Warm and Slightly Humid Savannah

1. Judi and Gerry full of Paula Deens good ole' Southern cooking

2. Earlier at 9:30 am. The line (which stretches to the other end of the block) to get our name on the list for Lady and Sons

3. Made it! A reservation for 3:00 pm for lunch

4. My plate from the buffet

5. Location of Forrest Gump's bench where he waited for the bus. (or maybe at one of the other 22 squares. "Seen one square you've seen them all")

6. Parade of Savannah State University--the marching band

7. The vice-mayor of Savannah looking fine in all the red!

8. The Honorable John Barrows, U.S. House of Representatives not on the float

9. Miss Savannah State University and her court

What a day! It is 8:00 Saturday night and we just woke up from a nap!!!! Now what is that going to do to our schedule? We started out early this morning and walked about 10 blocks to put our name in for a reservation at Lady and Sons restaurant. Standing in line in shifts we made the acquaintance of the people around us as we shuffled our way to the host who was taking names. We stood in line about an hour and we got a 3:00 reservation for lunch. This is the only way at this point you can get in to the restaurant. Paula Deen has become such a celebrity and her story so well known that most visits to Savannah include her in the myriad of things to do.

While Lee held our place in line I went down the street to a parade. I think it must be Savannah State University's homecoming and the band, queen, dignitaries and politicos were all on hand. While taking a picture of the local U.S. Representative, John Barrow, on his float, this casually dressed man runs across the street to hug a guy standing next to me, runs into my picture taking, apologizes and grabs my hand to introduce himself as "JohnBarrow, nice to meet you". Don't know who the guy in a suit sitting on the float was!

We left the line happy and then I went antiquing and Judi and Lee headed in another direction. We all had equally fascinating experiences but they ended up at the Mercer House, of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" fame. Interesting to note that no member of the Mercer family ever lived there. It is called the Mercer house because the grandfather of Johnny Mercer commissioned it but the Civil War intervened and when it was finished he sold it. Jim Williams, of book and movie fame, lived there for 20 years and conducted his antique and restoration business from there. His sister owns the house and lives there now.

They also visited the Sorrel Weed house which is under restoration. The design and review committee of the city of Savannah questioned the owners choice of exterior color but analysis has proved the original color really was pumpkin! It has been under reconstruction for many years and the present owner who has lived there since 1998 has already spent over $2,000,000. It will take a lot of toursist dollars to finish that job.

The antique shops I visited were great. The first one was full of fabulous old junk that I would have loved to take home. Prices were great and I was champing at the bit to buy armoires, bars, and bureaus. The next two I visited made California prices look cheap!!! One place had more furniture than I have ever seen in one place! Finally decided to take the free shuttle to the Mercer House. Waited with many other people and the shuttle never came. Seems they were all tied up in traffic because of the parade. So I finally took off walking. I found myself at two of the sites of the Telfair Museum of Art at the Owens-Thomas House and the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences which is housed in a converted mansion. Interesting rstorations in each of these places. We all three walked and walked until our poor dogs were "barking" and then we met back at Lady and Sons for lunch!

Well, we have been saying we wanted to come to Savannah to go to Lady and Sons and there we were! I asked how many meals were served and it amounts to over 3,000 every day. We were ushered into the 3rd floor and ordered the buffet. In the picture my plate contains riblets, green beans, black eyed peas, collard greens, grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and mac 'n cheese. Judi also sampled the corn, and Lee tried the sweet potatoes and lima beans. We had started the meal with a hoe cake topped with a cheese biscuit drizzled with syrup. We sampled three desserts which were banana pudding, peach cobbler, and Gooey Butter cake. Lee describes the last one as pure butter with a little bit of flour and sugar to hold it together! The Collard greens were better than Jestines, and the cheese biscuit was to die for. Everythng else in between was fabulous with a couple of exceptions. Judi wasn't thrilled with the flavor and consistancy of the corn dish and I realized I had not liked the way my Granny fixed sweet potatoes and I don't like Paula's, which are just like Granny's. Other than that it was perfect. Add a couple of beers and sweet tea and our bill was a little over $50.00. It was worth every penny we spent and minute we waited. She is really onto a marketing dream and the Gotta Go Girls salute her! And as our other heroine says "Yum-O!"

