Morning Haze, Afternoon Daze

We left Baltimore early, Chip said we were probably the first boat out in the entire harbor, and made our way to the C & D canal. First considered in the 1600's, it wasn't until Ben Franklin proposed it again that the work commenced...it was completed in the 1820's and connects the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware Bay. We bid farewell to the Chesapeake...a magnificent cruising day; the water was a light chop, the sun was shining. We could have spent the entire Summer exploring this beautiful estuary...we've decided we will come back again someday to linger for awhile.

A little more than half-way (the C & D canal is 14 miles long) and we stayed overnight at the Summit Marina in Bear, Delaware...the only place on this stretch where you can get fuel. Another early start, we watched the sun come up, bound for Cape May, New Jersey! The morning haze was mystical, no other boats were in the channel and we felt blessed to be alone sharing this time with the early birds. About 2 hours into the cruise down the Delaware I took quite a spill, straight down the stairs from the flybridge...I think I hit every step...afternoon daze! Once docked at our destination, the fellow who runs the marina drove me to the nearby emergency room for X-rays...luckily nothing is broken! I'm black and blue from head to toe...the bruised ribs hurt the most. I told Chip, Ithaka now officially has two dinghies! :-)

Oh say can you see?

Just under the Francis Scott Key bridge, before even entering Baltimore's Harbor, we located the bouy on our chart then spotted it out on the water (painted red, white and blue) marking the place where Key, a prisoner on an English ship, penned the poem which would become our National Anthem. "By the dawn's early light" Key saw in the distance the "broad stripes and bright stars" at Fort Mc Henry...

We had a great time in Baltimore (in spite of a few more mechanical problems)...I thought if you bought a new boat you wouldn't have to worry about these little things! Anyway, waiting at Ithaka for mechanics to show up was probably God's way of slowing us down a bit...In between getting Ithaka's bottom scrubbed and all the intake portals cleaned out & the air conditioning fixed (thank goodness, temperatures are breaking records) we did get out to see a lot of the sites. We stayed right downtown at the Inner Harbor Marina which gave us a front row seat of the modern skyline. Plus, the water taxis which take you all over the city had a convenient stop right at the marina!
We took the water taxi to Fells Point, the original old downtown and had lunch at the Broadway Market. We also went to Fort Mc Henry. While downtown we took the tour on the USS Constellation, flagship of The African Squadron. We went to an Orioles game...I got to see my Yankees in Camden Yards. There were as many Yankee fans as Orioles fans at the game! It was a great experience to sing the national anthem in the city where it was written. We had dinner one night in Little Italy with our friend Leigh who lives part time in Baltimore. Afterwards she took us for a little impromtu tour of the city at night, topping it off with a lovely view from atop Federal Hill.

Tonight we are in a nice marina in the middle of The C & D canal which connects the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays...on our way to Cape May tomorrow!

Let's try this again

OK, now that I've learned that when my "blog" asks me if I am sure I want to "navigate away from the page without publishing", I need to say NO, even tho' I thought I had already published post the day before, as I did make a minor photo change...and it needed to be RE-published! Alrighty-then!

Onward, let's see what I can remember...hmmm, the highlights of our visit to Annapolis, perhaps our favorite city so far on the entire journey:

1. The United States Naval Academy: Beautiful grounds, magnificent buildings and architecture, John Paul Jones is buried in a crypt in the chapel...take the walking tour with a guide....their stories are facinating & informative. The list of graduates is VERY impressive...Visiting and learning about this spectacular academy enhanced the respect and appreciaition I already have for the men and women who served and still serve our country.


2. Church Street and State Street: The original town architects designed and placed the state house on a higher hill that the first church. This was done intentionally to stress what was most important to this historic city... Annapolis has always been a political city. It was the Capitol of The United States for 9 months in 1783-1784. George Washington resigned his commission here. The Treaty of Paris was ratified here marking the official end to The Revolution. The state house is the oldest legislative building in continuous use in the country. There are more building on the historic register in Annapolis than any other city in the country.


3. This is truly a "walking" city. We docked our boat in Easton, across the Severn River and walked across the draw bridge into Annapolis. This was about a 5 minute walk. Docking across the river gave us a front seat view of the beautiful city dotted with domes, steeples and spires. Entering the downtown area, red brick streets greet you; flowering baskets hang from every lamp post, narrow alleys originally designed for horse drawn carriages hold surprises around every corner, flags of both the United States and Maryland fly proudly from most homes, the gardens are lovely, an example of the colors they paint their houses are confederate blue with white trim, jet black shutters and cranberry red front doors...


