Flashback: East Coast Roadtrip Pt.1
Being a student definitely has its advantages. Among them are the long summer breaks you can use for extensive travelling (if you are, like me, inclined that way). Now, this post is titled as a flashback for a reason. It has already been a little over a year that K and me shoved all my belongs that had accumulated over a year living in Florida into the trunk of a VW Beetle and hit the road. So it's about due time that our great adventures in the United States are written down.
We started our journey in Jacksonville, Florida during a raging heat wave. And believe me a heat wave in the South is a whole different story from any 'heat wave' we Europeans expect. It didn't take us long to cross the first state line and arrive in beautiful Georgia. Our first destination was Savannah which is known for its laid back, old Deep South flair. We left our car somewhere in the town centre and went exploring. Thankfully, there were trees everywhere giving some shade to shelter us from the sun.
Meet our little baby! He was the smallest car on almost every road but he rocked like one of those pick-up trucks.
Eventually, we ended up at the water front where we enjoyed the breeze and the view.
K is observing a Mississippi steam boat in action.
Coming from Berlin, Savannah seemed very much like a small town to us. The wide streets, the big cars, and the eternal sunshine made it look like one of those TV shows we grew up on. We would have loved to stroll for hours more but the heat got to us. So we caved, stacked up on cold drinks, and continued on up north where we crashed in a little motel just outside of Charleston (Yes, we crossed another state line. Three states in one day...not bad for our first road trip).
Having risen early, we started Day 2 with a city stroll through Charleston. It is the most picturesque southern town you can imagine. Every house is trying to be more impressive than it's neighbour. The scenery throughout the southern states is also made more beautiful by the sheer endless amount of trees and other greenery. But let's start with another (better) picture of our trusted new BFF.
When we got him he was as good as new. We must have been only the second or third party to ever rent him. In Europe we would have drawn envious looks everywhere. Here, we only got pity for it being so small. But size doesn't matter because (spoiler alert!) this little buddy took us all the way up to the Canadian border and through the NYC traffic without acting up once.
I had been to Charleston before over Thanksgiving the previous year. The last time I walked this street was Black Friday. Safe to say, it looks much more peaceful here.
This must be the smallest College in the world!
Having explored the city and it's many streets and corners before I fearlessly let the way through the jungle (otherwise known as a slightly hidden alley).
At it's end is this old cemetery with some of the oldest grave stones of the city. Many have a short biography of the families buried there engraved and you can learn a lot about past times (a free, outdoors museum if you will).
Back on the main streets, look what we found. Had we known, we wouldn't have purchased that parking ticked three blocks away.
In the end, we seem to always end up by the water wherever we go. Charleston was no different in that regard. Although I have to admit that Savannah's waterfront was prettier to look at.
All over the southern states there is this wild moss hanging from the trees. It feeds off the humidity and whatever else is in the air and doesn't hurt or impair the trees it grows on in the slightest. And it makes for great pictures.
We started early, knowing very well that it would be a hot day once again. As the sun was rising higher and higher so was the temperature. By noon we couldn't stand being outside any longer and ducked into the nearest Starbucks where we drank our weight in Iced Tea. As it was one of the hottest days ever recorded Starbucks gave free refills on all cold drinks and we took full advantage of that. (By the way, free refills might be the one thing I miss the most about the US.)
Once we felt ready to brave the heat again we walked back to our car and made the short drive to Boone Hall Plantation. It is one of the most beautifully kept historic mansions. The first buildings were erected around 1681 and it used to be a cotton and later a pecan plantation. Today it is open to the public and well worth a visit if you are in the area. Fun fact: Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively got married here...but that was long after K and me had scoped out the place.
So let me take you around this place. First we have a slightly obstructed view of the main house.
However, what Boone Hall is really famous for and has been featured in many a movie and TV show is the grand road encased by two-centuries-old oak trees hung with moss that sways in the wind. Driving up to the mansion you feel immediately in awe and will definitely fall in love with this place at first sight.
On the side of the road are the old huts where the slaves used to live. They have been converted into an exhibition about their daily life and the history of slavery in general.
The mansion still standing today has been built in the early 20th century. It is a lot bigger and grander than the original wooden house.
We could have spent some nice winters here. However, there is no way I would ever agree to spent a whole summer in the South again. My German genes are not made for this weather.
To transport the crops, food and really everything else this river bed was used. It leads directly to the Sea and the tides where used to go into either direction.
