Rock 'n Savannah, Pt. 7

Today marks the end of my Savannah posts (until my next visit there, of course). What better way to start off a morning than a beautiful plate of fluffy lemon blueberry ricotta pancakes? Breakfasts at the Hamilton-Turner Inn are always delicious and sure taste great after a morning run through the historic district.

The next few photos are from the City Market/Ellis Square area.



This vintage postcard shows you The Old Market House, which once stood on Ellis Square. Replaced by a parking lot, it is now gone to the ages.



Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed a few years ago and replaced the hideous parking garage with an underground structure, restoring it to the lovely park-like area that you see here.



This statue of lyricist/songwriter Johnny Mercer (also the cofounder of Capitol Records) is a nice salute to Savannah's native son.



Back on Bay Street, for the last dinner of this visit, Vic's on the River was the restaurant of choice.



Typically, Vic's rates at least one meal per visit, thanks to its understatedly elegant interior, delicious food, and attentive service..



Traditional Fried Green Tomatoes are given zest with a tangy tomato chutney.



The Swordfish melted in my mouth.



The view from Vic's balcony is pretty spectacular, too. The river sure looks purty at night.



The next morning, I awoke at the crack of dawn (5am) so that I could get some shots of River Street as the sun was coming up and before it got too crowded with tourists and delivery trucks.



What I didn't count on was the sudden drop in temperatures.



Of course I got my photos, but narrowly avoided freezing my fingers off! The things photographers do to capture what they see; it's a perilous job! Here, the Westin is beautifully lit by the rising sun in the distance.



River Street is typically an area that I avoid because it seems too touristy and commercial. In the early morning light though, I have a deep appreciation for it.



Next, it was time to pack up my bags and catch a plane to Philadelphia. I was able to snap an aerial view of the windy city, Chicago:



a detailed view of the Pier:



Today I bid adieu to Savannah, but if you'll return tomorrow, I promise to take you with me to Philly!

See more Daveland Savannah photos on my Savannah web pages.

Rock 'n Savannah, Pt. 2

The Expo for the Savannah Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon was fantastic. Extremely well organized, it didn't take long to pick up the bib, t-shirt, swag bag, and have a picture taken to capture my "I haven't been to bed in 48 hours" look, courtesy of my red-eye flight.



I had never heard of Newton running shoes before, but it was difficult to miss their bright colors! One of the guys at the booth told us about them; they attempt to mimic running barefoot as closely as possible. From their website:

Forget shoes for a moment. Shoes were not around when we ran for the first time. When you were a kid running on the beach or out in the streets, you didn’t need an instruction manual or a wedge of technology under your heel to help you run better. You just started running. It was instinct. It was joy. Enter Newton Running.

Unlike the funky glove-looking shoes I had seen, these looked normal. I tried them on and did a few laps while receiving some great running tips from the Newton team. I have to say these are the best running shoes I have ever owned (and I've owned a few pairs in my time).



The other product I tried was PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter. It may sound goofy, and most likely I would have passed by this booth, but the dietician at work told me about this stuff and surprise surprise...it actually tasted good. Compared to 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, you've got 190 vs. 45 calories (130 vs. 13 from fat), and 3 grams vs. 0 grams of saturated fat. I finally took the plunge and ordered two jars from when I got home. I could see this stuff being great in recipes, too. All you do is add water. Okay, enough of the product stuff.



Back outside again, I took some shots across the way to get a panoramic view of River Street. Be sure to click on this one; it's larger than normal so that you can see more detail.



After a short nap, it was time for an early dinner and carb-load at my favorite Italian restaurant in Savannah, Leoci's. The area it's in is not great, so my advice would be to get there quick and don't loiter outside for too long!



I started off with a delicious beet salad:



Dinner was tasty; for once I strayed from the gnocchi that I typically order here. The pasta, pancetta (fancy bacon!), and broccoli were delicious. They really hit the spot.



After that, it was a brisk walk (remember, no loitering!) back to the Mansion for some shut-eye before the big race.



As I rode the funeral-parlour-ish elevator up to the room, I was hoping that it wasn't an omen about how I would do in the race!



See more Daveland Savannah photos on my Savannah web pages.

Savannah Rock 'N Roll Excursion, Pt. 3

The morning after the race, I was up early with my camera, taking photos of Savannah before most of the city was awake. A few blocks from The Hamilton-Turner Inn is Troup Square. James Pierpont, the composer of "Jingle Bells," served as music director of the Unitarian Church in Savannah. Troup Square is where this tribute to Pierpont is located.



A large iron armillary sphere stands in the center of the square, supported by six small metal turtles.





Being a Gemini, this is my favorite part of the sphere.



One of the supporting turtles:



I continued to stroll, encountering a few lesser known Savannah Squares, such as Crawford:





and Greene:



As it got closer to breakfast, I made my way down Oglethorpe Avenue, where these two vintage police autos are continually parked:







Breakfast was at J. Christopher's



I've eaten here a few times before; lively atmosphere, fun art on the wall, and the food isn't half bad.



The pancakes required A LOT of syrup, though!



Mabel Potter's Cupcake Emporium on Wright Square is another favorite stop in Savannah; the frosting is out of this world.





Here's the freshly baked batch for the day:



Chippewa Square is best known as the Square where "Forrest Gump" (Tom Hanks) parked his carcass.





Gallery Espresso is a very quaint spot for a light meal and some java or tea.





At The Savannah Theater (also located on Chippewa), you can get a little local entertainment.



"Southern Nights" was the current show. As long as you don't expect Broadway, it's a great way to spend an afternoon.



This gal rocked the house.





Monterey Square is another favorite Square.



LOVE this eerie looking house:



Probably the most famous house in Savannah is The Mercer House:



The setting of both the book and movie, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." In a publicity shot from the movie, here's Kevin Spacey standing in front of the actual Mercer House. Spacey played Jim Williams, the antiques dealer and home restorer who was tried for murder but found innocent.



Just down the street is Forsyth Park:



It's fountain is a perfect place for weary locals (and visitors) to park their tired bones.



The Faux-D© Version:



Dinner on Sunday was at Vic's On The River:





Spectacular views of the river from Vic's:



Fried Green Tomatoes; the best ones from this trip!



A Fried Pork Chop (stuffed with Brie) that rivaled The Pink House version:



This Civil War map was uncovered in 1901 during the renovation of the building where Vic's is located:





Dessert was at Leopold's Ice Cream Parlour:



I pigged out with three scoops: my favorite Tutti Frutti, along with Peppermint Stick and Huckleberry Cheesecake:



Waddling home, I snapped a few of Colonial Park Cemetery:





and St. John's:



As you can see, I cram a lot into one day! More still to come...

See more Savannah photos on my Savannah web pages.