4. At the city dock we envisioned the place where Kunta Kinte first stepped onto American soil. There is a memorial to him and a lovely bronze sculpture, a tribute to Alex Haley, who wrote the book Roots. It is well worth taking the time to walk around the dock and read each plaque. We sat on a bench and ate ice cream cones and watched all the crazy boaters manuvering in this skinny dock.


5. Charles Carroll was the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence. Since Catholics were not allowed to practice their religion until after the Revolution, Charles held mass in a private chapel in his home. We visited the breathtaking church, St. Mary's, which was built on his land. I thought the neatest thing of all was the entire ceiling was a depiction of the heavens on the day the church was completed. An artist painted the stars, moon and constellations of that day! (see photo inset)


6. There were so many boats in Annapolis. Big boats, little boats, sail boats, power boats, trawlers, dinner cruise boats, kayaks, yachts, mega yachts...even pirate ships! Such fun for us to just sit on the back of Ithaka and watch the endless parade.

Well, that just about sums it up. We really enjoyed Annapolis...she really did steal our hearts...we really will go back again someday!

Annapolis stole our hearts

UGH! I was just showing Chip my last blog post and something happened and I erased the entire thing!
F *$@# !

I guess I'll rewrite it another time. In the meantime, I think I'll go have a glass of wine...

Expect the Unexpected

When a few days go by between blog posts I am sometimes a bit overwhelmed with information and I don't know quite where to begin...what to include and what to leave out...I don't want it to be boring, but I don't want to forget a thing either!

This has been a busy week. We visited Deltaville and Solomons Island...both places held a few surprises for us...The battle of the bilge and other events of hysterical signifigance...anyone who has ever owned a boat knows, you must expect the unexpected...

The cruise to Deltaville was pleasant. The eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay was like a pond on Monday. Once docked we booked a mechanic for the following morning to do a routine oil change, filters and such...it took a little longer than expected and there were a few more maintenence items than we planned on and so an extra day in Deltaville was inevitable. The cruise to Solomons Island on Wednesday wasn't as nice as Monday's trip...The 1'-2' seas predicted on all websites turned out to be a tad underestimated as we dealt with 4'-6' waves most of the way there. We were tired and wet and after a hot shower the last thing we expected was another maintenance issue...this was when we realized all that bouncing around probably busted the shower bilge...hmmm...water on board, not a good thing...Again we located a mechanic. Bad news: another delay. Good news: another delay. (Sometimes things just have to happen to make you slow down, even when you're on a trip like this.)

We stayed the extra day in Solomons and would recommend a stop at this idyllic island for anyone cruising the Chesapeake. We ate our very first blue crab dinner at Kingfishers, it was fabulous! We still like our stone crabs at home better, but it was fun none the less.

There are so many Ospreys in this area. Somebody told me there are more nesting Osprey in the Chesapeake Bay than any other place on Earth. I believe it. I think every daymarker has a nest with 2 or 3 babies. The lighthouses are so interesting here, too. Many are built either on islands or in the water off-shore marking shoals...and most are not your typical cylinder shaped (see pictures). Imagine the life of a lighthouse keeper? That light had to burn, regardless of the weather, day and night. Many lived in the lighthouses with their families, raised chickens, goats, grew vegetables...I think it would get lonely.

-Leaving Solomons Island on Thursday, the sun was shining, the weather report cleared us for an easy cruise...a light chop greeted us when we reached the bay and we were glad to be moving on. Out of nowhere, just minutes before entering the Severn River a storm kicked up. We phoned ahead and asked the dockmaster how things looked and he assured us the storm was to our east and would likely go around us...we felt otherwise and thank goodness Chip decided we should go below and steer from the cabin rather than the flybridge. We listened as nervous boaters radioed the Coast Guard for assistance...we heard reports of 60 mph gusts and we knew we were in the middle of it. No sooner did it hit and it was over...one of our eisenglass windows blew out...this was by far our most perilous brush with Mother Nature so far.

We're fine now...trying to find another mechanic...the dinghy motor would not start today and the eisenglass needs to be repaired...ah the joy of owning a boat...expect the unexpected...and truthfully, once you've got that down it really IS a joy...or at least it is hysterical!

