Oh Savannah...

I almost forgot I had pictures from our last outing in Savannah over a month ago. Things sped up after our return and I never had a chance to post them. Now seemed as good a time as any. What we discovered on our second trip was that we had covered all the historical sites so this time we decided to focus on a few monuments but primarily architecture. As always, click each photo for a better view.

First, what would a trip to Savannah be without a photo of our old friend Oglethorpe. The more I read about the man, the more I like him.

And then it was a mad dash off into the city to see what we could find. I included this one because it made me smile. Which time would you decide to follow?

I'll confess and say I saw these two doors and could not help myself. One is titled the noble door....and the other is the pink door. They were within blocks of each other near one of the squares (parks) and just sort of called to me.

Near downtown, we ran into this old building done in the Louis Sullivan style. Sullivan is considered the father of the modern American skyscraper and is known for creating bold designs for banks and other public buildings. The flourishing around windows and doors is his signature.

further downtown, St Mark Cathedral's facade seemed to go up to the heavens and I tried to get this shot to give the impression that it is growing before your very eyes.

By now it had really heated up and we decided to park our bikes and visit the Maritime Museum to escape the heat and southern humidity. They had three floors of miniatures of every tall ship, paddle boat or ship you could imagine....

but the most interesting was a room size miniature of Titanic!

There was a tremendous attention to detail, right down to the life boats and ice in the water.

While going from room to room I saw this shot and stitched together several shots to give the sense size and color that made you stop and savor the view.

By now we had walked a good distance going through every room in the exhibit. Once outside, I took a candid shot of Alex taking a break under a shed on the grounds of the Museum. With the hat on his knee and his position, he looks very much the Southern gentlemen.

And, back to the bikes and a few more locations near the riverfront. We ran into this vase near the Cotton Exchange which provided a degree of curious visual interest, both from the plants growing out of it and the face on the sides. The face below seems to be looking back at you just as much as you are looking at it.

And finally the Haitian Chasseus Volontaires statue. It celebrates Haitian volunteers, under French leadership, who aided America during the war for independence from England. the statue is quite noble but difficult to photograph because it is shaded by a huge oak tree and light is defused. But, we both kept running around it taking shots like children around a Christmas tree until I finally got a shot that illustrates the emotion of the piece.


By then we were more than ready to head back to our hotel and rest. Happy that we had ventured beyond the usual tourist spots and really dug into more reasons Savannah is such an interesting place.

Low Country Cooking

I always knew there was Southern cooking but The Taste of St. Augustine introduced me to what is called Low Country Cooking! As usual, click each photo for a better view.

First a little history, Low Country Cooking is primarily associated with the coastal area between South Carolina and Georgia and chiefly one of my favorite cities, Savannah. The food reflects the history of the area in that it features rice and okra, brought over from Africa in the 17th century, tomatoes and corn grown in the new world, spicy ingredients such as hot pepper sherry from the West Indies, and seafood that was plentiful in the coastal area near Savannah.

Also from Africa, by way of the islands came sesame seeds, an East Indian herb used as a charm that was suppose to give secure entrance and exit through any portal. These seeds arrived in America on the necks of slaves, who wore them for good luck and planted them near their quarters on the plantations. Cooks in the "big" kitchens knew how to use the aromatic seed to make deliciously flavorful dishes that became low country cooking.

First I encountered "A1A Ale Works", which specializes in hand crafted beer and low country cooking using local area seafood.

I was driving so I didn't sample the beer but the dish featured below was very tasty. It combined what tasted like grits, various herbs with nice sized shrimp. Tasty, very tasty!

Next came "The Creekside Dinery." They offered their low country award wining oysters and shrimp St Johns which melted in my mouth.

And what would a meal be without a little wine... and there was my favorite winery San Sebastian's Winery. I have always found the people at the winery fun and informative, this group was no different. I had a glass of Rosa which went well with the tastings. It is a "must visit" on any trip to St. Augustine.

And finally desert!

I hung around two places... "The Hilton Bayfront, Arviles Restaurant" for their orange cheesecake,

and the "Purple Olive" for their chocolate covered macaroons that dissolved in your mouth creating a sweet sensation without being overpowering.

And then I was ready to leave, full and happy. Crossing over the Lion Bridge was well worth the effort and paid dividends.

I met some wonderful people, tasted some great food, and discovered a few restaurants that will add a whole new element to my visits to St Augustine!

Savannah: The Garden of Good and Evil

I love Savannah Ga! It is very high on my list of great places to visit, right up there with St. Augustine. I say that because Savannah's downtown area is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States.

I do not visit as often as I would like because it is a two hour drive versus thirty minutes for St. Augustine, but when we do go it is well worth the time. As always click each photo for a better view.

I love Savannah because it seems to blend together the historic with the scenic and does it with a sense of style and character that makes you feel at home. Founded in 1733 it was America's first planned city and the 23 parks or "Squares" as they are called provide a multitude of places for quiet reflection or fun people watching. It first came up on my radar in the Clint Eastwood movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" but you have probably seen parts of it in several movies from Forrest Gump to TV's Ghost Adventures.

Speaking of movies, here is the famous park bench from the Forrest Gump Movie;

The lady Chablis is still appearing in a local club since the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil;

and the Six Pence pub from Julia Roberts movie "Something to talk about" are all big tourist attractions. I like the pub because it is a bit of England dropped down in the old south.

