I finally got a much-needed break! Five poor expats (me included) and two “localized” expats made their way to the quaint, historic town of Savannah last weekend.
I didn’t know what to expect, as I had been too busy the previous week to find out what was going on in that town, barely even able to give confirmation that I was coming along and that I preferred to rent a van, as opposed to carpool (which was an altogether separate story on the chaos that was logistics). Leaving ATL at 4:30-ish in the freakin morning (Would you believe all of us were on time? A miracle! A first!), we arrived in Savannah at around 9, stopping only for breakfast at a local grease spoon,
Waffle House. Oh, I almost forgot the highlight of that drive: Don’s slipper broke. And he didn’t pack any other footwear because he’s a guy, and he disliked frou-frou, and he packed light. And also because he spoke basic English only. Whatever. But the moral of the story is: For an overnight trip, pack at least three of everything, but cram all belongings into a duffel bag that can fit the overhead compartment of a small aircraft. That, boys and girls, makes you a … mutha-Packer! LOL
After checking in to our hotel, we then headed on foot to the Visitor’s Center to get an idea of where to go and what to do in Savannah. Right away, we could sense that we were not in the A anymore. The atmosphere was laid-back, touristy, and you could sense you were close to the sea. Don’t ask me to elaborate, but it was just something you could sense in the air, not that it smelled of fish or anything like that. After a bit of snooping around, we decided to hop on a $15 trolley ride with
Oglethorpe Tours. It was a pretty decent tour, with the bus driver doubling as the tour guide. A lot of information and trivia were given, but we absorbed less than half of what was said, and the audacious ones among us were not even ashamed to nod off during the tour (uhurrm, the same person who had busted footwear and spoke basic English only). For tourists who have no whit of an idea of Savannah, its history, and various landmarks, I would recommend joining a tour before venturing on your own to explore. Sure, you’d most likely zone out after 15 minutes of tour guide talk, but at least for me I got an idea of what I wanted to check out on foot: the squares, the haunted houses, the food scene among others.
Towards the end of the tour, our tummies gave a collective growl (with mine the loudest). As soon as we hopped off the trolley, we were off to find a place where food was fast and hot. We were hoping to get a table at famed Paula Deen resto,
The Lady and Sons, but were told by the receptionist that they were fully booked until dinner. They did not accept advance reservations and you had to fall in line on the same day you wanted to dine to put in your name for a table. A little snooty, don’t you think? And which makes it all the more covetous! Might worth to go back to Savannah just for Paula Deen …
In any case, after a few minutes of consulting her
Tab Mahal, Rose decided on
Moon River, a micro-brewery that claimed to be the most haunted restaurant in Savannah. Oooohh, a prelude to our night-time itinerary, a ghost walk tour! More on that later or in another post …
After we had our fill at Moon River, we began exploring the historic district starting with River Street. I found it touristy, lined with shops that sold souvenirs, sweets, local art.
We then took a ferry ride to the
Waving Girl Statue, a tribute to Florence Martus, the famous waving girl of Savannah. The story goes: Florence Martus fell in love with a visiting sailor who promised to come back and marry her. Until he came back, she promised to wave at each passing ship. Now guess what? He didn’t come back. And she kept waving until her sixties. Wow. Took a while to sink in that
he just wasn’t that into her huh?
At that point, still fresh from lunch and a ferry ride, I had the insane idea that I wanted to check out
each and every square in Savannah. Yes, all 24 of them. Apparently this did not sit well with the rest of the gang, with some vehemently against my itinerary. I have to admit; my plan was unrealistic. After 30 minutes of walking under the 90-degree heat, the idea of checking out the squares had gotten old fast. In fact, the only one I remember was Chippewa Square.
Did you know that the park bench scene in Forrest Gump was filmed here? The rest of the squares soon became a blur of Spanish Moss, benches, and fountains or monuments.
Did you know that you could actually rent a square in Savannah for a private party, a wedding, or even a public demonstration? For $225, you get your own square for three hours. Pretty cool, with the only downside of having an increased likelihood of gatecrashers or insensitive tourists taking your picture while you say “I do”.
Despite the heat, I did get to admire the architecture and ornamentation of Savannah’s old houses. I particularly loved the wrought iron finishes, the pocket gardens, and patios.
Oh, and this is the most haunted house in Savannah. It seems just like an ordinary house, and looks even a bit cheerful, doesn’t it? But according to the tour guide, several exorcisms had been performed in that house to rid it of its ghostly visitors. But they just kept coming back. I don’t know if it’s the supernatural or the hype, but this house was recently valued at $2.2M. Ghastly.
Tired of the heat and walking, we ducked into Mabel Francis Potter’s Cupcake Emporium, supposedly home to the best cupcakes in Savannah.
I took only one bite, promise. Of course it was yum, but I was just too tired and was ready for a midday nap.
Well, this concludes my post on our walking tour of Savannah’s historic district. But I just might get around to writing another installment of our Savannah adventure. There’s still a ghost tour, Tybee Island and a crab shack teeming with, you guessed right, crabs!
But that’s all for now!
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