6/28/2012
Unbelievably, the trip through North and South Carolina seemed shorter than the trip across Virginia, but we arrived in Savannah feeling much more refreshed than we had the day before. It was around 7pm when we drove right by the city and out into the sticks to do a bit of camping in a state park. This place was creepy to the max, the woods were very dense and every inch was covered in Spanish moss. We set up camp and then headed out to Tybee Island for a bite at the local crab shack! We had a finger licking meal of stone and king crab, crawfish, shrimp, mussels, clams, corn and potatoes. It was a great introduction to Savannah. We made it back to our camp and turned in early. No monsters got us in woods. But more on that later…
06/29/2012
IT’S JESSE’S BERFDAY!!!
We got up early and packed up all our camping gear. We headed into town for some coffee and breakfast at a recommended coffee shop, The Sentient Bean. We spent hours there just relaxing, sipping our coffees and planning the next leg of our trip. Kim surprised Jesse with an AMAZING hotel room for his birthday. We got a balcony suite at the Marshal House; the oldest hotel in Savannah. Our room had 18-foot high ceilings, a fireplace (not that it was needed), and windows that opened out onto the balcony. The heat index that day had the temperature at 116, so we both took showers and relaxed in the air-conditioning a bit before heading out for dinner. Before we actually left, we talked to the front desk and got wine glasses and a knife for our cheese and wine we had prepared for after diner. While we were there we plugged the concierge for information about hauntings in the hotel…of which there were many. In fact, he gave us an entire 6-page print out of patron’s emails sent to the hotel after they had experiences there. We were in for an exciting evening!
We got up early and packed up all our camping gear. We headed into town for some coffee and breakfast at a recommended coffee shop, The Sentient Bean. We spent hours there just relaxing, sipping our coffees and planning the next leg of our trip. Kim surprised Jesse with an AMAZING hotel room for his birthday. We got a balcony suite at the Marshal House; the oldest hotel in Savannah. Our room had 18-foot high ceilings, a fireplace (not that it was needed), and windows that opened out onto the balcony. The heat index that day had the temperature at 116, so we both took showers and relaxed in the air-conditioning a bit before heading out for dinner. Before we actually left, we talked to the front desk and got wine glasses and a knife for our cheese and wine we had prepared for after diner. While we were there we plugged the concierge for information about hauntings in the hotel…of which there were many. In fact, he gave us an entire 6-page print out of patron’s emails sent to the hotel after they had experiences there. We were in for an exciting evening!
We walked up and down the streets, basking in the antique feel of the city. We were intrigued by the layout: It’s built around 24 squares. These squares are every several blocks and are have ancient trees draped in elegant Spanish moss, fountains or statues, and manicured gardens. So, it seemed like every other block we were walking through a beautiful park. It was really neat!
We were taking our time, trying to pick the best place to eat, but eventually the heat got the best of us, and we just chose the closest place with some seafood. And as luck would have it, it was a great spot. Because it was such a hot day, we both decided to have something refreshing instead of rich. So we got some salsa and salads, but the real treat was the jalapeno margaritas; blended with jalapeno puree and agave syrup. Delicious!
We took our time and had several drinks to let the sun pass down a bit. Our waitress was hilarious and kept us entertained almost the whole time. When we finally decided to head back to the hotel, we wandered through the streets again making plans for the rest of the night. We also saw a movie being filmed!
We were taking our time, trying to pick the best place to eat, but eventually the heat got the best of us, and we just chose the closest place with some seafood. And as luck would have it, it was a great spot. Because it was such a hot day, we both decided to have something refreshing instead of rich. So we got some salsa and salads, but the real treat was the jalapeno margaritas; blended with jalapeno puree and agave syrup. Delicious!
We took our time and had several drinks to let the sun pass down a bit. Our waitress was hilarious and kept us entertained almost the whole time. When we finally decided to head back to the hotel, we wandered through the streets again making plans for the rest of the night. We also saw a movie being filmed!
