Sponsors, Swamps, and Serendipity

Yesteray I left Atlanta for Folkston to spend a week in the Okefenokee Swamp. But before I get into that, I'd like to introduce a new member to the Vanishing America family: Our first Sponsor, The Shop!

Last week, the Land Rover was taken to a specialty mechanic in Norcross, GA to have some rattles and vibrations tightened up. Luke Miles, owner of The Shop, rebuilt the driveshafts, did my brakes, and fixed a few of the other annoyances that come with a 13 year-old Rover. And he did it all for free! In exchange for all the hard work, I told Luke I would let people know if he did a good job. Well...

He did a GREAT job! The Defender rides like a dream. Even my mom enjoyed the ride, and that's saying a lot! I'm keeping Luke on my favorites list, and highly recommend him as your North Georgia Land Rover contact for everything from mods and suspensions to custom work and general maintenance. (And, he's a great guy. He's young, very experienced, loves Rovers, and off-roads in his juiced-up Discovery every chance he gets.)

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On to the SWAMP!

John Almering (a friend of mine, who is a freelance videographer) and I hopped into BABS yesterday afternoon and drove down to the Okefenokee Swamp in South Georgia. We'd originally intended to go to the west side of the Swamp, to Fargo, and explore around Stephen C. Foster State Park. However, due to a late start and the possibility of arriving too late to find a campground, John called ahead to a little town near Waycross to see if we could stay at his friend's place. Well, here's where the serendipity that I keep talking about comes into play...

John's friend, Travis, is a direct descendant of the Lee family, one of the last families to live in the Okefenokee Swamp before the National Park Service moved everyone out in the 1930s. The Lee family actually lived on the infamous Billy's Island, and Travis' deceased relatives make up a significant portion of the population in the historic cemetery.

We're planning on heading out this morning (Thursday) to go talk with Travis' uncle, the last person born on Billy's Island.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Trip into the Okefenokee Swamp

Day 1 -- Sunday, October 22, 2006

Well, here I am. Three days in the Okefenokee Swamp!

I arrived late last night. So far, so good.

I'm staying at an outfitter called Okefenokee Pastimes (www.okefenokee.com). They are directly across the street from the entrance to the National Wildlife Reserve (7 miles from the town of Folkston, GA).

I'm in one of their "basic" cabins, but let me tell you, this cabin is a lot nicer than the word "basic" will lead you to believe. For that matter, their whole operation is nicer than I expected. For starters, the cabins are spotless. They are only 8 years old, are completely sealed from the elements (including critters) and are kept cleaner than most hotels I've stayed in. They have air/heat, fans, swing out windows with screens, radios, electricity (including outlets for your personal electronics -- ie: cel phones), coffee makers, screened-in front porches, and picnic tables.

The showers/bathrooms are in a separate building, but that area is just as clean as the cabins. And they have hot water!

Steve and Jo, the proprietors and guides, are two of the friendliest folks you'll meet. Steve took me on my first tour of the swamp this morning (we put in the boat just before sunrise). He is as knowledgeable as he is capable and knows every stump in this area of the swamp.

Since the Okefenokee Swamp is as diverse as it is huge, I decided to familiarize myself a little by going out on my own yesterday, following a designated walking trail that led out to an observation tower overlooking the Swamp. From the tower, I watched the sun go down over the cypress stands, reflecting off the water that seeped up between the scattered peat bogs, and filtering through the Spanish Moss hanging from the trees. It was a bit of a rush to get all the shots I wanted because the sun was sinking so fast, but It was a beautiful sight.

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** speaking of which... I shoot film for my artwork, so I don't have instant images to share. We'll both have to wait until I get home and process and scan all my film before we can see what wonderful images I was fortunate enough to capture.**

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Day 2 - Monday, October 23, 2006

This morning, Steve and I began with the simple approach of following the water "trail" at the entrance to the wildlife preserve into the "prairies" -- wide open wetlands with lots of small scrub, peat bogs, and a few scattered stands of cypress and pine. If you're a birder, this would be a wonderland for you. We saw so many different kinds of egret, heron, hawk, etc. that I couldn't keep track of them all.

Once we passed through the prairies, we circled around to a more wooded area where the canals were overhung with cypress canopy and spanish moss. There was a light film of pollen on the water that, when the sun shone through the trees, helped create the illusion of a waterway thick with algae.

Once the sun got high enough to warm the banks of the canals, the gators began to come out. Although we got glimpses of them occasionally along the way, we didn't see much more than a snout and eyes. But when the sun came out, they were everywhere. They are gorgeous creatures... and almost everywhere the sun shone on the banks, a big gator was there to sun his hide. They looked so lazy and comfortable, just like a cat stretched out on a window sill (but just a tad more deadly.)

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Coming Next...

Tomorrow we go out to a different location on the St. Mary's River (an integral part of the swamp) to look for some different swamp scenery as the sun goes down.

Wednesday I leave the Okefenokee and head out to Cumberland Island where I will camp in a tent with hardly a soul around for 3 days. I won't have access to any computers, so my next posting will likely be when I get down to Ameila Island/Fernandina Beach on the 27th.

Thanks for following along. I'll have pictures up as soon as I can.

Also, please check out my friends, Steve and Jo, at Okefenokee Pastimes (www.okefenokee.com) and my friend, Sandra, at Barwick Studio in Fernandina Beach (www.barwickstudio.com).


www.holtwebb.com
www.myspace.com/holtwebb
© Holt Webb Photography

Vanishing America

The countdown begins!

The first preparatory leg of the Vanishing America Tour begins on October 15th when I catch a plane to Atlanta to spend a few days with my family and friends. (Of course, I'll have to take one night to go out with my buddy Scott to Wild Bill's Saloon for a little dancin' and cowgirl chasin').

After a few days at home, I'll hop in the car and head down to Folkston, Georgia to shoot in the Okefenokee Swamp. I'll take the backroads along the way (there's just so much more Disappearing America to see) and then spend three days camping in the swamp at a place called Okefenokee Pasttimes. Their guide, Steve, will take me out into the National Wildlife Refuge to get busy with the gators, snakes, birds, cypress, and the St. Mary's river that makes it all happen.

After the swamp, I'll drive up to Georgia's Cumberland Island to spend three days at Sea Camp to photograph the island's wild horses and the ruins of Dungeness.

When I leave Cumberland, I'll head down to Amelia Island to continue my series on shrimpboats and the southeastern seashore. While I'm there, I'll drop by Barwick Studio to say hello to my friend Sandra, who has one of my images in her gallery.

If I have time, I'll stay an extra day to catch up with my friends Marcus and Pearl at the Georgia/Florida football game in Jacksonville on Saturday.

Then it's back to Atlanta for a day and then on a plane back to San Diego.

I'll keep updates coming!

www.holtwebb.com
www.myspace.com/holtwebb
© Holt Webb Photography