George L. Smith to Savannah

May 17

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Dallas on a dock in a Cypress Forest

We had great ambitions to make it the 75+ miles to Savannah from the park where we had camped in one day.  After finishing our Mexican leftovers for breakfast and packing up the tent, I led Dallas into a few dead ends trying to find our way out of the park to the beginning of the course Garmin had laid out for us.  The park was really lovely though, so it was nice to see some of it before Dallas led us back to the main road.

A shortcut I thought might take us out of George L. Smith State Park

We stopped after 8 or 9 miles at a gas station to drink coffee and water, and then hit the road again for 18 miles.  Statesboro is another college town, so there were cafes and restaurants other than fast food for us to eat at and rest.  We rinsed off our sandy legs and feet before going into the Sugar Magnolia Bakery for lunch.  The girl at the register was actually from Savannah, and recommended some places for us to check out when we got there.  I contacted some more people on couchsurfing over a chicken salad and lemon square.

We left the bakery and moved on to a coffee shop, The Daily Grind.  While there, I heard from Blaine, one of the couchsurfers in Savannah.  He said he was actually planning to go to Statesboro that day to pick something up and would be able to give us a lift back to Savannah.  Both Dallas and I were relieved that we no longer had to bike another 50 miles to get to our destination that day.  We remained at the Daily Grind, drinking coffee and eating cake until Blaine showed up with his car and bike rack.

After bringing our belongings inside and showering at Blaine’s apartment, Blaine brought us on an extensive driving tour of Savannah and the surrounding islands.  He is an excellent tour guide, and I highly recommend him as a couchsurfing host if you ever happen to find yourself in Savannah without an itinerary or a place to stay.  Blaine showed us most of the town, recommending places to check out the next day.  He brought us to Spanky’s, which was rated by locals as having the best chicken fingers.  After supper, we drove out to Tybee Island and walked around a few of the beaches and fishing areas.

About Sarah

Sarah grew up in Cranston - just south of Providence, Rhode Island - and developed a love for travel, music, and outdoor sports at an early age. She had started bicycling long distances at age 12, as a participant of the MS150 bike tours to raise money for the MS Society. She didn't use her bike regularly until she built her own while studying in Montreal and found it an excellent way to get around the city. After graduating from McGill and moving back to Providence, Sarah started working at Brown University's office of Environmental Health & Safety as the Biological Safety Specialist. She was living 4 miles away at the time, and for the first few weeks was driving to work. She made the switch from driving to bicycling when she realized that she could get to work faster, avoid parking tickets, and integrate a few miles of training into her day. Bicycling was better for the environment and better for her own health and mood. She found that she had more energy and felt much happier once she started biking to work. When her car broke down several months later, she never bothered replacing it. After 4 years of working in Biosafety (and on her master's in Environmental Studies), Sarah left her job to pursue her passion. She has been working various jobs in the bicycle industry since June of 2011, including pedicab driver, bicycle tour guide, bike mechanic and traveling bicycle advocate. In between seasonal jobs, she has done a few long-distance bike tours, which is the main reason for this blog. Her dream is to eventually ride around the world and sail across the oceans.

Posted on 17 May 2012, in Bicycle Touring, New Orleans to Newport. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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