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| Savannah Smiles |
Hurricane Irma unleashed
a fury to change our course
unearthing a new turbulence
of discovery and design.
Our winter trip this year transformed itself into something new. Due to Hurricane Irma, our usual rental property was unavailable. This sent me scrambling to locate some other destination. Making a later start than usual and with the addition of the pooches, the scenario became complicated, but I did finally find a house to rent for the month of March very near Tarpon Springs, Florida. We added a week in Savannah, Georgia to the mix, and so began our Georgia/Florida odyssey.
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| A beautiful street in Savannah |
We left Virginia on February 21st in anticipation of a whole new experience. For Savannah, I booked the house through AirB&B. This was the first time I had ever used this method, and luckily found it to be easy and quick. The apartment was situated very close to Forsythe Park which is the lower end of the historic district. We walked everywhere.
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| Fountain in Forsythe Park |
The first day, a bright idea developed without warning (as they always do) to walk a 10,000 step excursion around the historic district with the dogs to get our bearings. We started out, with map in hand, and zigzagged all around the area. Yes, we were stopped frequently by locals and tourists and asked about our beauties who incidentally were nonchalant about the whole thing. As we walked, we found new places to explore, and the pups just trotted along with us.
By the time late afternoon rolled around, we thirsted for refreshment (beers for us, water for pups), so we stopped at a lovely restaurant with an outside bar area. Of course, we asked permission for the dogs, however, Savannah is a very dog friendly place. I don’t think we realized how far we had gone, because the minute we sat down, Kiowa laid down in his rigor mortis position (on his side with all four legs sprawled straight out) not caring whose personal space he was invading. No one seemed to mind though as they were all mesmerized by our dogs. When we finally ventured home, we found that we had walked way over 5 miles and our 10,000 step goal. No wonder the dogs were so pooped. Actually, we were pretty pooped, too.
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| Kiowa after our first exploration |
Savannah captivates with its towering moss draped live oaks, its beautiful, stately homes, and its quiet squares which make the city feel much more like a town. These squares number 22 which are about a five minute walk apart. Between them you can find boutiques, restaurants and pubs withKioutdoor seating, and historic homes and museums. Exploring this city is such a treat as were the delicious meals we savored. Kiowa and Emma strutted the city knowing that each turn brought more adoration from strangers. We LOVE Savannah.
After a week eating and exploring, we began the next leg of our trip which took us to Tarpon Springs. We have ventured to the west coast of Florida only a few times usually coming back from the Keys, so we really did not know much about the area. Therefore, for the last 3 weeks, we have explored. Tarpon Springs has a Victorian past but was later settled by Greek spongers. It continues in that tradition with a working sponge dock. The quaint downtown revels in small shops and eateries some of which are Greek. The Pinellas Trail meanders through the downtown but extends to St. Petersburg. It provides access to safe walking (with dogs) and biking.
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| Chalk Fest in Safety Harbor |
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| M & G in Safety Harbor |
Visiting other small towns on this peninsula, Safety Harbor is a favorite. The town displays lovely homes and a walkable downtown. We attended a couple of Greyhound Meet & Greets there, one at a Third Friday event and another at a brewery. We traveled to Clearwater for an Orioles versus Phillies ball game. (Wayne is in heaven with all the spring training venues. Today, he’s in Dunedin enjoying a Pittsburgh versus Toronto game.) We journeyed to St Pete to see the Dali Museum, but unfortunately, the museum was closed due to the Grand Prix car race. We discovered their holocaust museum instead. We still have time to come face to face with Mr. Dali and intend to make a return trip.
Although cooler than the Keys, we have found this area has lots to offer. Our one huge problem though is the traffic. Going anywhere, one must calculate how much extra time it will take to reach the destination. We ventured down to Sarasota one day to see The Ringling Museum and also to meet friends for lunch. Instead of the trip taking one and a half hours, it took two and a half. Needless to say, sitting in traffic can be stressful and not a thing you want to do on a trip. Any road you travel can turn into a sea of cars. For this reason alone, I cannot see us coming to this area again. We much prefer the slower lifestyle of the Keys.
We have a little over a week left before our trek home and will fill the days with new exploits. This reworking of our winter norm, although unexpected, has taught us the fun of change. Our greyhounds have been wonderfully behaved and have enjoyed all the walking and exploring we have done together. Taking your pets on trips can have an added benefit. When walking the dogs, we always make new human friends otherwise we’re just faces in the crowd.
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| The Ringling Museum |
