Rock 'n Savannah, Pt. 3

Getting up at the crack of dawn for the race, it was a dark and cold trek up to the starting line on Bay Street. My sleeveless running T didn't become a good clothing choice until just before the race started when the temperatures were closer to normal.



Running from Corral 2, I started 30 seconds after the first Corral was unleashed. The weather was perfect; bright and sunny but still crisp enough to keep me from getting overheated. I also love the course; fairly flat with plenty of cool architecture and enthusiastic Savannah-ians cheering along the way.



Although it wasn't a personal best, my time of 1:53.08 still shaved about 20 minutes off of my horrid race at Disneyland two months ago.



What made the difference? It certainly wasn't my training. The big 3 reasons for improvement included weight loss (less to carry!), temperatures (Disneyland's Half Marathon is typically a scorcher), and a fairly uncongested course. With the amount of participants allowed at Disney and the extremely narrow course for the first few miles, it's not a great way to start a race and typically adds a fair amount of time and energy.



Half Marathon and Full Marathon-ers continued to cross the finish line.



Some were in costume.



Kudos to the race organizers; plenty of great treats awaited runners at the finish line, including Borden Chocolate Milk! A tasty way to replenish after the race.



Over in Forsyth Park at the finish line, bands rocked away as they welcomed the runners who had crossed the finish line.





A panoramic view of the park:



No rest for the weary; after a quick shower, it was time to grab a good celebratory (but not necessarily healthy) meal. Along the way, there was a detour into the beautiful Noble Hardee mansion on Monterey Square.



This place has seen better days, but it's still pretty impressive. It now serves as an antique store run by Alex Raskin. I'd never been inside before (hard to believe), but it happened to be open on this particular occasion.



Every inch of this place was stacked with amazing antiques, including this light fixture.



If I weren't so hungry, I could have spent days here. I can only begin to imagine the inventory taxes.



The view from upstairs overlooks the former Armstrong Junior College, which is now the law firm of Bouhan, Williams, & Levy.



Also along the way to our lunch spot is the Hilton Savannah DeSoto, a somewhat impressive hotel...



as long as you aren't aware of what was torn down to make way for it. Who was the brain trust that issued the demolition permit?!?



Apparently, these expressive terra cotta wall sculptures are remnants from the original.



This one was my favorite; the expressive leer is so lifelike you almost expect to see him blink.





Finally, it was chow time. Clary's on Abercorn is a cute little diner that serves delicious comfort food.





My meal really hit the spot, and the service is always friendly here.





No celebratory meal would be complete in Savannah without dessert from Leopold's Ice Cream Parlour. I got a few (not going to say how many) scoops of my favorite ice cream...



as well as a cupcake. Oink oink is right.



In the "it ain't done til it's overdone" department, there were also cupcakes to be tried at Sweet Carolina Cupcakes.





The fresh apple cupcake was pretty good, but I still preferred Leopold's.



Loved this little sign, though.



Can I get an "amen"?

See more Daveland Savannah photos on my Savannah web pages.

Savannah Rock 'N Roll Excursion, Pt. 2

It was the perfect day for a race; cooler temperatures and the sun was just beginning to come out as everyone started to line up in their corrals. This picture was obviously shot VERY early in the race, as I am not even sweating yet.



Flash forward to me coming across the finish line, and it's definitely a different story. My goal was 1:45; I was pretty much on target, but by mile 9, I knew I was losing ground. Still, by the time I saw the finish line, I knew I could still earn a personal best score if I picked up the pace a bit, which is exactly what I did.



I finished at 1:48:37, shaving 2 minutes off my previous record. It was a good day!



Now that the race/training was over, it was time to stuff my face. I was sick of dieting!



Clary's Cafe is a local favorite, located on the corner of Jones Street and Abercorn Street, and just a few blocks from The Hamilton-Turner Inn (my feet were very grateful). The decor includes a stained glass window of The Bird Girl, originally located in Bonaventure Cemetery and made famous by the photo of her on the cover of John Berendt's book, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."



Nothing but delicious comfort food here, including this tasty tomato bisque soup.



Chicken salad on a croissant with a side of fries...what a delicious victory meal!



Surprisingly enough, there was a fair amount of walking after lunch. I felt like I needed to work my meal off, so I stopped by to visit The Old Sorrel-Weed House in Madison Square.



It is a beautiful historic old home that is in a sad state of disrepair.



"Restored" by a misguided owner who ran short of money, it is an odd mix of poorly chosen modern light fixtures, cracked walls, and other questionable choices that have put this home in danger. No Southern Home would be complete without a painting of Robert E. Lee above the mantle.



This wretched light fixture hurts so bad.





This gorgeous sideboard also needs some TLC, apparent when one takes a closer look.



Moving on to dinner, it was time to head to Reynolds Square, passing the historic Lucas Theater along the way.



A statue of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, holds court over the square.



Wesley was the minister of a newly formed Savannah parish, but jeopardized his position when he let his feelings get in the way. Wesley became involved with Sophia Hopkey, but ended the relationship on the advice of a Moravian minister. Hopkey felt scorned, saying that Wesley had promised to marry her. So, she found another hubby. Wesley subsequently refused Hopkey and her hubby communion, causing them to file suit against Wesley. Wesley stood trial and faced the accusations made by Hopkey. The proceedings ended in a mistrial, but Wesley's rep was still ruined. He returned to England a beaten man. Just one of the many fascinating people that Savannah claims as its own.



The Pink House, one of my very favorite Savannah Restaurants.



It derived its name because the red color of the bricks bled through the light colored stucco coating, giving it a pink tint.



It also has a reputation of being haunted. The bar in the basement is supposedly one of the hot spots at this place.



Whatever the story is, I can assure you that the food is delicious, starting off with this BLT salad: bacon, lettuce, and fried green tomato.



And finally, the entree I'd been craving since my last trip to Savannah two years ago: The Infamous Fried Pork Chop, served with more fried green tomatoes (at my request, as I'm not a fan of collard greens) and mac and cheese.



After dinner, it was time to schlep it on over to Club One, where the awning looks as if someone took a magic marker to it.



If you've seen the movie version of "Midnight In The Garden of Good Evil," I am so sorry. It doesn't begin to do justice to Berendt's story. However, it does have one glimmer of fun with the appearance of The Lady Chablis, the southern drag queen that plays herself.



Fortunately, she happened to be in town, and I was able to catch her entertaining show at Club One.



I can assure you that she is just about one of the only reasons to go to Club One. The rest of the show was pretty nasty.



A few shots of the Hamilton-Turner before I crashed for the night. My pillow was calling to me!



Love the real gas lamps; just like being on Main Street U.S.A.!



See more Savannah photos on my Savannah web pages.