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Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Savannah, Georgia

Two firsts for this blog post - a recent trip and a trip with the kiddo!

We spent last Thursday to Sunday in Savannah, Georgia.  We had never been before, but it was a short 4 hour drive from our home and seemed like a wonderful place to entertain our five year old daughter the last few days of her spring break.

My daughter and I drove straight out to the Oatland Island Wildlife Center on Thursday to spend the afternoon.  They have a very small nature center inside, but the real attraction is the 1 3/4 mile trail outside with natural habitats interspersed.  I will say my one big mistake was worrying too much about sunscreen (virtually the whole trail is shaded) and not nearly enough about bug spray (the bugs were OUT).    Also consider that you will be walking on dirt/leaf lined paths - a maxi skirt, although ideal for driving, is not your best choice.  I'd allow about 2 hours total to go through the center and keep in mind that although they say they close at 5, some of the exhibits close at 4.  Picnic lunches would definitely be fun - there are tables out front.  Adults are $5, children 4-17 are $4, 3 and under FREE.

There is NOTHING like the coastal south.  The oaks, the spanish moss…  I die.

On the trail

The cougar was hilarious.  He was sleeping in the back of his enclosure when we came up, saw my daughter, and got into a pouncing position.  Then he immediately ran up to the glass.  It honestly seemed more playful than attacking, but I was still happy for the barrier!  He then posed for the kids.

Boardwalk over the marsh



We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn on Bay Street, and I really loved the location.  We were right between City Market/Ellis Square - which is a wonderful mix of restaurants, shops, and open space - and the riverfront, which combines historic Savannah with modern charm.  The staff could not have been more pleasant or helpful, and the rooms were clean and comfortable.  Very nice pool and deck area as well, and the small gym is open 24/7.

Ellis Square Water Spray - so much fun for kids!  My daughter went in in her clothes, but I saw tons of kids better prepared in bathing suits.  There are restroom facilities available there for changing.  There is also a nice open park here that we played in every evening - always a great mix of people.  One night there was even a speed Scrabble game going on!

If you are looking for an easy and FREE way to get around the city, check out the DOT buses, streetcars, and ferry.  They go all over Savannah and we couldn't believe they didn't cost a thing!  The buses were pretty standard and we always felt safe.  The one complaint I have with Savannah is that virtually all parking is paid.  We ended up leaving our car with the hotel for most of the weekend.

Friday, we headed out to Tybee Island.  Tybee is 20-30 minutes out of Savannah and WELL worth the trip.  People familiar with the SC coast might compare the feel to Myrtle Beach, but on a much smaller scale.  The beach is pretty wide and the water is knee deep for quite a way out, making it very kid friendly.  I would try to get as far away from the pier as you can - that is where the crowds tend to congregate - but even with Spring Break in full force, we didn't feel crowded.  Great for shell hunting!  Be prepared to pay for parking anywhere on the island - signs will guide you to good places.


The pier does have small booths for food and drink, if you are interested.  Fishing is available at the far end.

Glad we didn't have to deal with any of this!

No pictures of this, but we also visited the Tybee Island Marine Science Center.  We feel good about the fact that our donations went towards conservation on the island, but at $4/person, we spent about 15 minutes inside - the exhibits are very limited.  They do coordinate beach walks that might be much more interesting, but for what it provided, I would probably skip it the next time.

We grabbed quick drinks and appetizers at Fannie's (great shrimp, casual outdoor beach dining) before heading out, planning to stop at The Crab Shack on our way off island.  This place is nothing but cheesy, but it's a lot of fun for the kids.  Lots of cool pirate themed decorations and photo ops, small gators you can feed with a fishing pole, and the genius idea of trash cans in the middle of the table for your seafood scraps.  Think nothing of coming here in swimsuit coverups and full of sand.  CASUAL is the word.



Other places to consider in the direction of Tybee - UGA Aquarium and Marine Education Center, Skidaway Island State Park, and Fort Pulaski.

Back in Savannah - more old oaks.  They are everywhere.  Any good trip to Savannah will include time to just wander through the many squares.

Wandering back into City Market.  Definitely a fun place to explore!  There was live music every night we were there and often other types of performances.

Savannah Candy Kitchen in City Market (they also have a location on River Street).  This place is candy HEAVEN with any type you could imagine.  The arm in the picture above was dropping freshly  made peppermint taffy in the container for purchase.

And if you were lucky enough to be there, you would get a fresh peppermint taffy sample tossed at you!

The Chart House on River Street.  Didn't eat here, but was stunned by the gorgeous building on our way down to explore.

Sculpture on the river front

Saturday morning, we were happy to discover that the scheduled rain had not arrived, so we could explore the city!  We had brunch at the Cajun inspired Huey's on River Street - be prepared for a line but it's worth it!  The food is delicious, especially the authentic beignets!



City Hall

After brunch, we headed up to the famous Forsyth Park by way of the squares.  Anywhere you walk in Savannah, be sure you are on the alternate streets where the squares are.  Not only are they more pedestrian friendly, you don't want to miss the beauty!  They are all a little different but all so charming.