We found a shuttle stop and this time a bus did come by. Thank goodness because I don't think our poor feet could have carried us back to the hotel. Naps all around, a little carbonated drink to stay hydrated and we are tucking in early tonight. On to Atlanta tomorrow. Will be a relief to sit in the car for a few hours.

P.S. We have vowed to stop talking so much about food. What are the odds that will happen?

From Rainy Savannah!

The pictures from the top down are as follow:

1. Spanish moss covering the trees

2. One of many mansions which are open to the public

3. Intricate iron work

4. Dolphin downspouts

5. A pirate's tavern

The drive here from Charleston was about 2 hours under drizzly skies. But thank goodness nothing like the downpour we encountered a couple of days ago. We arrived here before noon and stopped at the visitor's center which is just across the street from our hotel. It was too early to check in so we hopped on a city tour and were driven around the city. Savannah is very compact and built around a number of squares. This is from the original design of the colonial settler, John Oglethorpe. The mansions are beautiful, the iron work incredible and the Spanish moss hanging off the trees is spooky! It was a very interesting tour and we got off at City Market. It is nothing as vast as Charleston's and after we had meandered down the block in the rain and stopped in the Savannah Candy Kitchen, owned by a friend of Paula Deen's, we decided to come to the hotel, do some laundry and go to the Pirate's House for dinner.

Reading about the Pirate's House in the guide books we probably would have passed it over as being too hokey but the woman at the visitor's center raved about it. Goes there herself and thought the food was excellent. She was right! Lee and I had grouper, an Atlantic fish, and Judi had fried shrimp and oysters. Another Yum-o experience. Tonight we passed on dessert and I think that was a good idea. Perhaps the pralines (notice the plural) I had this afternoon should count as dessert.

The Pirate's House is really an old tavern built in the 1700's and Blackbeard is suppsed to have been there. Robert Louis Stevenson based some of his story, Treasure Island, on this location and it is where Billy Budd drank himself to death.

Tomorrow will be a walking day and we are going to try to get in to Paula Deen's restaurant for lunch. Whatever happens I know we will have some good food. Good night from three little porkers!

From The Three Little Pigs

Actually the first pictures tell it all. I am so uncomfortable as I sit here at my laptop and the proof is in the pictures. They were taken at Jestine's where we had some of the best food we have ever eaten.

The picture of the three of us is BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO MELODY! We are raising our glasses of wine and sweet tea over plates of dessert! Coca Cola Cake, Pecan Pie and Coconut Cream Pie. We're mailing the extra calories to you!

The other pictures are from our bus tour of Charleston and a visit to Drayton Plantation outside Charleston.

We started out early this morning by catching a small bus tour with Alan. Got the bus across the street at the Visitor's Center (love the convenient location of our hotel) and he drove along the Battery so he could show us Ft Sumter where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Unfortunately it was pouring rain so he held up a little model of the fort and told us all to squint. That's what it would look like if the clouds lifted and we could see across the bay.

Charleston is a lovely city. The historic district is well preserved and people actually live in most of these beautiful homes. Granted the price isn't cheap though. We were particularly intrigued by the single house with the end turned toward the street and the porch runs beside the house. There are houses like this in New Orleans also and were probably built like this to avoid taxes during the 18th and 19th centuries. Wonder if that would work today???? Loved seeing the Rainbow Row of houses painted the bright colors. Toured the Nathaniel Russell mansion and the gardens were beautiful.

The tour dropped us off at Market Hall where we shopped in several blocks of open air (but covered) shops. Found many treasures and enjoyed seeing the sweet grass baskets. Enslaved people were brought from rice growing areas of Africa, particularly Senegal to work on the rice plantations of the area. They brought not only their skills for growing rice but also their tradition of making lovely sweet grass baskets. At first they were merely utilitarian and used in the processing the harvested rice but now have evolved into an art form. The market was filled with people making these baskets but they don't come cheap and we did more looking than buying.

