Sigh......today is our last day in this gorgeous little city. Both Linda and I have fallen in love with the pace of the place, the architecture, the squares that can be found all over the historic district, the accent (that is definitely a little contagious), the ambience and the fantastic food. We're both so thankful to have had the opportunity to visit this amazing part of America and to have had the bonus of some learning along the way.
We've had a very different day today - a very lazy one and it's been just what the doctor ordered for both of us after our VERY busy week. After seizing the opportunity to sleep in a little this morning we spent the rest of it getting organized and packed for the trip tomorrow as we have to leave the hotel by 4:00 a.m. so our wake up call is set for 3:00 a.m.
Once packed, we made our way to the 'living room' where we waited a few minutes for the dining room (Sunday brunch) to open at noon. Today was different too as the rain was coming down in torrents and the temperature was much cooler than any other day we've been here. We had a leisurely brunch that filled us to capacity so there would just be one meal for us on this day!!
We took our time with brunch and then rolled ourselves back into the living room where we spent the rest of the afternoon just sitting on the couches reading books that required absolutely no comprehension or retention - it was great!
By about 5:00 p.m. the rain had stopped so we took one final stroll around the historic district that has become so familiar for both of us. Our stroll lasted about an hour and gave us an opportunity to bid farewell to this town that has been such a pleasure to visit.
After our walk we hit the couches again and spent the rest of the evening just chatting and lazing around. But, it's 10:00 p.m. now so had better call it a day as that 3:00 wake up will come pretty early! As I said.....it's been a different kind of a day for us and we've thoroughly enjoyed it.
Tomorrow, we'll have breakfast at the airport in Savannah, lunch at the airport in Chicago, and then dinner at the airport in Seattle before we arrive in Kelowna at about 6:00 p.m. (9:00 p.m. Savannah time). It'll be a looonnnngggg day and you've gotta love how cool it is that we're able to have each of our meals tomorrow in a different city across this vast country.
It's been fun to do this blog from Savannah.....hope others enjoy reading it as much as we've enjoyed discovering things to include in it.
Till the next time I'm on a trip that warrants another blog journal.....
L
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
November 21, 2009 cont'd
We're back and what a night of celebration it was! After a drink at our room in the Mulberry, we walked the 30 or so minutes to the Chipawa Square (it should have only been about 20 minutes but we overshot the cross street by a couple of blocks so a little backtracking was required). From Chipawa Square (the Forrest Gump park), we located Billy's Restaurant where we had dinner reservations. Shrimp & Grits was my choice tonight as we're fast approaching the end of our visit and I still haven't had any grits. Linda went for the Atlanic Salmon and what an amazing meal it was. Our waiter, Tan, is from Sri Lanka. He is attending the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to earn his Masters Degree in Costume Design. (SCAD has so many campuses here...they're scattered all over the city and students are everywhere). Tan took great care of us and as we feasted on our meal, we were serenaded by an amazing man, Lavalle, who sang all the golden oldies. The ambiance made us feel like we were on vacation and all in all, it was a great meal.
From Billy's we made our way around the corner to the Savannah Theatre. This Theatre is the oldest continuously operating Theatre in all of America and tonight was our turn to experience it in all it's glory. The rogue's gallery that lined the walls of the stairway was like a who's who of theatre. There was WC Fields, Barrymore, Oscer Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Woodrow Wilson and too many more to recall. All had performed on the very stage that we'd see tonight! Our seats for the show were in the centre of the second row.....some of the best in the house and the show was "The Beat Goes On". Tickets had been $35 each so we were hopeful of the quality we'd heard the show provided. It was a medley of music from the 60's, 70's, and 80's and OMG - it was fantastic! From the fact that there was not just one star on the stage.....there were at least a dozen.....to the costumes and the crowd we were a part of....it was a night to remember. The audience participation was amazing! I'm sure it is part of the culture here that people are so inclined to engage in the performance...they were loud and appreciative throughout the entire two hours. The performers didn't miss a second of time during the two hour show. They worked so hard and the level of talent of every one of the performers was so high that we could easily have been watching a high end professional performance in any major city around the world. We were glad to learn that it's an equity troupe so they're all being paid for their abilities. Both Linda and I want to bring the troupe back to the Okanagan with us...the show was that good!
After the theatre we set out on our walk back to the Mulberry but just a couple of blocks down Bull Street we came upon some kind of impromptu party that was definitely underway so we joined in the fun. It was as though all of Savannah was celebrating with us tonight!
There are a couple of things that we've noticed are a little different in Savannah and one of them is that you're allowed to have open liquor on the streets here. If you still have 1/2 a beer when you're leaving a restaurant or a bar or your house....you just get a plastic 'to go' cup and take your drink with you. It's not unusual to see people walking along the sidewalk with a drink in their hand but neither Linda nor I have seen anyone under the influence. And tonight was no exception, there were about 100 young people gathered for this street party and most had a beer in hand but not a soul had had too much to drink. We both wonder if we have too many rules at home??!!
After about 1/2 hour at the street party we continued on our way back to the Mulberry where we spent the next little while talking to Trenton from Virginia whom we had met at the Conference. Trenton gave us a couple of good ideas to take back to the office with us so even though we were in celebratory mode tonight...we were still trailing our toes in Conference mode too.
It's late now though so time to call it another day.
till tomorrow,
L & L
From Billy's we made our way around the corner to the Savannah Theatre. This Theatre is the oldest continuously operating Theatre in all of America and tonight was our turn to experience it in all it's glory. The rogue's gallery that lined the walls of the stairway was like a who's who of theatre. There was WC Fields, Barrymore, Oscer Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Woodrow Wilson and too many more to recall. All had performed on the very stage that we'd see tonight! Our seats for the show were in the centre of the second row.....some of the best in the house and the show was "The Beat Goes On". Tickets had been $35 each so we were hopeful of the quality we'd heard the show provided. It was a medley of music from the 60's, 70's, and 80's and OMG - it was fantastic! From the fact that there was not just one star on the stage.....there were at least a dozen.....to the costumes and the crowd we were a part of....it was a night to remember. The audience participation was amazing! I'm sure it is part of the culture here that people are so inclined to engage in the performance...they were loud and appreciative throughout the entire two hours. The performers didn't miss a second of time during the two hour show. They worked so hard and the level of talent of every one of the performers was so high that we could easily have been watching a high end professional performance in any major city around the world. We were glad to learn that it's an equity troupe so they're all being paid for their abilities. Both Linda and I want to bring the troupe back to the Okanagan with us...the show was that good!
After the theatre we set out on our walk back to the Mulberry but just a couple of blocks down Bull Street we came upon some kind of impromptu party that was definitely underway so we joined in the fun. It was as though all of Savannah was celebrating with us tonight!
There are a couple of things that we've noticed are a little different in Savannah and one of them is that you're allowed to have open liquor on the streets here. If you still have 1/2 a beer when you're leaving a restaurant or a bar or your house....you just get a plastic 'to go' cup and take your drink with you. It's not unusual to see people walking along the sidewalk with a drink in their hand but neither Linda nor I have seen anyone under the influence. And tonight was no exception, there were about 100 young people gathered for this street party and most had a beer in hand but not a soul had had too much to drink. We both wonder if we have too many rules at home??!!
After about 1/2 hour at the street party we continued on our way back to the Mulberry where we spent the next little while talking to Trenton from Virginia whom we had met at the Conference. Trenton gave us a couple of good ideas to take back to the office with us so even though we were in celebratory mode tonight...we were still trailing our toes in Conference mode too.
It's late now though so time to call it another day.
till tomorrow,
L & L
November 21, 2009
Wahoo! We're done!!! :) 4:45 p.m. and back to our room for a celebratory drink....won't know how we did on the exam till about a week from now but regardless of that....we're soooo glad to be done!
