The Coast of Georgia stretches for about 100 miles, with Savannah to the north and the wild horses of Cumberland Island to the south. There are 5 beautiful lighthouses on Georgia’s coastline. There is a gap of several miles between the mainland and the barrier islands. This area is filled with tall marsh grasses and is named the “Grass Seas“. This marshy area stretches out as far as the eye can see! Beneath these grasses is a layer of dense mud, deep enough to swallow up a ship!
5 Lighthouses in Georgia
You will find 5 lighthouses on the coast of Georgia;
Cockspur Island Light
Tybee Island Light
Sapelo Island Light
St. Simons Island Light
Little Cumberland Island Light
The Marshes of Glynn
**Fun Fact: The poem by Sidney Lanier, “The Marshes of Glynn”, was written about the marshes in Glynn County, GA. You can read more about it by clicking on the link below.**
The Marshes of GlynnSidney Lanier - 1842-1881
The creeks overflow: a thousand rivulets run
'Twixt the roots of the sod; the blades of the marsh-grass stir;
Passeth a hurrying sound of wings that westward whirr;
Passeth, and all is still; and the currents cease to run;
And the sea and the marsh are one.
Marshes of Glynn – Bubba73 (Jud McCranie), CC BY-SA 4.0
The year 2020, started just like any other year, January and February were uneventful. It was when we hit March that things changed. We all learned about a new virus, the coronavirus, which seemed to have started in China. It was spreading fast so we had to go on lockdown which meant staying home as much as possible. Businesses and schools were closed. Restaurants could no longer serve customers for dine-in. Only “essential” businesses would be able to stay open. It was a very scary and confusing time! It was sometimes hard to know where to turn for the most accurate information. We got our information from the CDC since it’s their job to identify & control contagious diseases.
We learned that the cruise lines were closing down, international travel was banned, and even some states had travel restrictions. It was a mess! It still is a mess 9 months later. Some restrictions were lifted and then reinforced again! In some ways, now, in December, things are worse than ever! The only hope is that the vaccine is on the horizon. We can see a light at the end of the tunnel. As a traveler and travel blogger, this is good news!
Once we got through the first several months of the Pandemic, some things started to open again, with restrictions and safety precautions in place. Some of these were; campgrounds, hotels, dine-in restaurants, Disney World, and domestic flights. When we thought about venturing out again, we decided it would either be camping or cabin rental. Most of our travel was kept to our own state of North Carolina. In that way, we didn’t have to figure out the state restrictions, in some states you were required to quarantine for 14 days!
My husband and I were able to have 6 travel adventures in 2020.
6 Travel Adventures
Camping at Raleigh Oaks RV Resort
Cabin rental at Cherokee, NC
Cabin rental #2
Florida vacation – housesitting for my son & daughter-in-law
Washington became the 42nd state in 1889. The cascade mountain range runs north-south and splits the state in two. The two halves are commonly known as the “Westside” and the “Eastside” or the “wet side” and the “dry side”. Forests cover about half the state’s landmass making it a leading lumber producer. The diversity of the state makes it a great choice for an awesome adventure!
Seattle & Beyond
Seattle
**FUN FACT: Seattle is sometimes referred to as the “Emerald City”, this has nothing to do with The Wizard of Oz as some people may think. It is due to the city and surrounding areas being filled with greenery all year round, even in the winter, due to all the evergreen trees in the area. It also refers to Washington’s nickname “The Evergreen State”.**
Seattle Skyline
*This is an updated post originally written on June 3, 2019. With current COVID19 restrictions, some of these places may have changes to times and occupancy, please refer to their websites for more information*
The city of Seattle is situated on Puget Sound and is surrounded by water, mountains, and evergreen forests. Seattle has a population of nearly 4 million people, it is situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. It is located about 100 miles south of the Canadian border. The city is broken into many neighborhoods, each one is unique and has lots to offer its residents. It’s hard to write about Seattle without mentioning all the places that tourists like to visit. I have tried to add some places that you may not have thought of. Seattle has many great parks & beaches. Here is my list of must-see places in the city of Seattle;
Discovery Park – Discovery Park Lighthouse
Space Needle
Pike Place – Public Market
Hiram M. Chittenden – Ballard Locks
Argosy Tours
Fremont Troll
MoPOP – Museum of POP Culture
MOHAI – Museum of History and Industry
Lake Union
Discovery Park
Mountains on the horizon
Discovery Park is the largest city park in Seattle. It is located on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound. It offers spectacular views of both the Cascade and Olympic Mountains. This secluded park includes two miles of protected tidal beaches, an open meadow, and the West Point Lighthouse. Be sure to check out the Discovery Park Environmental Learning Center.
Parking: there are several parking lots throughout the park, but your best bet is to park at the Visitor’s Center
West Point Lighthouse – Discovery Park Lighthouse
West Point Lighthouse is also known as the Discovery Park Lighthouse. It is an active lighthouse built to protect Seattle’s West point which juts out into Puget Sound at Elliott Bay. The Lighthouse is surrounded on 3 sides by a beach. The 23-foot high lighthouse began operation in 1881. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Parking: is located about 1.5 miles away from the lighthouse in the Discovery Park parking lots.
