Savannah & Charleston

Back in the Spring of 199?, I flew to AL and joined my sister Kaye and a family friend Carol to take a road trip vacation to visit the cities of Savannah GA and Charleston SC.

First stop was Savannah, a stunningly beautiful place, that has managed to hold on to its gentility. Inside the historic district, there are 24 "squares" lined with churches, moss-draped trees, architectural homes, cemeteries, fountains, and cobblestone/oyster shell streets. We spotted the bench where they filmed Forest Gump (life is like a box of chocolates). We toured the Mercer-Williams House made famous by the book and movie Midnight Garden of Good and Evil. We also toured the home of Juliett Gordan Lowe (founder of Girls Scouts of America). We did some antique shopping in the City Market. Downtown shops line the riverfront where we browsed and ate lunch (Po Boy sandwiches). Nearby, is Tybee Island where we walked the beach and ate at a Jamaican restaurant with a unique atmosphere and cuisine: jerk chicken, fried plantain, pole beans, slaw, coconut rice, and a mango dessert.

Next day we took in the picturesque city of Charleston. We took a horse-drawn carriage ride to see Rainbow Row, antebellum pastel row homes with narrow facades and balconies. They line the beautiful waterfront. Downtown is charming with cobblestone streets, gift shops, and eateries offering low-country cuisine. At the open-air market we saw many local craftsmen and their wares including Gullah women making had-woven sweet grass baskets. We cruised around in order to see more revived plantation homes, gracious gardens, live oak tree, and elaborate church buildings. Lastly, we visited the famous Citadel (military college). We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. I can't wait to return someday. If you've never been, consider vacationing in the region, especially if you're a history buff. I promise you won't regret it!