We’ve driven through Darien many times over the years and have previously stopped there for a seafood dinner on the Darien River. We had never taken the time to explore the area so for our anniversary this year we decided to spend the night in a hotel on the Darien river.
After taking the scenic drive south on Highway 17 we checked into our room before having a delicious flounder sandwich for lunch at a popular local restaurant.
The first place we explored was the Fort King Georgie State Historic Site close to our hotel. The fort was was built by the British in 1721 at the mouth of the Altamaha River to protect the area from the Spanish and the French. Fire destroyed the fort in 1727 and the fort was decommissioned.
Reconstruction of the fort began in the 1970’s and still continues today. We toured the interesting history museum before wandering around the reconstructed fort.
The rest of the afternoon we enjoyed the pool and for a while relaxed on our balcony overlooking the river. After a delicious seafood dinner and a walk along the dock we ended the evening back on the balcony enjoying the view.
The next morning I strolled along the Darien Waterfront Park before breakfast.
On our way home we made a slight detour to visit a recently opened Buc-ees on I-95 in Brunswick. Imagine a huge gas station and a huge store with souvenirs, hot food including Texas brisket, a wall of jerky, groceries, clothes, and even fresh made fudge. It was our first ever visit to a Buc-ees. Now we can say we’ve been there, done that.
We celebrated my June birthday with a day trip to Daufuskie Island, South Carolina.
Daufuskie Island is one of the South Carolina sea islands located near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. The island can only be reached by water. You can take your own boat or take a water taxi from either Hilton Head or Savannah. There are tours available on the island but we chose to rent a golf cart and see the island on our own.
Our day trip adventure began with a water taxi ride on the Bella from Bull River Marina in Savannah. We felt like we were on a private charter when we discovered we were the only two passengers on the boat. Henry and I both love boat rides through our beautiful coastal waterways. It was wonderful to watch for birds and dolphins as we traveled the 45 minutes to our destination.
The captain dropped us off at the public dock on Daufuskie where we hopped in our rental golf cart and began to explore the island. The roads are mostly dirt although there are a few paved roads. As we headed in the direction of Bloody Point Beach we saw a few houses but most of the ride was through undeveloped woods. We took a walk on the almost deserted beach. A logger head turtle nesting area was marked off for protection and we could see Tybee Island off in the distance.
As we rode along we stopped to explore some historic sites on the island. The following gallery includes the old Silver Dew Winery, the Bloody Point Lighthouse and former living quarters for the lighthouse keeper and his family (the building is now a museum and gift shop), and the former Mary Field School where the author Pat Conroy once taught. His novel The Water is Wide is based on his experience there.
It was time for lunch so our next stop was the Old Daufuskie Crab Company and Scrap Iron Bar at the Freeport Marina. This is a popular place for boaters and some of the water taxis stop here. I was a little disappointed when I discovered they didn’t have any of the famous deviled crab but my locally caught fried shrimp was delicious. The Scrap Iron Bar is known for it’s Scrap Iron cocktail.
Our last stop was back at the public dock where we waited for our water taxi at D’Fuskie’s Store. I saw a sign for Deviled Crab behind the cash register. I asked if they had any frozen to take home for my birthday dinner and bought the last three they had. They kept them in the freezer for me while we waited for our boat ride home. We enjoyed sitting on the porch talking to some of the locals who live on the island. When it was almost time for the boat to arrive we sat under an oak tree by the water and enjoyed talking to some other locals.
We had another beautiful boat ride back to Savannah. When we got home I heated up the deviled crab for a delicious birthday dinner.
For this challenge Ann-Christine asks “What happened on your last outing? Did you meet a friend or did you go shopping? Or maybe you just took a walk in the beautiful weather? What made you take out your camera? We’d love to find out!”
Henry and I have heard about sightings of an American Bald Eagle Nest at the Ft. Pulaski National Monument between Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. On a recent overcast Sunday afternoon we drove to the monument in search of the nest. I made sure I had my telephoto lens with me.
As the ranger at the gate was checking Henry’s National Park Senior Pass we asked her where the nest was. She gave us directions and we began our quest. We found what appeared to be a nest but there were no birds in sight so we began to explore around the Civil War era fort. We called it a day when it started raining a few minutes later.
