Number 12! Liz and I decided to paddle a section of the Savannah River, about an hour and a half inland from the coast, near Newington. We planned to put in at Poor Robin landing and take out at Blue Springs, winding between Georgia and South Carolina for 6-7 miles. We downloaded a map from USGS and set our sights on a warm December Sunday.

We wound through cotton country and dirt roads to drop a car and set up our takeout shuttle.  After leaving a car at Blue Springs, we put in at Poor Robin and set off down the river.

Friends who had paddled the Savannah earlier in the season reported alligators that followed them down, but we saw very little wildlife, with the exception of a blue heron and lots of buzzards.  It was a quiet day on the river, with only a few hunters passing us in powerboats.

We decided to explore one of the cuts which was home to several homegrown houseboats.

As with many of the Georgia rivers we paddled this year, the Savannah had remnants of docks (and boats) from other times.

With the sun mostly behind clouds and mist, we stopped for lunch (in South Carolina!).

Even the dark day was beautiful.

And then suddenly, the take-out.

We did it! Twelve Georgia Rivers in 2012!  A great day, a great experience, and many, many more to come in 2013.