Fathers, Fore Fathers and Freedom

We spent a wonderful Father's day doing whatever Chip wanted to do...he opted for a day jam-packed with U.S history.

We rented a car (we were anchored in Hampton, about a 30 minute ride) and first drove to the Visitor's Center in Colonial Williamsburg; got the lay of the land...it really helps you to know ahead of time what is available to see in this very "theme park-like" setting. We had lunch in a replica tavern called King's Arm and enjoyed chicken pottage pyes and old dominiam lager, served by a costumed interpreter. We knelt in the church once attended by George Washington, the pew he donated to the parrish is inscribed with his name. Colonial Williamsburg is situated on over 300 acres, many of the homes, halls, businesses and churches are original....and all set up to reflect a town of living history. A time before and during the American Revolution when the English thought America's Declaration of Independence was a sham-Everyone who works there is an "actor"... the actors interact with the crowds and really give you a sense of that time. There are "plays" going on in the streets as actors draw you into their dialogue, you feel their thoughts, attitudes and values. It was very moving.

From Williamsburg we drove along The Colonial Trail ( a beautiful ride)to Jamestown (they are celebrating their 400 year anniversary this year and THE Queen was recently here). We then drove to Yorktown and walked on the site of the Battle of Yorktown, well marked with a beautiful monument to freedom, The Yorktown Victory Monument at Liberty Square. This was the highlight of the day for us. Overlooking the James River, with the battery behind us we could simply close our eyes and imagine that moment when England finally surrendered...The home of Augustine Moore still stands where officers from both sides met to negotiate the terms of the surrender.

Who can know all the dreams our fathers have for us...and their fathers and the fathers before them...one thing however is certain...we were there, on that spot, standing on a battlement, looking out over the James River...experiencing a rich moment thanks to the sacrifice our fore fathers made for the sake of freedom.

Zero means so much!

Guess what we did today? We crossed over ICW mile marker ZERO in Norfolk Virginia! Yahoo! What an awesome feeling...we've counted down the miles since leaving "the keys" nearly 5 weeks ago...and today's anticipation of that moment was filled with so many emotional experiences...
I am no longer a "Lock Virgin"! Double yahoo! We went through the very first lock of our voyage just south of Norfolk in the Virginia Cut (also referred to as The Chesapeake-Albemarle Canal). It was so much easier than I thought it would be...and the lock tenders were so helpful.

Along the way today we spotted so many ospreys and their babies perched atop nests in most of the channel markers...we also saw herons and bald eagles. For much of the trip we had to be on the lookout for "dead heads" (no, we didn't see any 60's hippies listening to The Grateful Dead along the shore). Dead heads are logs which aren't water logged enough to sink, but enough to float just below the surface. We decided to take the Virginia Cut as opposed to The Dismal Swamp mainly because of depth issues, but if we ever do this trip again, we may try the other route (did I just say, "If we ever do this trip again"?) Just the sound of the name: Dismal Swamp...I want to go there.

Then into Norfolk Harbor we cruised...until you actually see this port in person and especially from the water you can't imagine the expanse of military represented: the region's rich naval history...countless battleships and aircraft carriers, jets flying overhead, numerous signs depicting restricted areas, Coast Guard boats patrolling the basin, American flags waving off the stern of every ship! We passed the USS Wisconsin and will try to make the time to tour her. She's the length of more than 3 football fields-one of the largest and last battleships built by the U.S. Navy.

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary on the east coast (we were in the 2nd largest just a few days ago; Pamlico Sound, which separates the inner from the outer banks). We are looking forward to exploring the areas around Norfolk and Hampton, Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown...then we'll criss cross our way up the east and west coast of this magnificent body of water. (an informative website is: www.baydreaming.com )

Life is filled with milestones, big and small, many of them end in zero...and everyone knows,"zero means so much"! Okay, starting tomorrow we're back to mile one, but the numbers go up from here!