Two days later on the spur of the moment I decided to go back to search for the eagle again. I grabbed my camera but left my telephoto lens at home. This time when I talked to the ranger she said one of the eagles had been flying around the fort. I almost turned around to go get my big lens but it was getting late and I decided to just wander around the fort instead.
I went straight to where the nest was and surprise! There was a big bird on the nest. I couldn’t get a good enough picture to tell if it is an eagle or not. In the following gallery the image on the left is the closest shot I could get of the bird on the nest. The image on the right is cropped for a closer look. I tried cropping even closer but it’s such a blur I didn’t want to include it here. I can’t tell if it’s a juvenile eagle, a vulture, or some other big bird. I learned my lesson – always bring the big lens!
It was a beautiful day to wander around the fort and snap a few photos.
Even though I didn’t get the Bald Eagle images I was hoping for I had two enjoyable outings to Ft. Pulaski.
Part 2 of our Viking Mississippi Delta Explorer Adventure – Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Our first stop in the state of Mississippi was the town of Natchez which sits on a bluff above the Mississippi River. The fog was thick when we arrived.
We took a bus tour through the town of Natchez with a great local guide. We visited a museum featuring old historic photographs depicting life in Natchez through the years before touring Magnolia Hall located in Natchez. The Natchez Garden Club owns the home and lovingly restored it. Mardi Gras decorations and flower arrangements from a recent flower show were displayed around the home.
We stopped at on overlook on the top of the bluff for a look at the river. The light was not good for a photograph but I couldn’t resist taking a picture of our ship anyway.
Vicksburg, Mississippi – Vicksburg National Military Park
This was our third visit to the Vicksburg National Military Park. On our previous visits we drove through the park on our own. This time we were on a bus with a guide who told us about the battle of Vicksburg and pointed out important sites of the battle. I enjoyed hearing the details about this pivotal battle of the Civil War. The day ended with a beautiful sunset over the river.
Greenville, Mississippi – Steve Azar’s Mississippi and the B. B. King Museum
Greenville, Mississippi is the self-proclaimed heart and soul of the Delta. The City of Greenville has received a Trademark on the title “Hot Tamale Capital of the World” from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Jim Henson, who created the Muppets, was born at the hospital in Greenville and grew up in the nearby town of Leland where he made his first Kermit the Frog puppet out of his mother’s green bathrobe.
One of the highlights of the entire cruise an event called “Steve Azar’s Mississippi”. We enjoyed a delicious brunch of local foods and a live concert with Greenville native Steve Azar. The event was held in the beautiful Jake and Freda Stein Hall located at the E. E. Bass Cultural Center in downtown Greenville. We had a nice conversation outside with Steve Azar before the show.
Servers brought each course to the tables. The meal started with a Bloody Mary. The first course was delicious hot tamales. The second course was fried catfish and hush puppies. Next up was pulled pork barbeque, rolls, rice, and macaroni and cheese. Near the end of the show we had a toast with moonshine followed by banana pudding for desert.
The show began while we were eating. We were entertained by stories about the state of Mississippi and the culture of the Delta. The music was great and included the song “One Mississippi”, Mississippi’s new official state song written by Steve Azar. The video is of the band performing the first two stanzas of the song.
After the fantastic show we boarded a bus for a 30 minute ride to the town of Indianola to visit the B.B. King Museum. We had another entertaining local guide who told us lots of fun stories and pointed out points of interest. The museum was filled with memorabilia and was very well done. Seeing another beautiful sunset over the river was a great way to end the day.
Final Day on Ole Man River
Our final day on the ship was a perfect day for watching the barges on the river as we cruised from Greenville to Memphis, Tennessee. The last sunset over the river was spectacular.
We had a fun week aboard the beautiful Viking Mississippi. The crew was excellent, stateroom spacious, food delicious, music outstanding, and the excursions were fun with great local guides.
Part 1 of our Viking Mississippi Delta Explorer Adventure – Louisiana
The Mighty Mississipi River runs through ten states and is the second longest river in the United States (the Missouri is slightly longer). During our RV travels Henry and I crossed the Mississippi River many times, stopped to explore many places along the river, and camped in campgrounds next to the river so we could sit and watch the barges go by.
