Proposed Itinerary

In General: The overall plan is to head to Jacksonville, FL following the coastline as closely as possible and anchoring the trip starting with the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and ending at the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia.

Day 1: Sunday, December 26, 2010
(215 Miles, 5 hours driving)

• Hollywood, MD
• Great Dismal Swamp
• Elizabeth City, NC 

Note: The Great Dismal Swamp is the focus of the first day. I hope to leave early and arrive at the swamp in the morning, allowing for a full day of canoeing before heading south to Elizabeth City for the night.


Day 2: Monday, December 27, 2010
(213 Miles, 5 hours driving)

• Elizabeth City, NC
• Cape Hatteras/Ocracoke, NC
• Wilmington, NC 

Note: It has been a LONG time since I last went down Cape Hattaras and I have never been there in the winter. I have spent many a winter day on the barrier islands of Maryland and have appreciated the stark and bitter landscape of the coast. I wonder if Hatteras will be the same? Basically, I will drive down the cape and assuming the ferries are running, jump back to the mainland from Ocracoke, NC..


Day 3: Tuesday, December 28, 2010
(168 Miles, 3 hours driving) 

• Wilmington, NC
• Francis Marion National Forest
• Charleston, SC 

Note: Ok, I have to be honest and say that I am more interested in visiting Charleston than the wetlands of the area. I remember Charleston to be a beautiful and interesting city … we will see if memory stands true. Of course, I will follow the coast from Wilmington to Charleston and look for ephemeral wetlands in the Francis Marion National Forest along the way.


Day 4: Wednesday, December 29, 2010 
(116 Miles, 3 hours driving) 

• Charleston, SC 
• Hunting Isle State Park 
• Beaufort, SC 
• Savannah, GA 

Note: This section should be a beautiful tour of coastal salt water marshes, at least the maps and satellite imagery indicate it should be so. I am also interested in visiting Savannah – don’t recall having ever been there …


Day 5: Thursday, December 30, 2010
(168 Miles, 3.5 hours driving) 

• Savannah, GA 
• Timucaun Ecological and Historical Preserve 
• Jacksonville, FL 

Note: The Timucaun Ecological and Historical Preserve looks very interesting, as does the coastline just north of Jacksonville. I will be interested to see if there is a difference in the flora between South Carolina and Northern Florida. I don’t expect to notice a great difference.

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Day 6: Friday, December 31, 2010
(50 Miles, 1 hour driving) 

• Jacksonville, FL 
• Okefenokee Swamp 
• Folkston, GA 

Note: Ok. This is the goal – I REALLY want to see the Okefenokee again, commune with the alligators and paddle the waterways. I will spend two days here.


Day 7: Saturday, January 1, 2011
(10 Miles) 

• Folkston, GA 
• Okefenokee Swamp 
• Folkston, GA 

Day 8: Sunday, January 2, 2011
(288 Miles, 5 hours driving) 

• Folkston, GA 
• Florence, SC 

Note: Starting Sunday I will bee-line it back home via Interstate 95. Effectively the trip will be over, though I won’t hesitate to stop if I encounter something interesting along the way!


Day 9: Monday, January 3, 2011
(300 Miles, 5 hours driving) 

• Florence, SC 
• Richmond, VA 

Day 10: Tuesday, January 4, 2011
(103 Miles, 2 hours driving) 

• Richmond, VA 
• Hollywood, MD 

View/Download a .pdf version of the itinerary.