We lucked into volunteer hiking jobs at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park and spent the summer hiking four days a week! We learned a lot while we were there. Yosemite is a huge park that is broken into sections:
There are many miles to explore between each section of the park!
Tuolumne Meadows has a store, a grill, a post office and the Campground. The store, grill and post office are located in one building that also happens to be a kind of tent building. Pretty cool!
Tuolumne Meadows does not have a set opening day. It opens depending entirely on when the snow melts. We arrived in June and had the privilege of being in the campground for almost a week before it officially opened. We needed much of that first week to acclimate to the 8600’ elevation. Altitude sickness is very real and happens more often than you would think. Drink lots of water in the weeks before heading this way as it really helps!
We needed much of that first week to acclimate to the 8600’ elevation.
Cell service is an iffy thing up there. Depending on the season, there may or may not be a tiny bit of Verizon and the possibility of an even smaller bit of AT&T. We have a boosted Verizon hot-spot and once the tower was turned on we got a whopping 5 bars of 1X service. We were essentially cut off from the world … once we got accustomed to it, it sure was nice!
We quickly realized that although we had left Texas, we had not left the mosquitos! They were bad and stayed bad for every bit of a month while snow melted and puddles evaporated. The biters were bad enough near water that we wore netting over our heads as they laughed at our mosquito spray! If mosquitos are a real problem for you, come later in the year. If flowing water and waterfalls are important, come early and come prepared.
Bears frequent the campground in search of high-calorie food. Let’s face it, almost anything humans eat will fatten up a bear far faster than grass! They will eat anything that smells good … including sunscreen, candles, soap and your food. Bear boxes are provided in the campground and at every trailhead to keep food and “smelly” items safe from bears. Please use them as a fed bear is a dead bear.
Purple 49, AKA Bandit
The drive through Tuolumne is beautiful. However, the really spectacular views are seen while hiking trails. There are even “social” trails which are not listed on the official map, but these trails are not necessarily maintained by the park. Let’s go through the park-maintained trails from our perspective. How is our perspective different?
We knew right away that paper maps weren’t our thing and while apps on a phone aren’t ideal for those who are staying out many nights, they are perfect for day-hikes!
Tracks where you went, time on the trail, time spent moving, pace and elevation gain. Pictures can be added and data downloaded in a shareable format. Be sure to download the trails you intend to hike before getting to the park as you will need data/service to download. Maps sometimes have trouble loading even after downloading, so check before you head out.
Shows your exact position on the trail with GPS coordinates. Can also record your tracks, time and elevation gain. Pins can be dropped; pictures and information can be added to the pins. Best thing is you can see everywhere you have been on one map. Maps for this app have to be purchased. Pricing starts at free and goes up from there! No data or service is needed after the map is downloaded!
Avenza hiking tracks
Difficulty: 1
Wildlife Sightings: Deer and marmot
This is an easy trail, most of which is on an old gravel road and very slightly uphill. The spring is bubbling out of the ground within a partial log cabin surrounding it. The water has an unusual taste and warnings tell you to drink at your own risk. Many people do drink this water and one couple makes an annual trip to get water from the spring to mix up a drink with Tequila and Tang! There are views of the river, meadow and surrounding mountains from the spring. If you like, extend the hike by continuing up to Parsons Lodge and then down the hill to cross the bridge into the meadow.
Difficulty: 3
Wildlife Sightings: Deer and frogs
The first part of this trail is steep and we had to stop to rest a lot! The first time we hiked this trail we passed up the Lembert Dome trail as we thought it would be too hard … it’s not! Do both! The lake is pretty and if its early in the year there may be dragonfly’s emerging … it’s quite a sight! Lembert Dome has a bird’s eye view of the meadow and surrounding mountains and it is truly amazing.
Difficulty: 1
Wildlife Sightings: An occasional deer and lots of marmots
Easy trail with very little elevation gain. Early in the season, the trail is quite busy due to PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) and JMT (John Muir Trail) hikers. It’s a pretty hike with nice river views.
Difficulty: 2-3
Wildlife Sightings: Deer, coyote, bear and marmot
This is a fantastic, but deceiving trail. Leaving the trailhead, it is mostly all downhill which makes it really easy to go much farther than intended. Tuolumne Falls are about 6 miles down the trail and the beauty of the falls as well as the changing scenery make this hike fantastic. Coming back can be fairly strenuous, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Difficulty: 2
Wildlife Sightings: Deer, marmot
This is a steep trail that takes you to May Lake and the May Lake High Sierra Camp. Note: High Sierra Camps have lodging and food but must be reserved in advance – possibly the year before. The views are great on the climb up and the lake is gorgeous. Upon arriving at the lake stay on the trail to the right, keeping the lake to your left. For a nice scenic view, continue past the lake always staying to the right and climb the rocks just before the switchbacks that lead down into a valley.