We spent the entire morning today with our noses buried in the books and left just in time to grab some take out along the way to the exam site in time for the 1:00 p.m. start. It was a 3 hour exam and there were about 35 of us writing it. Talked to a few folks following the exam and the consensus was that there were some pretty tricky questions that ranged from ambiguity to just plain complicated and full of formulas. Both Linda and I are hopeful though (and we have our fingers crossed) so with any luck we'll get a 'positive' email announcing our results.
As we left the exam site this afternoon we strolled the whole way back :) It was such a treat....the past week has been so rushed and the added pressure of the exam looming were gone and it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from our shoulders. We dallied along the way to enjoy a couple of tunes by some street musicians in City Market and even did a little window shopping along the streets. Each time we walk somewhere we seem to manage to find a new street to walk along so every time is like the first time.
Our evening of hilarity last night had helped to break through some of the stress and completing the exam this afternoon was like reaching the top of the mountain.
Tonight we're going out on the town to continue the celebration so if we're still able to type when we get back, I'll fill you in on our evening of frivolity.
till later,
L & L
We spent the entire morning today with our noses buried in the books and left just in time to grab some take out along the way to the exam site in time for the 1:00 p.m. start. It was a 3 hour exam and there were about 35 of us writing it. Talked to a few folks following the exam and the consensus was that there were some pretty tricky questions that ranged from ambiguity to just plain complicated and full of formulas. Both Linda and I are hopeful though (and we have our fingers crossed) so with any luck we'll get a 'positive' email announcing our results.
As we left the exam site this afternoon we strolled the whole way back :) It was such a treat....the past week has been so rushed and the added pressure of the exam looming were gone and it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from our shoulders. We dallied along the way to enjoy a couple of tunes by some street musicians in City Market and even did a little window shopping along the streets. Each time we walk somewhere we seem to manage to find a new street to walk along so every time is like the first time.
Our evening of hilarity last night had helped to break through some of the stress and completing the exam this afternoon was like reaching the top of the mountain.
Tonight we're going out on the town to continue the celebration so if we're still able to type when we get back, I'll fill you in on our evening of frivolity.
till later,
L & L
Friday, November 20, 2009
November 20, 2009
OMG...the southern adventures are coming fast and furious today! From coffee with our new buddy Bob (Robert Redford) this morning at the Westin to another overwhelming day of study and to top it all off.....Linda was offered a job and all four of us took a big bite out of low country culture and lived to tell the tale.
Once again, our wake up call didn't arrive as scheduled (the system is still broken at the hotel) so thank heavens for Linda's inner alarm! We were up and on the shuttle again just after 7:00 a.m. The trip across the bridge to the Convention Centre was gorgeous again today but the misty morning dew was even more obvious than it's been on other days so the resulting scene was like something out of a movie or your best imaginings. There was a virtual white frost covering the vegetation which was like an oxymoron for the eyes as it was obvious that the sun was shining but there was this frosty illusion everywhere. Before long the mist was gone though and the day was back to it's normal sunny 75+ degrees.
Our first session started at 8:00 till 9:00 and then we had an hour for study before the next one started up again. We decided to take our study next door to the Convention Centre where there is a Starbucks as both of us were in need of a little 'pick me up'. I say that we had our coffee with Bob as he is staying at that hotel and even though he didn't actually sit with us over coffee.....I'm pretty sure that he would have had he known we were just downstairs.
Before we knew it - the hour was up and it was time to head back for the rest of the day's sessions. By the end of the day our heads were filled to capacity but.....we weren't done yet. There was a shuttle waiting for us at the door and once back into the historic district we were dropped at the Inn on Ellis Square where we located the Magnolia room for another formal study session with about 30 others and the lead CPP trainer. It was like trying to stuff an elephant into a volkswagon! Our heads were already filled to capacity but the information and the review was so important that we just had to keep going. The session went longer than planned (didn't finish till 6:30) so it was another loooonnnnngggg day. By the time we were walking back to the Mulberry (about a 20 minute walk) we were both making noises about skipping dinner and heading straight for bed but about a block before we arrived at the Mulberry, a little red car honked at us and the night's adventures were about to begin.
The little red car was Doug and Jill (our friends from Kelowna) and they were off for dinner just out of town. Linda and I hopped into the back seat of their little sports car....well.....I guess I didn't really hop into the back seat of their 2 door car.....it was more like I put in one foot and my head and shoulders and then if Jill pushed from behind I kind of popped into the car. I seriously didn't know if I'd ever get out but once we arrived at our destination I was able to reverse the process exactly and popped right back out. (It really is a science though and I'm thinking there might be a course in there somewhere)
Our dinner was about 15 minutes outside of town at a place called the Crab Shack. It's very popular with locals and written up as the best seafood in all of America. From our perspective...it was a taste of local culture that we hadn't even dreamed would materialize for us. The "shack" was situated on the bayou with gater ponds surrounding it. It had all the tacky tourist stuff you could hope for in the form of a giant crab over the doorway, upside down buckets for lamp shades, and an air conditioning unit that must be at least 100 years old. Our table had a hole in the middle of it with a garbage bucket placed strategically directly beneath the hole. There was a raised platform above the hole where you could put your platter of seafood and that is just what we did. Our platter arrived and the only words I can think to use to describe it are: massive, amazing, delicious, messy, overwhelming, and too much food! We did our best but when we were all finished there were still mussels, shrimp, potatoes, sausage, and crawfish on the plate. We had managed to eat a small mountain of food though and the crab had completely disappeared and there were really only a few of the other bits left. We cried to have to leave it but there was naught we could do. And....we had to leave room for a taste of the key lime pie that was made just down the road from the C.S. The pie was beyond amazing - like nothing I've ever had before and our visit to the Crab Shack left me thinking that it on it's own might be enough of a reason to return here!
After dinner we stopped at the sink in the middle of the restaurant so we could try to clean up a bit. Oh ya....did I mention that there was no silverware at this restaurant?! We visited the gift shop where Jill managed to secure a package of the secret spice they had used on everything that was part of our meal and finally toured the gater pits (didn't get a chance to feed them though as it was much too late for that) before eventually making our way back to the car where my attempts to get into the back seat once more were somewhat hampered by the fact that I'd just consumed about a ton of food!
Jill and Doug needed to stop at a grocery store so we located a Kroger's and I was able to "pop" out of the car again.
We'd had much fun and laughter throughout our dinner and it didn't stop there. By the time we were inside the store....we were in fine form. We've all "caught" a little of the southern accent which only enhanced our silliness.
Linda and I located the items we wanted to purchase in record time and made our way to the check out where we discovered we were in the line for self check. The first thing we noticed was that the 'slot machine' we were checking out through had paid off and we hadn't even put any money in yet. We decided we were going to like this casino/grocery store!! It didn't take long for the staff to figure out that we needed a little help but once we were underway with checking the groceries through it was clearly apparant that Linda was a natural and so of course she was offered a job with the store. Fortunately, she decided to opt for keeping her current position so Kroger's will have to keep looking for their next employee of the week.
While Linda and I were waiting for Jill and Doug to finish in the store....we reminisced about old Bill Cosby performances and since Linda didn't know the one about 'To Russell My Brother Whom I Slept With and the Jello Monster'.....I decided to re-enact it for her with all of the sound effects included. The poor man who was working as the bag boy at the checkout we were standing behind didn't know what to do with us. He was one of those fellows who is about 70'ish and has likely worked in that position for most of his life. His belted pants were up to his armpits and he was obviously very contientious about his work. As the sound of the beating heart of the Jello Monster got louder and louder in my story.....it was all he could do to keep on track. I'll bet he was glad to see Jill and Doug come through the till and take the laughing pair of Linda and I out of the store where we were popped back into the car for the return trip to the Mulberry.
