Hubby’s presence was requested at another conference in October, this time in Savannah, a town we’d not yet visited.
As we strolled many of the 22 original green squares, each uniquely designed with its own flora, fauna, and décor, we wondered aloud why we’d never visited before.
The first two nights of the conference we spent in an upgraded corner room on the 16th floor above the river at the Westin. The views were spectacular!
I spent the first full day of our visit on a trolley tour while Hubby attended his conference. I’d intended to only use the bus to get into town to shop, but my cell phone fell out of my windbreaker on the first bus, which had picked me up from the Westin, so I was stuck for the entire 90-minute tour on the second trolley til I could reconnect with my phone. It turned out to be a good tour with “Vee” as driver and guide. She could have been a professional comedian, and I very much enjoyed her version of Savannah’s history.
Hubby dined on a boat cruise later that night. I simply was too cold and too tired to join him; I used UberEats to get a CAVA bowl delivered to the hotel instead.
The Westin was full the third night of our trip, so we transferred to the JW Marriott on the other side of the river. The hotel is a converted power plant and is decorated like a Natural Science Museum. There’s eye candy everywhere!
We were given another free upgrade and spent two glorious nights in the boutique hotel on the top floor. It was the nicest room we’d ever had, and we loved seeing the sunrise and set from the wraparound balcony.
On our first chance to explore the town together, Hubby and I headed to the local art museum, the Telfair. It’s composed of three historic buildings. We only had time that day for two of the three, but the ticket is good for two days. The most majestic paintings were in the ballroom in the three-story mansion called the Telfair Academy.
With less than an hour to spare, we walked across Telfair Square to the Jepson Center to see a huge collection of Normal Rockwell paintings along with some of his contemporaries.
The next day, we’d scheduled a walking tour of Savannah. Our guide was very serious about his job, and we felt well informed after the 2-hour morning tour.
For lunch, we’d been told to not miss Collins Quarter in Forsyth Park. We ordered (& LOVED) the chicken and waffle, shrimp and grits, and Aussie Iced Coffee (espresso over vanilla ice cream).
Then we stopped at an art gallery I’d noticed on the walking tour. The owner/artist of Daedalus Gallery welcomed us, and Hubby immediately attempted the few words he knows in French. She was so friendly and loved hearing about our recent trip to Provence, her home.
After our pleasant conversation, we visited the Owens-Thomas House, our one remaining Telfair Museum. It’s a one-hour guided tour.
We both were exhausted by that point and needed to find the famous Leopold’s Ice Cream. As we wove through the crowds on busy Broughton Street, Hubby’s eye caught on the familiar face of a lady seated at bistro table taking coffee with a friend. I didn’t notice and kept charging onward til he hollered at me to come back. He’d audaciously plopped down in an empty chair at their table and used his French words for a second time that day in his sweet (French sounding) sing-song voice: “Bonjour! Merci!”
He had found a friend we’d made on our cruise in Southern France. She was traveling through Savannah and had stopped to catch up with a friend. It was a bonus meeting for all of us!
Hubby and I waved goodbye and made our way to the line in front of Leopold’s. We can testify that It really is worth the wait!
Our final art detour was the SCAD shop and museum. Then we dropped into the busy little bookstore full of regal and pampered cats, E. Shaver, Bookseller. It was too crowded to stay for very long, and our feet were beginning to ache!
And one last sunrise in Savannah until next time:
