A road trip with this crazy couple s a lot like watching a ping-pong ball in a hurricane. We always have a destination in mind, we just don’t always take the straightest route to get there!
Our trip in December to see our son, his wife and our grandson was no exception. We headed up Interstate 95 one brisk December morning towards his home near Charleston, South Carolina. It’s roughly a 6 Hour drive from our home In beautiful Daytona Beach, Florida to my son’s home. We usually leave after work in the evening and travel about halfway, stopping for the night.
We were lucky enough this time to get an early start and headed north around 10 AM. Traffic was light and we made good time. Before we knew it we were at the exit where we normally stopped, but with hours of daylight left. Spending the rest of the day cooped up in a hotel room was not an idea that appealed to either one of us.
Then I got a crazy idea. Let’s go to Savannah for the night! Savannah, GA is just a couple of hours from Charleston, so it was a perfect place for us to spend a few hours sightseeing before we settled down to sleep. Michael thought I was nuts, but that’s nothing new! He’s used to my antics and played along like the good sport he always is.
I had been to Savannah a couple of times before, once for one of their infamous St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, where they host one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country and the fountain waters run emerald green. Michael had never been and I was excited to show it to him.
While he drove us into town, I got on the internet and booked us a room at the River Street Inn, the oldest hotel in Savannah. Located in a 200 year old cotton warehouse, River Street in is steeped in history and maybe just a little bit haunted.
We were whisked back into the days of yore as we entered the lobby. After being quickly checked in by their friendly staff, we went to check out our room.
The hallways had lofty ceilings and exposed brick walls and led to an antiquated elevator that looked as old as the building, yet worked as good as any modern day elevator.
More exposed brick and beautiful hardwood floors were in our nicely appointed room. The wrought iron bed posts and antique furniture made us feel like we had stepped back in time, except we had plenty of hot running water and wifi!
Despite the frigid temperatures, we were determined to explore the waterfront and all it had to offer. We meandered down River Street, where we couldn’t resist the temptation of Savannah’s Candy Kitchen for a sinful dessert of their pecan pralines.
Next stop was A Christmas on the River, which carries a great assortment of Santa statues, Jim Shore collectibles, ornaments of every shape and size and much, much more.
The River Street Market had many items from local artists for sale and lots of trendy souvenirs. It also had this great wooden wall that was a perfect backdrop for one of our crazy videos!
We are all about the food, so a stop at Tubby’s Seafood for dinner was in order. For an appetizer, we shared crispy, flavorful fried green tomatoes, followed by a tasty platter of fresh steamed seafood for dinner. The hushpuppies were amazing!
Suddenly, we heard the sweet sound of a trumpet, carrying through the cold night air. We followed our ears and found our trumpet player. Michael spoke to him for a moment and he broke into a romantic rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. Sorry we didn’t snap a pic, we were too caught up dancing in this magical moment!
We awoke to a spectacular sunrise over the river, complete with a barge passing by. After saying goodbye to our new friends at the hotel, we headed out to find breakfast.
The smell of beignets coming from Huey’s on the River tempted us and we just couldn’t resist! They were served with warm pecan praline sauce and a cup of steaming hot coffee. It was easy to see why they are world famous! Breakfast for me was eggs benedict and Michael got the catfish and grits. Everything was fresh and delicious and just what we needed to fuel up on before hitting the road towards Charleston.
Savannah has sooo much more to see and do and we hated to leave, but NOTHING beats time with our family! Next time we visit we’ll be sure to take the “Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil” tour.
Do you have a favorite Savannah, GA memory or place we should visit?