My trip to Savannah GA, Charleston SC and Richmond VA

May 2 – 9, 2013 –  7 nights, 8 days on an AAA bus trip – what was I thinking?

Glad I went but don’t think I will be taking any bus trips in the near future.  All in all, I had fun even with the bus blowing an engine and keeping us captive on the bus for three hours waiting for another bus to pick us up, and the fact that the weather had flipped with Medina Ohio – so Medina was getting 75 degree weather with flowers blooming, and Savannah was in the 60’s, overcast and rainy – and virtually no flowers blooming.

The tour guide kept us all laughing through the mechanical and weather problems.  Some said it was more of a “foodie” trip.  We went to a lot of wonderful 5-star restaurants:  Lady & Sons (Paula Dean’s restaurant); Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House, and the Olde Pink House (18^th century mansion), all in Savannah; and California Dreamin’, which had a 180 degree view of the waterway, bridges and yachts – just beautiful, and the food was great too — and the Noisy Oyster in Charleston.  We also had lunch at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs WV on the way home.

A lot of sights too:

• Tours in every city with step-on guides, two boat tours – Savannah and Charleston, a tram and a trolley — with a lot of civil war history lessons along the way.
• Canyon Rim Visitor Center overlooking the New River Gorge, WV.  We walked down 176 steps…yes we counted – to see the enormous bridge from a different vantage point.
• The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, a rehab center for sick and/or injured sea turtles, on Jekyll Island, GA.  Very interesting.  And lunch at the Jekyll Island Club, a very exclusive place with a lot of history – we were treated like VIPs.
• St. Simon’s Island was full of historic sites and included a tour.
• Drove through the Citadel as part of the Charleston bus tour, and also a harbor tour on The Spirit cruise vessel.
• Patriot’s Point Naval and Maritime Museum, home of the USS Yorktown which we were able to board and climb up to the flight deck and explore the famed aircraft carrier.
• South Carolina Aquarium was a nice added surprise since we had a little extra time.

Savannah River

Savannah River Queen tour boat ride

Tall ship on Savannah River walkway

Carriage Ride, Savanna GA  2013

 

Street scene, Savannah GA  2013

 

Live Oak Tree with Spanish Moss  (Live Oak trees never drop their leaves, they are green all year.)

Tall Ship along Savannah River walk on overcast, rainy day.

Hanging baskets across the street from Paula Dean’s Lady & Sons Restaurant, Savannah, GA.

Turtles being rehabilitated at The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Island, GA.

Lunch at the Jekyll Island Club, where wealthy members used to belong years ago.  Beautiful!

Partial view from our window at the motel in Charleston, SC.

Arched windows with 180 degrees around the bay at California Dreaming Restaurant in Charleston, SC.

Lunch at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV.  Very swanky and impressive.

Back Terrace of Greenbrier Club, White Sulphur Springs in WV.

Interior stairway in the Greenbrier Club, White Sulphur Springs, WV.

So, all in all, it was an interesting and educational trip which I will remember and be talking about for years to come.