Difficulty: 1-2
Wildlife Sightings: Coyote, deer and bear (during one hike we actually had two bear sightings!)
Pond near trail
This pretty trail doesn’t have many mountain views but its rocky terrain is different from other trails. There’s plenty to look at and it’s a peaceful trail.
Difficulty: 3.5
Wildlife Sightings: Deer, snake
Steep but shorter hike leading to a pretty lake. Early in the season, there will still be snow, a number of water crossings as well as many mosquitos. Later in the summer the marshy/boggy waterlogged areas will dry up and you can take a trail all the way around the lake.
Difficulty: 4
Wildlife Sightings: Deer
This large and beautiful lake is worth every uphill step! The hike is steep and mostly wooded with a couple of stops along the way that should make the climb more interesting. We always fill our spare water bottle when we pass by the natural spring. Drink at your own risk.
Difficulty: 4
Wildlife Sightings: Deer
Smaller lake that is just off the John Muir trail and high above the lower lake. This lake isn’t as popular but is well worth the extra climb. We were unable to walk around the whole lake as part of it is unpassable unless you wade/swim or maybe climb up and around some rocks.
Difficulty: Mono–4, Parker–4, Spillway–2.5
Wildlife Sightings: Deer, coyote
Spectacular views await from either of the passes. The trail up is through a forest with a number of creek crossings and a pretty good climb. As you get higher the trees will thin out and all but disappear. The wind will also pick up, so secure that hat! If your timing is good, you will see abundant wildflowers. There are a couple of old log cabins along the trail to the passes and more along a trail that “y’s” off of the main trail near Mono Pass. They are worth checking out. Spillway Lake starts at the same trailhead but veers off before you get to the really steep stuff.
Difficulty: 5
Wildlife Sightings: Deer, weasel (there are Pika, but we never saw them)
This is my favorite trail, but it starts hard! Just take your time and stop to rest … it’s worth it. Trails to the lakes and mine are well defined, but there are no defined trails to Granite Lakes. Cross-country hiking is required. Use AllTrails and/or Avenza apps to navigate to the lakes and back.
Difficulty: 3
Wildlife Sightings: Deer
Nice uphill hike that leads to an alpine meadow. The meadow is amazing and the views from the far side (if you can get there) of the lake are astounding. Early in the season, there is so much water that’s it’s nearly impossible to walk around the lake without getting wet.
This is not an all-inclusive trail list! There are other trails that we either did not hike or that could not be done in a day hike. Social trails are not included.
Photo bombed!
All tucked into our summer home
Headed out of the park
Feeling small … Can you spot Gertie?
“A well’a bless my soul, What’s wrong with me?”
Are you, at this very moment that you’ve clicked on this article to read, wondering what on Earth a Pink Cadillac and Blue Suede Shoes have to do with Adventuring around in a LTV Unity IB? Then “Come Ahead”, “Don’t ask me Why” and read on.
Neither one of us wore “Blue Suede Shoes” when we got to ride in a Pink Cadillac. In fact, we don’t even own Blue Suede Shoes. Coincidentally, all this happened after we stood on the stage at The Ryman Auditorium doing a pretty good impersonation of Elvis. “Fool” came to mind when we got caught. How little we were to know that just a short while later, all these events would be forever linked in our memories “Talk about the Good Times.”
We’d been touring about Nashville the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Beautifully located on the Cumberland River, and music was everywhere. While there, one of our stops was the Grand Ole Opry House (what used to be the Union Gospel Tabernacle and is today officially named The Ryman Auditorium) but that’s probably a better story for another Read. However, in an unknown moment of foreshadowing, we did capture this on the streets of Nashville.
Visiting The Ryman had us walking about its hallowed halls, admiring photos and corresponding biographies of world famous performers. Among them, Elvis Presley.
”Did you know he performed Blue Moon of Kentucky here,” Dave asked.
“No, I don’t even know that song!” I replied, and we shared the titles and hummed a few notes, of the songs we both remembered. And that’s how we got Elvis on our mind.
