In June 2021, daughter Jill and I traveled to Georgia and South Carolina – a seven-day getaway to Savannah and Hilton Head Island. Click HERE to read a short introduction to our trip to Savannah and HERE to read about our experiences on Hilton Head.
This story, the first in a series, is about our first day in Savannah.
This story, the first in a series, is about our first day in Savannah.
Savannah, Georgia (Sunday, June 6, 2021) Jill and I flew a red-eye flight from Phoenix to Charlotte, and then caught an early morning connection to Savannah. I traveled first class on both flights – something I have not done in a long, long time. Not on my dime, though. Instead, I used some of the frequent flyer miles I have accumulated over the years. The extra arm and leg room was soooooo nice!
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This was my first flying experience with COVID-19 protocols in place, which meant FACE MASKS ON in the airport and on the planes! I readily admit that I was apprehensive about wearing a mask for so many hours. Truth be told, it worked just fine.
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I have always enjoyed a bird’s eye view of the changing landscape on flights across the United States. Mountains, canyons, mesas, ranchland, roads, prairies, towns, cities, and more. I missed this on the overnight leg to Charlotte. Not that I slept mind you, as in-flight sleep was a skill I have not (yet) mastered. I was wide awake the entire flight, and as I looked out the window, all I saw was the occasional faint glow of lights from the towns and cities we flew over.
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The morning flight to Savannah, though, was a different story. I loved seeing the lushly carpeted hills and mountains as we flew from Charlotte and the verdant countryside, as far as my eyes could see, as we approached Savannah. This landscape was a stark but and welcomed contrast to the desolate brown desert I left behind in Arizona.
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Jill and I gathered our bags and grabbed a cab for a short ride to the Andaz, a Hyatt hotel on Ellis Square in the historic district of downtown Savannah – our home away from home for the next three nights. This proved to be a great location, as almost everything we did during our three-day stay was within walking distance. We arrived late morning, too early to check in. We left our bags with the hotel staff, who promised to call when our room was ready.
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Jill and I had little to eat since dinner last night, so lunch was our first order of business. When we planned our trip, we shortlisted restaurants – some less known, others well known – where we could experience traditional Southern food: shrimp and grits, fried chicken, collard greens, and gumbo, to name a few of the dishes we eagerly awaited.
They took us to a neighborhood hole-in-the-wall that served simple
Southern fare. The whole meal was delicious…though the only dish
I can remember clearly was the fried green tomatoes.
~ Lisa Bramen, The Surprising Origins of Fried Green Tomatoes
Southern fare. The whole meal was delicious…though the only dish
I can remember clearly was the fried green tomatoes.
~ Lisa Bramen, The Surprising Origins of Fried Green Tomatoes
The “they” that Ms. Bramen wrote about was a group of friends in Fannie Flagg’s novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. Neither Jill nor I read the book, but we both saw the movie, and the title struck a chord with us. We had to have fried green tomatoes at least once in Savannah…and now was as good a time as any.
Like the friends in Flagg’s novel, Jill and I headed to a neighborhood restaurant – just a block from the hotel – but it was not a hole-in-the-wall. Our restaurant of choice? The Lady & Sons, owned by celebrity chef Paula Deen and her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen. Much to our surprise, Paula greeted us with a bouquet of roses. (Wink-wink!). The Lady & Sons occupied the renovated 200-year-old three-story White Hardware building on Congress Street.
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We arrived 15 minutes before the restaurant opened at 11, and already there was a long line of like-minded gourmands. No problem, though, as The Lady & Sons seated more than 300 patrons – ample room for everyone queued at the door. Soon, we were directed to a third-floor table, where we were greeted by our waitress, Lorena. She was the epitome of Southern charm!
We sipped sweet tea – it had just the right amount of sugar – as we perused the menu. There were two appetizers to choose from. What did we order? Was there any doubt? It had to be Grandmama Paul’s Fried Green Tomatoes! They’ll make your tongue want to slap your brains out! said the menu listing. It was love at first bite! The coating was crunchy and the softened tomatoes tasted sweet and flavorful. When Jill posted on Facebook, she remarked, “These were my first fried green tomatoes and I’m hooked.”
