September 25/26

Wed dawned cloudy and misty.  Our ride today took us over yet another bridge, to Helena Island.  The route was called a “lollipop” loop.  During colonial times this farm area was replete with rice and cotton.  The planters constructed small chapels of worship, because their plantations were located too far from the churches in Beaufort.

The top of the loop, ended at a wooded beach community – “Land’s End” – from the shores of which could be seen, Parris Island.  Back down the lollipop stick, took us to Penn Center for a picnic lunch.

The Penn Center is one of the nation’s most historically significant African American educational and cultural institutions.  Penn School was founded in 1862 during the union occupation by two Pennsylvanian women who joined a relief effort to educate 10,000 former slaves to read, write, and survive in a world without plantation masters.  We were told by a docent, that Kerri Washington (of Scandal fame) is from that area.  Dr Martin Luther King, Jr held annual meetings for this organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on the Penn campus.  In 1974, the US Dept of the Interior named Penn Center a National Historic landmark.

A number of us decided to van back to the inn, where we relaxed, shopped and got acquainted with Beaufort.  We had dinner on the Intercoastal waterway, at Saltus. 

Thursday was drizzly - a perfect day to travel and not worry about riding.  We left for Savannah after breakfast and arrived by 11.  We enjoyed a walking tour of the historic squares and were left on our own for lunch and discovery.

Our hotel is quite modern (the Andaz) and close to the riverfront.  Savannah’s place in history leaves me scratching my head, once again!  Georgia was one of the original 13 colonies and when Savannah was settled, as a charter colony, slavery was actually prohibited… along with Catholics, rum and lawyers!!!

We had a light dinner at Jazz’d (tappas bar) then enjoyed a SAVANNAH LIVE at the historic Savannah theatre.  It was great.