In the concert hall, there was no one around and for the heck of it, (“Fools Rush In”), right? we sneaked onstage, picked up the guitar that was laying there, and just as Dave (aka “Guitar Man”) announced “It feels so right”, a staff person emerged from some hidden, backstage door! We were about to scurry off before we would have to do “The Jailhouse Rock”, when she asked us if we wanted our photo taken. Not being too camera shy, we seized the opportunity, made her laugh as we posed appropriately, and instantly got this overwhelming urge to just “Shake Rattle, and Roll.”
Elvis was a little before my time and although I wasn’t part of the fainting throngs of (female?) fans, in an era when he was taking looks, music and moves to a whole different groove, I did grow up hearing his songs on the radio, sitting in our living room with my parents and watching his movies on what was a very small TV (by today’s standards). I have always loved the sound of his voice, and one of my favourite songs has always been “In the Ghetto.” It brings a tear to my eyes every single time I hear it.
“So do you wanna go see The King?” Asked Dave.
”Hmm…” I pondered.
We were in Nashville, and we didn’t have an agenda or schedule, simply working our way Southwards and Westwards. Having our home with us when we travel makes decisions such as this easy peasy. “Welcome to My World.” We researched the timings and noted that it would take us about 4 hours to drive there.
Travelling full-time requires us to be on a different sort-of-budget, and I’m not one for paying huge amounts of dollars to see any famous person’s house? Or clothes? Or Records. Or planes?. But, I was, admittedly, a tad curious. About Memphis. About Elvis.
“My mom shared the same birth date as Elvis,” said Dave, “She always wanted to come here.” That’s as good a reason as any to go, right?
“Let’s go!” I said, excitedly, “It’s Now or Never!”
So, just like that, on the spur of the moment, we got in our trusted Unity IB and followed the signs for Memphis. A town famous for being home to “A Mess of Blues”.
We arrived at the Graceland RV Park and Campground just shortly after noon. It felt like we were smack dab in the middle of a run-down part of town, the nondescript grounds located behind a hotel, near a large parking lot. “Anyplace is Paradise” when your home is with you, right? After checking in, we followed the highlighted directions on the campground map, the roads setting the mood, as they were appropriately named: “Jailhouse Road”, “Heartbreak Lane” and “Teddy Bear Lane.” Wasn’t long before we found our lot number, backed in, and found ourselves home. “Home is where the Heart Is”, right?
A quick bite for lunch followed by a brief rest, and then we walked the path from the Campground through to the parking lot of the Graceland Visitor Center. It being mid afternoon, the place was near empty, and we were just two couples away from the counter. The kind lady informed us of the different prices of admission, and upon hearing them, we immediately got “All Shook Up.”
“C’mon Everybody,” said the Shuttle Driver, as she opened the doors so we could all board. It was a very short drive, almost directly across the street, through the wrought iron gates, up the hill, where we stopped by the white cement lions that adorned the front doorsteps of the modest looking house nestled in a grove of Oaks with rolling pastures all around.
Rather surprised that this was the King’s house, I couldn’t quite decide if it was a “Little Cabin on the Hill” or “Mansion over the Hilltop.”
We were all handed an iPad and earphones and received brief instructions on how to use the auto-guided/interactive (multilingual) software. Then they opened the front door and allowed us in.
“Do Not Disturb” was the immediate thought that came to mind. It felt, and looked like I had simply stepped back in time. The whole place was hushed and quiet. Dustless. Shiny and clean. Dated. Classically White. Or cream. Name that shade of colour, I immediately thought to myself.
And in my ear, the husky voice of John Stamos welcomed me and began to tell me a story as I swiped the area of my surroundings.
I could almost feel a presence as I entered each area. “Do you know who I am?” The voice in my ears anecdotally told me about the rooms, the who’s who in the frames, and slowly, as I entered and exited each room, the personality of a person, a King in the making, began to come to emerge.
He was in the simplicity of the furnishings in the Foyer. He was in the photo frames that decorated the coffee tables, strangers face staring back at me until John Stamos told me a bit about them.
He was in the long white sofa elegantly placed against the wall, and he was in the Music Room visible behind the vivid blue peacocks embedded in the glass walls. He was in the baby black piano just barely visible from where I stood, and I could almost hear tunes in the creating.
Totally at my own leisure, I meandered through, listening to the voice in my ears, and sometimes swiping the pause button, so I could visually inhale my surroundings.
The kitchen where the infamous PB&B sandwiches were made.