We scurried back to the hotel and dropped our packages and drove about 10 miles out of Charleston along the Ashley River to Drayton Hall. This is a plantation that was properous before the Civil War when the local economy was based on rice and many slaves were needed

to work in the fields. John Drayton who built the mansion in the late 1700's was the wealthy plantation owner and also built a large home in Charleston. After the Civil War when labor became a problem for the plantation the Drayton owners were lucky enugh to find a large deposit of phosphate on the land and the family wealth was assured. This plantation house was a vacation retreat and was in the family until the 1960's when it was sold to the Preservation Society. One stipulation of the sale is that the plantation house is not to be restored but merely maintained. That is no small feat but it is not furnished, as say Mt. Vernon, but that gives it an incredible feeling of authenticity. Sorry to say our guide was a retired primary grade teacher and was just a little too perky for our taste but she was quite knowledgeable. For that reason we didn't smother her! (Are the GGG's getting a bit jaded when it comes to guides?) The grounds weren't filled with landscaping and the live oak trees with the Spanish moss hanging gave things a bit of an eerie feeling. We stopped at the African American cemetary on the property and in the words of one of the last persons buried there in 1998 it has been "left natural". As Richard Bowens said "Leave 'em rest". It was a wonderfully peaceful place.

And then......from this enriching experience we had a very rich experience in the form of a dinner at Jestine's! Our dinners were fabulous! Fried Chicken, meat loaf (the best I have ever eaten) fried green tomatoes, okra, green beans, mac 'n cheese, collard greens, black eyed peas, and the aforementioned desserts. Now each person didn't have all that but we shared our plates round and round the table. Fortunately we had a long 4 block walk back to the hotel! Jestine's is famous in Charleston and has even made it to the Food Channel and major publications. A well deserved reputation! As Rachel Ray who visited there said, "Yum-o!"

I have to get to bed. Will be hard to drag ourselves out of Charleston. We might need to come back here someday! But onward to Savannah! Wonder if we will find anything good to eat there? Had to take the picture of the pig over a bar we passed on the way home tonight. Perhaps we need shirts with this emblazoned as our logo!

"Oink" from the Gotta Go Girls.

A Long Travel Day

I know that only 2 pictures look a bit silly but could write volumes on these two!

First of all, the almost empty hushpuppy basket at lunch today. Melody, we received your message and decided showing the empty basket would be easier on you! Lee and I fought over the last two. We do love those greasy little things! Lee had a seafood salad so thought she was entitled to a greater share of the hushpuppies. Judi and I had the fried platter of shrimp, oysters, and flounder. Judi is trying to watch herself so she had a double serving of cole slaw while I had the fries. The decision making at mealtime is quite a burden but we soldier on and skip very few eating opportunities.

Speaking of eating (which we do a lot) Lee was leafing through the wonderful book "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" and there was Wilber's Barbecue from yesterday. We were amazed to read "Wilber's Barbecue epitomizes eastern-style North Carolina barbecue, where the entire pig is smoked and served up with white or yellow slaw and nary a hint of ketchup. During a typical weekend at Wilber's 25 pigs are rendered fork-tender for the hungry masses." Yep, those "hungry masses", that's us!

We left New Bern this morning with all good intentions of following explicit directions from Google. Right! Somewhere I missed a turn and we ended up on a two lane road with very little traffic. Stopped at a little roadside grocery store and were told to, "Go on down the road to the flashing light, turn right and that will take you to the Interstate." Almost 2 hours and lots of little towns, cotton fields, and farm land later, we reached the interstate. Before heading south we made that fishy stop for lunch. Yum!

By 4:00 we were heading east again on the Inerstate toward Charleston when we encountered a cloudburst! I was driving and the rain was coming down so hard we slowed to a crawl, turned on the flashers, and the windshield wipers could hardly remove the volume of water. When it stopped after about 5 minutes we all breathed a sigh of relief, and then here came another one! Drivers were very cautious which we were thankful for. I have never driven in rain that intense and I don't think it has ever rained that hard in California!

