The South from ship to shore

Pat Neisser

I’ve always wanted to visit the Deep South, but I never suspected I

could do so while sailing on a charming small ship.

While reading through brochures, I found just the right match.

Intrav had an Antebellum Cruise available: seven days cruising along

the shores of South Carolina and Georgia -- with stops in Charleston,

Beaufort, Savannah, Brunswick and the islands -- before ending in

Jacksonville, Fla.

I flew to Charleston a few days early to stay at the lovely

Charleston Place Hotel, an Orient Express property. A stunning hotel,

I wanted to curl up in my Southern boudoir and never leave, but the

city called. A friendly bunch, the locals went out of their way to be

nice.

I took a walking and driving tour with Linda Wofeil and also tried

out Southern cooking by way of Slightly North of Broad, with its crab

cakes. Really good, but I continued trying them out everywhere. The

Charleston Grill at my hotel beat them all with its crab cakes and

sublime cuisine. I had fried green tomatoes and fried fish at

Festines and ate my way through the city.

Church steeples soared sky high from what seemed like every

downtown corner, and the city felt like a movie set, with its

charming Southern mansions, tiny galleries and shops and amazing

waterfront. I had just about decided to move in, when the Nantucket

Clipper pulled into Charleston on Saturday morning.

We boarded and settled in but had one more day to tour the

surrounding plantations before we set off for Beaufort. What I love

about Intrav is that all tours are included in the price. Clipper

ships have great reputations, especially the Nantucket Clipper with

its superb service, public rooms and great cuisine.

With only 100 passengers on each cruise, you’ll make friends

easily. In fact, I soon met up with Geoff and Sue West from Costa

Mesa, who were traveling with their parents.

The time finally came for the Nantucket Clipper to sail. That

evening, we were entertained by some Gullah gospel singers (Gullah is

an English Creole lingo). Other entertainers came on board each

night.

Before each tour, our onboard environmentalist talked about the

various flora and fauna we would see. We met travelers from

Washington, California, Oregon and points east.

The cuisine was excellent, with the chef fixing what each

passenger liked. Iced tea, coffee and juices, along with fresh fruit,

were available all day.

We learned a lot about the Intracoastal Waterway, which was

actually started by George Washington. We also learned that the

Spanish moss hanging gracefully from every oak is neither Spanish nor

moss, and is filled with chiggers. Ugh!

The first stop after Charleston was the historically and visually

important Beaufort, one of the prettiest cities in the South and the

second oldest town in South Carolina, after Charleston. On a carriage

ride through the winding alleys and streets, we saw colonial homes --

some of them used in the filming of “Forrest Gump” and “The Prince of

Tides.” An art arcade kept many of us busy, and I found the perfect

lunch spot on the water called Plums. The menu was eclectic and the

homemade ice cream was sublime.

On Tuesday, we arrived in fabled Savannah, with its wooded green

squares and fine architecture, eager to tour and hear about the book

and movie, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” Our guide was

in the know, and we got an earful of comments from residents -- most

didn’t like it.

Shopping along the waterfront and eating at the Riverfront Cafe

and Bakery was a treat. In olden days, Savannah shipped cotton around

the world and now these huge warehouses are filled with tourist shops

and good cafes. The historic two-mile district was a Southern gem.

We then sailed to Brunswick, Ga., where we visited Jekyll Island,

home from 1885 to 1946 to the richest families in the world.

“Cottages” were built for this elite club.

The gentry came in the fall to socialize, take the waters, ride

and make money. Mere mortals occupy these cottages today, and the

clubhouse is now a delightful hotel.

Later that day, we visited St. Simons, Ga., a great little town

filled with galleries and shops. The next day, we hiked to Cumberland

Island, which is now a national park. St. Marys, Ga., another gem of

a town, is filled with 19th century homes and a couple of terrific

restaurants.

The voyage ended in Jacksonville. Nothing is very far away when

you’re traveling along the Intracoastal Waterway, so you have a

chance to visit many areas. I thoroughly enjoyed my first serious

sojourn into the Deep South and loved doing it by ship.

* PAT NEISSER is a resident of Newport Beach.

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