By the time we arrived back at the hotel it was well after 10:00 pm so it had been a long day and the laughter of tonight had been a great stress relief. We were ready for bed though and looking forward to calling it a day as tomorrow will be another full one with the exam set for 1:00 p.m. We arrived at our hotel door only to discover that neither of our room keys worked....their programming had expired so it was back to the lobby for help. Fortunately for us the desk clerk was able to help us and before too much longer we were into the room with a little time left for this blog and a last minute study session before turning out the lights on another day in Savannah.
Till tomorrow,
L & L
Once again, our wake up call didn't arrive as scheduled (the system is still broken at the hotel) so thank heavens for Linda's inner alarm! We were up and on the shuttle again just after 7:00 a.m. The trip across the bridge to the Convention Centre was gorgeous again today but the misty morning dew was even more obvious than it's been on other days so the resulting scene was like something out of a movie or your best imaginings. There was a virtual white frost covering the vegetation which was like an oxymoron for the eyes as it was obvious that the sun was shining but there was this frosty illusion everywhere. Before long the mist was gone though and the day was back to it's normal sunny 75+ degrees.
Our first session started at 8:00 till 9:00 and then we had an hour for study before the next one started up again. We decided to take our study next door to the Convention Centre where there is a Starbucks as both of us were in need of a little 'pick me up'. I say that we had our coffee with Bob as he is staying at that hotel and even though he didn't actually sit with us over coffee.....I'm pretty sure that he would have had he known we were just downstairs.
Before we knew it - the hour was up and it was time to head back for the rest of the day's sessions. By the end of the day our heads were filled to capacity but.....we weren't done yet. There was a shuttle waiting for us at the door and once back into the historic district we were dropped at the Inn on Ellis Square where we located the Magnolia room for another formal study session with about 30 others and the lead CPP trainer. It was like trying to stuff an elephant into a volkswagon! Our heads were already filled to capacity but the information and the review was so important that we just had to keep going. The session went longer than planned (didn't finish till 6:30) so it was another loooonnnnngggg day. By the time we were walking back to the Mulberry (about a 20 minute walk) we were both making noises about skipping dinner and heading straight for bed but about a block before we arrived at the Mulberry, a little red car honked at us and the night's adventures were about to begin.
The little red car was Doug and Jill (our friends from Kelowna) and they were off for dinner just out of town. Linda and I hopped into the back seat of their little sports car....well.....I guess I didn't really hop into the back seat of their 2 door car.....it was more like I put in one foot and my head and shoulders and then if Jill pushed from behind I kind of popped into the car. I seriously didn't know if I'd ever get out but once we arrived at our destination I was able to reverse the process exactly and popped right back out. (It really is a science though and I'm thinking there might be a course in there somewhere)
Our dinner was about 15 minutes outside of town at a place called the Crab Shack. It's very popular with locals and written up as the best seafood in all of America. From our perspective...it was a taste of local culture that we hadn't even dreamed would materialize for us. The "shack" was situated on the bayou with gater ponds surrounding it. It had all the tacky tourist stuff you could hope for in the form of a giant crab over the doorway, upside down buckets for lamp shades, and an air conditioning unit that must be at least 100 years old. Our table had a hole in the middle of it with a garbage bucket placed strategically directly beneath the hole. There was a raised platform above the hole where you could put your platter of seafood and that is just what we did. Our platter arrived and the only words I can think to use to describe it are: massive, amazing, delicious, messy, overwhelming, and too much food! We did our best but when we were all finished there were still mussels, shrimp, potatoes, sausage, and crawfish on the plate. We had managed to eat a small mountain of food though and the crab had completely disappeared and there were really only a few of the other bits left. We cried to have to leave it but there was naught we could do. And....we had to leave room for a taste of the key lime pie that was made just down the road from the C.S. The pie was beyond amazing - like nothing I've ever had before and our visit to the Crab Shack left me thinking that it on it's own might be enough of a reason to return here!
After dinner we stopped at the sink in the middle of the restaurant so we could try to clean up a bit. Oh ya....did I mention that there was no silverware at this restaurant?! We visited the gift shop where Jill managed to secure a package of the secret spice they had used on everything that was part of our meal and finally toured the gater pits (didn't get a chance to feed them though as it was much too late for that) before eventually making our way back to the car where my attempts to get into the back seat once more were somewhat hampered by the fact that I'd just consumed about a ton of food!
Jill and Doug needed to stop at a grocery store so we located a Kroger's and I was able to "pop" out of the car again.
We'd had much fun and laughter throughout our dinner and it didn't stop there. By the time we were inside the store....we were in fine form. We've all "caught" a little of the southern accent which only enhanced our silliness.
Linda and I located the items we wanted to purchase in record time and made our way to the check out where we discovered we were in the line for self check. The first thing we noticed was that the 'slot machine' we were checking out through had paid off and we hadn't even put any money in yet. We decided we were going to like this casino/grocery store!! It didn't take long for the staff to figure out that we needed a little help but once we were underway with checking the groceries through it was clearly apparant that Linda was a natural and so of course she was offered a job with the store. Fortunately, she decided to opt for keeping her current position so Kroger's will have to keep looking for their next employee of the week.
While Linda and I were waiting for Jill and Doug to finish in the store....we reminisced about old Bill Cosby performances and since Linda didn't know the one about 'To Russell My Brother Whom I Slept With and the Jello Monster'.....I decided to re-enact it for her with all of the sound effects included. The poor man who was working as the bag boy at the checkout we were standing behind didn't know what to do with us. He was one of those fellows who is about 70'ish and has likely worked in that position for most of his life. His belted pants were up to his armpits and he was obviously very contientious about his work. As the sound of the beating heart of the Jello Monster got louder and louder in my story.....it was all he could do to keep on track. I'll bet he was glad to see Jill and Doug come through the till and take the laughing pair of Linda and I out of the store where we were popped back into the car for the return trip to the Mulberry.
By the time we arrived back at the hotel it was well after 10:00 pm so it had been a long day and the laughter of tonight had been a great stress relief. We were ready for bed though and looking forward to calling it a day as tomorrow will be another full one with the exam set for 1:00 p.m. We arrived at our hotel door only to discover that neither of our room keys worked....their programming had expired so it was back to the lobby for help. Fortunately for us the desk clerk was able to help us and before too much longer we were into the room with a little time left for this blog and a last minute study session before turning out the lights on another day in Savannah.
Till tomorrow,
L & L
Thursday, November 19, 2009
November 19, 2009
"Just hook me up to an i.v. and keep it coming!" was a comment heard at our dinner table tonight. We all agree that the food in Savannah is something special and there is definitely no shortage of it. Tonight we supped at the Blue Moon or the New Moon or some kind of a moon but I gotta say that whatever kind of moon it was they served up some of the best margarita's I've ever had and the crab cakes I enjoyed were second to none. Once again...all of us were really impressed with our meal. But....I'd better back up a little as it's been another full and eventful day!
Our sessions were scheduled to begin at 8:00 this morning so we had to be on the shuttle by 7:20 a.m. and that meant a 6:00 wake up. Morning comes awfully early when you have a commute across the river to add to the fact that the Conference day begins bright and early. Our shuttle driver is great but she's a little on the wild side too....on the way over to the Convention Centre some of the crazy corners we went around meant that Jill had to wear some of her coffee for the rest of the day.
The day was filled to capacity with sessions and Linda and I have to attend them all to get the information we need for our exam on Saturday afternoon after the Conference so by the time 5:00 rolls around our heads are full and we're pretty much done for. The time between sessions is hardly enough to get from room to room so even making a quick stop in the bathroom causes the stress associated with knowing you're going to be walking into the next session after it's begun.
