We  headed down to Tampa, where we stayed until 12/22, then on to Sarasota.  In Tampa, we stayed at LazyDays RV Resort.  LazyDays is the largest RV dealer in the world... over 1,500 units in stock, a 126 acre complex, 200 service bays, and a 300 site campground.  No pictures from Tampa cause, to be honest, we just kicked back and relaxed.  We met some really nice people and the staff was very friendly.

Arriving in Sarasota on the 22nd, we awaited the arrival of the kids and grandkids.  One of our ventures was to "The Ringling,"  A large complex encompassing the circus museum, mansion, and several art museums.

Visited the Ringling Museum while waiting for the kids arrival

Old Circus Wagon.  Beautiful Woodworking!

The Ringling Mansion

Ringling Mansion Interior

Ringling Mansion Patio Overlooking Sarasota Bay

The definite high point of visiting Tampa was hooking up for dinner with an old (literally) flight buddy of mine from Vietnam.   Flying out of Camp Evans for 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in 1970-71, were the two studly pilots shown below, Rick Wray & Juan Torres, a/k/a/ Thunder 25 and Thunder 13, respectfully.  Juan and I had not seen each other for 44 years!!  We shared a telephone call with Thunder 33, Terry Vraniak, who now lives in Alaska, and the years slipped away!  Love you guys!

Thunder 25 (L) and 13 (R) 44 years after Vietnam

We lead off a series of Savannah posts by introducing you to the Pirates' House, established in 1753. Now a popular retaurant near the river, the house was just what its name implies.  Pirates frequented the establishment, both to take their leisure and to "Shanghai" unsuspecting patrons to crew their vessels.  Legend has it that a Savannah constable was Shanghaied and it took the unfortunate three years to work his way back to Savannah.

The Pirates' House

Excavations have uncovered several tunnels between the Pirates' House and the river.  These tunnels allowed the pirates to travel in secrecy and to aid in the covert transportation of Shanghaied patrons.

An Uncovered Secret Tunnel

Savannah's River Street

Naturally, the area adjoining the Savannah River offers interesting history, as well as modern restaurants and entertainment.  The streets are comprised of "ballast stones," which were used by the ships for... you guessed it... ballast. 

Access ramp from Bay Street to River Street, still in use today

At the time of the Civil War, the price for cotton was established in two places: Savannah, GA and Liverpool, England.   Savannah, it was through the cotton exchange on Bay Street.

Note the bridge?  Bridges such as this would span the ballast stone streets below.  Brokers from the various cotton brokerage houses would stand on the bridges, examine the massive bails of cotton being transported below to waiting ships, and set the price.

The old cotton brokerage houses were in the buildings to the left

Savannah's Squares

Savannah was designed with 24 squares.  A couple have been used to construct new government buildings, but 20 or so remain.  The squares are shaded and great places to relax, read a book, or just meditate on the history that surrounds you.  Here are two in the historic district.

Lafayette Square

Thirty-acre Fosyth Park

Casimir Pulaski Monument in Savannah, or Pulaski Monument on Monterey Square, is a 19th-century monument to Casimir Pulaski, located at the Monterey Square not far from the battlefield where Pulaski lost his life during the siege of Savannah.

Sources vary with regards to when the cornerstone for the monument was placed, with either 1825, involving the presence of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayett, or 1853 being given.

Savannah's Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

One of, if not the most beautiful structure in Savannah is the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.  Immigrants fleeing turmoil in Haiti and France established Savannah's first parish, the Congregation de Saint Jean-Baptiste, near the end of the 18th century.  Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Savannah on July 19, 1850, with the Right Reverend Francis X Gartland as the first bishop. Saint John the Baptist Church (the only Catholic church in Savannah) was repaired following hurricane damage, enlarged and named the Cathedral.

We remain in Tampa at Lazydays Campground.  Lazydays is the largest RV dealer in the country: almost 300 acres of facilities, including a 300-site RV campground.  We haven't done much sightseeing yet, just enjoying the 80+ temps and clear skies.  Tiffin Motorhomes is having a manufacturers rally which, together with the season, has the campground bustling.  Unfortunately, 300 people tying to get on the internet results in s-l-o-w wireless.  Ridiculously slow uploads is why I have not been posting any photos.  Hopefully, things will improve following the rally's conclusion on Sunday.

