A nice little getaway to Savannah, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia, near the Atlantic coast and across the Savannah River from South Carolina, is one of my favorite places, but it's been years since I've visited. Family vacations there, along with one late-night spontaneous trip years ago with friends to what we decided was the closest beach to Atlanta, have given me some good memories. So when I had the opportunity to spend a night at a Holiday Inn Express there, I grabbed it.

You've seen the commercials, which I must say are a bit silly, about how smart it is to stay there. This guy is wearing a towel to business meetings, playing chess, etc. and showing how smart he is because he stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, which has a terrific shower head and delicious cinnamon rolls. Not sure the connection, but it is cheap, and it is well managed with nice amenities like that, even free high speed internet. Anyway, that was the base of operations. And for about 24 hours some friends and I enjoyed the town of Savannah and its unique history, beautiful old homes, lovely squares scattered throughout the city, and its riverfront, with tons of shops and good seafood restaurants, artists and musicians at work, and lots of people watching each other enjoying the gorgeous setting. The weather cooperated most of the time we were there--a gorgeous, crisp spring day with a sudden cold shower Saturday night, but clear again Sunday.

We took a trolley tour of the town and got a nice firsthand overview of some of the history (which notoriously includes the gay murder featured in the book and movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil). There are a lot of interesting characters in Savannah, and a ton of fascinating stories. George Washington was so impressed with the town he sent them two cannons, still on display.

We also spent a bit of time at the beach, on Tybee Island. All in all, it was a nice little getaway. They were already getting ready for their huge St. Patrick's Day celebration. As busy as this weekend was, I can't imagine how you would get around with that party going on. But it would be fun to try.