There was no time off for good behaviour though as after a short stop back at the Mulberry to drop off our books, we were off to the Chipawa Square (the one where Forrest Gump was filmed) for another reception. We enjoyed a drink and some local live music in the park with about 300 of our new friends (only half of the Conference was at the reception from what we could see) and then we were off on our Ghost Tour.
We piled into one of several trams and were soon on our way to being regaled with stories of voodoo, history, and ghost tales. We visited (from the outside only) the cemetery where one of the men who signed the declaration of independence is buried, Inns and private homes that have documented evidence of unearthly activities, as well as a dueling range and hanging trees. In fact, the story associated with one of the hanging trees that is located in a square in the historic part of town had an interesting element to it.....almost all of the oak trees here are laden with Spanish Moss but in the square where an innocent woman was hung (or in the words of the tour guide..."innocent blood was spilled") no spanish moss hangs from any of the trees around the one that she was hung from. It is said that she can still be heard crying if you visit the park on a quiet evening and listen.
Another amazing thing happened tonight. While Linda and I were walking toward the place we'd have our dinner.....we met our young soldier and his mom that we had lunch with at Mrs Wilkes the first day we were here. He was dressed in uniform and saying his final good-bye's to his family....of which we were now honorary members. We wished him a safe journey and as we turned away for what will likely be the last time we'll ever see him or know how he makes out in Afghanistan we were both struck by the amazing coincidence of our second encounter (although perhaps there are no coincidences). I can only imagine how difficult it must be for his mom to say good-bye based on how emotional I feel about our brief meeting and his deployment. When war visits so close to home and the people in the trenches become real....it's a bold reminder of the insanity of it all. I wish him all the best for the journey he's on.
Well....as I said it's been another full day and 6:00 again tomorrow morning will be here before we know it so....adieu for another day.
L & L
Our sessions were scheduled to begin at 8:00 this morning so we had to be on the shuttle by 7:20 a.m. and that meant a 6:00 wake up. Morning comes awfully early when you have a commute across the river to add to the fact that the Conference day begins bright and early. Our shuttle driver is great but she's a little on the wild side too....on the way over to the Convention Centre some of the crazy corners we went around meant that Jill had to wear some of her coffee for the rest of the day.
The day was filled to capacity with sessions and Linda and I have to attend them all to get the information we need for our exam on Saturday afternoon after the Conference so by the time 5:00 rolls around our heads are full and we're pretty much done for. The time between sessions is hardly enough to get from room to room so even making a quick stop in the bathroom causes the stress associated with knowing you're going to be walking into the next session after it's begun.
There was no time off for good behaviour though as after a short stop back at the Mulberry to drop off our books, we were off to the Chipawa Square (the one where Forrest Gump was filmed) for another reception. We enjoyed a drink and some local live music in the park with about 300 of our new friends (only half of the Conference was at the reception from what we could see) and then we were off on our Ghost Tour.
We piled into one of several trams and were soon on our way to being regaled with stories of voodoo, history, and ghost tales. We visited (from the outside only) the cemetery where one of the men who signed the declaration of independence is buried, Inns and private homes that have documented evidence of unearthly activities, as well as a dueling range and hanging trees. In fact, the story associated with one of the hanging trees that is located in a square in the historic part of town had an interesting element to it.....almost all of the oak trees here are laden with Spanish Moss but in the square where an innocent woman was hung (or in the words of the tour guide..."innocent blood was spilled") no spanish moss hangs from any of the trees around the one that she was hung from. It is said that she can still be heard crying if you visit the park on a quiet evening and listen.
Another amazing thing happened tonight. While Linda and I were walking toward the place we'd have our dinner.....we met our young soldier and his mom that we had lunch with at Mrs Wilkes the first day we were here. He was dressed in uniform and saying his final good-bye's to his family....of which we were now honorary members. We wished him a safe journey and as we turned away for what will likely be the last time we'll ever see him or know how he makes out in Afghanistan we were both struck by the amazing coincidence of our second encounter (although perhaps there are no coincidences). I can only imagine how difficult it must be for his mom to say good-bye based on how emotional I feel about our brief meeting and his deployment. When war visits so close to home and the people in the trenches become real....it's a bold reminder of the insanity of it all. I wish him all the best for the journey he's on.
Well....as I said it's been another full day and 6:00 again tomorrow morning will be here before we know it so....adieu for another day.
L & L
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
November 18, 2009
Where to begin is the question tonight.... It's been a long day after an even longer night but the day is done so after a recap on this blog....it'll be time to hit the hay!
Before I can begin to explain the 'long night' reference....I'll have to rewind a little to yesterday afternoon when Linda and I were shopping. One of the purchases I made was aromatherapy patches that are designed to help with your ability to focus and in preparation for the exam we have to write on Saturday afternoon....I thought they might be helpful. We both applied our patches in anticipation of a newfound ability to memorize the formulas that have been the bane of our existence lately. The patches don't really have much fragrance...they're designed and intended to emit the essential oils directly into your system through your skin with the result being the desired ability to stay focused on such things as technical mathematical equations. The patches can be worn for up to 24 hours and I only wore mine for 6 hours and Linda kept hers on for 8 before we took them off in preparation for the night. Linda managed to punch through the overwhelming desire she felt to go for a run and since I never have anything even remotely like an urge to run...I wasn't surprised that I didn't share her desire. Our plan was to get a good night's sleep as the wake up call would come early enough for us to catch the shuttle for the Convention Centre. We both fell into our beds after our marathon walk/shop/walk day and Linda was asleep in short order. I on the other hand spent the entire night tossing and turning and walking around the room in an attempt to settle down.
When the wake up call came (I had fallen asleep about 3 hrs prior).....I knew that I was in for an even longer day than the night had been. We made our way to the shuttle just in the nick of time and soon found ourselves crossing the bridge over the Savannah River to Hutchison Island where the Convention Centre is located. A little farther across the bridge and continuing along the same road would have taken us right into South Carolina.
We settled into our first session. It was to be a full day of Designing Brochures only to discover that it wasn't really about brochures at all.....it was an entire day on "how not to dress when you're presenting to a group of professionals"! Our presenter was modeling what not to do in a very attractive suit that had a shirt that was so short that a section of her midriff showed every time she moved her arms. We learned that distractions such as this are noticed by all and that it is an error none of the attendees will ever make. In truth....we really did learn this lesson but that was not the lesson intended for the day...it was just the bonus.
The mid-day of our session was a bit of a challenge. You'll remember that the Convention Centre is on an island .... well....there's really nothing else on that island....no restaurants for lunch included! So, having only 1 hour for lunch would be a challenge.....I told you about the aromatherapy patches we had worn the day before...well they were still working. I'm sure that is the reason that Linda was obsessing about running and why I was up all night and for much of the morning session both of us had rumbling tummies as we scanned the room for anything we could eat to no avail. We felt like we were starving! So....when lunchtime hit, I can assure you there was no way that either of us was prepared to skip lunch this day - even if we did only have an hour to take the 15 minute return trip on the ferry on top of locating an eatery, ordering and enjoying our meal! We were first in line for the ferry that would take us across the river and once there, the first ones off the boat. We made a bee line for the first restaurant we found and before anyone else could get their order in we were chowing down on an oyster burger and a turkey sandwich. Neither of us had ever tasted anything so delicious!! After wolfing down our lunch, we had to run (yes...I actually had to run) to catch the boat back to the Convention Centre and yes....we did it all in exactly one hour!
Following our Brochure class- Linda and I made our way to the next session on our schedule only to find ourselves amidst about 20 Leaders of LERN. We're still not sure why or how we ended up in that session but we had a letter asking us to participate so we did our best, provided all the grass roots advice we could muster and I'm sure the organization will be the better for it.
From there we moved along to a prepatory session for everyone enrolled in the CPP sessions (yes....we definitely belonged in this room) and we were pleased to learn that our coach for the process looked like he would be a very supportive fellow with lots of good information to share.
