So after
last years fiasco L and I made sure we had decent plans for New Years Eve this go around. We absolutely refused to find ourselves stuck on a farm with a bunch of dudes wearing overalls and holding Chinese made projectiles this year. We didn't want to spend too much money and wanted to go somewhere we hadn't been before. After consulting a road atlas, we decided that Savannah, GA looked like fun. I know what your thinking... "But Glenn, that's still the south and there are rednecks there too" and I agree with you. But when you stay in a hotel like
this and go on a
party cruise, the whole southern thing slips into the background.
L and I had a fantastic time. We drove down Sunday and checked in to the hotel. It was a beautiful property. We had a river front room with a great view complete with expensive cabin cruisers moored right under our third floor window. L was excited and wanted to go check out the river front. We dropped our bags off and proceeded to walk out along the river. It was sprinkling out but not overly cold. We darted in and out of touristy type stores located in cool old buildings that have been there since before the civil war. There were candy shops, T-shit vendors, craft emporiums, art galleries, restaurants, and pubs galore. It was actually pretty fun until the rain started to pick up. We gave up for the evening and went back to the hotel for some much needed libations and appetizers. We sat outside on the covered second floor deck of the bar and listened to the rain fall while we slurped hot crab soup and pounded down cocktails. From our perch we watched the street full of eve of the eve party goers shuffling around below. Some were trying to avoid the rain while others were reveling in it. Feeling a little tipsy and with the the temperature dropping, we decided to head back to the room. We showered together to warm ourselves from the chill and ended the day with pillows strewn about and heavy breathing. Smiles were plastered on our faces as we drifted off to sleep with a warm glow emanating from beyond the windows through open curtains. A perfect end to the day.
Don't you just love it when you wake up in a great mood? It seems so rare for me to just wake up with feeling great that I take special note when I do. January 31st, 2007 was one of those good mornings. L and I were both well rested. It was going to be a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the mid sixties. Perfect for our plan to explore the downtown area of the city. We strapped on our sneakers and headed down to the lobby in a quest for an interesting place to have breakfast or, more likely, lunch given the late hour. Passing through the revolving door at the main entrance to the hotel, we were greeted with an interesting site. The street, which had been busy with automotive traffic the following evening, was devoid of all but one vehicle. It was a large box truck with blue lights mounted on top. Looking down the street to the right, we saw there was a police car parked at the end of the block diverting traffic away from the block where the box truck was parked. Looking to the left, we saw crime scene tape strewn across all the corners of the intersection with several police units parked and officers milling about like your typical roadside construction crew. Wanting to see what all the hubbub was about, L and I moved in for a closer look. The cops were too far away to interrogate so I assumed that they were getting ready for a parade or maybe setting up for a fireworks display or ball drop or the like. Then I noticed what it said on the side of the truck in the street. Savannah Police Department Bomb Disposal Unit. Not long after we noticed the trucks purpose, one of those bomb disposal robots came rolling out of the back. It was a weird contraption with wheels and arms poking out in various directions. It rolled down the road and went to a U.S. Customs building on the corner and proceeded to climb/drive up some pretty steep stairs. For a minute, it looked as if it would fall over but it eventually made it to the top. It was about this time that I decided that we probably didn't want to be spectators to this event in case there were any validity to it. I pride myself in being a person with good common sense. Although I was fascinated by the events unfolding in front of me, the little voice in my head said "Hey Dude. If there
is a bomb in there, you definitely don't want to be one of the idiots it kills just because you were rubbernecking." L agreed with the voice in my head and we headed away to find some food.
We ran upon this cool little
cafe by the river front that was nestled on the bottom floor of an old building. They advertised breakfast all day. Since it was below street level and a couple blocks away from where the bomb squad was doing their thing, we decided it would make a good bomb shelter as well. We had a dish called Crab Benedict (think eggs Benedict with a crab cake wedged between the egg and bacon) which was tasty. After the meal we continued our exploration of the city. We walked the river front and browsing many of the art galleries that were closed the previous evening. Eventually we ended up downtown strolling around and investigating all the trendy furniture stores ($45,000 light fixture) and fashion boutiques ($35 used t-shirt complete with coffee stains) you find in urban areas. After putting some serious mileage on our sneakers, we ended up back at the hotel bar getting an early start on the evening festivities. There we heard one of the hotel guests talking about the bomb scare. He said that the authorities were dispatched to a suspicious package that had been found in the building and it turned out to be a tin of holiday cookies. According to
this story, it was just an envelope but I liked the idea of chocolate chip shrapnel better. Feeling a little buzzed, L and I headed back to the room to change for our cruise.
The trip down the river was ten times more entertaining than we thought it would be. The boat had three decks and each one had its own little party going. The bottom deck had a lounge lizard type dude playing a keyboard, the middle deck had some '70s grooves rolling, and the top was all modern hip hop stuff. The hor'dourves were good and we ate more than our fair share. At midnight the captain floated the boat right in front of a fireworks display where L and I kissed and drank champagne amidst the revelry. It was a great start to 2008.