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When we got back, we cracked open a bottle of champagne and got comfy on the balcony to watch the shenanigans that would unfold on a Savannah street. We played some cards and drank more wine. As the night got later, the people on the street got rowdier and more entertaining, keeping us engaged for quite a long time. When it got late enough, we crept through the hotel and tried to spot anything creepy.
Nothing came out to play with us, but we had fun nonetheless. When we got back to the room, Kim turned in and Jesse had a glass of whisky while soaking in the claw-foot bathtub. No doubt, it was an excellent birthday.
6/30/2012
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Hanging Moss
The next morning we got up early to take advantage of the awesome breakfast. We got a late check out, so we played some more cards and relaxed for as long as we could in the fabulous room. When we did leave, Kim went shopping while Jesse got a haircut. We had lunch at a Mexican place, the special was an Ostrich chimichanga with spicy corn and savory bread pudding with okra all covered in a sauce made from bacon, tomatoes and roasted peppers. Minds were blown. After that, we headed back to Tybee beach and baked in the sun for about an hour before we headed back into the city to meet up with Kim’s friend Steve.
Steve was kind enough to let us stay at his apartment, even though he was on the brink of a move and had also been entertaining his mom and aunt for the last week. After getting cleaned up, the five of us headed out for some dinner and drinks at a Scottish restaurant. As per usual, the food and beer were excellent. Steve’s mom and aunt were a lot of fun, but eventually we had to head back to Steve’s and sleep, but not before getting ice cream at the famous Leopold's and Kim entertaining us with all of Steve's awesome gadgets!
Steve was kind enough to let us stay at his apartment, even though he was on the brink of a move and had also been entertaining his mom and aunt for the last week. After getting cleaned up, the five of us headed out for some dinner and drinks at a Scottish restaurant. As per usual, the food and beer were excellent. Steve’s mom and aunt were a lot of fun, but eventually we had to head back to Steve’s and sleep, but not before getting ice cream at the famous Leopold's and Kim entertaining us with all of Steve's awesome gadgets!
7/1/2012
In the morning we got up, grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to Belafonte Cemetery. The place was absolutely gorgeous. While it wasn’t the creepiest we’d seen, it was by far the most beautiful. We were informed that while there were more confederate officers buried at Belafonte Cemetery than any other cemetery, it was not a confederate cemetery. We walked around for over an hour admiring the tombs and memorials before heat and hunger made us head back to the car.
Savannah has a pretty big southern Christian population and Sunday is often considered a day of rest, so we had to do a bit of research to find and open restaurant, but stumbled upon a Caribbean place that turned out to be phenomenal. We had fried plantains, curried shrimp and rice, and red snapper with bell peppers (very tasty). After stuffing our faces, we took off to the wildlife preserve to go alligator watching. It was a beautiful drive, but we only spotted an unheard of low number of ONE alligator swimming languidly down a canal. It was about 11 feet long and still intimidating even from inside the car (Kim was brave enough to get out of the car and snap some photos).
After the wildlife preserve we decided to beat the heat indoors and we headed back to Steve’s apartment to relax until dinner. Steve was such a good host, he kept us entertained with loads of history and anecdotes about the city, he knew every good place to eat, and was just an overall really intriguing guy.
That evening we went out to a brewery for burgers and beer, then got caught in a storm and had to seek refuge in a chocolate and absinthe bar. Needless to say, everyone was satisfied by the time we left. We got back to the apartment and watched a fantastically bad horror movie before bed.
That evening we went out to a brewery for burgers and beer, then got caught in a storm and had to seek refuge in a chocolate and absinthe bar. Needless to say, everyone was satisfied by the time we left. We got back to the apartment and watched a fantastically bad horror movie before bed.
7/2/2012
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In keeping with Steve’s previous food extravaganzas, he took us to a South African sandwich place called Zunzi’s. The food was unbelievable. And with that amazing send off, we headed into Florida.