Georgia
While we waited for better weather to sail to Cumberland, we decided to do a college visit to University of Georgia. Josephine is interested in their Kinesiology program and was lucky enough to have a personal meet with a Professor in the athletic training department. Nate and I both earned our Masters degrees at UGA and were excited to return to a favorite town, Athens. Nate graduated with a Masters in Hydrogeology and I with a Masters in Early Childhood. We LOVED living in Athens, made great friends here, I worked a local elementary school and this is where we bought our first house together on Diamond Drive. I am sad that the Grit closed because it had my favorite dessert Grasshopper Cake which Nate sometimes recreates on my birthday.
We enjoyed eating at new spots, had a tour of campus, slept well in big hotel beds and got to catch up with dear friend Natalie. Natalie was in my graduate program and has been a teacher for many years. She has just opened a shop called Nest on Prince Ave which has been a longtime dream of hers. Chase your dreams!
The boat was waiting upon our return, we put our car in storage and we took one last walk on the downtown Savannah streets.
Our departure was cold but we knew warmer days were coming as we aimed South. We made it to Sapelo in the ICW (Intercoastal Waterway) which feels like wild marsh. Usually our mast is too tall for the ICW but this section had no bridges.
Queso now has a light attached to his life preserver that will activate if it touches water. While in Savannah he did fall off the dock once while Josephine was walking him. He was leaping into the air trying to bite the leash. So natural consequences!
Next stop was Cumberland Island National Seashore which Nate and I had visited during our graduate school days but have always wanted to return to. Cumberland was once 90% owned by the Carnegie Family who built grand estates on the island. This is also were JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette secretly got married. We made anchored in time to all take a hike on shore. The island is wild and breath taking.
The next morning I made sure to take one more walk before we left for Florida. Nate dropped Queso and I at the dinghy dock so we could admire the trees and see the Atlantic beach side of the island.
