Monday began on the outskirts of Savannah. The address said I was in the city, but this area looked whole lot more like Idaho and a whole lot less like anything from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
After getting directions to find the pretty, and with many tour brochures in hand, I headed into town. Several of the tour companies offer free parking while you visit and I took them up on the offer. I chose Old Savannah Tours -- voted the best tour every year since 2003.
I was blessedly fortunate that the trolley that was ready to go when I was was also the only air conditioned tour bus in the city.
I don't think I really understood sweat before I took this trip. I mean, I understood that hard work and exercise produced the substance, but I was unaware that temperature alone could create the type of sweat standing still that made it seem like you'd just run a marathon being chased by a back of rabid monkeys. It's very unsettling (and slippery).
Our tour guide's name name was Bucky and was born and reared in Savannah. He went through the rules of the trolley, but because he doesn't like rules, we were to think of them as "good time guidelines."
According to Bucky, Savannah was America's first pre-planned city. General James Oglethorpe designed a the city without ever actually seeing the land. When he arrived, he checked with the people who would implement his plan and got the thumbs up that his plan would work.
Bucky told us that Oglethorpe had three conditions for his city:
- No lawyers
- No liquor (but beer and wine were cool)
- No slavery (this lasted until the city hit hard economic times and then decided slavery was permissible -- but they did have a system that allowed slaves to work themselves out of slavery)
The park nearby was where Forrest sat on a park bench and told much of his story while waiting for the bus.
The exact bench is now in a museum, but the other benches looked pretty similar.
We turned the corner and stopped at the oldest operating theater in America because another person wanted to get on.
But ultimately, he decided it would be faster to run.
Another one of the parks is built around a statue of Casimir Pulaski. The East is crazy about Casimir Pulaski. Including statues, roads, days, and songs all dedicated to him. It turns out he was very helpful to the city of Savannah . . . before he was killed there.
Another turn took us by Congregation Mickve Israel, the third oldest synagogue in America.
When my mom and I were visiting undergraduate colleges, we happened by the oldest synagogue in America -- Touro Synagogue in Newport, RI. Now I just need to see the second oldest synagogue (which seems to be in Charleston, SC) to get the hat trick.
A few more turns took us past the previous home of the Mary Telfair Hospital for Women. It opened in 1886 and was stipulated to be run by women for women (they eventually trained their own doctors and nurses). Bucky had a few condescending words about the hospital and its mission. He ended by saying that Mary Telfair is likely spinning in her grave right now as the building now houses a home for aged men.
Our next stop was Forsyth Park. The land for the 20-acre park was donated on the condition that the park be open 24/7, 365 days a year, for anyone who sought to use it, and that any event taking place in the park be free of cost.
At one point, Bucky said something was done "assiduously" which was a word he'd just learned. I smiled because it was a word I learned last year for the GRE. (My clue for myself was "like a deciduous tree" meaning "diligent and hard working.")
Then Bucky taught me a word when he explained that a "sawyer" refers to someone who works, and that Tom Sawyer was an example of word play because he is someone who doesn't work.
We drove by the Pirate House restaurant (which used to be inhabited by actual pirates) and by the home of Juliette Gordon Low (we have her to thank for the Girl Scouts and their cookies). Savannah is also the hometown of the laconic Justice Clarence Thomas (he was a terrible second baseman according to Bucky).
We have Savannah to thank for giving my dad something to do on Sundays as it was home to the first American Sunday school. It also gave us the gloriously nondenominational winter song "Jingle Bells."
Bucky taught us that if we want to fit in, we need to ask for "pea-can" pie not "puh-cawn" pie or they wouldn't know what we were talking about.
I spent a few extra dollars for the ability to hop off and on the trolley and I took the opportunity at the last stop before we returned to the station.
I had seen a place during the ride that I wanted to return to: The Lady and Sons, the landmark restaurant of Ms. Paula Deen.
There was a sign outside the hostess stand letting potential diners know that they were all booked up for "supper." I asked if it was possible to eat there today at all and was told I could place an order to-go.