The area abounds with cemeteries and ghost tours are a staple of any midnight visit.

Despite the fact the balancing girl is featured prominently in Clint Eastwood's movie, it is not a fixture in any of the cemeteries. But, as you can see in this shop window, a copy can be purchased almost anywhere in Savannah.

The guide indicated that each crypt holds about 18 people. Bodies were placed inside and nature and the heat were allowed to take their course so that in a few years decomposition would allow another family member to be interred. No wonder there is talk of ghosts, they are probably angry at being so crowded.

The same was true for the Jewish members of the settlement. James Oglthorpe designated this plot as Jewish holy ground and about 16 members of the faith are buried here.

James Oglethorpe looms large in the area as he was the founder of the Georgia colony and for his time was considered a revolutionary thinker in that he wanted to resettle England's poor and especially those consigned to debtors prison in Georgia. Few debtors took the offer and ultimately many Scots, poor English tradesmen, artisans and religious refugees from Switzerland, France, Germany, along with Jewish refugees decided to immigrate as a chance to start a new life in the colony.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement, was appointed by Oglethorpe as the Minister of the Parish of Savannah. His stay was short lived and filled with controversy but he too figures prominently in one of the squares.

But, the river views are what make the place. It is a combination of old world and deep south all rolled into one. There is the constant bustle of trips on the riverboats,

and minus the cars, the look of American Venice as you walk near the river's edge.















But, the trip could not end without giving tribute to "the old made new" in a discovery we made. If you look closely in the previous picture you see a truck parked near the street. A closer view shows that the owner has lovingly restored this symbol of a time long gone.

A look on the inside shows a lot of time and care was taken to make this baby shine.

The owner was more than willing to take time to give us the long and short of how he first found and then restored "Lucille" to it's current state... But then, that is Savannah!

Christmas in St Augustine and a Salute to Paula

Alex recently bought a new digital camera (a Canon SLR) and of course we jumped at the chance to go on an adventure to test it out. My dear pal Paula recently viewed the gallery and emailed that she would love to see future pictures (taken with my trusty Sony Cybershot I might add). And so Paula, this gallery is dedicated to you...


I always regard St Augustine as a cross between Florence, Italy for the history and colors, Disneyworld because of all the tourists, and New Orleans/Savannah for the southern feel of the place. We decided to take a different tack on this holiday trip to the area and stop off at the local winery we have passed so many times.

Once we arrived we discovered the winery is a fun place to stop, tour, and just hang out because they have daily tours, wine tastings, and open air jazz with light refreshments at the appropriately named "Cellar upstairs."

We did not take pictures during the tour but the wine tasting was great, accompanied by a detailed history of wine making in the area and wine in general. Alex was driving so we made the decision for him to simply sip and I would do the actual tasting. BIG MISTAKE!!

Alex being the business analyst and software developer that he is, kept an ongoing record passing his glass to me as I slowly melted under the bar... small taste by small taste. Keep in mind I was now drinking for two in that he was giving me his glass.

I was doing ok as we went through the list until we got to the Sherry and the port. I think it was the Sherry more than the port as the tour guide indicated it had an alcohol content of 32%. Suddenly I began to feel warm and then my knees began to give way. We beat a path to the outside of the winery to let the fresh air, a little cheese, and a walk around the grounds give me a chance to clear my head...

Alex patiently waiting near the front door while I walked around the flowers, cheese in hand.

Never one to let a shot pass, while walking I noticed the different types of Hibiscus located on the grounds. I'm pretty proud of the level of detail for all three. Be sure to click on each photo for a clearer view of the veins and stems of each flower.

The walk around the grounds seemed to do the trick and we were once again off to the center of St Augustine, after Alex bought of all things... a couple of bottles of sherry.

Flagler College, across the street from City Hall always makes me think of Morocco as it seems as if an entire city with all it's mazes has been transported to the area. These two pictures give an indication of how massive the place actually is.

Remember I mentioned Florence, Italy and Disneyworld coming up when I mention St Augustine. Well, this is the City Hall for the City of St. Augustine AND, it is also the Lightner Museum.




The Government House Museum directly across the street from City Hall. If you didn't know you were in St. Augustine it could easily be pre-Katrina New Orleans or Savannah, there is just that kind of southern feel to the place.










In keeping with the Florence, Italy theme there are loads of beautiful pastels on all the buildings that evoke that feel.




Of course horse drawn carriages are everywhere, which is to be expected.





But, what really caught my eye was the young boy who decided to go up and pet the horse.







And, boys being boys... a crowd formed.

The major draw of St Augustine is "The Fort." It looms in the distance and you begin to understand the advantage it gave the Spanish to protect the early settled area.

A lovely view indeed...

Not a bad place to be on a lazy Sunday afternoon...

A study in contrast...

A view around the massive walls of the fort. As one of the oldest structures in America you feel the ghosts of the former inhabitants in addition to the work and toil that went into erecting such a structure.

Back to the Mall and a stroll around the bric a brac shops that line the place. I was particularly struck by the sign "Matisse's Garden" and a look inside the garden to see what looks like a million wind chimes and hanging ornaments.

Night is falling and the lights have started to come on all over the city.

The City Hall takes on a new glow...

And a tourist takes a picture of a tourist taking a picture. The family dog seems more than ready for his close up.

And now... the final shot of the day. Alex could not resist jumping into the shot to get his shot.