Disneyland and I were born just 6 months apart and let me tell you that even though I’m 6 months younger than the magic kingdom, I feel really old just making that statement.  Want to know how old I am?  I remember the original mule ride where Thunder Mountain Railroad now stands.  The mules left the Disneyland corral years ago, but oh man, did I love riding those silly mules and believing I was seriously trekking through the desert.

Halfway between Charleston and Savannah, lies sleepy little Beaufort, South Carolina. It’s a picturesque seaside town with a pretty harbor where the sailboats silently bob up and down in the water awaiting the next adventure.  It’s a town where one genuinely feels as if you’re walking back through time. Yes, I know I say that a lot, but it’s true. There are so many quiet little blink-of-the-eye places in the US that often go unnoticed.

Tips for visiting Savannah. As I said in my first Savannah post  – actually I was mostly raving about the food tastings of our Savannah Taste Experience Walking Tour – I really did not know what to expect of the city.  And, as I also mentioned we approached Savannah from the back door.  So much so that we ended up switching hotels on day 2 of our 4-day stay because we just weren’t where we wanted to be.

I really had no expectations of Savannah; having absolutely no inkling of what the city was like.  After spending several days in Charleston, I suppose it was natural to think Savannah would be quite similar to Charleston, but nope, that’s not the case at all.

It was described to us as being hauntingly beautiful. And, a must see destination as we traveled south from Charleston to Savannah.  The Old Sheldon Church.  As it turned out, I cannot think of two more appropriate words to use other than hauntingly beautiful.

Do you ever think about what you would have chosen as a field of study if you had a “do-over?” If I had it to do over again, I’m pretty sure I would have been a history major. I love walking in the path of those who came before us. It is my absolute favorite aspect of travel – and life in general.

Here’s the thing about the deep south, and cities such as Charleston, Beaufort and Savannah, it’s kinda like no other place you’ll ever visit in the US.  But then again the same can probably be said about the Pacific Northwest or the Southwest or the Midwest Bible Belt.  But then again… the history of the south is, well, like no other.

As I write this post we are in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Myrtle Beach, not Asheville, North Carolina which is where we’re supposed to be, where it’s about 36 degrees and where the rain has been falling in torrential buckets for the better part of the day.  We spent over two hours this morning in a nearby coffee house nursing cups of hot steamy goodness while watching the downpour.  Now back in our hotel room, we are basically here in Myrtle Beach to wait out the storm.

One of my most favorite things to see when we travel across the vast prairies of this country is the mile-long freight trains that often run alongside the highway. I start out trying to count the number of cars but soon give up because I simply can’t keep up.  But if I’m really lucky I’ll hear that long drone – somewhat lonely – call of a train whistle.  There’s just something about it that tugs at my soul; almost makes me want to bum a ride in an empty freight car headed for parts unknown.  Almost.

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned small town 4th of July parade to remind one of the grand ‘ole flag.