Each room we visited held a totally different look, a jig-saw house of various jaw-dropping themes.
A sort of progression of what “Fame and Fortune” could do to an emerging artist.
We were not allowed to go upstairs. “Don’t be Cruel” I told John Stamos.
The remarkable Jungle Room, with its green shag carpets, Polynesian feel and exotically carved wood required an extra bit of time to take in all the details.
Downstairs, my eyes needed to adjust to too many shades of yellow
when I found myself in a room that housed three TV sets. And a TCB logo of a lightning bolt and cloud on the wall: “Taking Care of Business”.
Outside, the back of the house was just as admirable,
and we followed the walkway to tour the office, the stables visible in the distance. The Racquetball building with its very own court, luxurious lobby, a pinball machine and a piano.
Through it all, we were witness to countless personal artifacts on display, from the cost of the house, his birth certificate, letters, photos, clothes…
And then we were “In the Garden” where Elvis was known to go and meditate.
And with the unfortunate passing of time, where he and members of his family have been laid to rest. And the one and the only place that visitors can access, for free, for a certain time, every morning. A hushed, serene place. A for “A Little Less Conversation.”
“Funny how time slips away” for the 2 hours that we spent in The King’s home, I felt that we just barely started to grasp an intimate snapshot of the man that was Elvis. He was generous. He read a lot of spiritual type books. He was the proverbial “Rags to Riches” success story. Religion was a huge part of his life, and although he was surrounded by “Loving Arms”, substance abuse destroyed him. Fame and “Heartbreak” on so many fronts.
We sat outside the house for a moment “Indescribably Blue” and breathing in the serenity of the place, and I have to admit, just a little awestruck. Humbled. A little inspired. Not to mention tired. The shuttle arrived, and we handed in the iPads as we boarded, and got driven back to the Visitor Center. We stopped in to visit his personal plane,
a state of the art Corvair 880 jet, named after his daughter, Lisa Marie. It was more roomy and regal, than any of the presidential planes we’ve toured. Leather tables, incredibly soft suede seats, and gold-laden bathroom sinks.
It was a short walk back across the parking lot into the Graceland RV Park and Campground, towards our lot and into our RV, where we sat back, put our feet up, sighed and said: “There’s No Place Like Home”.
“What’s for Dinner?” asked Dave shortly.
“I have no idea. I sure don’t want a Hot Dog, how about Crawfish?” I replied.
And that’s when we saw the little slip of paper the campground had given us when we checked in. It was a 10% discount coupon if we had dinner at Marlowe’s, and printed on there, a phone number to call if we wanted a pickup. Sounds good to us!
We had finished dressing when we heard the honk of a horn. Must be our drive, and we headed out the door. And (gasp) what do we see? A pink Cadillac!
The story tells that Elvis had bought a pink Cadillac for his mother with his first royalty check. “If that isn’t Love” I don’t know what is?
Since Elvis was reputed to have eaten here (is there somewhere he hasn’t eaten?), Marlowe’s, a BBQ restaurant a couple of miles from the campground, followed suit and bought a Cadillac Limousine. They painted it pink, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today there’s a fleet of limousines that will pick you up and drive you home (free of charge), after feasting at their establishment (remember to bring your campground 10% coupon).
We sat down at our table, perused the menu, and wasn’t long before the food arrived.
All around us, the TV’s on the walls played Elvis movies. The frames on the walls held photos of Elvis. The glass cages held his outlandish outfits. Elvis tunes played all around us. The food was delicious. And the Pink Cadillac drove us home.
“This is the Story!”
Would you believe, I wrote all this “Without A Song” playing in my head? And I’m absolutely positive I’ve planted a few earworms in yours, right?
Wait, “What’d I say?”
“Love me tender”, please, and leave me a comment. Do you have a memory about the King of Rock and Roll? What’s your favourite Elvis song?
Today our tires are driving straight for Savannah! A place that has, for me, always evoked much intrigue and fascination.
I mean, did you know that General Sherman way back when, was so awed by the beauty and charm of this place, that instead of burning it to the ground during the American Civil War, he gave it to President Lincoln as a Christmas gift! Bless his heart!