West Point/Discovery Park Lighthouse
Space Needle
The Space Needle is a landmark for the Pacific Northwest and an icon of Seattle. It was originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair, whose theme was “The Age of Space” it continues to symbolize Seattle’s forward-thinking spirit. The Space Needle is 605 feet tall and is the most photographed structure in the world! It offers 360-degree indoor and outdoor panoramic views of downtown, Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, and the Cascades, and the Olympic mountain ranges.
Parking: You will find parking in several nearby parking garages which are about 2 blocks away
We didn’t go up to the top the day we were there, but you can bet I will go next time we’re in Seattle! Check out the Webcam!
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We recently spent a weekend in Wilmington NC. It is about a 3-hour drive from our home in central North Carolina. Wilmington is located in the Eastern part of the state near the coast. We have taken several trips this year to Western North Carolina(Cherokee) to see the mountains. The coast/beach is somewhere my Husband loves to go. Growing up in North Carolina, he spent most of his vacations at the Beach, as most families here do!
History of Wilmington
This area was colonized by the English in the 1720s, the area along the riverfront was named Newtown and it grew in population. By 1740 it was renamed after The Earl of Wilmington in England. The Cape Fear River helped it grow into a busy Port Community with families moving here from both North and South Carolina colonies.
During the Revolutionary War, the port made Wilmington a popular region for Patriots defying the British Government. The town remained in good condition after the Revolutionary War. In 1830. a railroad line was developed linking Wilmington to Raleigh(the state’s capital). Completed in 1840, this railroad became the longest single railroad track in the world.
Wilmington was a significant city during the Civil War, as well as WWI and WWII. You can read more about the rich history of Wilmington, HERE The WWII Battleship, USS North Carolina, is moored along the Cape Fear River across from downtown Wilmington.
Cape Fear River
Airbnb Wilmington NC
I searched on the Airbnb app. for a place near Wilmington, NC. I always filter the search to include what we want; 1 bedroom, 1 bath, kitchen area, an entire place, Wifi, private entrance, TV, free parking on premises, and heat & air. One of the most important things to be sure of is that you checked the box for a Superhost, these are hosts who have good ratings and can usually be trusted. Since we were going to Wilmington, I was searching for a place near the Cape Fear River with a river view! We have used Airbnb several times in different parts of the country and have been very happy with the places we have rented!
*Disclaimer; We are still dealing with COVID19 and travel can be difficult and unsafe. On this trip, we rented an apartment through Airbnb, you can read about their enhanced safety protocols HERE. The listing we found has a “SuperHost” who described how they are following these protocols. We did, of course, do a little cleaning of our own too. We only dined in at one restaurant, otherwise, we had take-out.*
Airbnb Apartment rental
Day 1 – Checking in on River Road, Wilmington NC
The check-in time was 3:00, but we asked the Host if we could check-in early and were very happy when he said we could check-in at noon. We dropped off our dog at the kennel at about 8:30 am and headed down the road. It’s an easy drive for us from our home to Wilmington, about 3 hours. With COVID19, we are always leery about stopping at gas stations, so we try to look for the cleanest places we can. If we got hungry, we would go to a drive-through.
We arrived at our River Road, Wilmington Airbnb apartment almost exactly at noon. The host had sent me the lockbox code by text so we were able to get the key and go in without any problem. I didn’t realize that we were on the third floor. Check out these steps! When you find a place on Airbnb, make sure you read the description carefully and look at all the photos. We were OK with the top floor since it gave us great views of the River!
We first went in to check out the apartment. It was more than we could hope for! It was clean, comfortable, and well-equipped. It may not be right for a family, but it was definitely perfect for a couple.
Next, we had to carry our luggage and supplies from our Truck upstairs to the apartment. Then we sat out on the front deck for a while, enjoying the fresh air and view of the Cape Fear River. This weekend we intended to have a relaxing time. We usually like to have a balance of activities and relaxation. We decided we would get some groceries and take a look around the community we were in.
River Road Park, Wilmington NC
We came across a neighborhood park, River Road Park. It was a small park with a boat launch on the river. It also had a pier but it was closed due to damage, There were a playground and shelters with picnic tables.
Wilmington is a fairly large city, with a population of about 122,000. The city has many restaurants of every kind. We decided to choose a restaurant close to our apartment, one that was requiring masks and practicing social distancing. I usually look online at restaurants near my location, on google maps or trip advisor apps. We were in the mood for seafood and found Fish Bites, it had great reviews and was reasonably priced! I’m not sure if it is totally safe to dine in any restaurant during COVID19, but we have on a few occasions. Since Fish Bites was not busy we were seated at the first booth, we noticed that masks were required and that they had installed plexiglass between booths. It always seems to me, that the small restaurants that don’t look like much from the outside, have the best food!
Fish Bites Wilmington
Fish Bites Restaurant
My husband had a combo of fried oysters & shrimp, I had a lobster roll. Both dishes were very good! We spent the rest of Day 1 relaxing in our Airbnb apartment. We watched the sunset over the Cape Fear River from our front deck.
*If you would like to be added to our email list and receive our weekly newsletters directly in your inbox, please sign up HERE. You will receive a free printable, “My Bucket List” just for signing up. We would love to take you along on our adventures!*
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