Ephs on a Junket around the USA

Savannah, Ga and Charleston, SC

Best months to visit: September thru November, April/May

Accommodations: Hotels galore in both Savannah and Charleston, Rental Beach condos, etc. on Tybee Island

Access: Savannah/Hilton Head International – Charleston International 2 hours by car between cities. Direct flights into Charleston and Savannah

• Savannah: Lebanon and Wormsloe Plantations (founding colony of Savannah), Bonaventure Cemetery

• Savannah Harbor riverboat tour, Savannah for Morons trolley tour (raucous 1 ½ hour tour of downtown Savannah parks and historical sites, plus stop at an Irish pub for refreshments)

• Ghost tours (Savannah is supposedly the most haunted city in the US…..)

• Architectural tours of Savannah, SCAD Museum of Art

• Tybee Island (south of Savannah) – miles of public beaches, rental condos, fresh shrimp – note, most parking in Savannah and all parking on Tybee by phone ap.

• Charleston and the Low Country: the heart of rice production in pre/post Civil War America Plantations – Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (spectacular), Middleton Plantation and Gardens. Drayton Hall (yes, Emlen is related to the Charleston Draytons and if you mention you are a classmate of his when you are purchasing your entry passes, they’ll ask you, “cash or credit card”…..), McLeod Plantation (live oak alley at least 600 yrs. old), Boone Hall

• Charleston Tea Plantation (only tea plantation in the US – Wadmalaw Island, SW of Charleston

• Historic home tours – Heyward-Washington House, Nathaniel Russell House, Aiken-Rhett House, Edmondston-Alston House, Joseph Manigault House, Calhoun Mansion - https://gosouthcharleston.com/things-to-do/historic-houses.html

• Folley Island – barrier island with 10 miles of public beach access, house and condo rentals

• Charleston City Market – 4 blocks of covered merchandise

• Hunley Museum – North Charleston – Confederate States submarine sunk during attack on the Union blockade of Charleston in 1864. Raised in 2000 and under preservation.

• Unending list of great restaurants

• Hilton Head Golf and beaches – 50 minutes from Savannah

• Daufuskie Island Ferry & Tours- Ferry from Hilton Head – golf carts for self touring, Daufuskie Island Rum Co. - https://daufuskieislandferry.com/explore-daufuskie/

Area Classmates/Alumni: Hilton Head - Cecily Stone, Cecily Steele, Pam McCarthy, John Nail ’75. Mike McKelvey ’74, Charleston – Ken Bate, Stephen Calder ’74, James Treyz ’74, Nancy Contel ’74, Charles Zellerback ‘74

Contact for further ideas/questions: Scott Hopkins – Scott-wc73@comcast.net - (815) 463-1561

Olympic National Park, Washington State

Radhe and I visited Olympic National Park in Washington State from August 28 – September 4, 2023. 2 hour drive from SEATAC Airport, Seattle, Wa.

We stayed in four different hotels and lodges, my favorite place was the Lake Quinault Lodge, 100 years old and a huge draw during Prohibition.

Within the park our favorite places to go were the temperate rain forests, the Quinault Rain Forest and the Hoh Rain Forest. There are very few temperate rain forests in the world and I fell in love with the Sitka Spruce trees, some of which were up to 500 years old. Including the largest one in the world.

The spruces were often pleasantly covered with damp moss and lichen and I found these trees especially de-stressing and healing for me. The eagles especially love perching high up in the canopies. Deeply and enthusiastically recommend these two rain forests to you.

The most Williamsesque experience was a boat ride around the circumference of Lake Quinault with our docent Charlie. What a fount of wisdom, commentary, knowledge, history, and wit he was, like the best of our professors. You can book a boat tour with him at the front desk of the Quinault Lodge.

Another highlight the nearby native American reservation. We saw beautiful totem poles, paintings, and other wonderful art. In the process we also saw how the indigenous people are living at a much lower economic level than the European descendants. Despite their living circumstances, their art was transcendent. The Makah Museum and Cultural Center was especially rich and moving.

Nearby there are great Pacific beaches, particularly Rialto with enormous driftwood and Ruby Beach.

Other places to add to your visit are Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent near Port Angeles and Sol Duc Hot Springs.

Classmates in the area: Frank Chapman – Seattle, Dave McEnery – Federal Way, Sue Danver – Olympia, Rob Duisberg – Seattle. On your way from Ca. – Steve Kimberly & Jeff Hanes in Eugene, Bill Perkins & Angus Laird in Portland, Chong Lee in West Linn

For more information: Dan Lesny - daniel52@sonic.net, (925) 286-9769