May 10-17, 2010

Hilton Head and Savannah

It’s been awhile since I wrote – busy and then too tired. Grateful is in Charleston right now – Mark is in MN to go fishing with friends and my Mom is visiting Charleston with me.

Mark and I spent a very pleasant week in Hilton Head. It is all the good things you hear about it. There is a lot to offer for any interest. We stayed at the Palmetto Bay Marina which ended up being a good choice for us. It was quiet and had great walking areas for Porter – a park not too far away where he could be unleashed.

Our first evening there, we had dinner with Tony and Joan (m/v Destrier). We had spent some quality time in Mobile with them in November. It was fun to get together with good food (at the Black Marlin restaurant) and even better stories.

We rented a car for a couple of days. We toured much of Hilton Head and re-provisioned, but sadly I took no pictures. Mark and I were most impressed with the maintenance of the natural beauty of the island. By that we mean that it was difficult to find restaurants or shopping malls because signage was minimal and trees, shrubs, and flowers hid parking lots. Just lovely.

We also drove the 40 minutes to Savannah and toured that beautiful old city. General James Oglethorpe originally laid out the city in a grid pattern that included lush, green parks every few blocks. No matter where you are in the old city, there is an oasis within walking distance. The city is charming.

There is the capitol building at the end of “Bull” Street.

This house where Hollywood stars stay when visiting the city,

And other homes that were just beautiful – too many to publish them all.

This little building with original facade is now a Christmas store, but was originally a Ford dealership.

Another grand home that I placed in the wrong place and can't change

We stopped at this church – impressive both inside and out.

The fountain in Forsyth Park.

We enjoyed our day in Savannah and topped it off with what else but good food and chocolate. Yes, we found a wonderful chocolate store and purchased original pralines – among other things. We then went to Paula Dean and Sons restaurant for a late afternoon buffet lunch of good old southern cooking that included fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac ‘n cheese, cornbread and peach cobbler. Can’t you just feel your arteries clogging???

On Sunday, we were pleased to spend some time with Adam and Teresa (niece and husband). They arrived in Hilton Head to vacation for a few days. It is always good to visit with them.