Vacation 2010

Our big adventure took us to Tybee Island & Savannah this year.  We stayed in the Savannah Beach House, a B&B on Tybee Island.  A beautiful home that sits on Officer's Row.  A series of impressive homes built for the officers of Ft. Screvin.
The unusual weather that usually precedes our arrival actually came with us this year as the Savannah area was hit with a cold snap that left us a bit unprepared for the 40 degree temperatures.  However with some clever layering of most of what we brought along to wear, we were able to wait out the warmer weather that was to come.
Our trip down didn't start out too well as we had to go to Chicago from Indy to get to Savannah.  Our schedule only gave us about 30 minutes in O'Hare between flights.  Then when our plane left about 15 minutes late for Chicago, we knew we had no time to spare.  That was actually an understatement.  We deplaned in the B terminal, and when we found the board telling us were our next flight was, it was panic time.  It was in the E terminal!
We ran through the majority of the airport when we met a courtesy cart taking an elderly lady our way.  As we kept up with the cart, the driver asked where we were going & when did our flight leave.  He told us to hop on & he hit the gas & the horn taking us right up to the very empty gate.  As we hopped off, the attendant at the gate asked "are you the Barnharts?  I can't believe you made it!"  They held the door for us and we were the last two on the plane.
Upon arriving in Savannah, we decided to treat ourselves to a haunted pub crawl that evening.  Our guide wasn't the most lively we've had, which you would think would be good for a haunted tour, but he was a bit boring.

Sunday we spent mostly exploring what the island had to offer.  We took a tour of the lighthouse, and met a very nice couple.  Carol & Don along with their friend Glenn were doing a lighthouse tour and Carol was a bit leery of climbing the stairs.  Don & Glenn started up, and Susie told Carol we would be glad to go with her at whatever pace she wanted and stop as often as needed.  She made it to the top, and once we all got back down found out she is an artist too & Susie & her swapped info.
Monday we spent the day being shown around Savannah by one of Susie's oldest friends Cindy.  Cindy has lived in Savannah for about 12 years and her expertise on the finer points of historic Savannah were questionable.  She did introduce us to the best bar I have ever had the pleasure to be in called the Distillery.  Any bar that has a personal approval by Sam Caliogne of Dogfish Head Brewery has got to be good.

 They had beers on tap that I didn't think you could even find on tap.  Avery Kaiser, Marahaja & Czar.  Stone Vertical Epic '09'09'09...I was in heaven!  We ended up the day in the Crystal Beer Palace, another fantastic selection of beers I've never seen.  It was a good day!

Tuesday we spent almost the entire day on the beach.  Walked it pretty much from end to end & back again. You never know what you may find washed up in the sand.    

Jellyfish

fish head

no idea 

Susie was even attacked by a horseshoe crab.

Wednesday was spent at Ft. Pulaski and got a very interesting lesson in the Civil War.  It was the first time "rifled" cannons were ever used in battle.  The fort that was designed with the help of a young Robert E. Lee, was built to be "bomb-proof" by the technology of the time.  And when the Union army went to lay siege to the fort, they were fairly confident that it would stand anything that could be thrown at it.  Everything would change in 36 hours.  The new rifled cannons would change the face of military defenses.  Forts would become obsolete.

the beginning of a "box" to be blown away

Due to the increased accuracy of a spinning projectile, the Union cannons could carve out boxes in the walls and blow great breaches in them allowing access to the inside if the fort.

The fort is completely surrounded by a moat that comes complete with an alligator.

There are still some cannon shells sticking in the walls of the fort.

After the history lesson ended, we went back to Tybee for a dolphinless cruise with Captain Howard.  It was a pleasant backwater cruise on his boat that unfortunately didn't produce any dolphin sightings, but we got to see parts of the island we normally wouldn't have got to see.

We did however find the cottage and car we will get as soon as we win the lottery.

As an afterthought, its not good to leave Susie in the salt water too long.