Okefenokee. Savannah. South Caroline.
I saw a guy with a German keyboard in the library. We got acquainted, chatted, and eventually, during the fall break, we went on a road trip around Georgia.
Day 1. Okefenokee.
The trip started with renting a car. We chose the "Surprise Car" option and got this wonder, which we named Maximus.
It turned out to be the cheapest option available, which worked in our favor.
On the way to Florida, we stopped at some godforsaken diners. We ended up at Checkers with $2 burgers. Surprisingly good.
Our first destination was the Okefenokee Swamp. Riding in the back of Maximus was a sacred duty.
The first camping site was among southern live oaks, or so my iPhone caption said.
Day 2. Alligators, Jekyll Island, Savannah.
The next day, we took a boat tour through the swamp. The alligators were impressive, with about twenty thousand spread across the area.
The sun started heating up, so we decided to head to the North Atlantic Ocean.
The water wasn’t the clearest, but surprisingly warm. There were barely any people.
After the beach, we headed to Savannah. An amazing city where you can walk around, with a square on every corner. Reminded me of Penza.
We saw the sunset at the ocean.
The next campsite was a stark contrast to the previous one. We were greeted by palm trees, heat, and cows with horses.
Day 3. Congaree National Park. Waffle House.
For breakfast, we unanimously decided to go to Waffle House. What initially seemed like an unpromising breakfast turned out to be the highlight of the trip.
We started chatting with an employee, Donald. I haven’t met such friendly people in a long time. He guessed our countries of origin almost immediately, even though no one ever guesses mine. He told us he’d traveled a lot in Europe, which is why he knew.
At one point, he came over and gave us a dollar, pointing to the jukebox. He told us to play some music and feel the real America. The playlist: "Pickup Man," "99 Luftballons," and another country song.
This breakfast will be remembered for life. On our way to the next park, we stopped at a cotton field. In the South, before the Civil War, cotton was one of the key crops harvested by slaves.
The last park was Congaree. We only had time for a short walk.
Most of the park is a huge swamp. The roots of the trees spread out so much that they start sticking out of the ground for extra stability. They’re called knees. The swamp was quite dry. Apparently, the mosquitoes didn’t have enough blood and decided to drain the whole swamp.
After a walk in the swamp, we headed to our final campsite.
Buying beer turned out to be an unexpected challenge. For some reason, the cashier insisted that our passports should scan like local IDs. When we explained that they were European passports, she said she’d never seen such passports before and wouldn’t sell us the beer. It seems Europeans haven’t made it to the South yet. We successfully bought beer at the next gas station.
The last campsite was the cherry on top. A pond with a boat and canoe, firewood, and a very pleasant forest around us. Plus, amazing neighbors.
This place was incredible. We chatted with the owner, who told us he built the pond himself a few years ago. We asked his son what people in the South do for a living. The answer didn’t surprise us – they fix and sell trucks and vans. That’s the South!
The next morning, we decided to enjoy the water and hopped in the boat. It wasn’t for nothing that I’ve been rowing for six months.
That’s America. Highly recommended to everyone.
