Gardens of good and evil

Charleston, SC - Savannah, GA

Miles: 108
Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Stops: 0

The third leg of this little roadtrip was a mere 108 miles from Charleston, SC to Savannah, GA. It took us 2 and a half hours and about a quarter tank of gas. There was more gorgeous countryside along the way. Arriving into Savannah was a relief, because it was (to us) a particularly hot day. The hotel is beautiful- a great old building with impressive decorating and a back hallway that smells constantly of barbeque due to the restaurant downstairs. We had arrived in town in time to change for dinner, enjoy a glass of wine in the lobby, and wander to our restaurant destination Bistro Savannah.

First impressions of the city were less than enthusiastic, as we were walking along a relatively commercial street that had several empty storefronts and little historic flare. All this changed once we found ourselves at Bistro Savannah. We have a saying in this family; the "Top 5 Meal". This is what we use to indicate superior culinary experiences wherever we may be. There are absolutely more than 5 meals that one of us would characterize as a "Top 5" but, you get the idea. Anyway, Bistro Savannah definitely earned this designation. We had a great truly bistro table by the window and ordered the shellfish pot for an appetizer. The meuniere sauce was made with onions and parsley and it was phenomenal. I had halibut that was excellent, Mom had quayle off the tasting menu proving that you truly should always ask even when you know your request is not likely to be obliged. A half-bottle of wine and the best strawberry shortcake either of us had ever had later, we were raving. The ultimate compliment was requesting to take a copy of the menu. Once back in the room, there was more Olympic swimming and gymnastics including Michael Phelps' 9th career gold medal in the 200m Freestyle.

This morning we had breakfast, I studied Stat, and we went off for our trolley tour of historic Savannah. This is when we got a better sense of the city's squares, history, and charm. The well-restored buildings are interspersed with newer buildings in some blocks, while other blocks are almost entirely early architecture. Savannah experienced numerous fires that destroyed early structures and others were torn down in the early part of the last century. While 23 of Ogelthorpe's 24 original city squares remain, 13 of Savannah's 56 major historic structures were torn down between 1933 and 1956. In 1955 when a local funeral home owner was going to tear down a home for a parking lot, seven Savannah ladies raised the money to purchase the Davenport House. They spent the next 13 years restoring the interior to its period appearance, founded the Historic Savannah Foundation, and are credited with jump-starting historic preservation in the city.

After an afternoon of boutique browsing, we relaxed with a glass of wine before dinner at the Olde Pink House on Reynolds Square. The meal didn't hold a candle to last night but the dessert was excellent. As were my shrimp and grits. Now we're back watching Olympic beach volleyball, waiting for swimming and gymnastics before bed. An early wake-up call awaits us tomorrow morning because we're driving to Atlanta to have lunch with Nicole and Jim.