Reading books back when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I knew that over yonder lay a magical place. And I would imagine what Savannah might be like. I felt it would be humid hot so I could not only hear but could almost feel the cool waters bubbling forth from decorative fountains in large picturesque gardens. In my mind’s eye, I would imagine standing in the shade of the tall oak trees with their large gnarled twisted branches almost hidden with hanging drapes of Spanish moss. I could easily imagine historic Victorian type homes with their antebellum architecture. It would be a place filled with haunting mansions, fiery history fraught wars, cotton fields and slaves. But nothing could ever seem to rival good old-fashioned Southern hospitality. Being a foodie, don’t the word Savannah just conjure up smells of fried green tomatoes? As in the food, not the movie. And saucy shrimp and grits, and well… for those with a sweet tooth? There might even exist a sweet box of chocolates?
Because, all y’all, here in Chippewa Park is where filming took place of the iconic bench where Forrest Gump sat, right?
Not the bench and not Chippewa Park
For those who may not know, Tom Hanks plays “Forrest Gump” in the same-titled movie released in 1994. And as he sits on a park bench, somewhat like the one in the photo above, he relates the story of how his life was “like a Box of Chocolates.” **
Have you ever opened a Box of Chocolates? You know what I mean, don’t you? A decorated box that once opened allows you to instantly inhale the sweet goodness inside. Perhaps there’s a laminated piece of paper laying on top, providing a detailed description of each and every bite-sized piece of sweet goodness. Or not, and you’re left guessing until you take that first bite. Don’t your mouth start to water in anticipation?
And being all comparative and all, isn’t driving around visiting new places and adventuring on the roads, somewhat like opening a Box of Chocolates? You might have a general idea of what there is to see and do where it is that you’re going, but you never really know what you’ll get, until you get there, and have a bite.
So here we were, our tires pointed straight towards Savannah, Georgia. With a quick glance at two of our most used RV Apps: AllStays and RV Parky, we quickly confirmed that we could park overnight at the Visitor Center for the surprisingly very affordable price of $8 per night. (Note: The Visitor Center does not allow overnight parking anymore.)
The heavy construction traffic, watching for touristy pedestrians walking helter-skelter, combined with a lack of street signage had us going around in circles until, stopped at a traffic light right by the Thunderbird Inn, we rolled down our window and asked the traffic director for some help.
Off like a herd of turtles we drove, and shortly thereafter we finally entered the parking lot by the big red-bricked building that was the Visitor Center. Suffering from a slight case of the hangries.
“Let’s have lunch before we head out?” I suggested, knowing we wouldn’t get very far with empty bellies. One of the pleasures with this lifestyle is that we can have a quick bite at any moment’s notice. Re-heated leftovers satisfied us just fine, and it wasn’t long that the dishes were cleared away, our comfy sneakers laced on and we were ready to go.
The man at the Visitor Center welcomed us with a friendly hello, circled a few must-sees on the map, and once we paid for our overnight stay, we were on our way out the door. Before we could grab the handle, familiar faces pushed the door in, and be bumped into each other. Why I do declare it’s friends from back home! We made plans Lord willing and the Creek don’t rise to get together later in the evening to catch up.
As we walked about getting our bearings, I inhaled the hot humid air. Somewhat like I had imagined, the live Oak trees created beautiful shadows as we walked underneath the shade of their gnarled and twisted branches.
We meandered in the gardens, and saw ourselves some fountains,
and everywhere we looked, dangling Spanish Moss swayed in the breezes.
“Did you know that Spanish moss isn’t really moss?” I said to Dave.
“Oh, no? What is it, then?” He replied.
“It’s actually an Epiphyte, which means it gets its nutrients from the air. And it’s a relative to the pineapple!”
We explored so many of the 22 squares that connected the various neighbourhoods that we lost count and were pretty soon Worn Slap Out. The city was originally developed with a specific grid-like pattern as a fire prevention method, a way of allowing every house in the neighbourhood, no matter which street you lived on, to have an equidistant chance of being saved from flames.
Then we found ourselves exploring the Colonial Park Cemetery, a place where, under the detailed guidelines of the Code Duello, “pistols for two and a coffin for one” resulted in a staggering 11,000 people being buried here. Why are there only 600 tombstones? Ahh, If only those gloves could tell their tales of what honour they were defending.
That evening we enjoyed a wonderful reunion with our friends but it was pretty soon time to stifle our yawns and catch some serious zzz’s. Comfy cozy in our beds parked in the Savannah Visitor Center parking lot, which contrary to the day’s hub-bub of activity was now very quiet, we spent some time catching up on social media.
“Look… “ I said, rather incredulously, “at this post from our (other) friends! It says here that they’ve just checked into the Thunderbird Inn!”
