Get ready for my final series of blogs about our final ROAD trip to Nashville Tennessee. We have enjoyed many road trips and travels in 2022.

Here is a short list of some of the places we have gone in 2022

Orlando .. PGA show
Annapolis Maryland for Captain Lesko’s retirement ceremony
New York - Alices birthday
St. Petersburg Florida
Italy - 1 MONTH
Florida keys - Camp Schmuki
Las Vegas - Tom’s Birthday
Daytona Beach - Biketoberfest Harley Davidson Road Trip
Christmas 2022 Road Trip: Savannah Georgia , Nashville Tennessee, Charleston South Carolina

First leg of our trip - Savannah Georgia

This blog will only focus on the first location of our Christmas road trip 2022…. Savannah Georgia.

Alice are you cold?

The drive from Delray Beach to Savanah was about 6 hours or so. Captain Tom put on his MAN pants and did most of the driving while Miss Alice enjoyed the view and answered emails.

We went to Savannah just over 2 years ago and we loved the city but had our reservations about our experiences on the riverwalk. We were certainly disappointed with the “cheesy touristy” feel of river walk. We just couldn’t find a place to eat there that was NOT highly breaded processed food. This time we stayed away from the river front.

During our last visit to the river front stores, we dropped in a Harley Davidson clothing store. Alice tried on a few Harley shirts looking sexy as ever. The store clerk said, “Wow, she looks great in that, why don’t you take a picture?”. I said…. “No problem, I will send a copy of it to her husband…”. Everyone got a chuckle out of it. Alice is such a great sport to put up with all my shenanigans and quirky sense of humor.

Planters INN

We stayed in the same hotel we stayed in last time right in the heart of the historic district of Savannah… Planters Inn. Originally built in 1844 as a dry goods store, Planters Inn offers high-ceilinged rooms with mahogany beds modeled after historical designs. We had a great experience during our last trip staying at Planters Inn. We were slightly disappointed across the board during this visit. The room, the service, the plumbing and attention to detail was not at the level we experienced a few years ago.

Rather than venture out of the historic visit our 2 days and 2 nights in Savannah were spent exclusively in the Historic District. We walked everywhere we went. Weather was unseasonably cold with temperatures lower than most any time in the previous 30 years. We always bundled up in our down jackets, hats and mittens before we went outside. This made it difficult for me to handle my camera gear.

A trip to a local Bar - Chive and SeaFOOD Bar

While walking the main strip in downtown Savannah I noticed an upscale FUN bar and NUDGED Alice to go in and have a drink before dinner. This bar became perhaps the highlight of our visit to Savannah.

The best bartenders ever!

Two bartenders, a 21 year old young stud named Michael and a slightly older male. Of course I had my NIKON laid down on the bar. Just around the corner was another photographer who was creating some social media content for the bar. We connected right away. Here is a photo I took of her:

We had already enjoyed our first drink. I had a concoction made by Michael he called “The Naughty Santa…”. I felt naughty just drinking it. He must have put in 4-6 liquors, heated it with fire and cinnamon. Yummy. Take a look at this video.

After having enjoyed our first round of drinks. me, my Sexty Santa, and Alice with … a very tasty drink of her own, we were offered one by one the drinks made by the bar tender for the social media content creator. I was getting more sloshed sip by sip. The final drink was 136 proof which means 136/2 is the percent alcohol which equates tabour 68% straight SIN. I took sip 1. Yummmmmmmmm. Sip 2, my eyes watered. Sip 3, YIKES. Alice said, that’s enough for you my little light weight drinker. I think I drank about 1/2 inch off the top of that glass. This whole experience was the most fun I have ever had in a bar. Thanks guys for making these memories.

Now we had to WALK to our dinner reservation. “Oh Alice….. where are not feet?”

Note: I am a lightweight drinker. 1.5 glasses wine and I am totally done. My first drink of alcohol was when I was 35 years old. Good old Mormon rules of NO smoking, NO drinking, NO sex outside of marriage…. NO FUN! I guess I am now going to HELL! To hell I go with a “Naughty Santa” in my hand.

