Yes, I am a country boy, but one of my favorite places to visit in this world is a city. No, I do not love all cities, but I do love Savannah, Georgia. Jean and I spent the latter half of last week there. I took her there for her birthday, but I went, too! It was a good time to visit because the humidity was bearable, and the bloodsucking helicopters, sometimes known as mosquitos, as well as the gnasty gnats, had flown on.
Mr. Redding left his home in Georgia and headed for the Frisco Bay. We left out home in Alabama and headed for the Georgia Coast. We traveled almost perfectly due east. Had we traveled on approximately another 4,200 miles to the east (and slightly north), we would have arrived on the Southern Coast (Costa del Sol) of Spain. Since we plan to visit there next year, we decided that was too far to drive this time. Maybe they will have the bridge built by then!
No drive through that part of Georgia is complete without a stop at Lane’s Southern Orchards for some peach ice cream, peaches and pecans. You can stop in going or coming, or in some cases both! I do have a word of warning though. Do not buy a bag of cinnamon glazed pecans and a bag of cheese straws. After eating too many sweet pecans, I needed something to get the sweet taste out of my mouth. That went back and forth between the two until they were gone and I was sick!
After our four-and-one-half hours’ drive, we eased down Savannah’s cobblestone streets, shaded by giant live oak trees that hovered over us like watchful parents. The draped Spanish moss that hung from their massive limbs reminded me of Santa’s long beard as it swayed in the gentle breeze. Savannah is a charming city deep in the South that has been there for almost 300 years now. It is Georgia’s oldest city and served as the capital of the colony of Georgia. It sits on the banks of the Savannah River, for which the city was named, and is only about 20 miles inland from Tybee Island and the Atlantic Ocean.
Our lodging was in a lovely B & B called the Azalea Inn. We stayed in this same inn 15 years earlier. We loved the old two-story house that was built in 1889 so much, we decided to pay it another visit. We were not disappointed. Our room was comfortable and cozy and our breakfasts were delicious. I think Savannah has more parks than Opelika has pickleball courts (and we have quite a few). One of the most beautiful parks is Forsyth Park, located only a couple of blocks from Azalea Inn. Forret Gump spent time on a bench there.
One of our favorite spots at the inn was the deck right outside our room. It overlooked the pool and had a table and chairs beneath one of those giant live oaks. We loved our morning coffee out there, but I’m not sure the squirrels did. Oaks have acorns. Have you ever heard those things hit a glass-top table? Better yet, do you know those things don’t feel great when they hit the top of your head, especially when there is not much protective covering up there anymore? I didn’t know they could fall that hard or that fast, but I do believe I heard some of the furry friends laughing about it. I think they have developed a pretty mean fastball…or fast acorn, as the case may be. Even so, Savannah is a special place to visit!
Bill King can be reached at bkpreach@yahoo.com or 334-728-5514 (office).
