Spring Break- Getting Back to Nature

 

Monday, March 9 had been circled on my calendar for several weeks. This was the first day of Spring Break from SC State University where I teach communication courses. Some of my students told me they would be heading to the beach. I headed to the Basin. The ACE Basin. 

The ACE Basin is hundreds of thousands of protected and undeveloped acres south of Charleston, along Highway 17. ACE stands for three rivers- the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto- that combine to form one of the largest estuaries on the U.S. East Coast. 

Tundra Swans (right) are among dozens of bird types that winter here. 

An indication of how special many people feel the ACE Basin is this sign along Highway 17, which calls it "One of the Last Great Places"- no argument from me! 

On this March day, Alesia and I trekkedto Bear Island, a 12,000-acre island in Colleton County. It’s a drive from our home of 50-60 minutes. Bear Island and nearby Donnelley are wildlife management areas owned and maintained by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. The actual address of these cool places is Green Pond- a name that tickles me for some reason. 

Several years ago I published this book, an expression of my passion for the birding hobby. The Barred Owl on the cover is a photograph I took in the ACE Basin at the Hollings National Wildlife Refuge. Want to see an amazing number and variety of birds in one spot? Click on the above link to the Hollings refuge. Wow! 

Saluting “Sister City” Savannah!

We kicked off 2026 with a two hour 15 minute drive to Savannah, Ga. Savannah and Charleston are sister cities, we heard several times. This visit made me realize what a compliment this is to both Southern cities, and that they do nicely complement each other. 

Alesia and I rendezvoused in Savannah with my big brother Mike and his wife Christine. They live in Sarasota, Fla. One of the highlights would be our excursion on the Georgia Queen, learning about the old city’s rich maritime history during a 90-minute tour of the Savannah River. More on that later in this post.

Over a long post-holiday weekend, we walked, boated, dined, and even had a pirate ghost encounter! 

Our accommodations were the Andaz Hotel, a Hyatt property near the riverfront and City Market. Alesia and I had a nice experience at the Andaz several years ago so we knew it was a fine hotel in a central location. We parked our cars in an adjacent city garage and didn’t use them until we left on Tuesday. Tip: The hotel parking is much more expensive than the city garage just down the street. 

Within just a few-mile radius of the Andaz Hotel there is so much to see and do. From Saturday to Tuesday the weather became clearer and warmer. This photo is of Alesia in the City Market. The top of the Andaz Hotel is seen in the background to the left of the clock.

Savannah is a very walkable city. Monday, according to my iPhone’s health app, I logged a whopping 13,394 steps. That’s almost seven miles.

This photo is of us at Forsyth Park, Savannah’s oldest (1840s) and largest park (30 acres).