Sensational Savannah

We moved further south this morning. It was only a short two hours drive to the gorgeous town of Savannah which is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and was established in 1733 on the Savannah River. When we arrived we transferred from our bus to a local trolley which took us on a guided tour. Savannah is a planned city. There are 22 squares (you can read more about the squares here) in the town which equate to the original districts. The squares are simply beautiful. They are well manicured gardens which offer respite from the heat and humidity. The most common trees are the live oaks which are covered by an epiphyte called Spanish Moss. This gives the trees an ethereal look. At the conclusion of the tour Stephen and I walked from one end of the historic district, criss crossing through many of the squares, to our hotel which is at the opposite end. The houses in the historic district are simply beautiful. I have included photos of just a few.

Downtown Charleston

After lunch we walked the streets and alleys around our hotel, through the historic markets and down to the waterfront. The houses are absolutely amazing and the waterfront area beautiful. Pineapples and the Palmetto tree adorn everything. The Palmetto tree can be found on the South Carolina flag. Pineapples are not grown in the area and never have been. Exotic fruit had to be imported so the pineapple became the symbol of wealth and hospitality. Contrary to popular belief the most common crop in South Carolina was in fact rice and not cotton. Rice was grown from the early 1700s and cotton only introduced in the mid 1800s. The first slaves brought to Charles Town (as it was called under British rule) came from West Africa and they brought not only the plants but the knowledge and expertise of how to grow rice. Live oak trees (so called because they never loose their leaves) line the streets. Even in the overcast conditions it is an absolutely beautiful city. Charleston is the oldest and largest city in the state of South Carolina. It is often referred to as the Holy City as it is known for its tolerance for all religions and its numerous historic churches. Charleston is home to the Circular Congregational Church, which is one of the oldest congregations in the South.

Charleston Harbour Cruise

After a lazy morning enjoying our magnificent room at the French Quarter Inn we hopped aboard the Carolina Belle for a cruise around the harbour. The weather while very overcast is hot and steamy. There is a tropical storm just off the coast that is bringing the rain to our area. Charleston is a very busy port with 100 plus cruise ships docking each year. It is the second biggest export port in the world after Singapore. BMW cars are made here in South Carolina and shipped to Europe in giant ships called RoRos (roll on, roll off). We sailed past acres of BWM cars waiting to be loaded. We also sailed out passed Fort Sumter which is where the Civil War began. Follow the link to a short video about the fort and the part it played in the Civil War - Fort Sumter video

Raleigh to Charleston

Another very long day in the bus as we moved from North Carolina further south to the capital of South Carolina, Charleston. The journey which should have taken four hours took six as there was a 'wreak' (truck rollover) on the interstate and all the traffic was detoured onto back roads which were absolutely choked. As we drove south we could see that the sky ahead of us was overcast. The sky continued to darken and by the time we arrived in Charleston the heavens had opened and the heavy rain resulted in flash flooding and more chaos. After a stop for lunch in the historic market area where we watched the water rise we hopped back on the bus for a tour of the city. Charleston is the most visited city in the whole of the United States and it is easy to see why, even on a very gloomy and wet afternoon. The live oak trees line every street. The houses are just glorious, mostly timber, with porches facing south to make the most of the breezes that come off the water. Tomorrow we have a harbour cruise and some free time to explore the city so I hope that I will finally be able to take some photos.

We are currently sitting in our hotel room watching the unfolding disaster that is Hurricane Harvey. The hurricane itself did major damage but the worst is yet to come as the flooding is catastrophic. The situation is going to become even more dire as the hurricane has moved off shore and is strengthening and is expected to hit land again in the next couple of days. We are no where near the danger however we are now seeing that the damaging rain and wind is moving towards Louisiana, with New Orleans on flood watch. We are not due to arrive in New Orleans until 6 September so hopefully the flooding has subsided. If not I know that Scenic will have an alternative plan in place for us.

Washington to Raleigh

Today was the first of two travel days as we relocate from the northern to southern states. Most of the day was spent in the bus apart from a short stop for lunch in Richmond, Virginia. Our stop over tonight is in Raleigh which is the capital of North Carolina. We have another long day in the bus tomorrow as we make our way further south to Charleston which is the capital of South Carolina and our stop over for two nights.

Washington DC

We had an early start this morning as there is just so much to see. First stop was the serene and beautiful Arlington Cemetery. We wandered through the manicured gardens passed rows and rows of identical white headstones to the eternal flame that marks the grave of JFK, Jacquie and their two babies, one that was stillborn and another that died two days after birth. Arlington House which was the home of Robert E. Lee looks out over the cemetery. More info about the mansion can be found here.

Next stop was what is known as 'the big three' which includes the Lincoln, Korean War and Vietnam War memorials. The Korean War Memorial is simply stunning. It is hard to describe just how impressive it is. The way that the 19 soldiers are reflected in the granite wall that has thousands of faces etched into it is beautiful.

The Lincoln Memorial is imposing and sits at one end of the National Mall. Sixty steps lead you up to where Abraham Lincoln (POTUS No.16) sits watching over all before him. The words of his famous Gettysburg address adorn one of the walls. Lincoln was the president during the Civil War but unfortunately he was not able to enjoy his victory and the uniting of the states as he was assassinated a very short while after by a confederate sympathiser.

Next stop was the Vietnam War Memorial. The thing that really struck us was the number of veterans walking the wall, running their fingers over the names of fallen friends, all appearing quite emotional.

We climbed back onto the bus for a short ride to the White House and then onto the Capital Building which is at the opposite end of the National Mall to the Lincoln Memorial. Washington is a beautiful and very interesting city with just so much to see that you probably need to stay here for a week in order to see it all.