Explore, explore, explore. I love to do it. On Jekyll Island, Denny and I broke away from the group for a moment to explore the Men’s Club at the Jekyll Island Inn. (Joy, his wonderful wife, had found a cool spot in the shade to rest for a few minutes.) Of course, it is not just a “men’s club” today. It is part of the hotel.

I instantly fell in love with the wooden railings and then spotted the skylight above. We climbed the steps oohing and aahing over the character of this old building. On the top floor we both looked over the railing and thought the view from above was just as interesting as it had been below. Denny quickly headed down the steps to remove a sign so I could snap the perfect  photo. But when he did . . .

I couldn’t help but take this one of him—the man who taught me how to collect beach glass on Lake Erie—walking quickly across the room in an effort to escape my camera’s lens. (mischievous smile)

I keep visiting and writing about Smithgall Woods located in northeast Georgia because it is really worth seeing and experiencing. There’s lots of streams for trout fishing, but you need to check with the state to make the right connection because the facility is privately run.

And there are plenty of nice trails for the avid hiker. Cocoa and Chip love it because there’s lots for dogs to do. I love it because it is safe and pristine. If you are up for the hike you can see abandoned mines that are a part of the Duke’s Creek mining location. Essentially, the gold rush started in this area.

Cocoa tried to pose for a photo but it’s a hard thing for her to do these days. And Chip . . . . Well, after a very long walk, he wasn’t interested in a silly camera. All he wanted to do was dive into the trout stream and lie down.

He truly is all boy and all dog!

One of the things I remember about living in Savannah was how quiet Sunday mornings were in the city. They were peaceful and in the spring time so wonderful to enjoy. After church, we would usually come back to the city where we would eat and then walk around a city square and talk about things that matter very little in the world. Then we would go home, change, and head out to the beach where we would relax in the sun and watch the dolphins play in the shallow surf.

Savannah is a paradise for creative people including photographers. I took this photo and had two other people walk up and take the same shot. SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) is located in the city. Years ago, I did some freelance work for that group. The creative atmosphere amazed me but it was not enough to lure me into studying there. That job led to a short freelance gig with the Savannah Symphony, which still provides some of my favorite memories. One in particular is of the 1812 Overture being performed at Fort Jackson at night with torches blazing and the cannons going off in the background.

In this photo, our boat is preparing to leave the dock for Sapelo Island. I met another photographer on the way over to the island, and we shadowed one another pretty much the entire time we were there. Even though I had been to Sapelo before, I enjoyed seeing Yvonne Grovner (dark jacket in this photo) again and talking with her. She lives in Hog Hammock (the home of the last intact Geechee/Gullah community) and is a direct descendant of the island’s original freed slaves, who worked on the sugar, cotton, and rice plantations. She’s a master artist when it comes to making grass baskets and is somewhat of a resident historian. In fact, she is helping to keep the black culture alive on this barrier island. She conducts tours of the island. You just need to check the Sapelo Web site for dates and times. Sapelo Island

The locals have been talking about the full moon all week. Then on Saturday the moon rose, and we learned that it would not be this close to the earth for another 18 years. The lighthouse on St. Simons Island is one of the sweetest on the Georgia coast.