As soon as we came out of that final session (it's now after 5 p.m.) a waiting bus took us to a reception at another hotel downtown where we enjoyed a quick drink before we were spotted by another of our co-workers, Jill (who is here with her husband Doug) as she was walking by the reception we were attending. Jill doesn't start her sessions till tomorrow so it was just pure luck that she and Doug would be strolling past the hotel hosting the reception.
From that connection....we were off for another food extravaganza at Paula Dean's restaurant where the scallops were unbelievable. They were done to perfection and melted in your mouth....yes.....there are some pretty tasty dishes here in the South!
After stuffing ourselves at Paula Dean's we made our way back to the hotel (about a 20 minute walk) where we relaxed in our living room till it was time to head to bed faced with another very early morning.
All in all....it was another great day and I'm looking forward to tomorrow where I'm sure there will be new things to learn and people to meet.
L & L
Before I can begin to explain the 'long night' reference....I'll have to rewind a little to yesterday afternoon when Linda and I were shopping. One of the purchases I made was aromatherapy patches that are designed to help with your ability to focus and in preparation for the exam we have to write on Saturday afternoon....I thought they might be helpful. We both applied our patches in anticipation of a newfound ability to memorize the formulas that have been the bane of our existence lately. The patches don't really have much fragrance...they're designed and intended to emit the essential oils directly into your system through your skin with the result being the desired ability to stay focused on such things as technical mathematical equations. The patches can be worn for up to 24 hours and I only wore mine for 6 hours and Linda kept hers on for 8 before we took them off in preparation for the night. Linda managed to punch through the overwhelming desire she felt to go for a run and since I never have anything even remotely like an urge to run...I wasn't surprised that I didn't share her desire. Our plan was to get a good night's sleep as the wake up call would come early enough for us to catch the shuttle for the Convention Centre. We both fell into our beds after our marathon walk/shop/walk day and Linda was asleep in short order. I on the other hand spent the entire night tossing and turning and walking around the room in an attempt to settle down.
When the wake up call came (I had fallen asleep about 3 hrs prior).....I knew that I was in for an even longer day than the night had been. We made our way to the shuttle just in the nick of time and soon found ourselves crossing the bridge over the Savannah River to Hutchison Island where the Convention Centre is located. A little farther across the bridge and continuing along the same road would have taken us right into South Carolina.
We settled into our first session. It was to be a full day of Designing Brochures only to discover that it wasn't really about brochures at all.....it was an entire day on "how not to dress when you're presenting to a group of professionals"! Our presenter was modeling what not to do in a very attractive suit that had a shirt that was so short that a section of her midriff showed every time she moved her arms. We learned that distractions such as this are noticed by all and that it is an error none of the attendees will ever make. In truth....we really did learn this lesson but that was not the lesson intended for the day...it was just the bonus.
The mid-day of our session was a bit of a challenge. You'll remember that the Convention Centre is on an island .... well....there's really nothing else on that island....no restaurants for lunch included! So, having only 1 hour for lunch would be a challenge.....I told you about the aromatherapy patches we had worn the day before...well they were still working. I'm sure that is the reason that Linda was obsessing about running and why I was up all night and for much of the morning session both of us had rumbling tummies as we scanned the room for anything we could eat to no avail. We felt like we were starving! So....when lunchtime hit, I can assure you there was no way that either of us was prepared to skip lunch this day - even if we did only have an hour to take the 15 minute return trip on the ferry on top of locating an eatery, ordering and enjoying our meal! We were first in line for the ferry that would take us across the river and once there, the first ones off the boat. We made a bee line for the first restaurant we found and before anyone else could get their order in we were chowing down on an oyster burger and a turkey sandwich. Neither of us had ever tasted anything so delicious!! After wolfing down our lunch, we had to run (yes...I actually had to run) to catch the boat back to the Convention Centre and yes....we did it all in exactly one hour!
Following our Brochure class- Linda and I made our way to the next session on our schedule only to find ourselves amidst about 20 Leaders of LERN. We're still not sure why or how we ended up in that session but we had a letter asking us to participate so we did our best, provided all the grass roots advice we could muster and I'm sure the organization will be the better for it.
From there we moved along to a prepatory session for everyone enrolled in the CPP sessions (yes....we definitely belonged in this room) and we were pleased to learn that our coach for the process looked like he would be a very supportive fellow with lots of good information to share.
As soon as we came out of that final session (it's now after 5 p.m.) a waiting bus took us to a reception at another hotel downtown where we enjoyed a quick drink before we were spotted by another of our co-workers, Jill (who is here with her husband Doug) as she was walking by the reception we were attending. Jill doesn't start her sessions till tomorrow so it was just pure luck that she and Doug would be strolling past the hotel hosting the reception.
From that connection....we were off for another food extravaganza at Paula Dean's restaurant where the scallops were unbelievable. They were done to perfection and melted in your mouth....yes.....there are some pretty tasty dishes here in the South!
After stuffing ourselves at Paula Dean's we made our way back to the hotel (about a 20 minute walk) where we relaxed in our living room till it was time to head to bed faced with another very early morning.
All in all....it was another great day and I'm looking forward to tomorrow where I'm sure there will be new things to learn and people to meet.
L & L
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
November 17, 2009
Do they ever have cloudy weather here? At this point...I'm going to say...not that I can imagine. Today was another perfect day with temps in the high 70's and a light breeze coming in off the water, a blue sky overhead and the fragrance of flowers in the air. There is some humidity but its not enough to be really uncomfortable.
I don't want you to think that it's all a bed of roses though.....there has to be something that isn't soooo lovely and perfect and this morning it came in the form of a sign. Not the kind of sign that you might think....it wasn't a particular kind of bird flying overhead or a moment of deja vu....not any kind of an omen at all.....just a plain old sign that said, "Don't feed the alligators or they'll expect it and become aggressive and begin to eat people which will result in having to destroy them." Yep.....right outside our door (well...5 minutes away)....that sign exists and it's real!
Started our day with a study session and then hit the streets with the closest ferry launch as our destination. Our plan was to see just how much time it would take us to get to the Convention Centre as our first class begins at 9:00 in the morning and our hotel is across the river from the Conference facilities. The short stroll took us just over 5 minutes and the ferry ride was another 25 so in total...we should be able to make it with time to spare by catching the 8:20 ferry tomorrow morning. Alternately, there is a shuttle that will come by our hotel to pick up LERN delegates at 8:20 so if we don't make the ferry...we have a back up plan :)
We continued our ferry ride (it appears that all public transit - ferries and buses- are free here) and hopped off along the river front where we ambled along a little way before hopping on the red dot bus that took us up the hill to the City Market area of the historic district.
This city is amazing! The Market area is filled with artisans and touristy shops, horse drawn carriages, and restaurants. A 2 block section of the Market is pedestrian only and we can't help but think what good idea it is to have pedestrian only areas in a town.
We hit a few of the shops before sitting down to a lunch of grouper fish burgers where we took the time to do a little people watching. Both Linda and I are feeling like time has slowed down for us - a welcome respite from the busyness of the past few weeks. Our burgers were excellent (grouper is a mild soft white fish) and when we were ready to press on....we did just that.
One of the shops that called to us was an old fashioned candy store and wasn't that like a trip down memory lane! There were real candy cigarettes, wax lips, wax bottles filled with syrup, hubba bubba bubble gum, and the kind of toffee with nuts in it that I remember thinking was like hitting the jackpot. I tried one of the wax bottles of syrup and you know what???.....it's even more disgusting than I remember it as being but heh....a trip down memory lane is worth a little waxy residue stuck in your teeth right?!
Our afternoon consisted of shopping and walking and shopping and walking and then when it was time to do something different....we shopped and walked some more. Along the way we visited more of the 22 parks in the historic district, ogled the architecture, and sat on a bench or two (one of which was Forrest Gumps famous "box of chocolates" on a bench spot).