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Lorena asked a few questions about our food likes and dislikes, and then recommended The Bobby, a family style spread with endless portions of two down-home entrees and four sides. There were seven entrees to choose from, but only two that fit the bill for our first Southern meal: fried chicken and fried catfish. As Jill observed, we had quickly become addicted to fried food. (There were worse addictions, right?!) We paired our entrees with creamed corn, tomato and cucumber salad, baked mac and cheese, and candied yams. It was a decadent feast – and scrumptious!
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“Seconds of anything?” asked Lorena.
“Well,” Jill replied somewhat sheepishly, “perhaps another piece of fried chicken.”
“Well,” Jill replied somewhat sheepishly, “perhaps another piece of fried chicken.”
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Still, we were not done eating, because as the menu noted, And sure as day follows night, dessert will be served! Jill went with banana pudding, while I ordered ooey-gooey butter cake. As you can see, I was excited by both desserts, which, by the way, were quite yummy. (Oh…and they were totally calorie free!)
We were off to a great start on our foodie experience! |
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It was pouring when we finished lunch. No problem, as we waited out the rain – it did not last long – in the Paula Deen Store, located adjacent to the restaurant. Fun things to look at, but nothing we felt compelled to buy.
Jill and I wandered the streets near the Andaz, hoping to shed a few of the oh-so-many calories we had just consumed, as we waited for THE call from the hotel staff. We did not wait long. |
We checked in, freshened up, and walked to Savannah’s waterfront district for our first tour – a 90-minute narrated harbor cruise on the Savannah River aboard the Georgia Queen. This would be our first time on a paddlewheel riverboat, and we were excited!
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I spotted a sculpture as we walked along River Street near the dock. With a slight detour, Jill and I stood in front of The African American Monument – a family of four African Americans with the chains of slavery at their feet. From the plaque at its base, we learned that this memorial was dedicated in 2002 to honor Dr. Abbie Jordan, an educator, leader, and community activist who was a driving force behind the monument – the first in Savannah to commemorate the contributions of its Black citizens. I was glad we stopped to view this simple yet powerful memorial.
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On November 17, 1732, James Edward Oglethorpe and approximately 114
passengers left Gravesend, England, for Georgia on the frigate Anne. It did
not take Oglethorpe long to locate Yamacraw Bluff, a stretch of land one
mile long overlooking the Savannah River. By February 12, 1733, the group
set about creating temporary shelters and laying out the new city.
~ georgiahistory.com
passengers left Gravesend, England, for Georgia on the frigate Anne. It did
not take Oglethorpe long to locate Yamacraw Bluff, a stretch of land one
mile long overlooking the Savannah River. By February 12, 1733, the group
set about creating temporary shelters and laying out the new city.
~ georgiahistory.com
Our cruise guide, Mike, was a fount of knowledge, and before we set sail, we learned that the riverboat was docked next to the exact location where Oglethorpe first landed. How cool?!
The iconic looking Georgia Queen, designed after a 19th century paddlewheel riverboat, was impressive. It measured 230 feet long – more than two-thirds of an American football field! – and 64 feet wide. Painted in the traditional red, white, and blue color scheme, it had four decks that rose to a height of 68 feet. There were three grand ballrooms inside and an open-air deck on top. And with 38,000 square feet, the Georgia Queen accommodated up to 1,000 passengers – about the capacity of a small cruise ship.
There were far fewer passengers this day, but by the time Jill and I boarded, the “good” indoor seating (near the windows) was taken. So, despite the on-and-off rain, we headed to the top deck, umbrellas in hand. We were glad we did, as we had an unobstructed view of Savannah’s waterfront as we sailed from the dock, as well as the sights along the river throughout the cruise. And guess what? The rain soon stopped and never fell during our time on the water.
