SAVANNAH

Been away for a few days.  Took a break.  It's the middle of summer and we decided to take a little time off.  I intended to blog about our visit to Savannah, Georgia, which was our first visit there but thought better of it since there was really nothing health related to share about the visit.  So I dropped the idea.  Besides, who wants to read about someone else’s vacation.

At first I thought a vacation blog might be interesting to someone, perhaps a few, but decided to forgo it because as I was writing the draft I got to thinking how boring it would be for someone to read that over 15 million people visit Savannah each year, over twice as many visitors who annually visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast which as you know is well-known for its tourist industry.  And this in spite of Savannah being nestled several miles off the Atlantic Coast and having no beaches or mountains.  That struck me as interesting.

Then again I initially thought, then thought again, that perhaps others might think it interesting to know that Savannah has a muddy river that flows into the Atlantic and was once only 12 feet deep but that some wise guys thought it might be a good idea to dredge it down to 41 feet so big ships might haul freight as far as 18 miles up the river.  In fact, their idea was so successful that Savannah’s biggest industry and money maker is shipping and the industrial processing of many kinds of raw materials like bauxite (for aluminum), refined coal, and wood chips for making particle board, to name a few.  Yes, I know.  Not really blog material.

And after writing this in the draft I wrote immediately after it, but scratched it, that this river presented more than one benefit to the city’s economical welfare.  It has historic forts as well as several river boats that ferry tourists up and down the muddy river.  River boats, like the multi-decked, 230 foot long Georgia Queen, docked along the River Front which we, on a lark, got on for an afternoon cruise and buffet.  We boarded at noon, along with about 250 people, ate a lovely buffet which included shrimp and grits, and then strolled around the decks listening to the captain, or someone, narrate the history of the river, the city of Savannah, and points of interest, including Fort Jackson where as we passed a large canon was fired that vibrated your chest and rang your ears and made some hoot.

But on deciding to abandon the uninteresting blog I questioned if it was the right decision because I then thought about the River Front, a main tourist attraction, that was once undeveloped and how a city leader, a mover and shaker, said back in the 80s that “If you build it, they will come.”  And so they did, and they have, 15 million strong each year, down to the River Front, lined with shops and restaurants along the city's north side, the river's south side, and the long Emmet Park with its plethora of moss-laden oak trees, fountains, and monument, all of which stretch out for almost a mile and sits at the head of the largest Historic District in the country, the district being about 4 square miles.

So I said to myself that that’s probably not enough to be of interest to anyone, putting it in the same category as the fact that probably not very many people would be interested in hearing about how James Oglethorpe, with 22 men, sailed on a ship not much bigger than my uncle Breezy’s shrimp boat, the Joyce Marie, and laid out the planned city in grids to include 22 large square-shaped wards, each being comprised of a center park-like square, a common area, around which were built residential homes on one side and public buildings on the adjacent sides, and with each square having its own place of worship.  The design had a military purpose. 

The revitalization of these squares, which had fallen in disrepair, reminded me of my home town when one guide said that the city acquired the moniker “Slow-vannah” because it procrastinated in decision-making when progressives who wished to turn these beautiful squares into parking garages and other commercial buildings.  Which, to the credit of the procrastinators, has paid off handsomely for the city’s citizens in the way of tourism dollars.

But then again, I thought about the beauty of each square with its many moss-laden oak trees, and centrally located monuments, lush with beautiful landscaping, covered with cool-shaded grass and benches, I thought might be of interest to someone, or a few and that it might be worthwhile to do it anyway.

Anyway, there just too many uninteresting things about it like Victorian and Colonial architecture, houses designed with double spiral entrance stairs so that, according to custom back then, men went up one stairway and women the other as it was improper for a man to see the ankles or legs of a lady.  They would be of interest to an architect but I doubted many, if any, architects read this blog so I ditched the project.

Besides, things like city parks, art museums, and Paula Dean’s restaurant are only interesting if you’re there.

So, I reconsidered and thought it would be more interesting to blog instead about something more interesting – like news channels and anchorpersons who are smirky and smug and are attempting to propagandize 95% of the American people into thinking they are in a race war when they themselves are the jackasses who aim to seduce those who aren’t or can’t think for themselves.  And so, I have.

Coming up.

P.S.  Take some time off.  It’ll do you some good and you'll feel better.