I know right now Randy is still wondering just what exactly I did to enjoy the Peach State in the best way possible. How about a visit to Georgia Peach World – For The Love Of Peaches! A warm peach cobbler topped with ice cream should be the most appropriate way thinkable to enjoy my short time here in Georgia. This masterpiece definitely held me over until dinner last night.

With Savannah just to the north of us and beckoning us to come on over already, we took off extra early this morning. Like I have said time and time again, sneaking into a city early in the morning is the best way to feel like the city is all yours for the taking. We got to see Savannah as the birds were starting their morning songs and the night was turning to day.

We rolled through the city easily while throughly enjoying all the unique architecture with the Spanish moss draping just above our heads it seemed. Forsyth Park was a very pleasant place to be when the city was almost void of other humans. Just a couple early bird runners and me happily pushing my bike through the pedestrian only sections.

Leaving town placed us on more of the logistical side of town with interesting old storage buildings. The highlight for me was seeing a roundhouse now turned into a train museum. Toronto is the only other place I have seen a roundhouse and both are equally as impressive.

After passing nearby a sugar refinery, the Savannah Transload Facility, and numerical other logistics facilities, we made it over the Savannah River, Middle River and finally the Little Back River into South Carolina. Georgia was now behind us as we continued north. I may have taken the obligatory picture early just in case an official welcome sign was not out in the remote Savannah National Wildlife Refuge area.

Georgia was very courteous to us two as we quickly passed through the southeastern portion of this beautiful state. I forgot to mention that at the Georgia welcome sign I was able to get a truck driver to honk his horn playing the same game I played on the TransAmerica Trail. And it just so happened I would have another willful participant honk their truck horn for me at the South Carolina welcome sign. Twofer!

The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is on a road known as Alligator Alley and it was fun to be on the look out for alligators. We did see the usual avian suspects; a few red-winged blackbirds, numerous egrets and several herons. No alligators as of yet as the couple of road kill alligators seen earlier this week do not count in my book.

South Carolina, I feel you have a little work to do to keep up. The country road we found ourselves on initially was the worst road I have cycled on in the United States. It was not gravel washboard bad, but bumpy enough to require one to have a dental plan to ride on. There were also large and small chucks of road missing in spots. This was only topped a little later by the route having us on a very busy highway with no shoulder. Did I mention I suffered a flat from a small metal wire stabbing into my tire as apparently the shoulder cleaning has not happened for a few years? No worries South Carolina, there is still hope. I have faith in you my friend to the south of my childhood state.

The end of the day offered a bright spot when we found the Spanish Moss Trail in the town of Port Royal and took it all the way to Beaufort. Once we made it to our destination, I quickly dropped my gear off and headed to a local bike shop to get a couple extra tubes just in case the unfortunate trend continues.

University Bikes was my destination and that is where I found Bike Joe as he is known locally. Come to find out this awesome fella lived in Portland for several years in his twenties back in the 90s. He knew all about our great city and had a wonderful story about a van he bought there for $1500 to come back to South Carolina. The van did not even make it to Baker City, Oregon before throwing a rod and him being told by a mechanic the van was toast. Lots more to the story that I will share with the family later and with anyone else that gets stuck listening to the stories I share of the people I meet out on the road. By the way, he totally asked if I knew about the Alameda Bike Bus! Well, Yes I do! Too funny.

With two new inner tubes secured, I came back to the Oasis Inn and found Folker doing some bike maintenance. I jumped right on the maintenance train and repaired and reinstalled the inner tube that was punctured today after taking the good one back out to save for later. Folker seems to always have good ideas when it comes to smart maintenance procedures! We are now ready for whatever tomorrow may bring!