Savannah, GA

Last evening, we decided to book a "hop on, hop off" tour of Historic Savannah through Old Town Trolley. Since we were only going to have one full day in Savannah, we decided this would be the best way to see as much as possible. 

Our trolley car

At 9 am our trolley driver, Eric, picked us up right at our campground.  We made about four more stops where we picked up additional tourists who were staying at either other campgrounds or hotels, before we reached the city of Savannah. Once there, we hopped on the first of about nine trolleys that took us up, down, in and out of the streets and squares of Savannah.

We received quite a history lesson while enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of the south. There wasn't enough time to see it all, but what we saw was amazing. 

My favorite stop was the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which was the first cathedral in Georgia, and happens to be my paternal grandfather's name - Giovanni di Baptiste.  

St. John the Baptist Cathedrel

Upon entering, the baptismal font catches your eye and took my breath away. It is an 8,000 pound marble font that was carved in Carrara, Italy.  I immediately thought of my nephew, Jack, who will be my second-only, godchild. I would have loved to see him enter the Catholic faith in this magnificent place. 

We had brunch at one of the newer establishments, Goose Feathers, that was terrific. The owner, Beth Meeks, took our orders and rang us up. All baking is done on premises and you can taste it in the buttery croissants, grits and tasty bagels. 

Another interesting stop was the Black Heritage Museum located in the King-Tisdell Cottage. The stark contrast in the way of life for the segregated blacks back in the 1880's was evidenced through the artifacts and information provided at the home.

King-Tisdell Home

The building, itself, is an architectural gem that boasts intricate gingerbread ornamentation on a Victorian center-hall cottage. In the early 1930's, Eugene and Sarah King, both entrepreneurs, purchased the home. Eugene owned a laundry business and his wife, Sarah, operated a confectionery out of the house. 

This photo is exclusively uploaded for Leah (DeSoto) Timmons, my mother-in-law. She never told us that her family was that close to the Hilton's. Live and learn.  

No visit to Savannah would be complete without a purchase of freshly baked pralines. A pound of this sugary treat is sitting in our refrigerator and keeps calling my name. 

One last comment to mention, is something our driver, Eric, kept saying as he dropped each group off at their respective stops at the end of the day. In a sing-song voice, he said "Home again, home again, jiggity-jig." I knew I had heard that line before, so after a quick check on my iphone, I found the words and wonder if he were referring to us as hogs and pigs???? lol  Eric, a great guy, with a terrific sense of humor and attitude.

To market to market to buy a fat pig, home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

To market to market to buy a fat hog, home again, home again, jiggety-jog.

Back at home now, we sit; "G" on his laptop, me on my iPad, and Missy Miss curled up on the footstool. We are very tired, very informed and very pleased with a day well-spent. 

Deep thought for the day:  Pralines are not sugar-free or diabetic friendly.