Georgia On My Mind

After my quick trip to Utah (made even quicker by the fact that I had to work for half of it), I flew to Atlanta, Georgia to meet my friend Kristie, who had spring break from medical school in Nashville.

Kristie picked me up Tuesday night, we had a quick dinner at California Pizza Kitchen, then saw the 'Valentine's Day' movie. Funny side note... we parked in the underground lot under the mall with an entrance that had several glass doors around the escalators. When we tried to go in the door was locked, so we had to go around to the other one. When we left and tried the same door, it was locked, so we had to go around again to the other door. I'm convinced the security guard in the booth nearby totally locked us out/in, because I saw him looking at us and laughing. The movie theater was weird, on one level to buy tickets, then another to go in. We totally got lost in the parking lot, but it was okay, because of Kristie's mad Nascar skills.

Wednesday, we started off right by working out (Kristie is training for a half marathon) polished off with omelettes. It was a rainy, rainy day, so we headed to the aquarium. When we walked in, the man insisted that there were no maps... so we asked him where to find everything.

We pet sharks and rays and anemones. The otters were hiding both times we tried to see them but the beluga whales did come out to say hi.

I loved these little eels that reminded me of Ursula's garden in The Little Mermaid.

One of the highlights was the ginormous tank that held tons of fish, sharks, whales and rays. Our favorite was the manta ray named Tula who likes acrobatics and swimming upside-down.

We visited an amazing Shark Attack! display, but unfortunately no pictures allowed there. A couple of tidbits that I learned... sharks have seven senses and there are some sharks that eat their brothers and sisters in utero. Crazy.

We had dinner at a lucky Italian find called Brio: Tuscan Grille. The food was amazing and the place was empty because of how early we got there. This made the waiter very attentive... almost to the point of spying on us... he heard everything we said. ;)

On Thursday we visited the Martin Luther King Jr. National Park. We started in Freedom Hall where I learned that Ghandi was one of Dr. King's inspirations. (Side note... while looking at a document in this room about Ghandi, a boy asked me if I was looking at the Emancipation Proclamation. What?! Do you think it was a bad pick-up line or ignorance?)

We also explored rooms about Rosa Parks, and MLK and Coretta. Outside we saw their tomb, the eternal flame, the church where MLK preached, and a Kunte Kinte statue, then saw a movie in the visitors center.

Next we walked past the shotgun houses to a tour of the King home, joined by a group of college students from Penn State. Our tour guide was mostly blind... I think I heard him speak at a Fourth event in Boston three years ago. He did a little bit of weird acting out of things the children would have said. Oh and earlier at the visitors center he was sitting at a desk, and I walked up looking for a map. He said nothing and I walked away complaining to Kristie that he didn't help me when I was obviously looking for something. Oh wait... he's blind. ;)Kristie somehow got bird poop on her ticket, but thought she was in luck. The tour guide took our tickets at the beginning but said he would give them back to us at the end of the tour. Unfortunately, she got the same ticket back. :)

We made a quick stop at the Jimmy Carter library/presidential center...

...before driving to Hilton Head to spend the rest of the week. Funnies: Kristie saying "ew!" about a banana peel. I got a little or maybe a lot scared by a spider in the car and Kristie may have had to exit to try to kill it. We ate dinner at a Cracker Barrel and played a peg game on the table with napkins 'cause it was pretty nasty dirty. We saw a million police cars on the drive before finally arriving at the resort. Kristie stepped on a frog on the way in, but we washed off in the swimming pool and hot tub.

On Friday, we had breakfast at a diner on the island. The french toast was made with giant bread and we sang jukebox songs. Next we drove into historic Savannah and hopped onto a trolley tour. It loop-de-looped around the different squares in the city, showing us the beautiful homes. The bluish-gray color of this one is called "haint," which Kristie realized is the color of her eyes.

Many of the squares contain a fountain in the middle. The water of said fountains was dyed green for the "second" largest St. Patrick's Day festival in the country.

We loved this half taxi/half police car. Would you hail it down for a ride? How do you make sure which half you're riding in?

After the tour we walked back around the city to get a closer look at things. This was a dugout used during the Battle of Savannah of the Revolutionary War. I never realized that war stretched so far South.

This was Juliette Gordon Lowe's house at the time she founded Girl Scouting.

We also walked through some churches...

...and a cemetery. The headstones were displaced during the Civil War, so if they were unable to figure out where they go, they were placed around the wall here.

This is the balcony where the Marquis de LaFayette addressed the people in 1825.

Spring was a little late this year, so we didn't get the full splendor of the gardens in the squares. There were a few trees in bloom though.

As we were walking, we had to pass through a mob of policemen and couldn't figure out why they were out in mass. Then we came upon a 5K at City Market. People in Savannah really get into the holiday.

We enjoyed a little gelatto, were denied entrance to Paula Dean's restaurant (apparently you need reservations), then watched the adorable kid's run.

We ate at the Italian Restaurant, and watched Sherlock Holmes on pay-per-view at the hotel. It was a long day, so we were ready to relax the next day.

Saturday, we spent at the resort... walked on the beach... ...saw tons of sand dollars... ...took a little nap, then went to a spa for mani/pedis and massages. Bliss.

We came back and ate Frosty's on the hammock.

We ended our last evening with running/workout, dinner, and more hot tub/pool time. A movie called 'Daddy's Little Girls' was on tv, which coincidentally is set in Atlanta.

Sunday, Kristie drove me back to Atlanta and she headed back to Nashville.

We did remember that it was Pi(e) Day, so we had found these little pies at the grocery store to celebrate with. Go 3.14!

Thanks Kristie for a fantastic Spring Break. Love and miss you!