What a difference a few hours can make. Yesterday afternoon was very warm and it was still 75 F (24 C) when I returned to my hotel from dinner.  When I got up this morning I looked out of the window and it was sunny but, as I strolled outside in shirt sleeves, I discovered it was only 40 F (4 C), blowing a gale and I was freezing. I quickly donned a sweater and jacket before driving to my first stop in central Augusta.

When planning my route before leaving on the trip I identified three places in Augusta that caught my interest, the Augusta National Golf Club, the Boyhood Home of Woodrow Wilson and the Riverwalk. I quickly learned that the golf club is private and only accessible to members of the public when The Masters tournament is being played but I only discovered yesterday that the Boyhood Home (and the other museums in the city) only open Thursday to Sunday. The Riverwalk, along the southern bank of the Savannah river, is only 0.6 miles long and is probably pleasant in warm weather but not today. Unfortunately, the views are not very impressive as the opposite side of the river is rural South Carolina and there is just a single row of homes along the riverfront.

I did come across a tall confederate monument and was shocked to read the inscription on it – “No nation rose so white and fair. None fell so pure of crime.” Not surprisingly it has become a target for removal in this majority black city. There was also a life-size statue of James Brown who lived here for much of his life.

After leaving Augusta I drove 200 miles south to Okefenokee Swamp Park. The Okefenokee swamp is  bigger than the State of Rhode Island and much of it is a National Wildlife Refuge. The park is a small part of the refuge, run by a non-profit group, that protects many historical structures as well as the wildlife, provides educational opportunities and also has train and boat rides. One nice feature is a boardwalk trail that is just six inches above the swamp but, due to the cold and windy weather, the wildlife was not very abundant today. I did see some alligators and snakes but, since there are 20,000 alligators in the park, I was hoping for more. I also took the train ride and visited the museum area where they have assembled many Cherokee and Seminole buildings and artifacts. It was very enjoyable.

I then drove to my hotel in Waycross, GA.

Today’s Road video and Map

The view from the Augusta Riverwalk.

Broad Street is an attractive, divided road with a wide median that contains trees, paths, benches, fountains, monuments etc. I’m not sure if this fountain is always green or it’s just a St. Patrick’s Day leftover. The confederate monument is in the background.

James Brown is honored in several places in the city. This is his statue on Broad Street.

Although this waterway does not look very impressive the Seminole Indians were able to follow its flow through the Okefenokee Swamp  to become the Suwannee River and eventually reach the Gulf of Mexico some 230 miles away.

The low boardwalk trail allows visitors to really see small details at the surface of the swamp.

One of several alligators that could be seen from the boardwalk.