We were on the road by 6:15. It was still really dark, a little rainy, and there were hardly any cars on the roads. We stopped in Palm Coast for a Cracker Barrel breakfast and then we were off to Georgia where the fog was thick. The whole two hours we were in Georgia the fog was as crazy as it is in the photo below that I made Dustin take. I'm used to fog lasting 30 minutes and then disappearing. This fog was not like that. It was straight out of a horror film. Thankfully it didn't hinder my driving.
We got to Savannah around 11 am and went straight to Bonaventure Cemetery. I know this sounds kind of strange but everyone online talked about how awesome it was and that it was a "must-see" so we decided to go and check it out. I've never been one of these goth kids that hang out in cemeteries but I am one of those people that love old, historical things. Bonaventure is HUGE. 100 acres. There's not really a parking lot. There are just a bunch of little dirt roads that weave in and out of the property. When we saw something we wanted to take a closer look at we'd just park on the side of the road and get out and explore. This place did not disappoint. I was so awestruck by the beauty and the sadness of it all. The WWII headstones hit me the hardest. I mean, some of these guys were only 20 years old when they died. The oldest headstone I found and took a picture of is for Colonel James Johnston who died in July 1822. That's almost 200 years ago. That just blows my fucking mind. The mausoleums were very intriguing. I've never actually seen one in real life. Most of them had blacked out windows but there was one you could see inside. The way it's set up reminds me of bunk beds. I wonder if they fought over who got the top bunk? I could've wandered through that place all day, reading the names and dates, imagining who these people were and what their lives might have been like. The internet was right.
We went to our hotel, which since we had to change hotels, ended up being the same one Erin and I stayed in last year. I kind of liked staying at the same hotel because I knew the layout and the way everything worked. It was too early to check in but they let you park in their garage early so we got our parking pass, parked, and spent the rest of the trip on foot.
Dustin kept asking me what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go but more than anything I wanted to just walk and see what we stumbled upon. Yes, I had a few things I wanted to do but I didn't have them super scheduled into our day. If we got to see it or do it - great, if not, no big deal.
We went in all kinds of shops and strolled through the many squares (which are my absolute fave)! We got to see Chippewa Square where Tom Hanks filmed the bench scenes of Forest Gump. The bench is in a museum but we stood on the very spot it used to be and that was pretty cool.
I remember taking photos of the Owens-Thomas house when Erin and I visited but we never did the tour. This time around I knew I wanted to go inside this beauty. For whatever reason Dustin and I are on some kind of old historic house tour kick. This was the third one we've seen this year and in the third state! I guess it's our new hobby. Ha! The thing is, just because I didn't pursue Interior Deisgn as I originally had planned to, doesn't mean I don't still have a passion for it. Hell, for all kinds of art. I love seeing different kinds of architecture, landscaping, decor, and of course hearing about the history of how it came to be.
We walked in and asked what time the next tour began and we were lucky because the employee said "one minute". We quickly paid for our tickets and met up with the rest of the group in what used to be the slave quarters. The haint blue was still visible on the ceiling. We learned that slaves often painted doors and ceilings this color to keep evil spirits away. Connected to the slave quarters was the barn but it has since been turned into a gift shop.
The main house and barn/slave quarters is separated by a very pretty garden. The first place in the house we got to see was the basement. There is a giant cistern that held water and blocks of ice the moment you walk in. There was also a bathroom down there but the tub has since been removed. The original sink is still in the laundry room. The kitchen was also down here which is where the slaves took their meals.
We made our way upstairs to the main level where their was a bedroom and the only other bathroom. There was an informal and formal dining area on one side of the house and even a little butler's pantry which was just so interesting. There was also a living room/parlor/sitting area in the front of the house. I was surprised by some of the architectural details. They didn't seem to fit.
Upstairs was a couple more bedrooms and an original man cave where the men of the house would take their brandy, smoke their cigars, and play poker. The coolest feature of the upstairs was the bridge. Dustin whispered to me "I bet the kids slid across that thing all the time!". I'm sure he's right. Ha! It has a curve in it so it was almost like a small slide.
We loved the tour. I wish we were allowed to take photos but oh well. It's kind of nice to keep your phone tucked away and be in the moment.
We walked around some more and eventually ended up at the best Outback ever. Yes I would have loved to go to a non-chain place and that was the plan but we were tired and hungry and Outback seemed like a great idea so we didn't beat our selves up for not going somewhere else. The food was extra good. Dustin and I both raved about how good each of our meals were. So whatever. There's always next time.
After our late lunch we walked some more and then officially checked into our hotel room. I was so excited to have a room on the street overlooking the river! Last time our room faced the parking garage.
We relaxed for a bit before heading off to do more, you guessed it, walking! And browsing. And exploring. This time we went down by the river. We looked out over the water while a man played saxophone nearby. It was just so nice. The atmosphere in Savannah is not like anywhere I've ever been. Just being there makes me happy.
We strolled along the street and went in more shops. We found the nut shop that I had been raving about from Erin and I's visit. Last year we tried all the samples but I didn't buy anything and I have been kicking myself ever since. This time around I got some caramel apple roasted peanuts and Dustin got some kind of peanut brittle. We also picked up some nuts to give away as Christmas presents. AND the best part is we found out that they have a shop in Sarasota where we go to the beach. Yeah!
When it started to get dark we found some old scary stairs to sit on while we waited for the Christmas parade to start. I was excited about the parade because I can't even remember the last time I've been to one that wasn't at Disney. It was really fun to watch all the lit up cars, high school dancers/singers, and all the floats. There was this one old guy who was riding around on a go-kart showing off. He stopped right in front of us and started chatting it up with the ladies sitting in front of us. Then he looked up and asked Dustin if he and I were together. Dustin shook his head. He said "She makes you look better buddy" and drove off. The guy was joking of course but Dustin didn't laugh. -____-
After the parade we kept strolling the streets. Everyone was out and about. This city stays alive at night. We sat in the square by our hotel and watched the giant projector play the FSU game on the side of a building. What an awesome idea!
We went in the prettiest Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters - although they didn't seem to have as much as the stores in the Millennia Mall. I loved going during December because Christmas lights and decor were everywhere we went - inside the shops and outside on the streets. It made Savannah even prettier if that's possible. We ended the night walking through the sprinkling rain with smoothies in our hands. By the time we got to our hotel room we were beat. BEAT. Our feet hurt. Our legs hurt. Dustin looked at the health app on his iPhone which said we had walked EIGHT miles that day. We were so tired that we both went to bed at 9:30 - not long after we got back to our room. Party animals, huh? We were stuck sleeping on a double bed. Since we had to change our hotel plans last minute they were out of queen rooms. Dustin didn't mind, in fact he was all for it. I on the other hand like my space. Ha! Well the room with a view turned out to be pretty shitty. We both woke up several times thanks to the drunks walking/screaming by the hotel. Dustin remembered a guy with a southern accent "Hey man, I'm so fucked up right now". I mean it sounded like these assholes were in our room. Then the guy above us kept thumping around so Dustin hit the ceiling for him to stop. Basically, we had a pretty shitty night "sleep". But if that's the only things to go wrong then I'd say we did just fine.
Thank you Savannah for being just as lovely as ever. I hope I get to see you again real soon.
Can't get enough Savannah? Here's my post from last year.
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