the Haitian Monument, memorializing the black soldiers who fought for independence from the British.

Down to the river

 We ate here both nights in Savannah.  Really liked it.

 Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, has a big presence in Savannah.  This is one of the more mobile monuments.

 River traffic

 Waving girl statue

 Girl scouts were everywhere in the city.  Several groups stayed at our hotel, and filled the breakfast area both mornings.  Also in uniform at our hotel -- a group of National Guard soldiers, some in standard battle dress camouflage, others in flight jumpsuits.  The scout group below was doing their pilgrimage to the birthplace of the Scouts.

 The defining image of Savannah -- open square filled with live oaks dripping with Spanish moss

 Forsyth Fountain in Forsyth Park

 The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.  A docent gave a very informative 12-minute talk about the building and its furnishings. 

 Colonial Park Cemetery

 We ate lunch at the Pirate's House.  A very reasonable buffet lunch, and we weren't drugged and carried off through the tunnel to find ourselves on a ship bound for China.
While we were eating it poured down rain.  Yet as we finished it had stopped.  We still needed to cover the cameras while walking around for the next half-hour or so, but didn't need to put the ponchos on.  We were quite lucky with the weather.

 Factors Walk

 City Hall

 Steps down to the River -- pretty steep

 

Chippewa Square: This is where Forest Gump's bench was located for the filming  of the movie.  The bench was strictly a prop, and now located in the Savannah museum.

Next stop: Charleston SC

June 18, 2017 St. Augustine Florida

We made a quick trip to Florida from North Carolina to respond to a jury duty summons.  We could have postponed it, but better to get it over with when there's nothing else on the calendar.  Fortunately it was all over in 1.5 hours (I only got to see the first 30 minutes of "The Martian" before I was dismissed).  So instead of zooming back to NC, we decided to visit some historical spots on the way back, spreading the trip out over five days rather than one long driving day.

First up was St. Augustine, and the Castillo de San Marcos.

 It's been more than 30 years since we've visited St. Augustine.  The fort is smaller than I remembered it. 

We spent Sunday afternoon and Monday morning walking around the city.  Lots of old places separating the Starbucks.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine

 Sometime the Starbucks were in old places.

Lightner Museum.   A newlywed couple was being photographed in the gardens in front of the building. 

 Flagler College

 Foyer of the college

 Bridge of the Lions.  Traffic was snarled here Sunday afternoon when the bridge stuck in the up position.

City gate -- entrance to old town

 Interesting door to 32 Marine St...or is it 3200 Marine?

 We walked rather than riding the tour trams.  There are at least 2 competing tour companies.  For the 5 days of Sunday through Thursday on this little trip we did over 100K steps according to our Fitbits.

 Local resident.  Note the left rear leg

 The sundial on the front of the Cathedral Basilica has lat/long on it (enlarged at bottom of picture).  That location would be in the middle of the river.  Another conflict between church and science.  Actual location is about N29 53" 33.8'  W 81 18" 44.9'

Next up: Savannah GA