Councilmember Lisa Kaplan invited four local residents to attend a celebration of Sacramento Advocates for Rail and Transit’s (SMART) first full year as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.

Emel Wadhwani received an award for her service. She is a fellow ATCommissioner and serves on the board of the non-profit Sacramento Advocates for Rail and Transit.

Almost everyone left around 9am on the bus with the driver Rick. Five of us had a later departure. Rainy morning, off and on. We were really lucky with the weather. The hurricanes were a nothing-burger. It rained occasionally but never impacted our activities.

We had a private transfer to the airport in Jacksonville and took a late afternoon flight to Dallas then Sacramento.

Home sweet home. This trip was so much fun. We’re already talking about the next trip we might do together.

On the way to breakfast, I noticed the flag being raised – oops. Quickly fixed.

We took a tram tour around the property.

There are “cottages” surrounding the resort. Crane Cottage is a popular wedding venue.

We were able to tour inside Indian Mound Cottage once owned by the Rockefellers.

Next stop, Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

Escape route for turtles caught in shrimping nets.

Sea turtle hospital.

Mid-afternoon, we took a dolphin tour.

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Luckily, we saw MANY.

In the evening we had a really nice farewell dinner. Very attentive servers. The other three ladies at our table were from Texas and very friendly. Actually, everyone on this tour was friendly and always on time much to the delight of the tour director Dawn and all of us.

This stop was my favorite: Pin Point – home to the Gullah Geechee, the descendants of enslaved people W and Central Africa. Isolated for about 100 years along the barrier islands of N and S Carolina, Georgia and Florida, they developed a unique culture and language.

Inside the oyster factory. Oysters dropped from above, waste went into the chute below. Hard work, long hours.

Next stop: St Simon’s Island, lunch at Barbara Jean’s.

Superb crab cakes, dirty rice, and grits.

We drove on and stopped at Driftwood Beach.

Our hotel for the next two night: Jekyll Island Club Resort.

Drinks at The Wharf.

We were on our way out, then stopped. We couldn’t leave before this quite good band finished “La Bamba”.

Trolley tour first thing in the morning.

A tour of the Mercer Williams house.

A fun different kind of museum.

At the end, we had a drink in the speakeasy.

We walked to River Street

and took a ride on the Georgia Queen.

Dinner at Vic’s – excellent meal.

In the morning, a carriage ride.

If a church in Charleston has “blood red” doors, it is a Lutheran church.

Lunch was a southern barbecue meal at Poogan’s.

Before leaving Charleston, we stopped at the Waterfront Park.

On the way out of town, we stopped to see Angel Oak – a 400-500 year old live oak on Jones Island.

We arrived in Savannah mid-afternoon. Dinner tonight was at:

The chef came out to show us how to make shrimp and grits, he made it look easy (it’s actually rather complicated to make). Then we all got a sample.

Tuesday was the first day of the official tour. Our bus for the next few days;

Dawn, our guide:

First stop, The Citadel, a Senior Military College:

Freshman are required to walk in the gutter at 120 steps per minute.

On to Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens. Forty oaks line the driveway.

Nine cabins of the enslaved remain. Each presents a different aspect of life.

Cabin 9 was quite special.

An excellent introduction of Gullah Geechee culture and history:

Look! Blue sky. The hurricanes have turned out to sea. We are in the clear. There are 21 people in our tour group, 24 canceled. So glad we decided to take a chance.

Everyone went to dinner at Hyman’s – omg, HUGE portions. We are rocking sideways on a “jogglin board”.

After the food tour, we walked to the Old Slave Mart Museum (no pictures allowed inside).

then to the Provost Dungeon.

Many window boxes beautifully maintained and replanted for every season.

Dinner at an Irish pub:

A somewhat wet day but no hurricane impact.

Yesterday was a travel day for Ann, Linda, Kathy and me. We went despite the threat of Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda plus “unrelated rain storms.” Leaving our hotel for a day of exploring:

Occasional light rain all day, temps in the high 70s.

We took a food tour around lunchtime. The tour group at Port of Call, our first stop

where we had Chicken Bog:

Cheese biscuits at Calli’s:

Next stop (can’t remember name of the restaurant), a Low Country Platter with she-crab soup, pimento cheese with crackers, shrimp & grits, and sweet hush puppies with honey butter.

Between each stop, we learned about the city. Philadelphia Alley:

French Huguenot Church:

At Well Hung (which refers to clusters of grapes, not what might be running through your mind right now), we had Coca Cola Shortribs with mashed potatoes – easily the most delicious item on the tour.

And finally, at River City Sweets, a pecan cluster for dessert.

Yes, we are all stuffed. Fun tour.