Savannah...

Let's see, what haven't I told you about yet...

We went to Savannah last Saturday, it was beautiful. We took a free walking tour that lasted about 90 minutes that brought us down Bull Street and showed us several of the "Squares" (including the square where Forrest Gump eats his chocolates waiting for the bus to Jennie). We were taught a ton of history about Savannah's origin and founder, it's role in the Revolutionary War, and it's role in the Civil War. We also saw some amazing architecture and lots and lots of the hanging moss that I love so much.

It was brisk that morning, only about 45 degrees when the tour kicked off. The temperature got up to about 50, with a constant stiff wind. But the sun was out, so we can't complain. I don't think Callie particularly enjoyed the tour, maybe because she was cold and very hungry when we ended at Forsyth Park. We headed to "Screamin" Mimi's" (chosen of course because we have a Mimi in the family...), which is a little pizza joint off the beaten path, where Mike and I shared the best calzone we've ever had. We attempted to take the free city bus (because Callie told us she's never ridden anything other than the school bus) but by the time we had found the right bus stop, we were only a few blocks from the "City Market," which I had read about and was on my list of things to see. We headed there and walked through the shops where Callie and I got to sample some freshly made praline (YUM!), and did some people watching. It was very lively, lots of people, a live band, and cocktails were being enjoyed by most everyone there. It was a lovely day.

Important Facts learned:

- Don't touch the pretty moss, the chiggers live on it, and they will burrow into your skin and drive you crazy (or so I am told). If by chance you DO find yourself with chiggers attacking you, apply nail polish to the bite, it will suffocate and kill them before they eat you alive...

- The giant oak trees synonymous with Savannah and other southern cities are called "Live Oaks" because they never lose their leaves.

- The "squares" that are the heart of Savannah were each set up as small communities, with residents living around one of the 22 squares. The buildings surrounding each square included every business and service that community would need to live. The center of each square (each of which now has a unique monument of some type) was where that block's community went to do their business, socialize, and cook. Yes, they had a communal kitchen that the residents all shared, to avoid a repeat of the Great Fire in London.

-Forrest Gump's bench is no longer at the square where filming took place. Apparently, after filming wrapped up, there were people lining the streets to sit on Forrest's bench, making it impossible for vehicle traffic to navigate the city. The city moved the bench to the museum off of Forsyth Park. As a side note, and our tour guide wasn't really clear on this, but I do not believe the bench Forrest sat on was native to it's filming location. The city's bus stops tend to be in a loop around the outside of the historical district, and Forrest's bench would not have been a place where the buses actually pass... so it makes sense to move it.

-Bring snacks and feed the young one(s) during walking tours in the future.

-Better yet, head over by Uber without kids and take full advantage of Savannah's open container laws... stroll the streets with your cocktail in hand and enjoy the people watching!

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If there's anything you'd like to know or any questions you have, don't hesitate to ask!

Until next time... missing you all!