The plan was to head out onto the twisting waterways of The Swamp….Okefenokee. Instead, I did laundry. What a crumby trade off. A front moved through with winds gusting to 40mph but it has moved on and tomorrow morning we will try again.
Gary Lee’s Market is a diner/BBQ joint that serves the signature dish of Brunswick GA, Brunswick Stew. Actually it is the tamed down, sort of domesticated version made with beef, pork and chicken rather than all manner of game in the original recipe. It is very much like Kentucky Burgoo and it was delicious.
They do BBQ pretty well too, we had a sampler: brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken wings and a couple ribs all with a tangy/sweet sauce.
Brunswick, GA was originally plotted in 1856 with squares and public gathering places interspersed throughout. Years of growth and modernization have taken their toll but a few of those beautiful green spaces still remain.
There are fine examples of grand homes and a canopy of graceful live oaks shelter many of the residential streets. Check this out, Lovers Oak, pretty amazing.
Along the water front a memorial celebrates the shipyards here where they built 99 liberty ships that served during WWII. A beautiful three masted sailboat floats gracefully. Thousands of automobiles move through here as it is the primary export facility for Ford and General Motors.
The 1800s Chesser homestead
gives a pretty good look at the hard life of early settlers of this region. They found nearly all they needed in this swampy, marshy place. They kept the clear sand yard to deter snakes around the house. Side note, the park suspends evening hikes and boat tours in the summer because the biting yellow flies get so bad. Makes me want to move in!
A nature drive, boardwalk and overlook tower come up pretty light on wild life. There are, or course, alligators, turtles, a snake, plus a fair sampling of wading birds. Some of the many species of woodpeckers make appearances. We will be heading out in the kayaks in the next day or so to check out who dwells out in the backcountry.
The local Saturday Farmers Market is a great example of traditional small town markets. Locals are offering up great fresh spring crops; greens and leaf lettuce of more kinds than I could count, early tomatoes, squash, cabbage, strawberries, carrots, onions and more. I brought home brussel sprouts and garden fresh lettuce and I couldn’t pass up the earthy sunflower seed bread. Prices were reasonable too. I could shop like this every week.
Downtown Gainesville is hosting the Santa Fe College Arts Festival this weekend. Artisans are here from all over the country and the works are marvelous. Painting and photography occupy the most booths, jewelry is a close second then there is pottery, sculpture, hand made instruments, fabric arts and a whole lot more. Kent is baby sitting the motor home repairs so I can wander and look at my leisure. Nice.
It starts with sparks flying as the guys take a torch and a grinding wheel to the bolts of the old hitch assembly. One hour in, the old one is off and fitting of the new assembly begins. It seems that the new hitch weldment was bent a bit out of shape in shipping so the fitting step takes a jack, clamps and some creative use of a hydraulic ram to square it up and align it to the frame. Then there is some tedious drilling through the hardened frame, a lot of bolting, and finally wiring. Last step, the right ball mount to present the same hitch height for the trailer. The guys at Texas Trailer worked at it all morning but it seems all is now even better than ever. Ok!
Great displays explaining the most up to date theories of evolution and global migration of species through the ages. The exhibit of Florida ecosystems from treetops to caves and coastline to sandy hill country is created as a giant scavenger hunt. It is wonderfully done for “kids’ of all ages. Check it out.
Streets are lined with grand turn of the century homes, some beautifully restored and some in need of a bit of loving care. One can find Civil War and Seminole Indian War battle sites. We found a college town collection of restaurants, cafes and brew pubs plus a nice selection of museums and performing arts venues. There is gator stuff everywhere. It is possible that these folks are as avid of fans as the Auburn War Eagles!
Not much any more but more than I anticipated. I think marsh and beach when I think Florida but along the higher limestone outcroppings of the center spine we have found a real forest-feeling forest in the San Felasco Hammock Preserve. The heavy scent of fallen oak leaves fills the air. Leaves crunch under our feet. The sound of birds chattering in the canopy floats down and dozens of cardinals dart around us. We spot the familiar white flag of white tailed deer reacting to our intrusion. Hawks circle and call above. A rather large, black looking snake slices across the trail just ahead of us. Unique to this sandy floored forest,
we come across gopher tortoise borrows. They have actually been dutifully marked off with bright orange tape by the power line workers who have been directed to protect this endangered species. Another rare find, swallow tailed kites, perched. 
They occupy only a few areas in the US and are nearly always seen on the wing when the eye is drawn to their amazing acrobatic flight. We enjoyed the walk but it reinforced our thinking that this is not the place to visit in the summer. It reached 85F this fine Spring day with what is only modest humidity for here and I thought I was going to melt.