Day 23: Savannah, Georgia

So today was technically my first day off since San Francisco, but really it wasn’t to be much of a productive day. I allowed myself to sleep in late this morning for the first time since back in August before I left Ireland for the US. However, wracked with guilt, I tore myself from my slumber at about noon, showered and hit the parking lot to wake up the sleepy Malibu which I’m sure was only too delighted at a half day off also! I’m pretty proud of my driving record too by the way, when I picked this lowly basic car up at Las Vegas, it sheepishly admitted to a fuel economy of about 18 MPG but I’ve managed to get it up to almost double that, averaging about 540 miles to a tank. I’ve done this however at a cost to myself somewhat, by not driving like a lunatic at traffic lights, or using air conditioning. I did have to give in yesterday afternoon for about an hour, but the fuel gauge itself reminded me of my folly as I consumed an 1/8th of a tank in that time, far beyond my normal amount for the same period – lesson is, leave A/C off ALWAYS!

The only thing I actually had to do today was some laundry. Rather annoyingly the hotel didn’t have a coin laundry, which is odd for a motel in that chain. So I sought out one online and drove to the Savannah Soap laundry in a sleepy suburb of the city. After much staring blankly at the machine, I eventually figured out (no staff there to guide me) that I had to get smart card and charge it up in order to use the machines – so there was no point in my earlier bout of scavenging quarters from my stash of useless change. The washer said it’d take 23 minutes and sure enough, it was true to its word. The dryer took 14 minutes, and in just under 30 minutes (plus the monkeying around I had trying to get the machine to work) I was out the door, after donating the rest of my card to a lady who seemed as perplexed as me using the card top-up system. Good deed done for the day, I headed into Savannah to walk around and get some breakfast. I fixed to go to the Goose Feathers café where I ordered, yeah, Eggs Benedict. This place was a bit odd though – clearly the owner had created a cushy position for herself in the store as she took the order, but her staff took the money about 4 inches away. After taking my seat and waiting for food, I looked out the window at the USPS postman filling his mail bag and fetching a towel to mop his brow – so I didn’t feel as silly packing a face towel in my jeans either! The Benedictine eggs arrived perched atop a croissant. I’d so far tried to avoid this abomination on my travels, but no mention of a croissant was hinted at on the menu, so I just tucked in to give it a try. As my mother later observed on Facebook, it is a little weird because the croissant is sweet (and also was verging on stale having been prepared hours earlier doubtlessly).

Semi-fulfilled, I went back outside to the humid heat of the south. It’s truly amazing how different the world is elsewhere – I absolutely adore the heat, and though I might grumble occasionally, it gives me a vigour and sense of strength I lack back home. I think I was built to live in the desert (as long as it’s not New Mexico!). By now I had very little sense of what Savannah was about – insofar as the sum total about the city I knew came from the film ‘The Legend of Bagger Vance’ which I first saw at a senior video night (yes they were VHS videos) back in Rockwell College some 10 or 12 years earlier. I’ve seen the film many times since, and it’s still a guilty pleasure of mine. The sunlight and soft southern drawl was present here, but sadly, as I’d found out from the almighty Internet earlier, the film was only partly filmed in Savannah, and was mostly filmed in Beaufort, South Carolina. Wandering the streets however, I found an extremely attractive city. After taking in the sights at the Market Square, I went back to get the car from its one-hour parking space and sought another more useful spot. It’s at this point I realised just what people online had said, parking in this city is a nightmare! Private lots (which I’m avoiding since that incident in Dallas) were running at $10 and $20 flat rate. Turning down some back streets I ended up following a Ford Police Interceptor from Savannah’s finest along what I later realised was River Street. An amazing place of cobbled pavement and touristic shops, I sought to park nearby and found a quiet street with free parking (ha!) to rest the Malibu’s weary legs. Mine were fine however as I descended the steep almost medieval steps to the River Street area. It’s an amazing mix of old and new that I just love and adore. In the warm autumn sun, I wandered the long and narrow street dipping in and out of some shops, notably the sweet shops. Annoying parents with their children taking forever to choose an ice-cream had tried my patience and I did without, figuring I was better off. By now however I was somewhat peckish and had hatched a plan to go back to the hotel early so I could catch Saturday Night Live on TV and get on the road early tomorrow. Once again I searched online for BBQ joints, and a few minutes later I was back in the historic district looking for this restaurant, Angel’s. I hadn’t much hope however as I’d read that they sold out of barbecue pretty early in the day, and the “Sold out of BBQ today” sign on the door that seemed closed for hours lead me to search for something else.

But then I started to wander some more, and I must say, Savannah is the nicest, prettiest and best-turned-out town I’ve been to on this entire trip. Denver and San Francisco still hold high stead with me, but Savannah is definitely on that list, very near the top. It’s stunning – hands down amazing. The old historic buildings are so well positioned, and the town still abides by the original town plan of its founder. I really felt I could happily live here – which I was not expecting, given it’s proximity to the cold and fierce-some Atlantic Ocean! After all that walking, I succumbed to a steak house, Ruth’s Chris. This is a chain restaurant, but I felt the reviews online made it worth a visit. I was not let down. An amazing meal lead to me feeling back in the land of the living again after a wonderful, relaxing day. Thoughts have turned to tomorrow, and as I write this, I’m still not sure where I’m headed. But my time in Savannah has made this trip all the more worth while. I will definitely be back!