Pulaski Square


Chatham Square


We finally made our way up to Forsyth Park and were not disappointed.  What a gorgeous place and quintessentially Savannah  :)

The Fountain


Much of Forsyth Park is wide open green space - great for impromptu games of ball or just lots of running!  There are also two sizable playground structures and a cafe.





We took the DOT bus back to our hotel and again home from dinner that evening.  On the way to dinner, we grabbed a pedi-cab (possibly my daughter's favorite part of the whole trip).  These are a great way to get around, but will not always be there when you need them  :)  We ate at The Pirate's House, which is an old pirate treasure storehouse.  Wonderful history here, which the roaming costumed pirates will happily fill you in on, and very good food as well.  All kids get free pirate hats! You can make a reservation and I'd recommend it.

Sunday, we sadly packed up and left our hotel.  On the way out of town, we stopped at the Georgia State Railroad Museum and the Savannah Children's Museum, which are on the same grounds.  If you want to hit the children's museum, pay at the gift shop at the railroad entrance - they will give you a bracelet and a code for the gate.  You can do both museums together or either separately.  Keep in mind that they are both completely outdoors except for the inside of the train cars.

Exploring in the train cars

Overview of the children's museum.  It is built in the remains of the old railroad buildings, and is has an absolutely amazing aesthetic.   They also have tons of activities for little ones and lots of coming attractions!


The maze structure might have been my favorite part, although I also loved the garden area and reading nook.  Our daughter wanted to stay forever!

Overall, we thought Savannah was an entirely charming Southern city and we are very excited to go back someday.  I am looking forward to exploring more of the historical aspects of the city (when the little one is able to walk more) as well as exploring more of the coastal areas.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Ithaca, New York

My husband has been on a long term project at Cornell University, so we took the opportunity to spend  a weekend in Ithaca, NY in November of 2014.  I truthfully wish we could have coordinated this earlier in the year - coming from SC it was COLD!  I think we also would have enjoyed the fall color more a few weeks earlier.  But we still bundled up and had a great time  :)

Our view from lunch the first day - even with bare trees and snow on the ground, the lakes were GORGEOUS.

Our first stop was Taughannock Falls.  It was about a half mile flat trail walk back to the falls from the parking lot, and we had some beautiful scenery on the way…


The falls themselves.  The water is still flowing in the middle, but frozen around most of the edge.  I wish I could have truly done justice with these pictures - it was absolutely breathtaking.



After the falls, we stopped at our first winery.  I'm not sure how many people are aware that the Finger Lakes region of New York is a large wine producing area - it was news to me.  The microclimate there near the lakes make them ideal for some of the sweeter and iced wines, but they do some nice drier wines as well.  This shot was taken at the Sheldrake Point Vineyards.  They have a very cute tasting room and we enjoyed their reds.

Hosmer Winery.  A much more rustic feel, but very friendly people.

The next day, we headed out with a tour of Seneca Lake by Experience Finger Lakes.  Our driver Chris was very knowledgable and taught us so much about wine making in upstate NY.  And thankfully, it had warmed up just a little so we could enjoy some of the views!  The tour was a group and we were pretty tight in the bus, but they did hand out free water bottles and snacks and did everything they could to keep us comfortable.  Try for a seat closer to the front  :)  We did enjoy that the tour arranged a private tasting at each winery so we were never standing in line or being rushed.

Our first winery was Silver Thread Wine Cellars.  A gorgeous tasting room and a wonderful view!  This is a small winery and owned by Paul and Shannon Brock.  Shannon gave us a short tour and did our tasting herself.  They specialize in Riesling and focus more on dry wines, but also have some semi sweets.

Our next stop was Red Newt Winery.  A very spacious tasting room with a great view off the deck.  The staff here was great about suggesting food/wine pairings and we really enjoyed their reds.  They specialize in Reisling and also have a great bistro if you are looking for a lunch stop.

Our last stop of the day was the one I had been waiting for - Damiani Wine Cellars.  Chris told us that they specialized in big reds, regardless of the climate, and he was right - they were really good!  They also have their own chocolatier, which meant that every wine we tried had a chocolate pairing.  Add that to a beautiful view over the lake and we were in heaven.  I even managed to strike up a conversation with winemaker Lou Damiani and got myself a nice taste of a 2007 Reserve Cabernet.  My only complaint is that the tasting room was relatively busy, but we still had a private tasting at the corner bar.

On my last morning in Ithaca, my husband and I went for a hike up the Cascadilla Gorge.  Cornell is divided by two huge gorges and they are so remarkable when half frozen.  Anyone visiting Ithaca should take this walk!  Lots of stairs, but very doable.  We thought it was a pleasant hike.




We also popped by the Ithaca Farmers Market.  I imagine it would be much more interesting and vibrant in good weather, but you could still see how cute it would be  :)  We loved trying local hard ciders!



Our last stop before heading to the airport was Six Mile Creek Vineyards.  It has a nice view, but the tasting room was a little hectic and was right next to a busy shop, so I found it a little harder to relax.  

All in all, I enjoyed my short time in Ithaca.  If you are thinking about a trip, I think October would be ideal as the color would be just overwhelming.  Some fun wineries with some very interesting wines.  Friendly people.  Quaint college feel.  Gorgeous countryside.