8/11/09 (Tuesday): The second half of 2009 is shaping up to be lots more fun than the first half! I went to Savannah with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to kick off my new commitment to enjoying life post-cancer. It was a great beginning!

Immediately upon arrival, we got in line for reservations at Paula Deen's restaurant. There was a sign up indicating that there were no seats left for lunch or dinner, but someone told us they also seated people in the bar.

We waited about two hours and did score some seats. As soon as you sit down, they bring hoe cakes and cheese biscuits. There was an extensive menu as well as a buffet. We opted for the menu. I teased Mag because she ordered chicken salad. I debated the asparagus sandwich (seriously!), but wound up with the chicken salad myself. I don't remember what Cathy chose. It was all very good. In fact, we decided almost immediately to do it again the next day! More on that later.

After checking into our hotel, which was right in the historic district and quite nice, we took a trolley tour of the city. Savannah was founded by James Oglethorpe in 1732. Among other things, Oglethorpe was trying to help the poor people of London. The debtor's prisons were full and many people were being imprisoned simply because they were poor. Of course, it also helped that Savannah was in a perfect position to protect the wealthy South Carolina settlements from the Spanish.






























We saw many gorgeous old buildings, including this fancy store. When it was built, it was the first Ford dealer in Savannah!













The dome of city hall, which used to be the capitol, is covered with 43 ounces of native gold which was donated by the citizens of Dahlonega and Lumpkin County.



















Savannah was once one of the biggest cotton exporters in the world. In its heyday, it exported over 2 million bales of cotton a year. The cotton exchange was the control center of all this activity. It backs right up to the river, where the merchants could direct the activity. The gorgeous cast iron fence has medallions of famous people. It was once the balcony railing of a Savannah mansion.

The circular structure in the front was a fountain with a 100-year-old statue of a winged lion. It was quite famous. Sadly, a car ran into it in 1999. Because it was terra cotta, it was destroyed.

The trolly tour was very educational and entertaining. We appreciated the overview of the city. The horse drawn carriage rides looked very appealing, but after catching a whiff of what the horses left behind in the gutters, we were content with our trolly. We did enjoy seeing the horses resting and drinking water near the city market.









Mag was utterly pooped after the tour. She said she was going to put on her PJs and stay in the hotel room. Cathy and I were going to go out without her, but I happened to mention the ice cream parlour I'd seen around the corner from the hotel and ...









On the second day, we got in line early to secure our reservations for Paula Deen's (about 2 hours) and then walked the river walk. We saw a couple of container ships going under the gorgeous suspension bridge. On the way up, we'd seen many of the containers being trucked up and down the highway. It was really fascinating to see goods from all over the world arriving and departing from Savannah.






We enjoyed going in the tourist shops and candy stores and people watching. These guys are making palmetto flowers for donations.













Of course, when we saw this beautiful display of gelato, we just had to go in for a sample. Yum!














In the candy store there were several of these large collages made of jelly beans!














After another terrific meal at Paula Deen's (this time we did the buffet), we rested at the hotel for a little bit.














Then Mag treated us to a fantastic 50's variety show at the old Savannah Theater. The building was built in 1818 and has been nicely restored. The show was really great. There were musical numbers from Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and Elvis and comedy numbers. We all particularly enjoyed the unique take off on the old "who's on first" routine. We had a blast.







We were sad to leave on Monday morning, but we made one final stop in Savannah at Bonaventure Cemetery. Johnny Mercer and Carl Aiken are buried there. Many of the tombstones were beautifully carved by a famous sculptor. Ironically, the sculptor's gravesite has no headstone! If you'd like to learn more about the cemetery, here's a link: Bonaventure Cemetery.





We made one more stop on the way home to have lunch in Palm Coast. I thought the food was almost as good as Paula Deen's and we didn't have to wait! We were in a silly mood by now. It was really great to be with family and have fun. I felt as though it really were the first day of the rest of my life.