Across the U.S., Day 24 - Charleston (SC) to Savannah (GA)

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right? Not that I received another 'low tire pressure' warning from my car, but my beloved husband recommended that I better get that tire issue checked out. And as so often, hubby was right. Not only did the repair patch from the other shop leak (which had made me suspicious in the first place), but I must have also cleaned up the road some more and collected another nail with the front right tire. ... Now it should be fixed. They also reduced the cost by the amount I had paid at the other Goodyear shop.

While waiting for the repair to get done, I talked to one of the locals who had his car in for a regular check. He is originally from Washington, D.C. and had met his wife there. She is from South Carolina, works as an attorney and after only a few months up north she wanted to return back home. They live in Mount Pleasant, near Charleston. The coastal area, including Sullivans Island where I reached the coast on Monday, is very pretty and laid back. BTW, prices are comparable to where we live in CA + ocean view. In case anyone wonders: no, I prefer the climate in CA!

Following a recommendation of a former boss of mine, I stopped by the Citadel, the military college of South Carolina.

They educate in various areas: business, science, engineering etc. and also Criminal Justice, like the junior student I briefly spoke to. I happened to arrive there when they practiced for their big parade each Friday.

Halloween pumpkins in honor of their academy and
their mascot Spike. Yes, except for the color
it looks quite like him.

I love these small roadside stores which sell mainly homemade and/or local stuff. Their cider - made from local fruit, except for the cherries - is very good!

Carolina Cider Company - in the heart of the Low country

Driving past centuries-old, moss-draped live oak trees and swampland brought me into Georgia, the good ole Peach State and named after King George II of Great Britain. (Hey Scotty, I made it to your home state!) Its capital is Atlanta, but I'm not planning to go that far north.

Browsing through wikipedia, some data caught my attention: in 1829, gold was found in Georgia and led to the Georgia Gold Rush and white settlers claiming territory from the Native Americans. The Indian Removal Act was signed by President Andrew Jackson in 1830.

On my way to Savannah, I came through the Savannah Wild Life Refugee.

Savannah Wild Life Refugee

And because I missed the turn to the hotel, I found the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens at the Historic Bamboo Farm, which does not only host lots of Bamboo species but also flower beds attracting many butterflies ... and me.

This looks like a Gulf Fritillary to me.
Does anyone know for sure?

To finally celebrate my coastal arrival this week, with Merlot from ... California:

Detour to capture the Georgia State sign!

More to come.