Dinner at 45 Bistro

Our first night in Savannah we ate at 45 Bistro. A privately owned and managed restaurant located in The Marshall House, an historic Savannah inn. The entire building was completely renovated in 1999 reestablishing the facility to its former grandeur, originally built in 1852. The meal was just fantastic although our server was a little cranky. Alice said she was in a bad mood because we told her we were not drinking because we had already loaded up on liquor at the bar before dinner. I am often reminded how important the attitude of the service staff is to a great dining experience. Even though the food was GREAT I will remember this restaurant because of our grumpy waitress.

Photographic art by: Tom Schmuki “The largest unit of soldiers of African descent who fought in American Revolution

One of the many beautiful squares in historic Savannah Georgia

Day 2 in Savannah

We had no official agenda for day 2 except for our dinner reservations later in the evening. Off we go with NIKON in hand for a great day in historic Savannah. First up, time for breakfast. We found the greatest breakfast place I have ever been to…. “The Collins Quarter”.

The Collins Quarter - 151 Bull Street

Let’s go for a walk and find a cool breakfast place in this beautiful historic city. We lucked on my favorite breakfast place EVER. This place was so great we even went back our final morning in Savannah. Our server named Tom originally from Fort Lauderdale was a HOOT. We shared a wonderful treat they called “Bubble and Squeak”. A panic fried potato cake, portobello mushroom, creamed corn, tomato puree and a poached egg. This was so fantastic.

Day 2 in Savannah

We had no official agenda for day 2 except for our dinner reservations later in the evening. Off we go with NIKON in hand for a great day in historic Savannah. First up, time for breakfast. We found the greatest breakfast place I have ever been to…. “The Collins Quarter”.

After breakfast we soon noticed a museum we were interested in going to, although it was not opening until 10 am or so. Off to another cool breakfast nook to have another coffee and meet our new friend Kat, a friendly little red head.

Museum- The Telfair Academy

We asked her about the museum across the way and she highly recommended it. After another coffee and pastry, we headed over to the museum. Our first museum was “The Telfair Academy”. The Telfair Academy contains two nineteenth-century period rooms and houses nineteenth- and twentieth-century American and European art. We love to go to museums, I think Alice even more than me. This museum was a very pleasant surprise. WOW. The art was off the chart.

This is the home to Savannah’s iconic Bird Girl Statue.

After lunch we ventured off to our second museum experience of the day. This museum was much different and left me with a feeling of despair and historical knowledge.

The Ownes-Thomas House and Slave Quarters

We experience an inclusive interpretation of not only the wealthy families that inhabited this home for a span of over 100 years, but of also the enslaved people who lived and labored here. After leaving this experience, I was humbled and saddened by the treatment of the enslaved people of the south.

Dinner our final evening in Savannah.

We had dinner here during our last stay in Savannah and had such a great experience we decided to do it again, just a block away from our stay at the Planters in.

The Old Pink House

The Old Pink House built in 1789, was originally known as Habersham House, after its owner James Habersham, Jr., one of Savannah's most important early cotton factors and founding-family members. Habersham lived there until his death in 1799. The lot was originally a land grant from the British Crown. We had another fantastic experience and knew our stay in this great city was NIGH at hand.

I want a night cap - Naughty Santa it is

How about one more night cap at our favorite BAR: The Chive Resteraunt, Michael was there and served us our “Naughty Santa”. Take a look at the previous video posted in this blog. Thanks Michael for a fantastic experience!

Our last breakfast in Savannah. Of course we revisited my new favorite restaurant: The Collins quarter. Alice insisted I have a traditional shrimp and grits. Never been a grits fan and don’t even know where grits come from ha ha. Loved the shrimp, the grits, well they were seasoned with interesting flavors but they are still grits.

Now lets get in the car and begin the next leg of our trip to my sisters house in Rockville Tennessee just 30 miles from Nashville.

NO MORE GRITS for Mr Tom!