Quiet Surprises

We found Oriental, N.C. to be an eclectic little town (population barely 1000 but 3000 boats registered). These folks have their priorities straight. That which began as a stop-over became a place we stayed an extra day and would probably go back someday. That's one of the neatest things about a trip like this...anyone can go to the "famous cities", but it's the quiet surprises along the way that really makes it so worthwhile. We stayed right at the Oriental Marina, best seat in town (great view of harbor & pretty sunsets). The locals having coffee in rocking chairs on the front porch of The Bean (great stop for coffee right across the street from the docks) yelled over to us, "Good morning Naples!" We walked to the grocery & marine stores (about a mile from the marina) and resupplied...on our way back to the boat a very nice man gave us a lift....A visit to the cooperative art gallery exhibited many talented local artists, Oriental inspires creativity! This place is just so NICE! We also met our first "loopers" in Oriental (looper is a term used to describe someone who is on the Great Circle Cruise). Milton and Fran from St. Louis on Sea Fox have been traveling for almost a year! They are wonderful folks and Milton is filled with good tips and interesting ideas! We will probably see them again along the way, but at the rate they're traveling we'll probably be back around to St. Louis before they will. Good for them!

Next stop was Belhaven, N.C. Very choppy...up to 5-6 footers in the Neuse River! Not a fun travelling day! Not much to say about Belhaven, except we went to the museum which was upstairs from the Police department. The Belhaven Museum is listed on some website as one of the top ten weirdest places to see in North Carolina, so you know I had to go! It was definitely weird. Ripley would have a field day there! Guess you'll have to go yourself sometime and see what I mean. The two headed baby pig in the jar of formaldehyde is just a tempter...

Today was a very long run to Coinjock Marina...our last night in North Carolina. We met back up with Milton and Fran and they invited us over to celebrate...today is their 1 year anniversary living on their boat! I can't even imagine! Next stop, Hampton Virginia! Chesapeake Bay, here we come! Let's see how many "quiet surprises" we can find there...

"Can you hear me now?"

We left Wrightsville early and cruised to Swansboro on Monday...the ICW passes right through Camp Lejeune's firing range. Obviously, they were not conducting manuevers! When they are, this area is closed and one must wait it out until the "coast is clear"...hours, sometimes days. We did however get to see marines along the five mile stretch, some close enough to wave back as I threw kisses and waved our American flag! I didn't take any photos, I wasn't sure if I was allowed to, but the picture of them waving to me will stay in my heart.

Swansboro was another quaint little town...we docked at Casper's (much nicer than Dudley's) and walked along the waterfront. Ate a nice dinner on board, turned in early...

The ride from Swansboro to Oriental was by no means monotonous. For the first 20 miles we had Bogue Sound to our starboard side. This part of the "banks", from Cape Fear to Cape Lookout, is not as remote. There are pretty houses, painted bright colors, with tin roofs and lattice, long docks and lots of boats. Historians say that explorer Veranzano first approached this area in 1524 and it is believed his account is the first written description of America.

It was near the turning basin in Morehead City that we spotted Canada Geese for the first time on this trip. Here we turned almost due west, heading away from the coast to our next destination; Oriental. Our cell phone and internet connection is so bad where we are, don't be surprised if you don't hear from us again till Norfolk! "Can you hear me now?"

101 Bridges

Well, we will have been gone for 4 weeks tomorrow. We went over the 1000 mile mark today...since leaving Naples on May 14th we have now logged 1007 nautical miles...17 marinas and one anchorage...We've gone under 101 bridges (several were "swing" and some were draw bridges that we didn't actually go under!) Oh, our favorite bridge tender thus far was a sweet lady at ICW mile 1014, Parker Bridge. Most memorable bridge: Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine.

Looking back, aside from the obvious: (Navnet, computer, cell phone, charts, video camera) I'd say my favorite things on board have been: our bikes, my flip flops, zip-loc bags, the fly swatter & the 1/2 dozen white terry clothes my mom suggested I buy. (thank you Mom, you were right!) Chip's favorite thing to have on board is me...no actually, it's windex and paper towels (I feel like I'm away with the dad on My Big Fat Greek Wedding)...He also enjoys his binoculars. He is awesome at spotting wildlife!
We had a wonderful visit with his cousin Holly yesterday in Myrtle Beach. She drove over 120 miles in each direction just to have lunch with us (thank you Jack for making that happen, and thank you Holly for driving so far to see us). We were reminded that we are in charge of Chip's next family reunion in 2010. I think we need to combine it with my family reunion...oh yeah...a bunch a Italians from New York with the Harris'...Bada bing bada boom! Let's do it!

Jack took us to Waites Island; remote and uninhabited, it was pristine. The northern most barrier island in South Carolina. (see pictures). Magnificent views...long stretches of dunes and wide sandy beaches.

