December, 2003
Page 3
Kayak Adventure
Savannah, GA
Fun in Hilton Head
We paddled through the marshes. We saw lots of birds like an Osprey, Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Cormorants, and Brown Pelicans. We even got to see the Cormorant and Osprey dive into the water and catch fish! It was really cool. The Cormorant can dive down 150 feet under the water using just its webbed feet! Unlike other water birds, the feathers are not water proof. When a Cormorant comes out of the water it has to dry its feathers before it can fly again. They usually stand right near the bank with their wings open to the sun. It didn't seem like a good idea to me because of all the alligators around, but it wasn't a problem in Broad Creek because the water is too salty for the alligators. We also saw some gulls and learned that they drop oysters and clams from up high in the air to break them open to eat.
We had to be careful not to steer the boat into the oyster beds. The oyster shells are very sharp and would scratch the boat or wreck the paddles. We saw tracks on the muddy banks from river otters, but we didn't actually see any otters. While we were crossing the creek we saw a Bottle Nosed Dolphin only 15 feet away! That was the best part. The last part paddling back was really wavy and windy!
It was so much fun. I can't wait to go again!
The city was built around 24 squares that are like little parks. Only 21 of the squares are left in Savannah. We drove around a lot of the squares and some are named after famous people. We saw some amazing houses with a lot of iron work. At the end of some of the drainpipes and rain gutters there were pieces of iron shaped like fish around the bottom of the pipe. We saw some houses that are museums and some places where they filmed movies.
I learned that in the Civil War, General Sherman took over Savannah and gave it to President Lincoln as a gift for Christmas. Even though Savannah was one of the only cities not burnt down by General Sherman in the Civil War, Savannah burnt down itself three times! Many of the very first buildings were burnt during those fires.
If you have ever read Treasure Island, you would be interested in "The Pirate House" in Savannah. Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote Treasure Island, visited this house which was an old inn for sailors and pirates. It has many secret passages in it just like in the book. Unfortunately I didn't get to go inside the Pirate House.
We also took a walk along River Street where there were lots of shops to see. We went to a great candy shop and I got a lemon stick. There were big River Paddle Boats along the river.
I really enjoyed our trip to Savannah and I learned a lot about the history of the South.
We all went to the Harbour Town Lighthouse. There I learned a lot about Hilton Head Island. During the Civil War the Union Army (the North) set up a blockade to keep supplies from getting to Savannah, GA. The Union used Hilton Head Island as a place to keep their troops and supplies. Many freed slaves also came to the island and began to live there. Many of the men were made to fight in the Union Army and after the war were able to buy land on the island. They were mostly farmers and fishermen.
I also learned that Hilton Head wasn't the best vacation spot until the 1980's and 1990's. Back in the 1950's the only way to get to the island was by boat and they had no electricity until 1951. Then a swinging bridge was built that connected Hilton Head Island with the main land and roads began to be built. A man named Charled Fraser wanted to build on the island but not ruin all the beauty of the island. He made lots of rules about how high buildings could be, what kind of signs stores could have, how many trees could be cut and so on.
I also went to the Welcome Center and Coastal Discovery museum. I saw two stuffed hawks, a turtle shell, old oyster shells and a bobcat. I learned about how they harvest oysters and clams and about the kind of cotton they grew on the island. I also got to walk out in the marsh and see Palmetto trees, Live Oaks and other plants growing there. We had a great time!