The buildings that lined the waterfront were a mix of old and new. The Savannah Cotton Exchange building, built of red brick and terra cotta and topped with a patinaed cupola, was completed in 1887 “when Savannah ranked first as a cotton seaport on the Atlantic and second in the world.” City Hall, a Renaissance Revival building with a 23-karat gold leaf dome, was completed nearly two decades later. One of the newer buildings was the upmarket Hyatt Regency Savannah (far right in the photo above), which opened in 1981.
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We sailed west from the dock at a leisurely pace, and soon had a worm’s-eye view of the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, which spanned the river between downtown Savannah and Hutchinson Island. The four-lane, 1,000-foot main span was supported by four sets of cables that ran from two H-shaped towers. “This design,” Mike commented, “is a great example of a cable-stayed bridge.”
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The bridge, named in honor of Governor Eugene Talmadge (1933-37, 1941-43), was completed in 1990 to provide navigational clearance – 185 feet – for larger cargo vessels. Believe it or not, the container barge in the photo at the left sailed under the bridge with room to spare!
The world was divided. Pacific theater. European theater.
And I came up with the world apart.
~ Eric Meyerhof
And I came up with the world apart.
~ Eric Meyerhof
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The riverboat’s pilot hung a uey after we passed under the bridge. As we approached the Hyatt, which was now on our right as we cruised east, Mike called our attention to A World Apart, a monument dedicated in 2010 to honor Chatham County’s veterans of WWII. (Savannah is the seat of and largest city in Chatham County.) “The 15-foot-tall structure,” Mike announced over the loudspeaker, “is a split globe made of bronze and copper. It was designed by Savannah architect Eric Meyerhof, who passed away last year at 91.”
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Jill and I visited the monument for a closer look when our cruise ended. The names of the veterans were inscribed on the inside walls, along the lower portion of each half of the globe. We also saw symbols of each military branch, as well as representations of the Purple Heart and WWII Victory medals. It was a moving tribute!
Soon we drifted past River Street Market Place – a covered bazaar where vendors sold clothing, jewelry, kitschy souvenirs, and more. As we neared the east end of River Street, Mike pointed to The Waving Girl statue, a nine-foot-tall bronze sculpture erected in 1972 as a tribute to Florence Martus, who, like the statue, greeted each ship that entered the port of Savannah with the wave of a cloth for more than four decades. In return, she was greeted by a blast from the ship’s horn.
“The legend of Florence,” Mike began, “started in 1887 when she fell in love with a sailor who promised to return and marry her. She waived a white hankie at him as he sailed away and continued to do so at every passing ship for 44 years – hoping that her sailor was on board.” As you might now realize, this was not a love story with a happy ending. “The sailor never returned,” Mike noted, “and Florence died with a broken heart.”
We skirted the eastern tip of Fig Island, an archaeological site at the confluence of the Savannah and Little Black rivers with three shell rings – mounds of shells and other debris from civilizations that inhabited this area more than 3,500 years ago. I accepted Mike’s word on this, as I could not see the mounds from the boat.
The riverboat returned to the dock by the same route it sailed out, and as it did, Jill and I talked about our river cruise experience. We felt that it fell short on meaningful sights to see – little in the way of scenic beauty or historic sites. But we loved the experience of a paddlewheel riverboat ride - a step back in time to an age where life on the river moved at a more leisurely pace! So, we both gave this tour a thumbs up.
Jill and I must have burned A LOT of calories on the cruise – after all, it was 10 miles round trip! – as our stomachs told us what our minds could not fathom: Only five hours removed from the HUGE lunch we ate at The Lady & Sons, we were hungry. We looked at our list of restaurants and found one nearby.
The riverboat returned to the dock by the same route it sailed out, and as it did, Jill and I talked about our river cruise experience. We felt that it fell short on meaningful sights to see – little in the way of scenic beauty or historic sites. But we loved the experience of a paddlewheel riverboat ride - a step back in time to an age where life on the river moved at a more leisurely pace! So, we both gave this tour a thumbs up.
Jill and I must have burned A LOT of calories on the cruise – after all, it was 10 miles round trip! – as our stomachs told us what our minds could not fathom: Only five hours removed from the HUGE lunch we ate at The Lady & Sons, we were hungry. We looked at our list of restaurants and found one nearby.