We left the marina at dawn and cruised through Cape Fear River and Snow's Cut. Arrived in Wrightsville after 3 PM. Once we were docked we sat up on the fly bridge and watched all the boats go by in this busy port. So many folks drove by Ithaka and either gave us a thumbs up or would tell us they loved our boat; she's a beauty!

Georgetown to Myrtle Beach

After leaving Charleston we headed north on the ICW and made great time riding with the tide. (great time for a trawler is about 9 knots :-) We stayed in Belle Isle marina which is about a 10 minute cab ride into Georgetown (the picture featured is along the Georgetown waterfront). We had Rudy, the cab driver (who I think is also the Mayor) drop us off at the Chamber of Commerce. There we met two lovely ladies who were happy to give us maps & magazines and directed us to The Swamp Fox Tours down the main street. We met Rose Mary, our guide and we were the only 2 on the last tour of the day so we really got the royal treatment. Rose Mary was a wonderful story teller; sharing yarns about William Doyle Morgan, Frances Marion, Mary Man and my favorite: Theodosia Burr Alston. Theodosia set sail for New York to visit her father only to never be seen again; it is suspected she was taken over by pirates, probably Blackbeard...most of Rose Mary's stories began with "Legend has it..." which of course, I believe them all completely; especially the ghost stories, of which Georgetown is filled! Thank you Rose Mary, you are one of Georgetown's priceless treasures and one of the nicest people we've met on our trip.

Yesterday's cruise up The Waccamaw River was possibly the most beautiful ride of our trip so far. For several miles up the river we looked for old Plantations, which over a century ago dotted the shoreline. It was obvious why rice was such a profitable crop. One segment in particular, where we went about 20 miles and rarely saw another boat, left us completely in awe. There is very little development along this trek, only the hand of God directs the flow of this mystical river. The water is as dark as black tea and the cypress trees grow right out of the water along the edge. We saw osprey nests by the dozens...water birds by the hundreds...lily pads by the thousands. As far as you can see this primordial forest stretches out in every direction. At times it was narrow and winding, always it was romantic and inspiring. We rode against the tide, which was a blessing, as it literally forced us to take our time and breathe in this magical place.

Soon after leaving Waccamaw River and getting back on the ICW homes, condos and golf courses started springing up everywhere...I got a big kick out of a sign on one home's backyard that had one arrow pointing north which read: "New York 657 miles" and one arrow pointing south which read, "Miami 720 miles"...Wow! We are more than half way to New York Harbor!

We arrived in Myrtle Beach last night and went to dinner with Chip's cousin Jack. We decided to stay on again today and are hoping to see a few more cousins...and maybe get a massage (I might as well take advantage of civilization, no?)

The Heart of the Lowcountry

Charleston has a lot of Heart! This beautiful city welcomed us with open arms and it was difficult for us to leave her embrace. Although we saw most of what we wanted to see the first two days here, we stayed the extra night just to take our bikes out and ride around town; a "self-guided tour" taking in the history of this place, the splendor of the old homes, the holiness of the churches & their cemetaries and the Southern hospitality of the delicious restaurants....In and out of the many alleys and cobbled stone streets, we photographed wrought iron gates which adorn the historic homes like jewelry around a beautiful woman's neck...Named for a man, King Charles II and originally called Charles Towne, there is a strong feminine essence here that nurtures and protects and feeds your soul.

A horse and carriage ride our first day here proved to be the best way to really get a nice overview. Our driver, a young man with a history degree, was a wealth of information and gave us a sense of the pride of this city's people. Charleston is as much about its people as it is about history. We browsed the many booths of The Old City Market, the place where slaves were once bought and sold. Today this open air market sells local art & jewelry and the wonderful sweet grass baskets handmade by the Gullah women, direct descendants of those who were once slaves sold right where they sit today and weave. Market Street itself is lined with shoppes and restaurants...Two of our best finds were not found in any of the travel magazines or websites; small & intimate, located in an old pink house on Pinkney Street, our favorite place for lunch was The Cru Cafe: the best Calamari in the Universe...and Carolina's on Exchange was perfect from start to finish...our biggest treat so far on the entire trip, but well worth it...the grouper was heavenly.

We went to the South Carolina Aquarium which took us on a journey through this beautiful state. From the mountains to the ocean, the rich biodiversity of South Carolina was fun and interesting to experience; especially since we have seen the salt marshes, coastal swamps and ocean inlets firsthand!

