Troop 13405 Trip to Savannah – Part Two
There is a quaint beach town just outside of Savannah called Tybee Island. It is the first place my children ever played in the waves. My excitement bubbled over when I had the opportunity to go back with the troop.
Wednesday was beach day! First, the girls earned the Coastal Georgia Badge by taking a tour at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. Our guide took us along the beach identifying the critters based on their shells and we seined for fish out of the waves. Sadly, we only caught a tiny jellyfish.
Our guide and a map of coastal Georgia, just in case you didn’t realize Georgia had a bit of land on the coast between South Carolina and Florida.
Seining. The water was FREEZING.
Exploring the creatures of the sea with what they leave behind. Lots of shells!
Playing with the starfish, sea anemones and hermit crabs in the center.
The girls telling me to hurry up because they’re starving.
We ate at The Crab Shack. The girls had a $15 budget. Since it was seafood, it was pretty difficult for them to choose something exotic on that budget. We talked about drinking water for free (it was hot anyway) and splitting a platter. The girls dived into the menu and split up into groups to get the most bang for their buck! After lunch, back to the beach to relax and play in the waves! I played in the water too; hence, no pictures.
Thursday was our last day in Savannah. We visited the Maritime Museum to learn about Lady Pirates. The girls made necklaces with pieces of eight and wooden beads. Then we explored the facility with the impressive collection of ship models.
Immediately across the street was the First African Baptist Church, the oldest brick building in America built by free African Americans. A lovely lady, who happened to be a Girl Scout, gave us a guided tour. Quite a moving experience.
The girls had money burning a hole in their pocket. We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping along the waterfront.
Early Friday we left for Mobile, Alabama. We had so much spare time, we went to a minor league game while we were there. The Mobile Bay Bears know how to put on a show. The plays were much faster than pro-ball and we ate ballpark food while cheering on the team. Watching the girls chase foul balls like they were still little made me laugh and laugh. We missed the ending because of our early morning the next day.
We arrived home around dinner time Saturday. The girls voted to receive their badges and patches immediately instead of at a formal ceremony. As the girls stood in a semi-circle, I made them take turns telling their parents the highlights of each event as I gave them the badge for that event. It was beautiful!
Trip complete. I had time to contemplate how far the girls had come and what the trip taught me as a volunteer and parent. That will be in Part 3!
