As we entered the historic town, we found a place to park atop the famed River Street. While fidgeting with the parking ticket machine, one of the locals approached me. He was neatly dressed in a pair of khakis and and a golf shirt. He made small talk, asking me where I was from and if I had ever been to Savannah. He seemed really nice, like the stereotypical southern gentleman. But then, out of nowhere, he hits me with the ol' "Hey, I was wondering if you could help me out. You see, my car ran out of gas and I just need a few dollars to get back on the road."
I was so disappointed. Here I was, not in the city for five minutes, and I've already got a guy trying to scam me. Trying not to be overly rude, I gently explained to the guy, "Hey man, look, I'm from Baltimore. I run into assholes like you all the time. So, please take your bullshit away from me and try it on someone else."
Surprisingly, the guy just smiled, as if I just given him a compliment, and said, "Ok sir, You have a good day and enjoy your time in Savannah."
He was so nice that I almost called him back and gave him a few bucks.
We carefully made our down a 200-year-old set of steps, and walked along the cobblestone alley towards River Street. The sight of an enormous modern cargo ship passing along the adjacent Savannah River seemed a bit odd. The ship was a large as an entire city block, creating a sharp contrast with the cobblestone and 300-year-old buildings.
Walking along River Street, I noticed that it was lined with the predictable gift shops and specialty stores. This caused Tina and Fran's eyes to light up. It didn't take long for Joe and I to notice the multitude of old pubs, which caused our eyes to light up. I instinctively put on my sunglasses as the day seemed much more brighter.
Our first stop was Spanky's. Now, I instantly got a kick out of this place simply because of the name. You see, Spanky was the name that I gave to the real-life "character" in my infamous "Charming The Cobra" blog (If you've never read it, go check it out). Once we grabbed a seat at the bar, the friendly bartender recommended a few local brews. I opted for one the IPA's. As we engaged in a sports conversation with the bartender, I noticed Tina & Fran walking past the front window. They had caught up with us! I snagged the girls and invited them in for a drink and a round of appetizers. As we settled up our bar tab, the bartender informed us that, in Savannah, you could walk down the street with an open container of beer. I was loving this place more with each passing moment! Mr. Bartender topped off our authentic Spanky solo-cups with fresh beer and we walked out the door to resume our day.
We strolled down River Street and wound up at the outdoor market. It consisted of various vendors selling everything from beef jerky to arts and crafts. After a few minutes, Joe and I began to get thirsty again. After all, it was 90 degrees and very humid! So, we wandered into the nearby Joe's Crab Shack. Now, I've been to this seafood chain before and, quite frankly, I think their food is way overpriced and pretty much sucks. But the beer is cold and that's all we cared about. We struck up a political conversation with the bartender, who was dressed in a blue tie-dyed t-shirt. I couldn't quite figure out if he was on the left or the right, but I liked him just the same. He also had a very cool southern accent!
We made our way off of River Street and inward toward Johnson Square. We noticed Paula Deen's restaurant in the distance. Once the girls saw this, I knew where we were having dinner. Once we were seated, we were greeted by the happiest waitress that I've ever met. I'm not kidding you, she had an ear-to-ear smile and could not have been any nicer. And the best part is that it was genuine. I kept wanting to get up and hug this woman but I figured it would look kind of odd. I think she really liked us too because, several times, she told us, "Aw, y'all are so sweet." She actually sounded a lot like Paula Deen, whom we found out, had been in the restaurant earlier in the day.
As for the food in the Paula's restaurant, I thought it was very good. However, if you're watching your weight, be careful. I think butter is the main ingredient in almost every dish. I got the shrimp and grits and although delicious, there's no way that I could finish it due to the richness. It would have been a great dish to split between two people.
As we ventured back outside after dinner, the girls wanted to take a carriage ride through the city. While we settling things up with the carriage guy, a local guy comes out of a nearby bar and starts talking to me about college football (which I know very little about). I'm not sure what this guy was drinking but he was pretty smashed. He mentions one of the running backs from the University of South Carolina. I tell him that I've never heard the the guy. He looks at my like I'm an idiot and says, "How can you not know who he is?"
I reply, "I guess I don't get out much, brother. Sorry, never heard of him."
"Are you kidding me? He's got those crazy Elvis legs. Nobody can catch him. He's a bad-ass!", he says.
Realizing that I couldn't relate to the guy with the crazy Elvis legs, he shifted the conversation. Now, he tells me that he has a tube in his head and then invites me to touch it. I tell him that I don't want to touch it. But he insists. So, here I am out on this busy street, pushing on this guy's forehead with my index finger. Bailing me out of an awkward situation, Tina says, "Come on Ken, we gotta go!"
