Tag: Savannah

Lens-Artists #120: What A Treat

Posted in PhotographyTagged , , , , , , 23 Comments

For this photo challenge Tina says “We’d love for you you to share something that was a treat for you”. This challenge reminded me of a fun day with friends before the pandemic shut down the world.

I sampled almost all of the flavors

A few days before the national emergency was declared, our group of nine Active Older Adults from our local YMCA boarded a small bus for the 30 minute ride to Byrd’s Famous Cookies Bakery and Flagship Store. We began our adventure in the store where we sampled cookies and of course bought some to take home.

I’ll take a jar of each
What a Treat – Byrd Cookies
The smell of the baking cookies was heavenly

After a short presentation about the history of the company and more cookie tasting we took a tour of the bakery. No photography was allowed in the production area but I was able to get this shot through window of the doors to the room. Seeing so many cookies at once was a cookie lover’s dream come true!

As soon as the door to the production room was opened the smell of fresh baked cookies filled the air. Just imagine the aroma in your kitchen when you are baking cookies and multiply it by about 1000. I wish I could transmit that heavenly scent through the internet to you. Our guide walked us through the entire process from dough to hot cookies coming out of the oven. We were then rewarded with warm, fresh baked cookies right off the production line.

We wrapped up our day with lunch at Bow Tie Barbeque before boarding the bus back home.

Byrd’s Famous Cookies Since 1924

The cookies have been made in Savannah since 1924 when there was only one flavor – their famous Scotch Oatmeal cookies. Today their flavors include Key Lime Coolers, Chocolate Chip, Salted Caramel, and Georgia Peach plus many others. There are several Byrd’s stores around Savannah and the cookies are distributed to stores all around the country.

Laughing with friends, eating cookies, and going out to lunch – what a treat!

If you would like to learn more about Byrd’s Famous Cookies or would like to order some of these mouth watering treats, visit Byrd Cookie Company.

Many thanks to Tina for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #120: What a Treat.

Lunch with Friends

Posted in Georgia, RestaurantsTagged , , , 12 Comments

I’ve been going to water aerobics classes with a fabulous group of ladies (and a few men) for years. A few times a year we meet somewhere to enjoy a meal, conversation, and lots of laughs.

This week we met at Cohen’s Retreat in Savannah which was originally a retirement home for men. In 2012, new owners took over and transformed the space into a delightful restaurant with delicious food, a venue for special events, a gift shop, and rental cottages

Cohen’s Retreat, Savannah, Georgia

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Cohen’s Retreat, Savannah, Georgia

As we walked through the front doors we knew we were in for a special treat when we saw the vintage ashtrays decorating the walls and a mantle lined with Old Spice bottles and shaving brushes. A wall with a family tree made from heirloom silverware was the focal point in the Perennial Room where we ate. Mounted on another wall of the room was an antique bicycle built for two.

What a fun place to have lunch
Family tree made of antique heirloom silverware
Antique bicycle built for two

Did I mention the food was delicious?

Good food and laughing with friends in a memorable setting made me smile this week.

Linked to Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors – March 5, 2020

This post was inspired by the Weekly Smile over at Trent’s World. What made you smile this week?

Staycation in Savannah

Posted in Georgia, Tourist AttractionsTagged , , , , 19 Comments

For the past 40 years we have lived less than 30 minutes from Savannah’s beautiful historic district and until this week, we had never spent any time really touring the city. Last year our Christmas present to each other was tickets to see Willie Nelson in concert and a two night stay in a hotel where we could walk to the concert and be tourists for a couple of days.

The concert was the highlight of our getaway. Once Willie started playing his guitar you would have never known he is 86 years old. Opening the show with “Whiskey River” he played and sang for over an hour and a half. We loved every minute of it and so did everyone else in the audience.

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Willie Nelson in Savannah, Georgia

Savannah has been featured in many movies, books, and television shows and is frequently listed as one of the most popular cities to visit in the United States. A popular way to see the city and learn a little of its history is to take a Trolley Tour

The day after the concert was our day to be tourists and do some things we’ve never done before. We started by enjoying a fantastic southern lunch at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room.  We were seated family style at a table for 8 and enjoyed talking to the other guests while we enjoyed the wonderful food.

Next up was a tour with Old Town Trolley, one of several tour companies in the city.  Our guide Lillie Belle was entertaining and we learned things about Savannah’s history we had never heard before. Here’s a little show with a few of the highlights from the tour.

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Having a little get away in the middle of the week was a fun way to start off Valentine’s week. Tonight we’ll celebrate at home with grilled steaks and all the trimmings.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Lens-Artists #70: Monochrome

Posted in Georgia, PhotographyTagged , , , , 25 Comments

This week, Patti  has challenged us to explore the world of monochrome using black and white, sepia, or different shades of the same color.

For this challenge I went through my archives and chose photos of scenes in Savannah, Georgia. Converting the photos to black and white added a bit of mystery to them. The photo above is of stone steps leading from Bay Street to River Street along the Savannah River.

The Forsyth Park Fountain is one of Savannah’s most well know sights.

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Forsyth Park Fountain in Savannah, Georgia

Bonaventure Cemetery is always an interesting place to visit. Seeing it in black and white adds a little more drama.

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Military graves at Bonaventure Cemetery

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Bonaventure Cemetery

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Bonaventure Cemetery

Perhaps one of the most famous homes in Savannah is the Mercer House made famous by the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good of Evil.”

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Mercer House, Savannah, Georgia

Many thanks to Patti for this weeks Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Monochrome

 

McQueen’s – Tybee Island Trail

Posted in Georgia, Nature, WildlifeTagged , , , , , , 12 Comments

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy nonprofit organization has created a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines. The McQueen’s – Tybee Island Trail near Savannah, Georgia is one of the those trails. The gravel trail is a popular place for walking, biking and jogging.

The trail suffered extensive damage in 2016 when Hurricane Matthew came through the area in October. Less that a year later, Hurricane Irma caused more damage. The work to repair the damage is still not complete and parts of trail are closed.

As of now, the only access to the trail is a parking area at the trailhead near the entrance to Fort Pulaski National Monument.  Starting at the trailhead, we walked until we came to a damaged bridge that still can be crossed safely. In all we went about about a mile and a half round trip.

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The bridge to Fort Pulaski National Monument as seen from McQueens – Tybee Island Rails To Trails, Savannah, GA

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McQueens – Tybee Island Rails To Trails, Savannah, GA

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McQueens – Tybee Island Rails To Trails, Savannah, GA

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McQueens – Tybee Island Rails To Trails, Savannah, GA

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This bridge was damaged during one of the storms that went through the area

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A great place to sit and enjoy the view

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Driftwood in the salt marsh beside the trail

We spied some wildlife along the trail.

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This little diamond back terrapin was crossing the trail in front of us

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Great blue heron in the salt marsh beside the trail

It was a gorgeous March day to get out and explore close to home.