Vic’s on the River, located on the third, fourth, and fifth levels of an old cotton warehouse that overlook the Savannah River, opened its doors in 2006. The outside was decked with ironwork balconies and railings. The inside, with lath and plaster walls, was spacious.
Jill ordered crab cakes, while I opted for shrimp and grits – a bucket list entrée for me. My mouth was watering! Unfortunately, the shrimp was cooked a bit too long, and was too chewy for my taste. C’est la vie! Our waiter offered to have the kitchen remake this entrée, but I declined. Instead, after I tried a bite of Jill’s crab cakes (which she loved), I ordered the crab cake appetizer. It was delightful!
Jill ordered crab cakes, while I opted for shrimp and grits – a bucket list entrée for me. My mouth was watering! Unfortunately, the shrimp was cooked a bit too long, and was too chewy for my taste. C’est la vie! Our waiter offered to have the kitchen remake this entrée, but I declined. Instead, after I tried a bite of Jill’s crab cakes (which she loved), I ordered the crab cake appetizer. It was delightful!
The squares of Savannah are the community's most beloved icons.
Originally designed with 24 squares, 22 remain today to be enjoyed
by the millions who grace their grassy utopias every year.
~ visitsavannah.com
Originally designed with 24 squares, 22 remain today to be enjoyed
by the millions who grace their grassy utopias every year.
~ visitsavannah.com
Savannah was believed to be the first planned community in Colonial America – a network of streets laid out in a grid that were lined with homes and businesses and, within the grid, public squares. We visited many squares during our three-day stay, including two this day as we made our way back to the Andaz.
From Vic’s on the River, we walked the length of River Street. It was lined with restaurants, pubs, galleries, and stores…and crowded with tourists. We stopped in a few of the shops, including Nine Line Apparel, which was filled with patriotic merchandise. I was intrigued by the theme and talked to a sales associate – a young lady – to learn more. She told me that Nine Line Apparel was owned and operated by veterans – MEDEVAC personnel; “nine line” referred to the standard nine-line medical evaluation process used by the Army in the field; and a portion of the sales proceeds were donated to a charitable foundation that supported disadvantage and wounded veterans. What a great story! Ballcaps were my go-to travel souvenir, and I found the perfect one at Nine Line – a camo pattern with Old Glory on the side.
We walked up Montgomery Street to Franklin Square, which was designed in 1791 and named for Benjamin Franklin. The centerpiece of the square was the Haitian Monument. From the inscription on its base, I learned that this monument was dedicated to the largest unit of African men to fight on the American side during the Revolutionary War – a 545-strong force from present-day Haiti who volunteered for a campaign to recapture Savannah from the British in 1779. The sculpture, which was striking, provided a great lesson in American history.
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We crossed the street to reach City Market, a four-block open air market that first served as a central marketplace in the 1700s. More on City Market in my next story. For now, suffice it to say that I “met” a famous movie star. (Did you guess who?!)
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Soon we reached Johnson Square, the oldest and largest square in Savannah. It was designed in 1733 and named for Robert Johnson, the Royal Governor of South Carolina when Georgia was founded. The square was shaded by southern live oak, an evergreen oak tree prevalent in the Southeastern United States.
The focal point was a 50-foot marble monument that honored General Nathanael Green, a hero during the American Revolution who died near Savannah in 1786. As we learned on later tours, there were a few interesting stories about this square and General Greene. I will also touch on these in my next story. |
Our pace had slowed from early in the day, and we did not have as much bounce in our step. When I checked my watch, I saw it was 8 o’clock – more than 36 hours since Jill and I woke early yesterday morning. Fortunately, Franklin Park was only a couple of blocks from the Andaz, and in short order we transitioned from sightseers to dreamers (with visions of fried green tomatoes dancing through our heads!).
We have two tours tomorrow – one revolves around food, the other around murder and mayhem. Click HERE to read my story.
We have two tours tomorrow – one revolves around food, the other around murder and mayhem. Click HERE to read my story.