Which brings me to the other picture. On the interstate before the cloudburst I suggested to Lee that she take a picture out the front window to see if we could share what the road in South Carolina looks like. There are pines planted along the side of the freeway as well as the medium strip. It is really pretty and you feel you are hemmed in by vast pine forests. I don't know if that is the case but it surely feels like that.

Found our way into the Historic District of Charleston and staying at a Hampton Inn right across the street from the Visitor's Center. Not driving around lost this time. Going on a tour of the city tomorrow and then out to an historic plantation. We walked around the area a bit tonight and are glad we are staying here again tomorrow night.

The best news for me today was hearing from Lisa that she and her family were headed home after being evacuated because of the fires. Now we are waiting to hear from Judi's granddaughter and other friends. Lisa's house smells a bit smokey but all is well. Thank goodness.

Love from the Gotta Go Girls

New Foods and Old Friends

1., 2., and 3.

Hush Puppies, and pig sandwiches with cole slaw! All this at Wilburs Barbecue! Yumm-o!

The other pictures are Joe and Judy Rugierro in New Bern, North Carolina

What a nice day we have had in spite of all the worry and concern we have over events in San Diego. We continue tonight to be concerned about our family and friends who are in the midst of the fire storm. Lisa and her family are still with friends and hope to know by tomorrow when they will be able to return to their home which we hope has escaped destruction. Judi's granddaughter, Danielle, and our friend, Michelle Tinsley Horner, we haven't heard from. We know they are evacuated but how have their homes fared? Our prayers for everyone involved in this disaster.

Our drive from Chapel Hill, North Carolina this morning was pleasant under cloudy skies. We stopped near New Bern for lunch at Wilber's Barbecue. From the crowded parking lot we figured the food would be ok and it was more than that! It was very casual and from the moment we sat down and a basket of hush puppies was set before us to the moment we paid the TOTAL bill of $14.58 we knew we had chosen the best place. The hush puppies were warm and deliscious. They are just fried bits of sweetened cornbread but very satisfying. We talked to the waitress about what would be a good sampling of Wilber's food and she suggested the "pig sandwiches with cole slaw". Sounded good to us so soon we were diving into these sandwiches and the cole slaw was piled on the pig and what a yummy combination! The specially seasoned french fries were perfect and iced tea and cokes kept being refilled. Like little porkers we got back in the car and continued on to New Bern.

Arrived in the lovely waterside home of Joe and Judy Ruggiero. Joe and Lee's husband Leo had started as work friends many years ago and the bi-coastal friendship of the two couples grew over the years. It was an afternoon of reminiscing, sharing stories, and catching up with the latest news of families. We were shown around their boat which is due to leave for a sail around the Bahamas this winter and then settled in to their very comfortable sun room. The next thing we knew the sun was going down and before it was dark we drove around the area to see where Joe and Judy spend their time when they aren't in Connecticut with their large family. Their 13 grandchildren keep things hopping and New Bern is sort of a quiet harbor. Topped off the evening with dinner at the New Bern Outback. Thanks so much, Joe and Judy, for a wonderful day.

They even escorted us to the motel so we weren't driving around lost as happens sometime. Jumped on the internet to see what was going on with the fires, talked to Lisa, and now I think it is time for bed. On to Charleston, South Carolina tomorrow. Nighty night from the Girls

Driving, Sleeping, and Worrying

Perhaps you noticed I didn't say picture taking! Had a great opportunity around 1:00 this afternoon but didn't think about it until just now! Oh well!



