By Jay Whipple
Trend Magazine Online™
Eclectic!
Trend Magazine Online™
Eclectic!
I have driven past the Savannah exit sign off I-95
on numerous trips to/from Miami since the late 1970's and
after joining the U.S. Army and being stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC;
which is just west of Fayetteville. I have on at least three occasions
actually stopped through very briefly twice, and the third to spend the night
with relatives of my former Army buddy 1LT
Anthony Jackson (May he Rest in Peace). That night was one to remember
because we were invited to my first -- and only -- Low Country Boil. If
you have yet to experience one, and you love seafood, you should immediately
add it to your bucket list. 
The Boil consists of getting one of those 30-gallon
or so steel trash cans (without trash of course), fill it water, and add
all types of seafood and sides like crabs, lobsters, shrimp, crawdads, oysters,
clams; corn-on-the-cob, new potatoes, etc...The entire can is brought to a boil
and when the host determines that all the goodies are fully cooked they drain
the water and then dump everything onto a table covered with heavy paper to
keep the foods from getting soggy. You then stand around the table and help
yourself to whatever delightful item your heart so desires until there is no
more to be consumed. It is customary to use your hands (natural forks) to pick
and eat your pleasure while washing it down with your favorite beverage -- like
beer.
I was not privy to a Savannah Low Country Boil on
this trip but did get to spend four days and three nights this time around. I
was able to get a great hotel deal by using the travel portal associated with Trend
Magazine Onlinetm. By searching it I located a room at the Sleep
Inn just off I-95 which was great because I was already traveling
that route from South Florida. My hotel was conveniently located within
walking distance of restaurants, fuel, and quick shops, as well as easy access
to highways leading into Downtown Savannah. I arrived around 10 PM
and began the process of planning my two day exploration shortly after check in
at my hotel. 
I love it when a hotel is visitor friendly by providing a
kiosk chock full of area attractions brochures. I helped myself to several that
got my interest to include one advertising the Freedom
Trails Tour by Mr. Johnnie Brown who has been at it for over 20
years; according to the brochure. As one in the business I know the value
derived from a tour company with a long established track record as compared to
one of the newer ones, as such, I typically choose experience over popularity.
In addition, a good local tour is an excellent way of learning a lot in a very
short period of time and it helps you effectively plan the remainder of your
trip.
I chose to attend the last tour of the day which was at 3
PM and departing from the Savannah Visitor Center located at 301
Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Downtown. Parking was a
nightmare as I had to drive around for several minutes before finding a spot
open in the garage of a nearby hotel. I had to double time back over to the
visitor center in order to catch the last tour of the day. Fortunately, the
previous tour was delayed several minutes giving me time to catch my breath. On
our 2-hour excursion I learned that the city served as a military buffer
during the Civil War and that from 1832-1838 the railroad was a
big deal with Charleston, SC.
Our guide Johnny stated that there were no
fires during that war like Atlanta, GA, or Richmond, VA;
but there were three major fires in 1796, 1820, and 1889,
and that Yellow Fever hit in about 1853 with a lot of those folks
being buried in the Colonial Cemetery which was for "whites only." In
1893, Johnny said that the city was crippled by a major hurricane
that killed more than 2,000 people and that today's population is 58%
Black. He also explained the connection between their beautiful iconic Moss
trees and bed bugs. He said that the moss -- containing bugs -- was used to
stuff mattresses. Hence the saying "Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs
bite."
