Trying to Get it All In
~Tuesday, February 9, 2021~
Day 240
Savannah has been an amazing visit. We’ve heard so much about its rich history and beauty over the years and are thrilled we finally got to see it for ourselves. With this being our final day in one of the most alluring cities in the U.S., we tried to pack in the remainder of what was on our list.
The rain didn’t let up until around 2:00 when we decided first to tour a few neighborhoods on our own, without an agent. A few areas seem promising…..Skidaway Island and another, Wild Heron Village in Georgetown. The suburbs would definitely suit us better than Savannah proper. But along with the countless beautiful homes that dot the many islands around Savannah, flood zones and hurricanes are something to be considered. On Realtor.com, they give helpful information from 2 agencies...FEMA and Flood Factor. FEMA gives a more general consensus of flood threat, and Flood Factor gives more specific flood indicators on the home on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the worst for flood threat). They even take into consideration the potential threat of rising sea levels.
As with most of the places we visit, there are always a few tourist spots that are left undiscovered; the two on this trip being Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island and Fort Pulaski National Monument. Another reason to come back.
We spent another afternoon in the Historical District. paying a visit to one Savannah tradition, Leopold’s Ice Cream founded in 1919. This was just the start to our indulgent day of eating and sipping. I guess today was the day to have ice cream, since usually the line is out the door. Because I rarely eat this yummy treat, I went all out and had 2 scoops on a waffle cone….coffee chip and peanut butter chip. Jeff’s selection….butter pecan, with both being amazing! But I have earned a new nickname it seems……”2-Scoop Ing”. Since my husband only had 1 scoop IN A CUP, I knew I’d get grief for the 1,000 extra calories that I consumed.
We walked into a few shops and along the way spotted a sign “Savannah Tap House-40 beers on tap and 100 bottles” . With a sign like that, it doesn’t take much for Jeff to say, “I’m in!”. In addition to its sports bar atmosphere, they also have an awesome menu, though we did not partake thanks to our delicious ice cream.
Before dark, we made it to the famous, 30-acre Forsyth Park.
This majestic park was named after Georgia’s 33rd governor and is home to Savannah’s most famous fountain installed in 1858
and modeled after the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Picnickers, nappers, dog lovers, artists, readers and kids have the perfect setting to do their thing. We were approached by a dog loving, retired local, curious where we were from and offered some historical facts about the park and the many events that are held there, i.e. The Sidewalks Art Festival-art in chalk (April), the Savannah Jazz Festival (September), Picnic in the Park with the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra (October) and the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon (September). Super friendly and some worthwhile, noted tips.
A few days ago, we had our eye on a corner British bar called Six Pence Pub, so we had to check it out. Very charming and great service. While Jeff enjoyed a Guinness and me a Pinot Grigio we decided it was time to have a little pub grub to go along with it…...toasted rounds with Guinness Stout Cheese, Worchestire, caper blossoms, onion and tomato. It was delicious and again not the healthiest choice, but we’re on vacation (sort of). More red wine!!!
Taking the advice of our Service brewery guy, Patrick, we really wanted to investigate Cotton & Rye. We were really looking forward to trying their New-American Gastro-Pub fare, but guess it wasn’t meant to be. We arrived at 7:15 and they were already closed. It looked like there were a few lights on and their website said they were open. Our guess was they were so slow, they just shut down early. Ugh 😩. Plan B also on Patrick’s list…...the oldest restaurant in Savannah….the Crystal Beer Parlor. This restaurant opened in 1933 during the Great Depression. Not fancy or trendy, but great service, food and drink in a fun atmosphere. And we had a hoot of a waitress, originally from Wichita, Kansas, who had a lot of opinions about Savannah and holistic medicine. All interesting information and not in the least bit bothersome. Jeff’s pastrami sandwich along with red beans and rice and my grilled salmon sandwich were both delicious!