The historic district is divided into East and West by Bull Road which runs straight down through 5 little parks from the river to the largest of the parks, Forsyth Park, for 7/10 of a mile (about 1 km). We zigzagged our way along the streets while we oohed and aahed at the homes that lined them. We're both thinking that it would be amazing to have grown up in an area like this....where the houses all look like they're likely to have secret passageways and stairwells throughout. The sidewalks are challenging to walk on so ogling the homes is like taking your life in your hands.....watching your step is critical. The sidewalks are in such rough repair as the trees all take priority and there are a LOT of trees! They line every street and many of the streets also have tree filled boulevards down the middle of them. All of the 22 parks have virtual roofs over them in the form of massive branches from the ancient oaks that rule over those green spaces. The sidewalks are interesting and beautiful as well as a little rough. Some of them are brick, others of them are concrete that has been enhanced by sea shells embedded in it, others are cobblestone, and some are simply pavement.
Linda is beginning to recognize people on the street so that is sure sign that we're 'almost' locals and I'm certain that soon the mayor will be stopping round to present us with a key to the city or something equally as important :) Truthfully though....we do feel really comfortable and at home here and the people have all been so hospitable, helpful and pleasant. As you meet them on the street (and there are a lot of people walking here!), or in the shops, they smile and say hello as you pass. It's a city that feels like a town where everyone has a little extra time or maybe there are more hours in the day here as we seem to be able to accomplish a lot in a day.
All in all from our departure from the Mulberry this morning when Mr. George bid us adieu....we had a wonderful day and are looking forward to another one tomorrow.
L & L
I don't want you to think that it's all a bed of roses though.....there has to be something that isn't soooo lovely and perfect and this morning it came in the form of a sign. Not the kind of sign that you might think....it wasn't a particular kind of bird flying overhead or a moment of deja vu....not any kind of an omen at all.....just a plain old sign that said, "Don't feed the alligators or they'll expect it and become aggressive and begin to eat people which will result in having to destroy them." Yep.....right outside our door (well...5 minutes away)....that sign exists and it's real!
Started our day with a study session and then hit the streets with the closest ferry launch as our destination. Our plan was to see just how much time it would take us to get to the Convention Centre as our first class begins at 9:00 in the morning and our hotel is across the river from the Conference facilities. The short stroll took us just over 5 minutes and the ferry ride was another 25 so in total...we should be able to make it with time to spare by catching the 8:20 ferry tomorrow morning. Alternately, there is a shuttle that will come by our hotel to pick up LERN delegates at 8:20 so if we don't make the ferry...we have a back up plan :)
We continued our ferry ride (it appears that all public transit - ferries and buses- are free here) and hopped off along the river front where we ambled along a little way before hopping on the red dot bus that took us up the hill to the City Market area of the historic district.
This city is amazing! The Market area is filled with artisans and touristy shops, horse drawn carriages, and restaurants. A 2 block section of the Market is pedestrian only and we can't help but think what good idea it is to have pedestrian only areas in a town.
We hit a few of the shops before sitting down to a lunch of grouper fish burgers where we took the time to do a little people watching. Both Linda and I are feeling like time has slowed down for us - a welcome respite from the busyness of the past few weeks. Our burgers were excellent (grouper is a mild soft white fish) and when we were ready to press on....we did just that.
One of the shops that called to us was an old fashioned candy store and wasn't that like a trip down memory lane! There were real candy cigarettes, wax lips, wax bottles filled with syrup, hubba bubba bubble gum, and the kind of toffee with nuts in it that I remember thinking was like hitting the jackpot. I tried one of the wax bottles of syrup and you know what???.....it's even more disgusting than I remember it as being but heh....a trip down memory lane is worth a little waxy residue stuck in your teeth right?!
Our afternoon consisted of shopping and walking and shopping and walking and then when it was time to do something different....we shopped and walked some more. Along the way we visited more of the 22 parks in the historic district, ogled the architecture, and sat on a bench or two (one of which was Forrest Gumps famous "box of chocolates" on a bench spot).
The historic district is divided into East and West by Bull Road which runs straight down through 5 little parks from the river to the largest of the parks, Forsyth Park, for 7/10 of a mile (about 1 km). We zigzagged our way along the streets while we oohed and aahed at the homes that lined them. We're both thinking that it would be amazing to have grown up in an area like this....where the houses all look like they're likely to have secret passageways and stairwells throughout. The sidewalks are challenging to walk on so ogling the homes is like taking your life in your hands.....watching your step is critical. The sidewalks are in such rough repair as the trees all take priority and there are a LOT of trees! They line every street and many of the streets also have tree filled boulevards down the middle of them. All of the 22 parks have virtual roofs over them in the form of massive branches from the ancient oaks that rule over those green spaces. The sidewalks are interesting and beautiful as well as a little rough. Some of them are brick, others of them are concrete that has been enhanced by sea shells embedded in it, others are cobblestone, and some are simply pavement.
Linda is beginning to recognize people on the street so that is sure sign that we're 'almost' locals and I'm certain that soon the mayor will be stopping round to present us with a key to the city or something equally as important :) Truthfully though....we do feel really comfortable and at home here and the people have all been so hospitable, helpful and pleasant. As you meet them on the street (and there are a lot of people walking here!), or in the shops, they smile and say hello as you pass. It's a city that feels like a town where everyone has a little extra time or maybe there are more hours in the day here as we seem to be able to accomplish a lot in a day.
All in all from our departure from the Mulberry this morning when Mr. George bid us adieu....we had a wonderful day and are looking forward to another one tomorrow.
L & L
Monday, November 16, 2009
November 16, 2009
Mmmmm......Mmmmmmmm......is there anything as good as sleeping for almost 12 hours?! Well, maybe there are one or two things that rank up there with sleep but this morning both Linda and I were fully appreciative of the fact that we had just had the best sleep ever :) Savannah is famous for her history and boasts some pretty amazing ghost stories so maybe we had a couple of those ghosts watching over us as we slept like babies last night.
We had decided to forgo breakfast this morning with a plan to prepare for lunch at Mrs Wilkes restaurant where she's been serving up traditional southern cuisine for more than 67 years. Well....actually, Mrs Wilkes passed away about a decade ago but her family has continued in the same tradition and literally hundreds of visitors grace her table each and every day for lunch. Her place has never advertised at all and yet it is packed with line ups that reach down the tree lined streets and around the corner from about 10:00 a.m. onward. The restaurant is only open from 11:00-2:00 each day and everyone is seated family style at common tables with platters and bowls of food to share. You're welcomed to your table by the restaurant staff and invited to get to know your new family for this meal that you'd share with them. Our 'family' today consisted of 10 people (including Linda and I). There was a couple of full time R.V.'rs who have been on the road for 3 years! A couple of friends from Savannah, a young couple vacationing from Florida, a mother and son duo, and Linda and I. The meal was amazing but I think the part that I'll remember most of all is the people that we shared the meal with. The R.V.'rs were characters of no fixed address whom we had chatted with in line for some time but the biggest impact for me was the mother and son duo. She was visiting him from South Carolina (about a 4 hour drive away) and planned to come back to see him again tomorrow and on Wednesday too as he is a helicopter pilot in the military and has been deployed to Afghanistan on Wednesday. During our table introductions and in the conversation that followed over lunch....I couldn't help but reflect on the mixed emotions she had shared with us. Her pride in him and his chosen career path blended with the trepidation that was apparent as he talked about his imminent deployment. I wish him and all the men and women involved in conflicts throughout the world a speedy and safe return to their homes. Our lunch was a cornucopia of southern dishes....we had the most delicious southern fried chicken, black eyed peas, collared greens, okra, corn break, BBQ, mac'n cheese, mashed potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, cole slaw, pickled cucumbers, creamed corn, and beef stew.....yes.....there was a lot of food and it just kept coming! To top it all off....just when we thought we wouldn't be able to eat another bite....out came the bananna cream pie.....and yes.....we both found the strength to eat another bite :)
Our walk through the historic district's streets en route to Mrs. Wilke's restaurant continued after our lunch and we visited a few more of the 22 downtown parks that make this city seem like a rural community with trees lining almost every street and parks scattered everywhere. Many of the trees are giant oaks with their branches inviting the kid that lives in all of us to do our best to climb the branches that stretch forever as two trees can span an entire city block. In addition to being just plain beautiful...many of the parks in Savannah have been home to many movie sets including Forrest Gump...yes....the famous scene of Forrest sitting on a bench in the park is right here in the heart of Savannah. Tomorrow we'll be sure to get a picture of it for posterity.
