H.L. Hunley, Charleston, South Carolina

Have you ever heard of the Hunley? A lot of people have not, but the Hunley became the world's first successful combat submarine when it sank the USS Housatonic on February 17, 1864. The Hunley was a part of the Confederate States of America that played a small part in the American Civil War. 

The Kazoo Museum, Beaufort, South Carolina

I love finding these out of the way places to visit. The Kazoo Museum is the only factory in the United States that makes plastic kazoos. They have a small museum, a video about the origin of kazoos done in a most creative way using kazoo people narrating the story, and a host who took us on the tour, told us about the factory and then told us all different types of kazoos along with a demonstration of each of the kazoos.

At the end of our tour we were able to make our own kazoos, which we were able to keep. We also had to buy some kazoos for our grandchildren. It was a fun visit, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

Cumberland Island Museum, St. Marys, Georgia

We did not take the ferry out to visit the actual island as the wind was blowing very hard that day and we really did not have enough time. We went to visit the St. Mary's Submarine Museum in the morning, had lunch with an old friend who I used to work with at Shapiro Fussell back in Atlanta (1996-2010), then went to the Cumberland Island Museum. Please enjoy these pictures that I took these at the Museum.

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Folkston, Georgia

We lived in Georgia for 27 years and never made it down to St. Marys (on the coast just above Jacksonville) or the Okefenokee Swamp. We are headed up the east coast this summer and St. Marys and the Swamp were on our itinerary.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge covers 630 square miles and encompasses nearly all of the world renowned Okefenokee Swamp where alligators, wood storks, raccoons, sandhill cranes and many other animals.  We stopped in the Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center first to get information about the area, then took the Swamp Island Drive. If you have your Senior Pass, it does not cost anything to get into the Refuge. They offer a boat ride into the swamp for $20 per person, but we did not get to take one as there was a huge bus tour that arrived while we were in the Visitor Center, so we took the Swamp Island Drive instead.