February 29 - March 1, 2020
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| Exploring the Savannah riverfront. |
A visit to Savannah, Georgia, was to be an early anniversary celebration -- we were supposed to be apart on our March 23 anniversary. Thanks to COVID-19, we celebrated together back home in Juneau. But at the time, we didn't know that would happen.
We made reservations at the historic Roussell's Garden Bed and Breakfast. Coincidentally, the owners had lived in Anchorage, Alaska, for a long time, and gave us a discount when they heard we are from Juneau. The gardens were not as well maintained as I had expected (it was the end of winter), and contractors were working on the property. The house is located on a busy street, and the front door was locked. I was starting to have doubts when I rang the bell.
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| The Mandevilla suite at Roussell's Garden Bed & Breakfast. |
Bryan greeted us at the door and welcomed us inside. We immediately felt comfortable and at home. The inside was everything you might imagine about a charming, southern bed and breakfast - beautiful antiques and artwork graced every room. After a quick welcome tour and showing us to our room - the Mandevilla Room - Bryan helped us bring our bikes to the gated back yard.
Roussell's Garden Bed and Breakfast is just four blocks from Forsyth Park. We caught the free shuttle to Savannah Seafood Shack that specializes in low country boil. The line was out the door, but we had a good time chatting with other people in line, and it went by fast. While waiting in line, a staff person assigned us a table and gave us a number, so we didn't have to scramble for a seat while still in line. I ordered the steamed shrimp and a side of hush puppies, and Roger ordered the fried oysters. His favorite.
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| Shrimp boil and a side of hush puppies. |
We walked through some of Savannah's trademark squares on the way home. I felt comfortable walking at night. The weather was just right, not too hot, not too cold. We saw a few other people out walking and sitting in the parks. I saw several groups of young women walking together, talking, and laughing. Savannah has an open container law, and we saw people enjoying cocktails while walking. I saw people - men and women - walking their dogs, jogging, sitting alone on a park bench, and meditating on the fountain in the center of the square. I felt safe and relaxed.
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| The fountain at Forsyth Park, made famous by the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. |
Breakfast at Roussell's was over the top. I love southern breakfast - egg casserole, bacon, biscuits, scrambled eggs, grits, fresh fruit, juice, and coffee. Of course, I had seconds. We sat at the dining room table with other guests, a couple from Atlanta celebrating their anniversary.
"There's nothing really 'to-do' in Savannah. We like just walking around and sitting in the squares," they told us.
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| Stop and notice the color purple. |
We took the free DOT shuttle again then walked the rest of the way to the visitor center. I was hoping it would display educational information about Savannah. However, the center offered only a gazillion brochures of all the places to visit. We already had our day planned, so we headed toward City Market.
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| Southern Live Oaks grace most of Savannah's charming squares. |
I don't know how many art galleries are in Savannah. You could devote your day or entire visit only to art galleries and still not see them all. Savannah is home to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and Savannah Arts Academy. With so many artists, art students, and art teachers, it's no surprise that Savannah is one of the most significant art hubs of the South. You can find many of the galleries in the City Market. We visited group shops as well as galleries owned by individual artists. I purchased notecards from Sabree's Gallery that specializes in Gullah art.
Gullah art celebrates the strength and survival of West Africans. They were brought to the United States and enslaved in the low country coastal areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The artist, Sabree, told me that Gullah art is "happy art that tells a story."
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| We each filled a to-go box of Byrd's Famous Cookies. |
With all the walking, we worked up an appetite. Luckily, the next stop was Byrd's Famous Cookies. Imagine a room filled with giant glass containers full of miniature cookies of every flavor. Go to the tasting counter and taste as many cookies as you like. Then fill your box with an assortment of your favorites - maple wafer, key lime, Georgia peach, scotch oatmeal, lemon cooler -- just to name a few. Yes, they have chocolate chip. And yes, they have gluten-free cookies too.
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| Finding our way to River Street. |
We found our way down to River Street and explored the historic waterfront. They say Savannah has a "complicated history." Complicated by the fact that it was once home to the largest slave market on the East coast.
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| Part of the African American memorial on River Street. |
We boarded the free Savannah Belles Ferry and rode the loop across the river to the Savannah Convention Center and back to the other end of River Street.
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| The Savannah River is an active water route. |
Savannah is known for its squares and small enough to walk to all 22 squares in one day, a good strategy for visiting Savannah. We walked through almost all of them -- by chance, not by plan -- just by walking to all the places we wanted to visit. I noticed family groups and younger and older couples enjoying the walkways, gardens, fountains, and food. I feel more comfortable in a place when I see a diversity of people all having a good time.
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| Walking through Savannah, square by square. |
Savannah is a place that doesn't hide its history. It doesn't tear down the old to replace it with the new. Savannah is a blend of old and new, intentionally leaving older structures in place, reminders of the past.
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| A row of old buildings along touristy River Street. |
We worked up a good appetite while exploring the waterfront, so we popped into the Boar's Head Grill and Tavern. We enjoyed a cold drink and a bowl of she-crab soup, a crab bisque laced with sherry, a local favorite.
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| Finding our way back up from River Street. |
Next on the agenda was a tour of the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters. This 1819 Regency-style mansion is one of three attractions of the Telfair Museums. The tour taught us about the families that owned the house as well as the enslaved people who lived on the property and worked for the families.
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| The courtyard and slave quarters of the Owens-Thomas House. |
Savannah has many parks and park benches. When your feet get tired from walking, and your heart and mind grow tired of feeling the past and thinking about the future, you can sit yourself down and rest, and you don't have to do anything - except ice cream. You should get ice cream.
Ice cream worth waiting for at Leopold's.
We retreated to the bed and breakfast for a short rest before heading back to the waterfront for dinner. Savannah is full of every type of restaurant you can imagine. Many of the restaurants specialize in seafood and being from Maine and Alaska, we were looking for something we couldn't usually get back home. We chose the Bayou Cafe on the corner of River Street and the Abercorn Street ramp. I ordered shrimp and grits, of course, and Roger ordered fried oysters again, of course.
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| A bench in the shade. |
Our time in Savannah was relaxing and fun. We learned a little more about the local culture and history. We got to stretch our legs and exercise. We ate delicious food. The only problem was not seeing all the cool places before getting back into the van. Next time. But until then, we had a few more places to visit up the East Coast before arriving at our ultimate destination - the main reason we started this adventure in the first place - my niece's wedding in Virginia Beach on March 7th.
Stay tuned!
#savannah #georgia #savannahgeorgia #roadtrip #me2ak #ontheroad #backeast
