#11 The Silver Meteor and Savannah

 May 6 - 8, 2023

With my Hawaiian crepe still in hand, I settled into the lounge to wait for my train.  DC is a terminus, and rather large, so they like to board early.  So at 6:30, a red cap hauled me and my luggage out to the track.  I'm perfectly capable of walking, and carrying my little luggage, but when you take a sleeper they like to do nice things.  As soon as the train arrived, I boarded and got settle in to my roomette. 

This train is a little different from most of the ones I've taken.  Instead of having an upstairs and downstairs, it's a single level, but higher up.  The top bunk even has it's own window.  Here's a picture of the outside that I took the next morning in Savannah. 

We were to have departed by 7:30, but just kept sitting there.  The conductor explained that we were waiting for a different engine.  Since the other one had been uncoupled, we didn't have power, and that meant the restrooms were locked.  It was 9:00 by the time they finally got an engine and we headed south towards Savannah.  

Our delayed start meant we were a little late getting into Savannah.  I had tossed and turned all night, so appreciated having a few minutes extra in the morning.  My sweet attendant came through though, and knocked 30 minutes before we were to arrive, and handed me a cup of coffee as he'd promised.  

I quickly dressed, then drank my coffee as we neared the station.  The Savannah River looked so peaceful in the morning light.  

The billboard about mosquito spraying was quite the welcome sign.

As soon as I got down from the train I got an Uber ride to my hotel in Savannah.  The Planter's Inn is a nice boutique hotel in a historic building.  Right on Reynolds Square, it's a great location for walking just about anywhere.  Unfortunately, check in wasn't until 4:00 and I got there by 7:30.

Planters Inn, Savannah

Thankfully they let me check my luggage in, so I was able to walk around the back side of the building to Quinn's, for breakfast.  A little mom and pop café, they were just what I needed.  Lots of good coffee, and a veggie omelet with grits.  Bummer it wasn't real butter though. 

Below is one of the massive live oak trees that are everywhere in Georgia, but especially in the town squares of Savannah.  In 1733, Savannah, and the 22 squares that make up the downtown, was designed by James Oglethorpe.  Each square has beautiful landscaping with paths going through it, as well as a central feature or focal point.  

John Wesley, founder of Methodism, is featured in Reynolds Square, right in front of the hotel.  For anyone interested in John or Charles Wesley, both Savannah and St Simons are loaded with information and historical sites.  The brothers had a huge spiritual impact on the area.

I had to include this clever squirrel.  I was eating pistachios and accidentally dropped one.  It bounced many feet away.  The squirrel came running to me.  I pointed in the direction that the nut bounced, and he scurried off and ate it.  

Still waiting for my room, I decided to walk down to the waterfront.  There are so many pretty homes along the way, and mostly shady streets.

The town is much higher than the waterfront area, so you have to go down steps to get there.  Some are fairly normal, and some are old, and really steep and tall.  There's also a road you can walk down, but it's cobbled and really rough.  I went a few times so tried all the options.  There's also walking bridges that take you to a center area of shops and restaurants.

The steps come with warnings, and they are really steep.  And very tall.  I had to use the rail and pull myself up a few steps.  I did not try going down them!

The Savannah waterfront is a worthy destination for one thing.  Pralines.  If I had to choose one candy in the whole world, it wouldn't be dark chocolate.  It would be pralines.  I used to make them at Christmas time, but my mom and I were pretty much the only ones who ate them, and then I had to eat the rest.  I remembered this shop from when Alyssa and I went to Savannah in 2015.  

Pralines, freshly made in house, and free samples.  Yum.

Leaving the waterfront, I headed back to the square, stopping for some lunch along the way at this cute coffee shop called Blends.

I took my sandwich to go, and sat on a bench in Wright Square to eat it.  Just in front of me was a beautiful steepled church, the Lutheran Church of the Ascension.  As I sat there the bell chimed the noon hour, and then followed with many hymns.

There are so many churches in Savannah.  Just behind Planters Inn is Christ Church, Episcopal.  And once again John Wesley was a part of it.

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It was Sunday, and I had intended to attend a service, but somehow I never did.  So my Sunday worship was the peace of listening to the church bells in the shade of majestic live oak trees.