It had been a while since we had seen the Mississippi River so we recently took a Mississippi River Cruise from New Orleans to Memphis. We learned a lot about the history of the river and the area, ate delicious local foods, visited historical homes and battlefields, and enjoyed fantastic music from the region.
New Orleans, Louisiana
“Laissez les bons temps rouler” (Let the Good Times Roll)
Our trip started with a long travel day to New Orleans. Somewhere between home and New Orleans I managed to twist my right knee and was limited in the amount of standing and walking I could do. But, I was not about to let my bum knee keep me from having fun.
We arrived on a Thursday night less than two weeks before Fat Tuesday’s big Mardi Gras celebration. We learned that in New Orleans many people begin celebrating Mardi Gras right after New Year’s Eve. Some people leave their tree up until Mardi Gras, replacing the Christmas ornaments with Mardi Gras colors of purple, gold and green.
We enjoyed drinks and delicious crawfish etouffee and gumbo at Daisy Dukes Express near our hotel on Thursday night. On Friday we explored the French Quarter around Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. The day was cold and windy. Beignets and hot chocolate at the famous Cafe Du Monde warmed us up.
People were in a festive mood and many had on their Mardi Gras colors. Balconies and businesses were sporting Mardi Gras flags and decorations. As shown in my header image, even the bridges over the Mississippi River at the Port of New Orleans were lit up in Mardi Gras purple. The following gallery shows a few of the highlights from the day.
First night on the Viking Mississippi
Saturday morning we took an Uber to the Port of New Orleans and boarded the Viking Mississippi, our home for the week. While we waited for our stateroom to be ready we explored the ship and I walked around the port. The ship was docked on the Mississippi River underneath two bridges.
The Mother River statue at the Port of New Orleans.
Jazz musician Wendell Brunious (he has led the Preservation Hall Jazz Band since 1978) and his Swedish wife Caroline performed a Tribute to Louis Armstrong that evening on the ship. It was the first of several wonderful music performances we enjoyed while sailing up the river.
Darrow, Louisiana and a Cajun Swamp Tour in the rain
A series of levees have been constructed along the banks of the lower Mississippi to prevent flooding. The ship docked next to the levees and passengers had the option of walking up the levee or taking a golf cart ride to the top.
The rain was coming down hard when we took a golf cart ride to the top of the levee at Darrow. We were dropped off in the parking lot of the beautiful Houmas House and Gardens where we boarded our tour bus. Our local Cajun tour guide kept us entertained with stories about the history and culture of the Cajun people during the 30 minute ride to LaPlace, Louisiana for a Cajun Swamp Tour through the Manchac swamp.
It was still raining when we boarded our covered pontoon boat and Captain Brian took us into the swamp. As we rode along he pointed out the different trees and plants and we learned about the folklore and history of the swamp. We learned that cemeteries were always on high ground because of flooding. We passed by a lone grave which is allegedly the burial place of Julia Brown, a medicine woman who died in 1915. Her ghost is believed to still be in the swamp.
Alligators were once almost extinct but now there is a large population thanks to licensed alligator farms. It was the wrong time of year to see many alligators in the wild but we got to meet Louie, a 2 1/2 year old alligator who will one day be released into the wild. Everyone on the boat got to meet Louie.
When we returned from our excursion we had hoped to tour the historic Houmas House and gardens but the rain was still coming down and we opted to spend the rest of the afternoon on the ship.
St. Francisville, Louisiana – tour of Rosedown Plantation
The ship was docked next to the levee in St. Francisville, Louisiana. This levee was pretty steep and we were glad to ride the golf cart to the top.
Our local guide was a former school teacher who loved history. As we traveled to the site we learned about about the history of the area and of the Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site. We passed through sugar cane fields and crossed the Mississippi River before arriving at the beautiful home and gardens. Daniel and Martha Turnbull began construction on the main house at Rosedown in 1834 and furnished it with furnishings brought from Europe. Many of the original pieces are still on display at Rosedown.
Entertainment that night was Cajun and Zydeco music by Bruce Daigrepont. He told us their costumes were “Country Mardis Gras” costumes. The music was fun and he was a great story teller.
I posted about some of our previous travels along Mississippi River at A River Runs Through It.
Next up – More of our adventure on the Big Muddy in the state of Mississippi.
Wandering Dawgs 