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Escapades on the Georgia/South Carolina Coast

Southern nights, Spanish moss and warm sea breezes were part of the package when Bike Escapades took 17 cyclists on the Azalea Spring Ride along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.  The weather was perfect—not a drop of rain.  The accommodations were luxurious.  The food was wonderful and filling.  The trip began with an architectural tour of Savannah, Georgia and then moved to explorations of Beaufort, South Carolina, Darien, Georgia and Sapelo and Jekyll Islands. 

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Fountain in Forsyth Park

Savannah:  Georgia’s First City

The City of Savannah, founded by James Edward Oglethorpe in 1733, was the capital of both colonial Georgia and the State of Georgia.  Savannah maintains one of the country’s largest historic districts, spreading over a 2.5 mile area and roughly maintaining its pre-Civil War boundaries.  Oglethorpe designed the city to include homes and businesses around a series of squares, or green areas.  Most of that original design has been preserved. 

On the first day of the trip, riders were taken on an architectural tour of Savannah by Jonathan Stalcup, owner of Architectural Tours of Savannah.  It was an easy ride through the city streets, exploring the squares and listening to Stalcup’s commentary on the Federal, Italianate, Georgian and Victorian architecture. 

View from the lighthouse on Hunting Island State Park

South Carolina’s Treasured Coast

On the second day, Escapade cyclists were transported by van to a starting point near Frogmore, South Carolina.  The coastline in this area opens into one of the Atlantic Coast’s largest natural harbors and is protected by a collection of barrier islands.  This 33-mile biking trip included visits to Hunting Island State Park, St. Helena Island and Fripp Island.  St. Helena Island is home to Penn Center, originally founded in 1862 by philanthropists, missionaries and abolitionists from Pennsylvania—hence the name.  It began as a school for abandoned slaves and is now home to a movement to promote and preserve Sea Island history and culture.  Hunting Island State Park is a haven for wildlife and those wishing to observe wildlife.  The beaches, marshes, tidal creeks, forests, saltwater lagoon and ocean inlet attract a wide array of animals:  loggerhead sea turtles, painted buntings, barracudas, sea horses, alligators, pelicans, dolphins, deer, raccoons, snakes and humans.  It is also the site of one of three publicly accessible lighthouses in the state.  Escapade cyclists enjoyed a stunning view from the top.  The day ended with a walking tour of historic downtown Beaufort.

 Sunset on Sapelo Island

Sapelo Island:  National Estuarine Research Reserve 

The third and fourth days were spent pedaling to and around Sapelo Island, which was once owned by tobacco heir R.J. Reynolds who used the island as a part-time residence and an agricultural experimentation lab.  His interest in the island and its flora and fauna led to the establishment of the Georgia Agricultural and Farming Research Foundation in 1949, which later became known as the Sapelo Island Research Foundation.  Reynolds also provided the facilities and other support for the University of Georgia Marine Institute, which was established in 1953.  The state purchased the island, except for a small section on the south end, which is owned and populated by descendants of former slaves who worked the island’s plantations. 

Scientists have been able to determine that human activity began on Sapelo Island as far back as 2000 B. C. when Native Americans lived undisturbed until 1573, when Spanish missionaries arrived and established the Franciscan Mission of San Josef.  The Native American presence is evidenced by the Native American Shell Ring, a pre-historic, ceremonial mound on the north end of the island.  At 12-feet high and 300-feet in diameter, the shell ring demonstrates the importance of the island to Native Americans.  English settlement of the area began in 1733, and after the American Revolution, French Royalists purchased the island as a haven from the French Revolution.  The ruins of their mansion are a standard part of the island’s guided tour.

Also on the tour is the island’s lighthouse, one of only five on the Georgia coast and one of only three open to the public.  It was built in 1820 to manage the traffic in and out of the growing port of Darien.  The owner at that time, Thomas Spalding sold five acres of Sapelo Island to the U. S. Government for $1 to accommodate the building of the lighthouse.  After being abandoned for 93 years, the lighthouse was restored in 1998 and is now a key part of the combination of natural and man-made attractions on Sapelo Island.                                                                                            

Darien, Altamaha Wildlife Refuge and Jekyll Island

On day five, Bike Escapades cyclists pedaled through Darien, Georgia to the Altamaha Wildlife Refuge and on to Jekyll Island via the Sidney Lanier Bridge.  Darien was first the site of Fort King George, a military installation that was built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina from Spanish invasion.  The fort was abandoned in 1727, and the first real settlement in Darien began in 1736 when 176 Scottish Highlanders led by John MacIntosh Mohr arrived on Barnwell’s Bluff.  The city of Darien was the focal point of lumber transport in the area, with logs of pine, oak and cypress floating down the Altamaha River for export to Europe. 

The Altamaha River is the center of 170,000 acres of river swamp that offer refuge to 130 species of rare or endangered plants and animals, including seven species of freshwater mussels found nowhere else in the world.  The river pumps an average of 100,000 gallons of fresh water into the Atlantic Ocean every second.  The glory of the Altamaha river is best experienced by canoe or kayak, and that’s just what the Escapade group did.  Trading in their bicycles for kayaks and launching from the Altamaha Wildlife Refuge, the group paddled down the river enjoying sites that are only accessible by water. 

After kayaking, the group faced the challenge of the Sydney Lanier Bridge, Georgia’s longest cable-stayed suspension bridge at 7,780 feet long and 486 feet tall. 

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The views from the top of the bridge were well worth the effort of the climb, and the cyclists were able to stop and enjoy the sight, unlike those crossing the bridge by car. 

After descending the other side of the bridge, the cyclists headed to Jekyll Island, Georgia’s Jewel.  Much like Sapelo Island, Jekyll has been home to Native Americans, Spanish, French and English settlers, and American millionaires like the Rockefellers, Morgans, and Goulds.  The Jekyll Island Authority was formed in 1950, and the island was prepared for public use by prisoners from a prison camp that the Authority had established on the island.  After the completion of a six-year causeway project, the island opened to the public in 1954. 

Luxurious Accommodations and Great Southern Cooking

 Savannah Bed & Breakfast Inn

Reynolds Mansion Sapelo Island

Olde Pink House

The Low County Inn

Jekyll Island Club Hotel

The trip to the Georgia/South Carolina coast was both challenging and relaxing.  It offered historical tours, glorious examples of natural beauty, luxurious accommodations and an enjoyable way to see it all.  It offered options for every level of cyclist, from the leisurely rider to the competitive rider looking for new challenges.  For those who weren’t working to set any records, the van was always there to offer a ride or to assist with bicycle needs.  The camaraderie of the other cyclists was available, but not required.  There were plenty of opportunities to enjoy the area alone or with a smaller group. 

Some of the cyclists from the Azaela Spring Ride were impressed enough to send us their comments.  Here’s what they had to say:

“The guides were fantastic and knowledgeable, not only about bikes but about the history and local lore of the area.”

“The hotels and locations were each unique and very enjoyable, really giving a great flavor of the area…. There wasn’t anything on this trip that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy!”

The Georgia/South Carolina coast is just one of a collection of trips offered by Bike Escapades.  Upcoming trips include Maine Four Islands, Hudson River Fall Foliage and Historic Homes, Texas Hill Country Wildflowers, and California Coast and Desert.  To learn more about upcoming trips and new trips in the works, contact Bike Escapades at 877-880-BIKE (2453) or www.bikeescapades.com.