I instantly stop pressing on the guy's head and say, "Hey bud, it's been fun but I really gotta go."
A little while later, we saw this same guy passed out on a park bench in the town square.
We boarded the carriage and prepared for our guided tour around the town. Since it was only the four of us, our guide informed us that we could smoke our cigars during the ride. Sweet! The tour guide, who was probably in her early 20's, was surprisingly knowledgeable about the different buildings and sites. She also had a very good sense of humor. We gave her a generous tip after the entertaining ride.
As the evening approached, we were wearing out. But there was one particular brew pub that I wanted to hit before we left (By the way, Fran graciously offered to be our designated driver. Thank you, Fran!). We made our way into the Moon River Brewing Company on West Bay Street. I was told that this is considered one of the most haunted building in the United States. The place was packed with people but the only spirits that I saw were bottled on a shelf behind the bar. Tina & Fran shoe-horned their way into a corner spot at the bar. Meanwhile, I struck up a conversation with some military guys at a nearby pub table. It turned out that they were from Maryland, so we exchanged stories about the old neighborhoods.
After a couple of beers we were really starting to feel the effects of the long, hot day. So, we decided to pack it in and head back to our hotel in nearby Hilton Head. I found Savannah to be a lively city, loaded with history and beaming with southern hospitality. I hope to go back one day soon and soak up a little more of that Savannah atmosphere.....
kw
We made our way off of River Street and inward toward Johnson Square. We noticed Paula Deen's restaurant in the distance. Once the girls saw this, I knew where we were having dinner. Once we were seated, we were greeted by the happiest waitress that I've ever met. I'm not kidding you, she had an ear-to-ear smile and could not have been any nicer. And the best part is that it was genuine. I kept wanting to get up and hug this woman but I figured it would look kind of odd. I think she really liked us too because, several times, she told us, "Aw, y'all are so sweet." She actually sounded a lot like Paula Deen, whom we found out, had been in the restaurant earlier in the day.
As for the food in the Paula's restaurant, I thought it was very good. However, if you're watching your weight, be careful. I think butter is the main ingredient in almost every dish. I got the shrimp and grits and although delicious, there's no way that I could finish it due to the richness. It would have been a great dish to split between two people.
As we ventured back outside after dinner, the girls wanted to take a carriage ride through the city. While we settling things up with the carriage guy, a local guy comes out of a nearby bar and starts talking to me about college football (which I know very little about). I'm not sure what this guy was drinking but he was pretty smashed. He mentions one of the running backs from the University of South Carolina. I tell him that I've never heard the the guy. He looks at my like I'm an idiot and says, "How can you not know who he is?"
I reply, "I guess I don't get out much, brother. Sorry, never heard of him."
"Are you kidding me? He's got those crazy Elvis legs. Nobody can catch him. He's a bad-ass!", he says.
Realizing that I couldn't relate to the guy with the crazy Elvis legs, he shifted the conversation. Now, he tells me that he has a tube in his head and then invites me to touch it. I tell him that I don't want to touch it. But he insists. So, here I am out on this busy street, pushing on this guy's forehead with my index finger. Bailing me out of an awkward situation, Tina says, "Come on Ken, we gotta go!"
I instantly stop pressing on the guy's head and say, "Hey bud, it's been fun but I really gotta go."
A little while later, we saw this same guy passed out on a park bench in the town square.
We boarded the carriage and prepared for our guided tour around the town. Since it was only the four of us, our guide informed us that we could smoke our cigars during the ride. Sweet! The tour guide, who was probably in her early 20's, was surprisingly knowledgeable about the different buildings and sites. She also had a very good sense of humor. We gave her a generous tip after the entertaining ride.
As the evening approached, we were wearing out. But there was one particular brew pub that I wanted to hit before we left (By the way, Fran graciously offered to be our designated driver. Thank you, Fran!). We made our way into the Moon River Brewing Company on West Bay Street. I was told that this is considered one of the most haunted building in the United States. The place was packed with people but the only spirits that I saw were bottled on a shelf behind the bar. Tina & Fran shoe-horned their way into a corner spot at the bar. Meanwhile, I struck up a conversation with some military guys at a nearby pub table. It turned out that they were from Maryland, so we exchanged stories about the old neighborhoods.
After a couple of beers we were really starting to feel the effects of the long, hot day. So, we decided to pack it in and head back to our hotel in nearby Hilton Head. I found Savannah to be a lively city, loaded with history and beaming with southern hospitality. I hope to go back one day soon and soak up a little more of that Savannah atmosphere.....
kw
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