Day 8: Savannah, GA to Hillsboro, VA

Another four state day: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

I have to admit I was really sad that I had to leave Savannah. I really loved it - it's like a combination of the best parts of Washington DC and Boston, two of my favorite cities. I am determined to return one day! The reason I couldn't stay longer is because I am trying to get to Thomas, West Virginia in time to see an old friend and her husband play a gig. Onward I press . . .

A first of the trip was this morning's run in Savannah: other runners! I haven't seen a single soul running this entire time! When I checked out Forsyth Park last night I knew it would be a good place to run - put an unbroken square or round path in front of a runner and they will run. It was so invigorating to be with my fellow runners! But my god was it humid! I was sweating so much I couldn't keep my headphones ear buds in my ears!

Driving through South Carolina was pretty unremarkable.

I stopped at the visitor's center when I crossed over into North Carolina and had a fun discussion about Charlotte with the man working the desk. He told me that unless I was into Nascar Charlotte wasn't going to do much for me. I am not into Nascar but I am into experiencing new things so I was a little disappointed when I got to Charlotte and didn't see one iota of evidence of Nascar!!!

I checked out the Levine Museum of the New South which describes and details the rising of the south from the 1800s to present. The focus was on the Carolinas. It was kind of interesting - definitely somewhere kids go on field trips. Upstairs was a beautiful and fascinating photography exhibit on Corapeake, a really poor and down-trodden swamp area of South Carolina. The textures in the people's skin and clothes were really amazing. I also visited the Mint Museum of Craft and Design which was kind of fun and funky. They have "free Tuesdays" and lo and behold today was Tuesday!

Charlotte is the second largest banking city in the US (after New York), home to Bank of America and Wachovia. The entire city is under construction, perhaps to make it look more like NYC than the NYC-miniature that it already is? I liked the texture of these buildings . . .

A sad confession: when it was time to get back on the road I was unable to find my car! I completely blanked and recalled about 50 places I have parked in about 20 different cities in the past week and could not remember which parking lot I parked the damn car it! A sign of senility? More like a sign that I've been on the road too long! Fortunately I remembered taking a parking slip when I entered the parking lot and that had the address on it but what an idiot!

Tonight's stop is in Hillsboro, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge area of the Appalachian Mountains. Gorgeous area, less hot than the rest of the south was and a massive cloud cover which makes me wonder if we might get rain up here tonight . . .

Total miles for today: 383.1