Now, for those of you about to hate on us for our good beach fortune, remember that this also means both I and my Swede husband have got a lovely case of sunburn. Despite the dark hair, we both turn into lobsters when exposed to sunlight (have you read my post on random genes?)...
So, just for fun, I'm going to tell you a little about our trip to Savannah.
First off, I'm blessed with a family that keeps buying properties on the water. My mom has this cool place on Wilmington Island, which is just a few minutes to either Old Town Savannah or the beach at Tybee Island. As an added bonus, it has lovely views of the Bull River, the salt marshes, and the neighbors are really wonderful and friendly!
As an aside... My dad just went to FLA on vacation and bought a house in Palm Beach while he was there! Can't WAIT to visit that! And my step-mom has a place on Chesapeake Beach... Literally the shortest drive between us and surf/sand! It doesn't suck to be me....
Anyway, every time I tell someone I'm going to Savannah, they say "Oh! You HAVE to go to Paula Deen's restaurant, it's called Lady and Sons!". And every time, I giggle to myself. In almost as many trips to Savannah as I have fingers, I still have not gone to Lady and Sons, and I can give you many reasons...
#1 -- I cook circles around Paula Deen! There's not much challenge in making great Southern cooking, if you have access to copious amounts of butter-n-oil. It doesn't hurt if you have some good recipes as well -- but you, gentle reader, have ME to pass these along to you (see the end of this post).
#2 -- The line at Lady and Sons is generally around the block. People line up two and three hours in advance to be seated for a lovely, if overpriced, helping of good 'ole soul food (done white-person style), and then you don't even get to choose what you will eat.
#3 -- There is a place out by the mall in Savannah, it's a little low on ambiance BUT the food is AMAZING, and it's darn near impossible to rack up a tab of more than $50 for two people. The place is called Sweet Potato's, and it's where I learned to cook collard greens (see the end of this post).
Why wait in line and pay through the nose to get what Paula felt like cooking today, when you can waltz right in to SP's and order what you really want, pay next to nothing, and have the best meal you will have all year?
My other tips for Savannah trips are these:
Go in April, May, or September. It gets REALLY HOT in Savannah! I can't bear the weather there in June, July, or August. You will wilt! You could literally fry an egg on the hood of your car during summer there.
Bring lots of OFF bug spray. The local "noseeums" will eat you alive. If you can't get your hands on this bug spray, take my husband with you! The bugs there simply adore him, and will leave you mostly alone if he's within 50 yards.
Take the Ghost tour. It's pretty cool.
When you go downtown, the old Market area is great. They have a terrific cigar shop, and a place that sells top-notch knock-offs of designer perfumes for pennies on the dollar. And if you are there after 4pm, the pizza at Vinnie Van Go-Go's is worth a taste! But skip the ear jokes, they've heard them all...
Don't forget to walk up to Broughton, there is plenty of great shopping there as well. My fave is Loose Lucy's. You will dig browsing even if you've outgrown tie dyes, band tee shirts, and incense. I find it fascinating that the staff there, mostly young enough to be my children, really seem to dig the old lady who comes in with purple hair, piercings and tattoos.
There is a 24-hour Parker's near downtown (I forget the exact location!), it's on Drayton St, and you can get fresh flowers, gourmet coffees, cheeses, and gifts, beautiful jewelry, cards and wrap at all hours. Just in case you, say, forgot my birthday???
And while on Tybee, it's a bunch of fun to go to The Breakfast Club. Try to go early, though... Not only is parking on Tybee tight, but TBC tends to fill up a little like Paula Deen's. It's famous, after all! And they make their own sausages. Hmmmm.
Another bit of fun is to visit Tybee JetSki and rent yourself some kayaks. They are inexpensive, and the only place that will rent you for a half-day (6 whopping hours for $28). If you want a guide or tour, you better make a reservation. BUT, this friendly place will let you out of their sight with a kayak even if you are relatively inexperienced.
In case you are wondering -- canoeing experience DOES count! If you can paddle a canoe and not tip, a kayak is going to be a piece of cake!
Also on Tybee -- WEAR YOUR SUNSCREEN! It's a fun beach. It can be packed, but you will really get a taste of the South there. Just about everyone within two beach blankets will strike up a conversation with you. So, you don't want to get a burn, and miss a day!
Seriously, folks, go visit Savannah. It's fun, it's inexpensive, it's full of activities for the entire family.
Lemon Collards: Take a large package of frozen collards and put them in a microwave-ssafe pot. Cover them with water, then add one more cup of water, a cup of lemon juice, and a few slivers of lemon rind. Cover the pot, and microwave for 25 minutes (collards are tough, you have to cook the beejeebers out of them!). Remover the collards, drain well, then add a tablespoon of butter and two of lemon juice. Stir them up and taste -- if you have a really tough batch, you can put them back in the microwave for another 10 minutes! The lemon really brings out a nice flavor. You will enjoy these even if you don't generally like collards!
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