We drove 335 miles today to Tampa and arrived around 4:00.  82 degrees!! :-)  We've settled in and are sitting on the patio having a  cold drink.  We both had to change from our jeans into light shorts... much better now!  We will be here until 12/22, when we head to Sarasota.  Ryan, Janelle, Thomas, Jess, and Michael are all flying in on 12/26 for a slightly belated Christmas.  By the way, this blog has generated a whopping TWO comments, and one was from Janice!  C'mon guys!  Let us know what you think or what you'd like to hear about (if anything).  C U L8TR!

OK, the views on our blog have really dropped off, and we don't blame you.  We've been in Savannah, GA for a week without a blog post. And you know why?  Because this town is SO awesome, that's why!  Seriously, if you're any kind of Civil War buff... or any other kind of history buff... this place is nirvana!  (btw, if you come to Savannah, it is not "the civil war;" it is "the war of Northern aggression")  Just yesterday, I took over 500 photos walking around Savannah.  We leave here tomorrow for Tampa, and hopefully I'll have some free time there to arrange my photos and share some with you.  In the meantime, I offer the following for you fans of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  As you know, the book and subsequent movie revolve around Savannahian Jim Williams' killing of his male lover, and Williams' subsequent death in the same room of his home in which the killing occurred. 

Williams-Mercer House

 This is the residence known today as the "Williams-Mercer House."  You will remember that Kevin Spacey explains in the movie that the house was previously owned by the grandfather of another famous Savannahian, songwriter Johnny Mercer.  And remember the lovely "Lady Chablis?"  She played herself/himself in the movie and is still performing at Savannah's Club One today... tonight, actually!

 Finally for tonight, I bring you the Savannah City Hall

 A beautiful old building that still displays

HUZZAH!  Yep... they defy political correctness by still proudly flying the "stars and bars" of the Confederacy.  Save your Confederate money, boys, the South will rise again!  See y'all from Florida!

Well, tomorrow we bid farewell to Charleston and head to Savannah, GA.  We'll be there a week and then headed into Florida.  Today we ate lunch at the Tomato Shed Restaurant, a little market restaurant run by farmers who use all fresh ingredients.  We had tomato pie.. a first for both of us and VERY delicious.  We also had GREAT crab cakes (repeatedly voted the best in Charleston).  It was sunny and mid 70's today.  We've been walking a lot, checking out the historic district.  Since we didn't get a house in Springfield, we thought one of these quaint little historic Charleston houses might work.  Tell us our choice!

In addition to houses, Charleston also has beautiful, old historic churches.  The Episcopal church of St. Michael is one of those.

St. Michael's Exterior

St. Michael's Interior

Gorgeous old numbered family pews

See ya'll from Savannah!!

This post is actually a continuation of the revious post.  So, if you have not read the previous post, please do so now.  I'll wait.

OK, the last ship we visited was the USS Clamagore, SS-343.  The ship provided a great insight into the conditions under which submariners lived and worked. 

And those conditions are illustrated in this photo of the aft torpedo room.

You can see a green torpedo on the lower torpedo rack.  The upper rack is empty.  But notice above that empty torpedo rack.. the light green colored items are mattresses on the crew bunks.  Yep, you got to sleep right above the torpedoes.  Sweet dreams!

Control Station, USS Clamagore

A BLESSED THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!

A busy day today, as we visited Patriot's Point and the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, the destroyer USS Laffey, and the submarine USS Clamagore.  The Yorktown was the tenth aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy.  During WWII, she displaced 27,100 tons and carried a crew of 380 officers; 3,088 enlisted men; and an air group of 90 planes.  She also saw service in Vietnam and recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts.  By way of trivia, she portrayed the aircraft carrier Akagi in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!

Captain Wray extends his compliments from the Captain's Chair on the bridge of the USS Yorktown

 

Flight Deck, USS Yorktown

Also moored at Patriot's Point, the USS Laffey, DD-724, was a Sumner Class destroyer, very similar to the Gleaves Class USS Swanson, DD-443, on which my dad served during WWII.

Helm, USS Laffey

Running out of room on this post, so the submarine Clamagore will have to wait.

Snowed here today... NOT!

For our family and friends battling the snow in the midwest, we want you to know that we suffer with you.! We went to Kiawah Island today and I have to tell you, I was wearing a t-shirt and was a little chilled walking on the beach today!  Temp with the wind was only 66!  After the beach, we went to see the famous Angel Oak.

