GEORGIA COAST MARCH 10

One thing that we loved was the Georgia coast and islands near Savannah. It's a busy port centre, huger liners from China full of 2 and 3-level containers go right up the narrow channel. Also we saw European car ships coming up to Jacksonville in N.florida the same way. Both places are planning major expenditures to allow bigger cargo ships up their port rivers. I guess the Chinese love North America, everyone wants to buy cheap, ships return empty! 

  A big drawback is that Georgia has been the largest producer of pulp and paper in the US for years. As a result, you can smell it all the time, that sort of BC air smell which permeates everything. We had not expected that.

  One day we took a drive to the Savannah seaside, small Tybee Island, where parkign was again at a premium, but lovely long beaches and seabirds, and a historic fort and lighthouse, the tallest in the US. We strolled the beach and boardwalk area (shades of Brighton?) of the quaint downtown, and found a busy sidewalk seafood restaurant boasting the best crabs in town. It's blue crab season, you eat them slightly breaded, deep fried and eati absolutely everything, I love them!  But Ted sticks to mahimahi fish tacos! These places are cheap and cheerful, plastic everything, but often very fresh delicious seafood. And we are finding lots of good local beers, many special brews, everywhere we go.

  This time the temps were around 78 and sunny days, and the nice Hamptons Inn on the edge of town proved a good home base for our stay in Savannah. (Thanks Colin & Nancy for that suggestions.)   

  Ted often walked from there all around  town when I had had enough of sightseeing. We could walk to dinner every night too, so no driving for him, a bonus.