Escaping for a Few Hours to Savannah

Some days you only have a few hours to #getaway. 

In today’s crazy world, sometimes a few hours is all you have available. When your options are to decompress or explode, you definitely have to take what you can.

 

 

The week was beyond crazy. I was in desperate need to shut down for a while. But I didn’t have the time or luxury to just let it go. So hubby came up with a plan.  With the idea of leaving our busy week behind and getting ready to dive into a weekend that was going to be just as busy, we made our escape. Even if that meant escape was only a few stolen hours. 

 

 

Savannah Ga was along the route to our next destination. Our plan was to pack the night before, then load up and leave right after work. But I dropped the ball on that step. Like I said, so much going on there was just no time… I ended up having to work late the night before and my mind was a complete mess. So I packed a little that morning, then threw the rest together before heading out of town. This usually results in having to stop to pick up whatever I might have missed (such as hair spray and a razor for this trip ;) ). 

Thankfully, with hubby driving during this two and a half hour leg, I had a chance to decompress and slow down for the ride. LOL! Nope. I grabbed the computer and got in some writing time.  But hey, you do what you have to do, right?

 

 

By the time we arrived in Savannah, it was still daylight and we had plenty of time to unpack and freshen up in our room before heading out to walk the streets of Savannah. :) Full disclosure here. We actually chose this Hilton hotel because it is close to our favorite pizza place. Plus, it is right in the center (and walking distance) of everything we like to do when we're in Savannah. (Not an ad or affiliate link. We just love this place and the location.)

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/savshgi-hilton-garden-inn-savannah-historic-district/

As we were unpacking, I got a kick out of the fact that we could see Vinnie Van GoGo’s from our hotel room. Hubby laughed and said he planned it that way.  

Because it was a bit too early for dinner, we decided to try a new place neither of us had been before for a drink and an appetizer.  

Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Bar

https://www.sorrycharliessavannah.com/

 

 

Talk about fun! 

 

 

This really was a treat because he does NOT like seafood - but he knows that I do. :)

Still, I had only tried oysters three times. Once on a work trip to Virginia. They weren’t bad, but it was my first time and I only had the one. 

The second time I had a couple during a backyard oyster cookout. I honestly don’t know that we cleaned them very well. They had a gritty texture and I ended up covered them in different sauces that ultimately masked the flavor. 

The third time was in New Orleans for Oyster’s Rockefeller. 

https://tamibrothers.com/eating-and-drinking-our-way-through-new-orleans-top-five-favorites/

Those were amazing. But… They were cooked and seasoned. 

So going in I wasn’t sure what to expect.   

 

 

We grabbed seats at the oyster bar where we were treated to the show. The two guys behind the counter were cracking oysters open in a constant rhythm, nonstop, the whole time we were there. 

But still, I was an oyster newbie. So we did the best thing any traveler who is unfamiliar with that particular experience can do, we asked the waitress what she recommended. She pointed out a sampler platter that would allow me to try each of the different kinds they offered. I was definitely on board with that idea. 

 

 

She brought out the platter and a #Froze (frozen Rose wine). 

Wow! I had not realized oysters from different regions would have such different flavors (I had to take a picture of the menu to remember where each was from). 

 

 

I was honestly shocked that my unsophisticated pallet could actually tell the differences and that I liked certain ones better than others. Some had a fishy taste (odd to describe it that way, but I don’t know any other way to say it). While others felt slimy. Still, others were very subtle.

Out of the six I tried, I really like four of them. The others weren’t bad, either. Plus, they also tasted just a little different with a touch of the sauces added. 

And the Froze was super yummy!

Their menu had plenty of other fun meals I think I will like. I can’t wait to try a few of them on a future trip back to Sorry Charlie’s. 

 

 

 

After our appetizers, we walked over to the Savannah Candy Kitchen to grab some treats for later and (a special request of) pecans for hubby’s mom. https://www.savannahcandy.com/

 

 

This place always smells amazing!!! And I grabbed a peanut butter cup for a snack later that night. 

 

 

And who can pass up those pralines… (Definitely not me…)

After this, we headed to Wet Willie’s to grab my favorite slushy. 

https://www.wetwillies.com/

 

 

Even though I have tried many different flavors, my go-to is the White Russian and Monkey Shine mix. It’s kind of like a white chocolate and banana flavor. Hubby does NOT like it. :)

 

 

With a drink in hand (I love that we can walk around town with our drinks), we headed to Vinnie Van GoGo’s for our much-anticipated slice. 

https://www.vinnievangogo.com/

 

 

Normally, Vinnie’s would be our lunch or a midnight snack as we are heading back to our room for the night. When we come to Savannah, we like to try different places around town to see what else we can add to our favorites list. But after a very long week and anticipating the ten-hour drive the next day, we decided Vinnie’s was just right.   

 

 

We really do always get the best pizza at Vinnie Van GoGos. And with my Wet Willie’s drink to wash it down, I’m in heaven!

 

 

 

We ended the day with a walk down River Street. 

 

 

Because this was February (and a Wednesday evening), there were not a lot of people walking around. I loved that it felt like we had the place to ourselves.  

 

 

I also love coming across someone playing the saxophone across the street from a cafe with outdoor seating.

 

 

The idea of sitting down and enjoying a cocktail for a minute is so incredibly tempting and a story idea starts blooming in my mind. These little scenes are why I love coming to Savannah. Even as stressed as I'd been the previous week, strolling along the streets of Savannah brings me back to myself. 

 

 

We checked out of the hotel the next morning, rested and ready to begin the next leg of our journey. But we had one more stop to make. Breakfast!

Again, we'd debated about finding a new place to eat. But after I'd finally found my calm state, I knew I wanted to continue on with another one of my favorite places. 

Two Cracked Eggs

https://twocrackedeggscafe.com/  

 

 

What a treat! Normally this place is packed when we come and there can be a little bit of a wait. But because of the time of year, day of the week, and because we arrived only thirty minutes after they opened; we had the place to ourselves (for a short time, anyway). 

 

 

I couldn’t resist an amazing Bloody Mary to go along with my Cafecito Cubano coffee.

 

 

I also went out on a limb and ordered something new today (normally I go for the Crab Cake Benedict). Their breakfast special was the White Trash Hash. OMG! This was amazing.

 

 

And the biscuits were the size of my head! Seriously. Both were delicious. 

 

 

Hubby had the River Street Rambler. Also delish!

 

 

With seats right by the window overlooking the Savannah River, we enjoyed the light breeze coming in through the wire mesh and watching the many boats chugging by. 

 

 

As we headed out of town, I glanced at the city in the rear-view mirror. How can just a few short hours make this big of an impact on a person and their mood? I don’t know exactly what it is about Savannah, but every time I come away thankful I’d had the chance to enjoy this lovely city.  

Cheers!

Tami