A "This is Closed" sign appeared at a fork in the road. It wasn't like a piece of paper had been slapped on just because of the virus, this was a weathered wooden sign planted in the earth, and looked like it had been there for a couple of years. So we turned around and finished the walk, about 3 miles total.
Oh but let me throw this in there too. The trail map said that there was an observation deck on the Eastern side of the trail, so I figured that would be a good spot to take some pictures. We got there and it was a 3 level tower, except there was no way to get to the 3rd level; you could only go to the 2nd level. But they had a garbage can right under a tiny hole that led to the 3rd deck so I guess somebody would have needed to give me a boost step in order to get on the top deck. Absolutely ridiculous.
Mom had heard about Tydee Island, on the east coast of Georgia, so we had made plans to go over there. We really had high hopes for this beachside town, but those hopes didn't last long. It was your typical family beachside town, with a lot of cheap souvenirs, and colorful, youthful looking restaurants. Most of the restaurants we were interested in were either closed or only doing take out. But I had paid for us to park, it cost $7 for two hours and damn it, I was determined to get my $7 worth! I had to find some crap that I was interested in, even if I had to fake liking that crap. All that only lasted about 30 minutes before we decided we had had enough. We did drive over to the lighthouse which we heard was a great spot, except we couldn't get to it because it was barricaded. Had to settle for a distant photograph. Tydee Island was basically a bust.
We were pretty hungry at this point and we had passed the Paula Deen Creek House on the way in to Tydee Island. The location is excellent, first of all. It's right off a marsh a few miles outside downtown Savannah. We arrived around 1130 and then waited outside for 30 minutes. In the heat mind you, we could not wait inside due to capacity. So even if it was in the shade we had to deal with the annoying heat.
I didn't expect a 5 star dining experience, but that's okay. The meal was best described as ordinary and satisfying. Peel n eat shrimp, house salad, and fish tacos. Server was an absolute sweetheart, but it's not a place I would recommend for anything special, it's really just to say you've eaten at a Paula Deen restaurant.
By this point, I needed a break and a shower. We headed back to the hotel and after 30 minutes of lifting weights in the gym, I cleaned up. We planned to check out the Prohibition Museum in City Market, but by this time, it had closed for the day. Not the biggest deal in the world, we can always push it to Wednesday.
I guess I can't blame Mom for getting frustrated. I think Corona, or the presence of it, has worn her down to complete frustration, since she has been unable to work or really go anywhere because she is concerned about catching it. She was ready to head back to the hotel but I suggested we at least get an appetizer. We began a 10 minute walk on East street towards a place I had in mind for a couple of apps, but then we passed Ruth's Chris. Mom knew they had a good deal on seared ahi tuna during happy hour and as it turned out they also had a good steak sandwich deal, so we took a detour.
The tuna was quite good, especially when eaten with a little ginger or wasabi sauce. Beautifully presented. As for me, that 6 oz filet steak sandwich with fresh cut fries only set me back 9 bucks. And what I liked about the sandwich was that I didn't get one big piece of steak. The problem with a steak sandwich is when you get that big piece, sometimes it doesn't break easily, and after one bite, you've taken out half the steak, and you're left with an onion/sauce sandwich. With this it was small bites of tenderloin covered in their sauce, so that problem was eliminated. The steak was cooked a solid medium rare. Along with a nice whiskey sour, it was a happy hour steal.
The tuna was quite good, especially when eaten with a little ginger or wasabi sauce. Beautifully presented. As for me, that 6 oz filet steak sandwich with fresh cut fries only set me back 9 bucks. And what I liked about the sandwich was that I didn't get one big piece of steak. The problem with a steak sandwich is when you get that big piece, sometimes it doesn't break easily, and after one bite, you've taken out half the steak, and you're left with an onion/sauce sandwich. With this it was small bites of tenderloin covered in their sauce, so that problem was eliminated. The steak was cooked a solid medium rare. Along with a nice whiskey sour, it was a happy hour steal.
By then, mom went back to the hotel, but I was wanting to hit the town. I still wanted to experience more of the local culture before leaving Savannah the next morning. Translation: I wanted to get wasted in a local pub on local beverages. And across the street from Ruth's Chris was Rocks on the Roof, which is on top of the Bohemia hotel overlooking the Savannah River. I took the elevator up four flights and took a seat on the outside patio. The view offers a great shot of the river, but the main things I can see are the Savannah convention center, the bridge, and some sort of industrial yard, along with a bunch of trees. It actually feels more like overlooking the shipyard in Norfolk with a forest. The speaker was playing hip hop music, which wasn't the best to suit the mood. I had two beers: the Pretoria Sky Walker Golden Ale and a Coastal Empire Praline Amber. I think I preferred the Amber, not because I'm a fan of sweeter beer, but because it was uniquely Georgia with that nutty, full pecan flavor. And even though I didn't order any food, I appreciate that they're adding an international flair based off the countries that typically send goods into the Savannah port.
The last planned stop was Churchill, an authentic UK pub on Bay St. And of course, another sign on the door said it was closed but would reopen July 1. I'd already be gone by that point. So instead it was World of Beer. I think I tried 7 or 8 beers in that bar. The Orpheus Transimigration of Souls double IPA was my favorite though. I wanted to get smashed and I did, but not to the point where I couldn't function.
There was one significant issue though. I was drinking draft beer, but I saw that they carried several varieties of Innis & Gunn in their cooler. The new bartender told me the three kinds but didn't say what variety of beer they were. So I wound up getting a bottle of stout, not my style. I apologized, explained I didn't know it was a stout, and asked to have it removed from my bill. I was told now, but thankfully my original bartender took care of it.
I must say there are some mighty big boned women here, but downtown there some absolutely gorgeous women. They wear these amazing dresses and they have a tremendous sense of style. But I'm pretty convinced that none of them are single. They're always hanging out with a guy.