In an effort to get to a climate we could better adapt to than the humid heat we had experienced the past few days we drove all the way up north to Jacksonville, North Carolina (4th state, yeah!). From there we started Day 3 of our road trip. But that is a story for another time...
We started our journey in Jacksonville, Florida during a raging heat wave. And believe me a heat wave in the South is a whole different story from any 'heat wave' we Europeans expect. It didn't take us long to cross the first state line and arrive in beautiful Georgia. Our first destination was Savannah which is known for its laid back, old Deep South flair. We left our car somewhere in the town centre and went exploring. Thankfully, there were trees everywhere giving some shade to shelter us from the sun.
Meet our little baby! He was the smallest car on almost every road but he rocked like one of those pick-up trucks.
Eventually, we ended up at the water front where we enjoyed the breeze and the view.
K is observing a Mississippi steam boat in action.
Coming from Berlin, Savannah seemed very much like a small town to us. The wide streets, the big cars, and the eternal sunshine made it look like one of those TV shows we grew up on. We would have loved to stroll for hours more but the heat got to us. So we caved, stacked up on cold drinks, and continued on up north where we crashed in a little motel just outside of Charleston (Yes, we crossed another state line. Three states in one day...not bad for our first road trip).
Having risen early, we started Day 2 with a city stroll through Charleston. It is the most picturesque southern town you can imagine. Every house is trying to be more impressive than it's neighbour. The scenery throughout the southern states is also made more beautiful by the sheer endless amount of trees and other greenery. But let's start with another (better) picture of our trusted new BFF.
When we got him he was as good as new. We must have been only the second or third party to ever rent him. In Europe we would have drawn envious looks everywhere. Here, we only got pity for it being so small. But size doesn't matter because (spoiler alert!) this little buddy took us all the way up to the Canadian border and through the NYC traffic without acting up once.
I had been to Charleston before over Thanksgiving the previous year. The last time I walked this street was Black Friday. Safe to say, it looks much more peaceful here.
This must be the smallest College in the world!
Having explored the city and it's many streets and corners before I fearlessly let the way through the jungle (otherwise known as a slightly hidden alley).
At it's end is this old cemetery with some of the oldest grave stones of the city. Many have a short biography of the families buried there engraved and you can learn a lot about past times (a free, outdoors museum if you will).
Back on the main streets, look what we found. Had we known, we wouldn't have purchased that parking ticked three blocks away.
In the end, we seem to always end up by the water wherever we go. Charleston was no different in that regard. Although I have to admit that Savannah's waterfront was prettier to look at.
All over the southern states there is this wild moss hanging from the trees. It feeds off the humidity and whatever else is in the air and doesn't hurt or impair the trees it grows on in the slightest. And it makes for great pictures.
We started early, knowing very well that it would be a hot day once again. As the sun was rising higher and higher so was the temperature. By noon we couldn't stand being outside any longer and ducked into the nearest Starbucks where we drank our weight in Iced Tea. As it was one of the hottest days ever recorded Starbucks gave free refills on all cold drinks and we took full advantage of that. (By the way, free refills might be the one thing I miss the most about the US.)
Once we felt ready to brave the heat again we walked back to our car and made the short drive to Boone Hall Plantation. It is one of the most beautifully kept historic mansions. The first buildings were erected around 1681 and it used to be a cotton and later a pecan plantation. Today it is open to the public and well worth a visit if you are in the area. Fun fact: Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively got married here...but that was long after K and me had scoped out the place.
So let me take you around this place. First we have a slightly obstructed view of the main house.
However, what Boone Hall is really famous for and has been featured in many a movie and TV show is the grand road encased by two-centuries-old oak trees hung with moss that sways in the wind. Driving up to the mansion you feel immediately in awe and will definitely fall in love with this place at first sight.
On the side of the road are the old huts where the slaves used to live. They have been converted into an exhibition about their daily life and the history of slavery in general.
The mansion still standing today has been built in the early 20th century. It is a lot bigger and grander than the original wooden house.
We could have spent some nice winters here. However, there is no way I would ever agree to spent a whole summer in the South again. My German genes are not made for this weather.
To transport the crops, food and really everything else this river bed was used. It leads directly to the Sea and the tides where used to go into either direction.
In an effort to get to a climate we could better adapt to than the humid heat we had experienced the past few days we drove all the way up north to Jacksonville, North Carolina (4th state, yeah!). From there we started Day 3 of our road trip. But that is a story for another time...
Comments
Post a Comment