From parks to bookstores and more parks to architecture that caused us both to walk 'without due care' as our heads swivelled on our necks trying to take it all in. Every single house in this district (and the district is blocks and blocks and blocks long and wide) is sooo old and there is soooo much history. If my information is correct then...Savannah has more in tact historic buildings than anywhere else in America - and there are a lot of them and they're all lived in and most of them are beautifully maintained.
After our walk around the city (and we've not even covered half of it yet) we made our way to the tourist info centre where we discovered that the least hospitable people in this town work at that location! From the Info Centre we called a cab and Clarence took us to a store out of town where we could get a few things for the fridge in our room and I could find a new camera as I dropped the last one and broke it :(
We made our purchases and when asking the young woman checking us through her till for the location of a courtesy phone to call a cab she invited us to use her personal phone which we did. I think she should be working at the Tourist Info Centre instead of the two women who are working there!!!
We're back at our hotel and it's no surprise that we've skipped dinner tonight - lunch did us both in for today! Tonight there was a dip in the hot tub and a very quick dip in the very chilly outdoor pool and a lot of studying and of course...there was a little time to catch up on the blog so happy reading....tomorrow is a new day :)
L & L
We had decided to forgo breakfast this morning with a plan to prepare for lunch at Mrs Wilkes restaurant where she's been serving up traditional southern cuisine for more than 67 years. Well....actually, Mrs Wilkes passed away about a decade ago but her family has continued in the same tradition and literally hundreds of visitors grace her table each and every day for lunch. Her place has never advertised at all and yet it is packed with line ups that reach down the tree lined streets and around the corner from about 10:00 a.m. onward. The restaurant is only open from 11:00-2:00 each day and everyone is seated family style at common tables with platters and bowls of food to share. You're welcomed to your table by the restaurant staff and invited to get to know your new family for this meal that you'd share with them. Our 'family' today consisted of 10 people (including Linda and I). There was a couple of full time R.V.'rs who have been on the road for 3 years! A couple of friends from Savannah, a young couple vacationing from Florida, a mother and son duo, and Linda and I. The meal was amazing but I think the part that I'll remember most of all is the people that we shared the meal with. The R.V.'rs were characters of no fixed address whom we had chatted with in line for some time but the biggest impact for me was the mother and son duo. She was visiting him from South Carolina (about a 4 hour drive away) and planned to come back to see him again tomorrow and on Wednesday too as he is a helicopter pilot in the military and has been deployed to Afghanistan on Wednesday. During our table introductions and in the conversation that followed over lunch....I couldn't help but reflect on the mixed emotions she had shared with us. Her pride in him and his chosen career path blended with the trepidation that was apparent as he talked about his imminent deployment. I wish him and all the men and women involved in conflicts throughout the world a speedy and safe return to their homes. Our lunch was a cornucopia of southern dishes....we had the most delicious southern fried chicken, black eyed peas, collared greens, okra, corn break, BBQ, mac'n cheese, mashed potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, cole slaw, pickled cucumbers, creamed corn, and beef stew.....yes.....there was a lot of food and it just kept coming! To top it all off....just when we thought we wouldn't be able to eat another bite....out came the bananna cream pie.....and yes.....we both found the strength to eat another bite :)
Our walk through the historic district's streets en route to Mrs. Wilke's restaurant continued after our lunch and we visited a few more of the 22 downtown parks that make this city seem like a rural community with trees lining almost every street and parks scattered everywhere. Many of the trees are giant oaks with their branches inviting the kid that lives in all of us to do our best to climb the branches that stretch forever as two trees can span an entire city block. In addition to being just plain beautiful...many of the parks in Savannah have been home to many movie sets including Forrest Gump...yes....the famous scene of Forrest sitting on a bench in the park is right here in the heart of Savannah. Tomorrow we'll be sure to get a picture of it for posterity.
From parks to bookstores and more parks to architecture that caused us both to walk 'without due care' as our heads swivelled on our necks trying to take it all in. Every single house in this district (and the district is blocks and blocks and blocks long and wide) is sooo old and there is soooo much history. If my information is correct then...Savannah has more in tact historic buildings than anywhere else in America - and there are a lot of them and they're all lived in and most of them are beautifully maintained.
After our walk around the city (and we've not even covered half of it yet) we made our way to the tourist info centre where we discovered that the least hospitable people in this town work at that location! From the Info Centre we called a cab and Clarence took us to a store out of town where we could get a few things for the fridge in our room and I could find a new camera as I dropped the last one and broke it :(
We made our purchases and when asking the young woman checking us through her till for the location of a courtesy phone to call a cab she invited us to use her personal phone which we did. I think she should be working at the Tourist Info Centre instead of the two women who are working there!!!
We're back at our hotel and it's no surprise that we've skipped dinner tonight - lunch did us both in for today! Tonight there was a dip in the hot tub and a very quick dip in the very chilly outdoor pool and a lot of studying and of course...there was a little time to catch up on the blog so happy reading....tomorrow is a new day :)
L & L
November 15, 2009
On the road again......and loving it :) Here I am en route to Savannah, Georgia with my friend and co-worker, Linda K. We're off to a LERN Conference and have tacked a couple of vacation days onto our time there so we can hit a few of the hot spots around town as well.
Caught plane out of Kelowna to Seattle at noon yesterday with everything going according to plan. Roads were good for the drive to Kelowna, flight was smooth to Seattle and shuttle was there to deliver us to our hotel (Holiday Inn at Seatac) where we'd spend the night studying for our upcoming exam that is scheduled to sit in Savannah right after the Conference ends next Saturday.
This morning our wake up call caused both of us to moan in agony when the phone rang at 3:15 a.m. We struggled out of our beds (and great beds they were I might add) and made it to the airport in the perfect amount of time for our 6:00 a.m. flight to Chicago.
As jetsetters (such as Linda and I) will do....we had lunch in Chicago after our breakfast in Seattle before taking off for our final destination of Savannah, Georgia.
Our flights were all ahead of schedule, smooth and comfortable. We passed the time with more studying and a short snooze to make up for some of the missing sleep lost to the wake up call this morning.
Upon arrival in Savannah....we found ourselves in a beautiful little airport. Once through the arrivals gates we wound our way through the hallways to an amazing little oasis of a main hall that looked like it belonged in Disneyland. There were shops, food outlets, balconies, and tropical plants that invited us to stop and spend some time but we pushed on to the baggage claim area where the staff in the tourist info booth were more than happy to help us locate a taxi.
As we left the airconditioned climate of the airport we found ourselves in temperatures that were absolutely perfect.....about 78 degrees with enough humidity to leave you feeling like you were being wrapped in the warmth of the region. Linda and I looked at one another and knew....we were in for a great trip! :)
Our cab driver delivered us to the door of our hotel, the Mulberry Inn in the heart of the heritage district of Savannah....just steps from the 40 foot bluff that leads down to the river front.
