Savannah Part 1, or, Baby Taco Baby

Savannah Part 1, or, Baby Taco Baby

“Write about Savannah,” says my brain. “It’ll be fun!’ says my brain. But I try and try, and I just can’t put into words the glow of the weekend, because I am not an L. M. Montgomery who can wend words into a description that makes a simple cherry tree sound like the most glorious thing you’ve ever seen. So please forgive me if the post and pictures seem inglorious, and believe me when I say that you absolutely should visit Savannah in the spring as well.

Rhoda and Rosie and I decided that after twenty-six years of being sisters, it was probably time to do our first sister trip together, and that we should do it now before babies come in a month and travel adventures are traded for night feedings and months of insufficient sleep.

Savannah, Georgia was settled upon as the destination, since I had never been there before, and since Rhoda and Rosie both loved it. Besides, I am always up for a chance to check a place off my (lengthy) list of must-see places! We made our reservations, and after I came back from New York City, I consoled myself by frequently checking the weather in Savannah and psyching myself up for sunshine and live oak trees.

The weekend finally came, and we woke up to a glorious day of sunny temperatures and a free schedule. My memory of the trip fades into a haze of gnarly live oak trees, soft green spring grass, so much amazing food, and sunshine, wonderful sunshine. As much as I love winter, for some reason I’ve had quite the winter blues the last few months, and the weather just warmed the frozen recesses of my soul.

“But I can find nice weather other places,” you might say, “So why should I go to Savannah?” Let me tell you.

Savannah is welcoming. The city was planned with squares of greenery dotting it every few blocks, so you are never far from an expanse of green grass and crooked live oak trees to sit under. The streets are wide and spacious, and the city feels like a hug. We were told the street pictured below was voted the prettiest street in the southeast, two years running, and I could see why.

Savannah is interesting! If you like history, you will find much to be fascinated by. The graveyard, for instance, contains several mass graves where they buried victims of sweeping diseases, and eventually it got so full they would dig up bones to make room for new graves. Unfortunately, in their digging they discovered that a lot of people were buried before they should have been, so they began burying people with strings attached to their fingers and toes, and tied to a bell above ground, in case the person came to again. Hence the expression, “Saved by the bell”. Are you as horrified as I was? We did the most touristy thing I’ve ever done in my life, and went on a carriage tour of the old city, which turned out to be really fascinating and I learned a lot I wouldn’t have otherwise. I recommend it if you want a break from walking and don’t mind looking like the touristiest tourist out there. 🙂

Savannah is beautiful. The aforementioned squares of greenery, the wide avenues lined with live oaks, the old old buildings painted in lovely colors, the cathedral, the terraces and cobblestones and courtyards, the riverfront…

Savannah is delicious. You knew I’d come around to the food sooner or later, didn’t you? Oh, the food we ate there- please allow me a moment to compose myself before I go on. With two pregnant ladies, food was obviously a high priority, and since I’ve been on a restricted diet, I felt like we spent the whole time eating. But did I mind? I most certainly did not. We ate crepes and salads and picnics and eggs benedict, but my two favorite places were Savannah Coffee Roasters, and Savannah Seafood Shack. Here’s why:

We found ourselves at Savannah Coffee Roasters the first morning there, and liked it so much we didn’t bother trying any other coffee shops, since they couldn’t be any better. The building charmed me. You enter and the lighting is low and cozy, with couches and soft chairs perfect for curling up in and looking out the window at the world going by. But then you go to the back of the building to order your drink, and the ceiling opens up to reveal skylights and a large, airy space filled with tables and sunshine. It’s the best of both worlds. And if the atmosphere isn’t enough, the coffee is delicious. I had a Cubano Latte, my current favorite, but the Iced Lavender Earl Gray Lattes my sisters got were at least as delicious as mine. You’ll just have to try both, and get one of their flaky, buttery croissants while you’re at it.

And now for the Savannah Seafood Shack- we loitered at the riverfront one night till we were past starving (this happens frequently when you’re talking about pregnant ladies and Rachels), then went back up into town where everything is much cheaper for dinner. Rosie happened upon this restaurant and we decided to give it a shot. It’s set up to order your meal at the front, then once a space opens up at one of the family tables, they’ll seat you and bring you your food. Low country boil is their specialty- have you ever tried it? My sisters both got that, and as wonderful as it looked, I was more interested in their fish tacos (because duh, tacos) and I was not disappointed. I can’t tell you if our judgement was impaired by our extreme hunger, but this place is definitely bookmarked for the next time I go to Savannah.

Side note to fellow-adventurers: When 2/3rds of the group is pregnant, bathroom breaks and snacks take high priority. If you tour Savannah and need help finding bathrooms, just message me and I can probably tell you where to find one. 😀

Next week I’ll tell you about the wonders of the riverfront (by far my favorite part) and the parks. Stay tuned…

2 thoughts on “Savannah Part 1, or, Baby Taco Baby

  1. I”ve been to Savannah and love it! Stayed on the river in town and once out on Tybee Island. Ate at the Pirate restaurant and once where the Elite eat in their barefeet! I toured the house from Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil (?)….before the movie! Saw the wonderful square parks, every city should be built like Savannah. Wow, if I could live anywhere in Georgia, it would be Savannah or Jekyll Island.

  2. True story on the bathrooms. Just follow the pregnant lady, and she’ll lead you to one in a few minutes.

Leave a Reply to davidochobits Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.