Favorite City

Bill is going to post on my favorite National Park in a bit. And my favorite “off the beaten path” kind of places are dynamic. So I'll take a stab at favorite city -- with the disclaimer that Arlington is a county and not a city. Therefore, while I really love where I live, I can't vote for it.

Two summers ago Bill and I took a week to drive around the south to see where we would end up. Our first stop was Savannah, GA where we spent two nights – one in a campground and one in a hotel with air conditioning. The campground very hot which might explain why a little snake that we met (not more than 2 feet long) was so active. We can't positively ID him, but Bill considers him a baby garter snake, even though he was the most aggressive little thing we'd ever seen – including the lazy alligator we met at a nearby wildlife refuge (see video).

We spent some time biking around Savannah's squares (see Forrest Gump) and looking at all the old houses and Spanish Moss which make the city very moody. We ate at Clary's Cafe (read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) for breakfast and I tried grits, which were gross. For dinner we stopped in a little cafe and I had scallops to die for and the best summer drink known to man...a mint julep. I don't know how I lived life without them for so long and I've considered moving to the deep south in order to really enjoy their amazing restorative powers. Mmmmm.

Savannah was also the first place where I've ever had a drink while walking down the street. There are no open container laws so you can go to a bar and get drinks to go!! At night we went to the tourist area where street performers play by the river and gift shops sell the hokiest things you've ever seen. But its all very nice when you take it in with a slushy alcoholic drink in your hand!

My favorite part was when we were on our bike ride and it started to rain. I loved sitting under a tree in a square with ridiculous humidity while listening to church bells chime and the rain fall. Savannah rocks!