Like An Old Sweet Song…

Savannah is now on my list of potential places to live. Beautiful architecture, southern hospitality, nice people and all around good vibe. And don’t forget Moon Pies!

Jason had gotten some recommendations for Mrs. Wilkes restaurant and we decided real southern food sounded pretty good. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when we got there, there was a sign outside saying the 3rd seating would start at 12:30. It was about 12:15, so we sat down behind a few others in line. By 12:30 the line was down the block. We entered, sat down family-style at a table with 22 dishes of food. No joke, 22. And sweet tea. The most amazing BBQ pork, fried chicken and meatloaf I’ve ever had….and 19 other tasty sides. Okra, Collard greens, squash, sweet potato, etc. Someone at the table asked where we’d found the best food on the trip. Uh, this is it. Bode even tried some new dishes, AND liked them.

After a meal like that you have to walk it off so we walked around town. It’s a very walkable city – another requirement for living anywhere – but we’re not sure we would want to stroll around in the July heat and humidity. While Jason’s favorite part of Savannah was the meal, my favorite was the park-like squares. Bode was really interested in the Colonial Park cemetery (they stopped burying people here in 1853,) but that was short-lived. There was a playground next to it. The cemetery was creepily beautiful, with moss hanging from the old trees. Most of the dead seemed to be Savannah VIPs of the 1700s, but also a few with interesting headstone stories, like those who died in a duel. Back in the old days when people defended their honor by shooting at each other from 20 paces.  Good times.

So we go inside and we gravely read the stones,

All those people, all those lives, where are they now?

With loves and hates and passions just like mine,

They were born and then they lived and then they died.

-Morissey

I’d love to spend some more time here someday, but we’re expected at 3 more Thanksgiving dinners. We drove down to Jacksonville, FL and camped right on the white sand beach. Since we pulled in at night, we didn’t notice the Navy base across the river until after we set up camp. Helicopters and planes took off all evening, but it was pretty impressive to Bode. Giant boats floated by so quiet you couldn’t hear them. You’d look up, and there was the biggest boat you’ve ever seen right in front of you. Crazy.

It was pretty dark, so we couldn’t really see what these ships were up to, but they were not the usual container ship fare we were used to seeing in the Bay Area. Jason’s insists that all container ships are full of toilet brushes. When we lived in Bay Area, we would constantly see huge container ships from China float under the Golden Gate Bridge – nonstop. What do you think is on that one?  Toilet brushes.