I have always loved the southern United States. The Southwest and the Southeast. I love the history and the culture, the climate and the food. Recently my wife Kathy and I traveled to the South. Specifically Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. We were blessed with beautiful sunny weather and had the opportunity to sample some awesome “low country’ cuisine. We also took the chance to dig into a little bit of the rich history of the area. All Photo credit, of course, goes to my wife Kathy Gordon.
Our first stop was Charleston. We made our way through the quaint, narrow streets through the French Quarter to the Battery district on the waterfront. This area includes some early 19th century homes. We walked through a beautiful park called Whitepoint Garden and the Battery Promenade which is a walkway along the water front. This was a defensive seawall used during the Civil War. Sadly Charleston’s history is wrapped in slavery. It’s estimated that half of the African slaves that arrived in the U.S. went through the harbour of Charleston. Anyway, it is a very nice city now with a beautiful waterfront and historic buildings. For dinner we went to Tbonz on Market street. If you go, try their she crab soup and their lump crab cakes. You will absolutely love it!
After Dinner we drove to Savannah – about 2 hours and settled in to our hotel. The next morning we grabbed a quick snack from the continental breakfast and took the hotel shuttle to Forsyth Park. It was a spectacular day to walk through this historic park with it’s lines of oak trees draped with Spanish moss, it’s fountains and historic monuments. It’s 30 acres and it’s well worth seeing. Either for a stroll or sitting under an oak tree and people watching.
We spent the afternoon strolling around the streets of Savannah taking in the historic homes, squares and churches. We like eating at locally owned establishments so we stopped into Clary’s for brunch. You really need to try their Eggs Benedict Florentine. It was a gorgeous sunny day so we ate outside on their patio. It’s a diner with original decor from the 50’s, the food is excellent and you will absolutely get service with a smile.
We then took a short drive to The Isle of Hope to see the Wormsloe Historic Site. This is a fascinating state park and historical site. It was founded by Noble Jones in 1733 and became his estate. There is an avenue of live oaks that is just spectacular. Jones was one of the original group of settlers from England that made Georgia their home. The name “Wormsloe” originates from the name of the township in England, Wormslow where Jones came from. The avenue of oaks and a short hike leads you to the tabby ruins that were once the fortified home of Jones. These ruins were constructed using oyster shells mixed together to form a concrete mixture known as tabby. We took a hike around the site and then hopped in the car to view some of the exclusive homes in the area. Some of the most breathtaking places I have ever seen! For dinner that night we ate at Rue De Jean. A classic French Brasserie (no, I didn’t have a clue what that meant) and it was excellent. If you have the nerve try their Beef Tartare and their Red Curry Mussels.
The next day we took a horse and buggy ride to see some more Savannah sites. For dinner we went to Elizabeth on 37th. Really nice! Have their oysters! No, you really need to try their oysters. The place is a real Savannah experience.
The last night in Savannah we ate at The Olde Pink House. Amazing low country cuisine! They also have The Planter’s Inn to stay the night. When you go they will send you to the Arches Bar while you wait for a table. While there ask for a Planter’s Punch. You won’t be sorry!
The waterfront is a nice walk along cobbled streets with shops and bars. As well, see if you can take a sail on the Georgia Queen. It’s a paddle wheel style river boat that can seat 1,000 passengers.
To conclude. All I can say is – Go to Savannah! Go for the history! Go for the cuisine!