The highlight of our stay in Charleston was our tour of Fort Sumter. Only accessible by boat, there is something that comes over you when you walk through the brick arches and enter this place where the first shot of the Civil War was fired. There is no holding back tears when you try to imagine the emotion of that moment. That moment and all the wonderful moments that touched our hearts in Charleston will stay with us forever.

Met Barry in Beaufort

8:00 AM Post: Left Savannah early, cruised through a rainstorm and pulled into Beaufort (pronounced bew, like beau-tiful) just in time to tie Ithaka up good and tight and sit out Tropical Storm Barry...a gentle reminder that it is Hurricane season! We ate ice cream for dinner...did a little laundry, watched a movie, The Aviator and by midnight the 35-40 mph winds had passed and we were able to sleep well. I think we will probably sit tight today, do a little bit of exploring in the rain then head out to Charleston tomorrow.

4:00 PM Post: The rain stopped so we ventured out. We strolled through the downtown area visiting shoppes and galleries and taking photos of beautiful old homes, sailboats anchored in the ICW and mermaids! Beaufort has Mermaid sculptures placed around town; similar to the cows in Chicago, the dolphins in Key West and the alligators in Naples.

"...Just don't burn it!"

Arrived in Savannah yesterday and bought a two day pass on the "get on and get off" tour trolley (we recommend this). We are docked right on the Savannah River with 1000' cargo ships passing within 50 yards of Ithaka! Yikes! This is NOT a no wake zone! That "gentle lull" that I spoke of in an earlier post, forget about it...we rocked and rolled all night. However, Chaz, the dock master was great and we are within walking distance to everything worth walking to, including breakfast at Huey's for the best French toast I've ever had in my life!

Savannah is an interesting little city (current population 136,000). It pre-dates The Revolutionary War. Originally founded by James Oglethorpe in 1733 to buffer South Carolina from Florida; in other words, protect Charleston! A fact: Catholicism was *prohibited because the English thought the Catholics would sympathize with the Spaniards...so much for religious freedom! We visited St John the Baptist Cathedral, breathtaking! We saw where John Wesley preached his first sermon in Savannah, the start of Methodism...also in 1733 Jews from Portugal reached these shores; they worship in the only Gothic styled synagogue in North America and still have their original Torah...I am amazed by this. The oldest African American congregation in North America founded in 1777 and has the oldest "black real estate holding" in America; the present sanctuary was built in the 1850's and housed runaway slaves during the civil war. By the way, Georgia was named for King George II. *The settlers also prohibited hard liquor (Oglethorpe drank beer) and lawyers.

We walked through Colonial Park Cemetery (those who know me well know I have a morbid facination with cemeteries). There aren't any crosses or angels, but a lot of historical figures are buried there. It was interesting to learn how the civil war troops camped out there when they entered the city because they needed grazing for the horses and a place to prop their tents. They decimated many of the tombstones, those which remain are now propped up against a wall (see photo).

There are tiny parks and squares all over the town. Lovely fountains, statues and glorious architecture. Huge Live Oak trees canopy most streets with Spanish moss lavishly hanging over each branch. It was the first planned community; layed out in a grid by Ogelthorpe, originally with 24 squares. Today there are 22. When Oglethorpe arrived he brought with him 114 people. It was a "debtors colony" and they were given a fresh start in the new world. Before cotton the main crop was rice; which isn't hard to imagine because everywhere I look I see marsh land. At one time Savannah determined the price of cotton for the world! It is still the 3rd largest container port in North America. There are 11,000 buildings registered in Savannah as historic. Savannah takes preservation seriously. There is a fabulous art school, Savannah College of Art and Design (better know SCAD). It began in 1979 with 71 students. Today there are over 7000 students making it the largest art and design school in the country. The school is a big part of the historic preservation as many of the students undertake restorations as part of their curriculum...the only college where you can actually get a degree in Historic Preservation!

Savannah is one of few Confederate cities spared by the Union troops. General Sherman presented President Lincoln with the city as a Christmas gift, "You can have it, just don't burn it!" The charm and beauty of this city was respected, even in war.

...in the words of Ray Charles, "Other arms reach out to me, other eyes smile tenderly. Still in peaceful dreams I see, the road leads back to you."
...and we will be back someday.