She sent me around to corner and after walking in and through one crowd of people, a staff member asked if she could help me. When I told her what I was after, she led me through several rooms and several more crowds to a nearly empty room in the back where catering is arranged. A gentleman and a lady were working and the lady asked if I would like a menu, but I knew what I wanted. One slice of pea-can pie please!
I remembered at the last minute to ask if there was any reason the pie might not be vegetarian. The gentleman said it was safe -- as you know she's all about the butter. I learned my lesson the Thanksgiving my mother tried to feed me lard. Note: Leaf lard does not come from leaves.)
As I was waiting, I took a picture of the scenery.
When my pie was ready, I asked if there was someplace out of the way I could eat it and the lady graciously allowed me to hang out and eat it there.
This was the first time I laughed. The pie was so tasty! I mean, it tasted like so much! I stood there giggling and eating when I was joined by the group from the tour entirely devoted to Ms. Deen. They each got a cup and attacked the lunch buffet, returning to join me in a chorus of "Mmmm," "Oh yeah," and "Sweet Jebus that's good!"
When every crumb of my pie was gone, I did a bit more exploring on my own.
The city is truly quite beautiful. It's a fantastic mix of little shops and restaurants that maintains a classy charm without feeling overly touristy.
While we were passing the building below, Bucky told us that they're filming another movie in town. This one is called CBGB and stars the motley crew of Johnny Galecki, Alan Rickman, Rupert Grint, Freddy Rodriguez, and Donal Logue among others.
I have no idea whether this corner has anything to do with the movie, but I thought I'd get a picture of it just in case.
The temperature was well into the 90s and had I been a much smaller and younger person, I would absolutely have joined these kidlets in the fountain.
After a bit more walking, I surrendered to the heat and went back to the trolley stop to wait for the next one on its way back to the station.
Here I am next to a bush:
After the next trolley picked me up and dropped me off, I spotted this:
It's appropriately located next to train tracks and across the way is a building that used to be used by the railroad, but was remodeled by the Savannah College of Art and Design (or SCAD) into classrooms.
Savannah is a city I'd love to spend more time in, but I had to get to Atlanta.
I arrived in time for dinner and stopped at HD-1, a hot dog restaurant owned by Richard Blais.
I sat at the bar and the bartender helped me with everything I might need.
I ordered a Grape Nehi to drink (I'd never had one and only heard of it because of a Games Magazine puzzle) as Richard Blais makes a point of offering "natural sugar" sodas.
For dinner, I had many choices as HD-1 offers two different types of veggie dogs and tons of different toppings. I decided to go with the Garden Chili, "a Fieldroast veggie frank, veggie chili, walnut mayo, and fried shallot rings."
The bartender convinced me that I should have some waffle fries to accompany my dinner and suggested that with my waffle fries, I should try their maple-oy dipping sauce. She was not wrong.
The serving sizes were perfect and I had enough room for dessert.
I was so excited when I saw it on the menu, I had to try the salted watermelon soft serve.
This was the second time I laughed.
I discovered the beauty of fresh watermelon and salt and the Watermelon Thump in Luling, TX, but I had no idea the taste could get any better.
The soft serve was icy cold and tasted juicy like watermelon. Plus, there were surprise salt crystals sprinkled throughout the ice cream. Again I say, if you have not tried salted watermelon yet, please do so immediately. (Phyllis, you're exempt.)
I could barely put down my spoon to answer the bartender when she asked how I was enjoying it.
We got to chatting and it turns out that she's in school getting her graduate degree in applied linguistics (the second person I've met on this trip with that specialty!). When I mentioned I was only passing through, she asked where I was coming from, and it turns out she's from Tualatin, OR -- a small city about 20 minutes from Portland.
I left so full and so happy. Let's hope the trend continues tomorrow as I have a whole day in Atlanta!
Odometer Start: 39617
Odometer End: 39907
Miles Driven Today: 290
Miles Driven Total: 6069
Today In/Around: Savannah, GA and Atlanta, GA
Tomorrow: Atlanta, GA again
States Visited: 13 (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia)
Confederate Flag Count: 12
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