Day 1 - Jacksonville, Florida
We were feisty the day we left St. Augustine. I blame NPR. We sipped our essential morning coffee and huffed and puffed as we listened to an expert “generationalist” amaze listeners by telling us that we are all very different and have different ways of doing things but we do share some things in common. Brilliant.
Note to self: after this trip, we are both becoming expert consultants.
I think we set a personal record by visiting four NPS sites in one day – all snoozers. We watched cruise ships get escorted by tugboats into their temporary terminals in Jacksonville, climbed around reproductions of French forts, drove down dirt roads in search of sea cotton plantations just miles outside of town, all in the pouring rain.
All week, we listened to local news personalities assure us that although the weather was miserable now, the skies would clear for Super Bowl Sunday. J’ville naysayers would be proven wrong. The weather would be great; the city would be ready for the influx of fans. We remained unconvinced.
We trudged into Georgia and through St. Mary’s, Brunswick, and landed in Savannah. With its wet dark streets and dripping Spanish moss framing stately antebellum homes, Savannah had a spooky feel when we finally arrived after a frustrating, funny, crazy day.
Day 2 – Savannah, Georgia
We always forget that the breakfast lounge at the Fairfield Inn is a high anxiety environment, It is free, therefore it is packed. Michael usually requires at least an hour to de-stress. After our initial attempts to reach the toaster failed, we set out to Fort Pulaski with empty stomachs. That gave us an excuse to stop for lunch at the Crab Shack on Tybee Island later that day.
Savannah came highly recommended by a number of our friends so we made sure to spend some time on the River Walk and at their suggested stops downtown. But we honestly weren’t that enamored by this beautiful city until we met some of its inhabitants. Ronnie, the very, very large former lineman from Florida State and Jack and Gia, billiards-playing troublemakers, made sure we’d remember their city fondly.
Day 3 – Atlanta, Georgia
Sunshine prompted us to take a lap around the city before we said goodbye to Savannah, which looks much less foreboding in fair weather. Lovely as it is now, we bet Savannah with its imposing architecture, tree-lined streets and shaded squares, is stunning when spring is in full bloom.
Now on to Atlanta! Our friend Richard let us tag along as he played a gig at the Ritz-Carlton near Lake Oconee, Georgia. We pulled out our laptops and relaxed in the lounge, listening to Richard play all evening. As the night progressed, we watched the lead singer of the jazz quintet skillfully deflect an amorous female who danced a little too close as her husband looked on not amused. This was especially curious since most of lounge’s patrons that night were fresh from a marriage retreat hosted at the hotel.
Day 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta continued to confound and confuse us. No point in trying to make heads or tails of the place. The downtown is anchored like a mall by the large corporate structures of CNN and Coca Cola and a revamped food court/restaurant/night club complex called Underground Atlanta. After a morning spent at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Site, we drove around for what seemed like ages, trying to find a place to be.
Hunger drove us to Varsity – the World’s Largest Drive-In on the corner of Spring and North, near Georgia Tech. We opted for a seat inside the restaurant since the last thing we need is more time and more smells in the little ‘Tima.
“What’ll ya Have? What’ll ya Have?” This is what is screamed at you when you enter the doors. You better know, because the lines move fast. We chose some pork bbq and a cheeseburger because they were the first things we saw and quickly sat down. We were surrounded by cowboy hats and pointy boots. Is there a rodeo in town?
There was a rodeo in town. Right next door to a sold out Atlanta Hawks game. Richard was performing at the game, so we entertained ourselves downtown. We found a seat at the Max Lager Brewery, watched the game and listened as the bartender explained why no one was eating wood-fired pizza, even though it was one of their signature menu items.
“One of our cooks set the oven on fire. He doesn’t work here anymore.” – Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta continued to confound and confuse us. No point in trying to make heads or tails of the place. The downtown is anchored like a mall by the large corporate structures of CNN and Coca Cola and a revamped food court/restaurant/night club complex called Underground Atlanta. After a morning spent at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Site, we drove around for what seemed like ages, trying to find a place to be.
Hunger drove us to Varsity – the World’s Largest Drive-In on the corner of Spring and North, near Georgia Tech. We opted for a seat inside the restaurant since the last thing we need is more time and more smells in the little ‘Tima.
“What’ll ya Have? What’ll ya Have?” This is what is screamed at you when you enter the doors. You better know, because the lines move fast. We chose some pork bbq and a cheeseburger because they were the first things we saw and quickly sat down. We were surrounded by cowboy hats and pointy boots. Is there a rodeo in town?
There was a rodeo in town. Right next door to a sold out Atlanta Hawks game. Richard was performing at the game, so we entertained ourselves downtown. We found a seat at the Max Lager Brewery, watched the game and listened as the bartender explained why no one was eating wood-fired pizza, even though it was one of their signature menu items.
“One of our cooks set the oven on fire. He doesn’t work here anymore.”
Day 5 - Atlanta, Georgia
Super Bowl Sunday! What did we do today? Nothing! We dropped Richard off at the airport, headed north to Marietta, got a stack of take-out from Pappadeaux and did what all good Americans do on a winter Sunday – fell asleep on the couch watching football.
Day 6 – Atlanta, Georgia
This is the day we finally found out where to be in Atlanta – Buckhead and historic Midtown. Is it possible to squeeze more restaurants and specialty shops in one area? Luckily, we didn’t have to navigate the maze of menu options because we already had dinner plans with Michael’s cousin Stephen (a/k/a Ward) and Joe.
A great meal, great conversation and a day bed that was more comfortable than it should have been topped off our stay in Georgia.
Sunday
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)