“Hold your Horses!” said Dave, “It can’t be that hotel we drove by earlier today, can it?” Thanks to the power of instant messages, they quickly confirmed that they were indeed just down the street from us, but had pre-bought tickets for the Trolley Tour the next day, and did we want to join them? Can’t never could, so in the spur of the moment, we said “Sure, we’ll stay an extra day, see you tomorrow Lord willing and the Creek don’t Rise.
The departure point was conveniently located at the Visitor Center, so we had nowhere to go in the morning but right to the booth to buy our tickets, and then inside the Visitor Center to pay an additional $8 for the second night.
Having explored so much by foot the day before, we thoroughly enjoyed the more restful, Hop-On/Hop-Off Trolley Tour, which was, thanks to our driver, extremely informative, and Funny as all Get Out. The Trolley stops at roughly 16 places of interest, and you can get off, explore, and get back at your leisure. Or you can enjoy the drive from start to finish before deciding anything, which would probably only take two hours of your time.
We listened to the historical anecdotes about the places we’d seen the day before, saw places that our feet never took us to, like the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scouts founder. Touring the many rooms of the oldest standing building in GA–Pirate’s House. And stood quite in awe at the most incredible Cathedral of St John the Baptist, an incredible sight both inside and out.
The many unique mansions too beautiful to describe, all of them adorned with cast-iron balconies and stair railings and window guards, not to mention the grillwork adorning the fountains and entryways.
A sign of wealth, back in those days. And the ones with two sets of staircases? His and hers. Really! Men and women had to walk up different steps, something to do with men not being allowed to see women’s petticoats.
Down by the waterfront, the trolley dropped us off and the driver cautioned us to watch our steps. Sure enough, the uneven footwork of the colourful cobble and quarried stone, originally ballast on ships of old, was repurposed and resulted as this uneven road, needing our attention as we made our way towards the water and shops.
Perhaps history would tell of a meeting between General Oglethorpe and his crew of 114 men, women and children, aboard the galley ship Anne. They landed somewhere along the River and Oglethorpe named the area Georgia, and Savannah became her first city. On his arrival, he was greeted by Chief Tomo-Chi-Chi and his wife, Senauki. A friendship between the two developed and the rest, I reckon, is now part of the sweet southern Savannah history.
All that exploring sure made us hungry, so we headed for a restaurant with a view, our table on the rooftop patio overlooking the Savannah River. On the menu? We chose dishes we hadn’t ever tried before, ones that evoked full Southern tastebuds, because, well… that’s what we’re here for.
Fried green tomatoes: Unripened green tomatoes are seasoned, coated with cornmeal and flour or a derivative thereof, and fried! Oh my, why have we not tried these before?
You just can’t go wrong with fried shrimp, can you?
We were in what’s often referred to as the “Grits Belt” and so we just had to have shrimp and grits.
Heavens to Betsy, it was Oh My Delicious, and we left there Full as a Tick. And if a ship goes by while you’re feasting? They’ll pour you a shot!
We meandered along the waterfront, and found ourselves at the gate to board the (free) Savannah Belles Ferry,
a ride that takes you across the river to Hutchinson Island, where you can disembark if you wish, walk around, and at your leisure, grab the next ferry back.
This time the ferry deposited us a little further upstream than where we had initially boarded, and that is how we came face to face with Florence,
the Statue of the Waving Girl. A long time ago, Florence, pretty as a peach, met and fell in love with a sailor. His ship was soon set to leave and Florence bid him adieu, waving goodbye on the shore as he sailed away. Day after day she would come back to the waterfront, waving at the ships, hoping he would be on the next one. Some days she would wave a white handkerchief, and sometimes, in the dusky darkness, she would carry a lantern. She sure had Gumption! As with some dramatic love stories, this one doesn’t end well. History notes he never did come back, and rumour has it that she died of a broken heart.
Well, I do declare! After a crushing love story like that, I think I need something sweet. As we walked the waterfront, we were multiple times offered free samples of pralines. Made with pecans, cream, sugar and butter … they are an incredible melt in your mouth morsel of goodness. And a sure-fire cure for what ails those achy feet, we were worn Slap-out.
And that’s how our time in Savannah was just like a box of chocolates, plenty full of unknown yet deliciously sweet surprises. We highly recommend it, all y’all.
** The bench that Tom Hanks/Forrest Gump sat on, in Chippewa Square, was a movie prop and is now on location in the Savannah Historical Museum.