The Angel Oak

Following is some information on the Angel Oak:

If you ever have an opportunity to see the Angel Oak, don't pass it up.  I guarantee you will be in awe of what God has made!  We are staying in Charleston until the 29th, then heading to Savannah.  That is, if this frigid weather allows travel!  ;-)

Another beautiful day in Charleston

Another great day!  Perfectly clear and 70 degrees.  We began the day at a small restaurant called the Early Bird.  The Early Bird has actually been featured on the Food Network for the dish we tried today... chicken and waffles.  Yep, you read right.

Chicken & Waffles.  Breakfast of Champions!

The combination didn't really make it, as far as we are concerned.  The chicken was, however, out of this world delicious.

After breakfast, we traveled back to the historic district to take a carriage tour.

The company we used, Old South Carriage Tours, was highly rated and rightfully so.  We learned a lot on our one-hour tour.  For example, in the Old South, the kitchen was separated from the main house due to fire hazard.  This picture is a good example:

Brick building in lower left was the kitchen for the main house on the right

Well, the slaves who carried the food from the detached kitchen to the main house were known to occasionally help themselves to a sample.  To remedy this practice, the owners required the slaves to whistle while bringing food in... you can't eat if your whistling!  This lead to the phrase "whistle while you work."  I looked it up and it's actually true.  Though less certain, one explanation for the word "hushpuppy" is that these corn treats were used to silence the dogs that naturally came running when the slaves were whistling while carrying tasty delights.

Many other interesting stories and photos, but they'll have to wait.  Below is a photo of Janice saying goodbye to our carriage horse, Amos.  Why use draft horses?  The law requires the weight of the animal(s) pulling the carriage to be at least 1,800 pounds.  The weight isn't really needed to pull the carriage... it's needed to stop it!  That's why you see only one draft horse pulling some carriages, while it takes two mules or quarter horses to make the weight limit.

You oughta see Amos parallel park!  He's awesome!

74 and rainy today; a good time to catch up.  Janice and I visited Magnolia Plantation yesterday.  The plantation has been owned by the same family since the 1600's.  Probably a good idea if we spend some time today planning on where we're going when we leave here on the 24th.  Our first reservation after that is 12/22 at Sarasota.  We plan on stopping in Savannah, but it doesn't seem to be a plethora of RV campgrounds.  I'm sure we'll find somewhere, even if its a Walmart parking lot!  Once the weather clears up (tomorrow?) we plan on a downtown carriage tour and a visit to the U.S.S. Yorktown.  Below are some pics from Magnolia Plantation.

Sunny and 74 degrees today in Charleston. Nice to wear shorts again! Got to cross off one of my major bucket list items today when we visited Ft. Sumter, site of the first shots of the Civil War. Weather is supposed to be even warmer tomorrow, and we're planning on taking a carriage tour downtown and visit a plantation or two.

Ft. Sumter, at one time a three-story fortress

The remnants of the Ft. Sumter officer's quarters.  The fort had an 85-man garrison at the outbreak of the war... 13 of which were the band!

Another day in Mayberry, and another pork chop sandwich at Snappy Lunch!  Gotta get it "all the way," with chili, cole slaw, mustard, onion and tomato.  Luckily, we won't pass by it on our way out of town... I think I might have gotten verklempt!  I need a moment.  Talk amonst yourselves.  The Holy Roman Empire was neither holy nor Roman... discuss.

OK, I'm better now.  Did you know that famous personages other than Andy Griffith lived in Mount Airy?  Ever hear of Eng and Chang Bunker?  (no, they were not related to Archie)  Eng and Chang were the first conjoined twins upon whom the term "Siamese twins" was applied.  They were indeed Siamese (now Thailand) and were brought to the U.S. by a British sea captain.  They became quite wealthy as circus curiosities, later becoming southern gentlemen and slave owners.  They married two sisters.  They all slept in the same bed; Eng fathered 11 children and Chang fathered 10 (or was it the other way around?).  Anyway, 21 kids in total.  Yeah, I couldn't visualize it either!  Worth a trip to Google to check these guys out!

Chang and Eng Bunker

Tomorrow, it's off to Charleston, SC.  Can't wait to visit Ft. Sumter!  In closing, a couple of other Mayberry pics:

Janice at the Courthouse.  Can she REALLY get a divorce here

Otis Wray.  Hey, this ain't too bad!  When does Aunt Bea get here with lunch?