Left Asheville this morning under overcast skies and a bit of drizzle. Lee was driving and soon she had the wipers on in earnest and got some serious rain! Or so they tell me. I had assumed my usual back seat position. Slumped over, mouth open, and snoring a little bit. When I awoke just before reaching Hickory, South Carolina, I was told I had a phone call back a few miles. Man! I didn't realize I was that sound asleep. The call had been from my daughter, Lisa in tears saying that due to fire danger, they were evacuating their home in San Diego and perhaps I could call her. That woke me up! I called her immediately and they were on their way to a Pat Brown's on Coronado, Island. Pat and I attended Watsonville High School together and here she is 53 years after our graduation giving shelter to my family. Thanks so much, Pat, and special thanks to your daughter who has the spare rooms they are using! That has occupied my thoughts a lot today. The last time I tried to call them the circuits were all busy. I know they are safe but it still a huge worry.


The reason for the stop in Hickory was for Lee and Judi to go to one of the HUGE furniture showrooms. Many companies that I had heard of, and many that I hadn't, had showrooms all under one roof and over a thousand different lines of furniture were being shown. Lee has been looking for a small dining table for a long time and after checking out most of the showrooms had just about given up. I had plopped down in an easy chair and was waiting for them to come back when Lee appeared with a big smile on her face. Eureka! She had found it! All the details were taken care of, order placed, and we were back in the car and headed for lunch. Of course only thought just a few minutes ago that I should have taken a picture of the new table and chairs. Found a restaurant and while Lee and Judi ordered lunch, I popped into a hair cutting place next door and got a sorely needed trim.


Back in the car, I got the back seat again and slept on to Chapel Hill. Getting ready for bed and then on to the coast tomorrow. We are visiting an old friend of Lee's in New Bern, North Carolina and then we will be heading for Charleston. We really are in the South.

Love from the Gotta Go Girls

Moving in to Fall!

Pictures as follow:

1. and 2. At a Vista Point in eastern Tennessee in the Smoky Mountains

3. and 4. Harvest Festival at the Biltmore Estate

5. Smithy fabricating iron leaves

6. Biltmore Estate, Ashevillle, North Carolina

7. One of the many Biltmore Estate gardens

8. Monticello

9.Mist clearing at Monticello

10. Our guide through Mulberry Row slave quarters

11. Beer making

12. Sugar Maple tree at Monticello

Hope you enjoy the pictures 1,2,8,9,10,11,12 which should have been posted last night. Blogger fixed the problem, bless them. The rest of the pictures are from today and are pretty self explanatory.

Sunday is no day of rest for the GGG! It was a glorious breezy fall day with the temperatures in the low 70's. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and we drove a short way to the Biltmore Estate. It is extremely well organize but a bit pricey. We paid close to $50.00 a ticket but by the end of the day felt we had received value for the dollars spent. The tour through the house is self- guided and we could go at our own pace. It is another one of those elaborate Vanderbilt mansions but we had the feeling that actual people lived there, unlike the Breakers in Newport which belonged to a cousin and seemed like a mausoleum. We have talked and talked about what the difference is and can't come up with definitive answers but there is definitely a different feeling.

They are getting ready for the Christmas season which is traditionally very important at the Biltmore and it must be magnificent when ready for the holiday. Had lunch in the refurbished stables and the stall we ate in had the original white tile on the walls, brick floor with a drain in the middle and steel gratings. Judi commented she wished her bedroom was as nice. Lunch was deliscious and then did a bit of shopping. The Christmas store was incredible!

Our next stop on the Estate grounds was the Fall Festival at River Bend Farm. In the old barn we saw demonstrations of furniture making, basket making, clog dancing, blacksmithing, and a story telling troupe! It was a delight for the children and enjoyable for adults as well. AND! One of the Gotta Go Girls won a prize. When one of the actors asked who knew the opening words to Lewis Carroll's Jaberwocky our very own Lee spoke up with "T'was brilling when a slithy toad" (or something like that) and was awarded a box of Animal Crackers! We were very proud! A Gotta Go Girl makes good! Topped the day off with a big ice cream cone and we drove back to our hotel with smiles on our faces. And we didn't even get lost!

Heading for the coast of North Carolina staying midway in Chapel Hill/Raleigh tomorrow night. Tucking in early. We love North Carolina!

Love, The Gotta Go Girls