The Mulberry Inn deserves some air time here so I'll give you an overview and know full well that you'll all be drooling with envy as you read this description :)
The majestic front doors are guarded by two authentic gas lamps burning just brightly enough to welcome us to our home away from home and light the way for us to make our way up the walk to the doors where we were met by 'Mr. George', the doorman. Inside the foyer, the old merged with the new as an electronic sign invited us to partake of complimentary tea in the living room of our new 'home'. We continued through the next door and found ourselves embraced by the warmth and the charm of a great room that makes up the living room and the lobby. There was the complimentary tea (and coffee) waiting for us along with a selection of sweets. We checked into our room (# 135) and before doing anything else....took advantage of the opportunity to soak up a little of the ambiance that was our new home.
As we left the living room (complete with baby grand piano, a grandfather clock, settees, wingback chairs, bookshelves loaded with a selection of books just waiting to be read, hardwood floors and antique carpets, all illuminated by a half dozen magnificent chandeliers, and surrounded by massive french doors that lead to a courtyard filled with tropical plants and tables that invite you to check them out as soon as you've had your fill of the living room) we began the journey that would take us to the next level of coming to understand our new place.
Once finished our tea, we ambled along the hallway admiring the pictures of the Mulberry in it's former life when it was a Coca Cola bottling plant. The history here is tangible...it is in the air...it is in the furniture, and you can almost taste it from the moment you arrive.
Our room is near the end of a private hallway so very quiet and just a few doors from the outdoor pool and jacuzzi that is next to the well equipped fitness room. It boasts two oversized beds (that are even more comfortable than the one's last night in Seattle) and even provides us with a fridge, microwave and coffee maker. Our shuttered window looks out into the courtyard gardens and we're unbelievably happy at the Mulberry.
There's no time to unpack though....we're in Savannah where there is a reputation for great food, its the middle of shrimping season, and it is dinner time after all so .... off we go to find the perfect place to try out some of that shrimp.
The walk to the river front takes us only a few minutes as we cross the road, walk past one of the 22 parks within the historic district, down the stairs, and over the cobble stone streets to our destination, the Boar's Head where we tickled our taste buds with an appetizer of fried green tomatoes (which were unbelievable delicious!) and stuffed shrimp as a main. I'll just say that neither of us had any room for dessert and we'll be looking for more shrimp and more fried green tomatoes during our time in Savannah.
After dinner we strolled along the river front, enjoyed the smell of the air along the waterway, took in the views of the boats along the river (Savannah is a deep sea port so ships of all sizes make there way up the river) as well as the Convention Centre across the water. The road along the river front is cobblestone and a really interesting fact about that road is that all the rocks came from the ships that visited here. The rocks acted as their ballast and as they took on their loads needed a place to leave the rocks - and the road was born. Our leisurely walk eventually took us back up the stairs to the top side of the bluff where we made our way back to the Mulberry and the beds that were by this time calling our names loud and clear. Keep in mind that our wake up call had come at 3:15 a.m. and it was now well past 9:30 so we were both ready to call it a day.
Tomorrow will come bright and early :) Till then......
L & L
Caught plane out of Kelowna to Seattle at noon yesterday with everything going according to plan. Roads were good for the drive to Kelowna, flight was smooth to Seattle and shuttle was there to deliver us to our hotel (Holiday Inn at Seatac) where we'd spend the night studying for our upcoming exam that is scheduled to sit in Savannah right after the Conference ends next Saturday.
This morning our wake up call caused both of us to moan in agony when the phone rang at 3:15 a.m. We struggled out of our beds (and great beds they were I might add) and made it to the airport in the perfect amount of time for our 6:00 a.m. flight to Chicago.
As jetsetters (such as Linda and I) will do....we had lunch in Chicago after our breakfast in Seattle before taking off for our final destination of Savannah, Georgia.
Our flights were all ahead of schedule, smooth and comfortable. We passed the time with more studying and a short snooze to make up for some of the missing sleep lost to the wake up call this morning.
Upon arrival in Savannah....we found ourselves in a beautiful little airport. Once through the arrivals gates we wound our way through the hallways to an amazing little oasis of a main hall that looked like it belonged in Disneyland. There were shops, food outlets, balconies, and tropical plants that invited us to stop and spend some time but we pushed on to the baggage claim area where the staff in the tourist info booth were more than happy to help us locate a taxi.
As we left the airconditioned climate of the airport we found ourselves in temperatures that were absolutely perfect.....about 78 degrees with enough humidity to leave you feeling like you were being wrapped in the warmth of the region. Linda and I looked at one another and knew....we were in for a great trip! :)
Our cab driver delivered us to the door of our hotel, the Mulberry Inn in the heart of the heritage district of Savannah....just steps from the 40 foot bluff that leads down to the river front.
The Mulberry Inn deserves some air time here so I'll give you an overview and know full well that you'll all be drooling with envy as you read this description :)
The majestic front doors are guarded by two authentic gas lamps burning just brightly enough to welcome us to our home away from home and light the way for us to make our way up the walk to the doors where we were met by 'Mr. George', the doorman. Inside the foyer, the old merged with the new as an electronic sign invited us to partake of complimentary tea in the living room of our new 'home'. We continued through the next door and found ourselves embraced by the warmth and the charm of a great room that makes up the living room and the lobby. There was the complimentary tea (and coffee) waiting for us along with a selection of sweets. We checked into our room (# 135) and before doing anything else....took advantage of the opportunity to soak up a little of the ambiance that was our new home.
As we left the living room (complete with baby grand piano, a grandfather clock, settees, wingback chairs, bookshelves loaded with a selection of books just waiting to be read, hardwood floors and antique carpets, all illuminated by a half dozen magnificent chandeliers, and surrounded by massive french doors that lead to a courtyard filled with tropical plants and tables that invite you to check them out as soon as you've had your fill of the living room) we began the journey that would take us to the next level of coming to understand our new place.
Once finished our tea, we ambled along the hallway admiring the pictures of the Mulberry in it's former life when it was a Coca Cola bottling plant. The history here is tangible...it is in the air...it is in the furniture, and you can almost taste it from the moment you arrive.
Our room is near the end of a private hallway so very quiet and just a few doors from the outdoor pool and jacuzzi that is next to the well equipped fitness room. It boasts two oversized beds (that are even more comfortable than the one's last night in Seattle) and even provides us with a fridge, microwave and coffee maker. Our shuttered window looks out into the courtyard gardens and we're unbelievably happy at the Mulberry.
There's no time to unpack though....we're in Savannah where there is a reputation for great food, its the middle of shrimping season, and it is dinner time after all so .... off we go to find the perfect place to try out some of that shrimp.
The walk to the river front takes us only a few minutes as we cross the road, walk past one of the 22 parks within the historic district, down the stairs, and over the cobble stone streets to our destination, the Boar's Head where we tickled our taste buds with an appetizer of fried green tomatoes (which were unbelievable delicious!) and stuffed shrimp as a main. I'll just say that neither of us had any room for dessert and we'll be looking for more shrimp and more fried green tomatoes during our time in Savannah.
After dinner we strolled along the river front, enjoyed the smell of the air along the waterway, took in the views of the boats along the river (Savannah is a deep sea port so ships of all sizes make there way up the river) as well as the Convention Centre across the water. The road along the river front is cobblestone and a really interesting fact about that road is that all the rocks came from the ships that visited here. The rocks acted as their ballast and as they took on their loads needed a place to leave the rocks - and the road was born. Our leisurely walk eventually took us back up the stairs to the top side of the bluff where we made our way back to the Mulberry and the beds that were by this time calling our names loud and clear. Keep in mind that our wake up call had come at 3:15 a.m. and it was now well past 9:30 so we were both ready to call it a day.
Tomorrow will come bright and early :) Till then......
L & L
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