Each year, Tom’s sisters and I try to get together; last year we went to Naperville, IL. and this year we decided to visit Savannah, GA., a place neither Lynda or I have visited.  I left home on Sunday, November 16th, and returned on Friday evening, the 21st.

November 16:  Iit snowed during the night so I got up before 5:00 worrying about the roads and driving to the airport. Got things shutdown, said good bye to Beauty/Cutie, and headed out. Blacktop roads had been cleared and sand put down but I still drove slowly. Once I got to the state highway, the roads were fine. No problem checking in at the airport, had breakfast, and got through security. Flight left on time and, when we landed in Detroit, I went from Terminal C to A…got to my gate and spotted Lynda and Sarah. The flight to Savannah was uneventful; got our luggage, grabbed a cab, and headed to the Embassy Suites in the historic district. Once we settled in the room, we went for a walk to get the lay of the land. Found a good shopping district on Broughton St. and we decided we will go back there for a day of shopping sometime during the week. Returned to the hotel where we participated in the manager’s reception….free drinks and appetizers from 5:30 to 7:30. This served as our evening meal and went back to our room where we looked at Savannah activities and discussed what we wanted to do; we decided to do the Hop On/Hop Off trolley tour.

Relaxing evening

November 17:  We got up around 7:30 and, after dressing,  went down to the Make-to-Order breakfast. An excellent omelet, fruit, bagel, and good coffee made up my meal. We then got picked up at the front of the hotel for our trolley tour which started at the Savannah visitor center and stops at: Savannah Theatre/Chippewa Square, Sorrel-Weed House, Forsyth Park, Cathedral of St. John, and we got off at Pirates House. However, it was too early for it to be open so we waited for another trolley which  stopped at Washington Square, Owens Thomas House, Juliette Gordon Low House (girls scouts founder) before we got off at City Market for some shopping.   After purchasing a couple gift items, we got back on the next trolley which took us to Reynolds Square. We got off at the next stop on River Street and River Street Marketplace. Had lunch at the Shrimp Factory;  I had a great shrimp salad sandwich and purchased chocolate pecan pie to go. It started to rain so we decided to shop River Street tomorrow so back on the trolley we went. Returned back to the visitor center which we explored before taking another shuttle back to our hotel. After spending time in our room, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood.   Upon return to the hotel, we reserved a tour for Wednesday night of two of the most haunted buildings in Savannah; Sorrel-Weed House and Pirates House.  Then we went to the Manager’s Reception. Spent the rest of evening in our room where Lynda and I had decaf coffee with our pie, watched Monday night football, and read. Tomorrow we are going to have a light breakfast because we want to have lunch at the Pirates House along with  exploring other trolley stops.

Savannah’s tallest point

Spanish moss hanging from tree

Stately mansion

Another mansion

November 18: Got up and took a walk to the area we had toured yesterday;  I have discovered that Savannah is comprised of beautiful squares, cobblestone streets, stately mansions, and Spanish moss on trees so walking gives an in-depth perspective of these elements.   Temperature dropped significantly over night so it was in the low 30’s and breezy. At the end of my walk, I went into the mass transit station to inquire about transportation to the airport. It certainly costs less than a taxi but eliminates being able to control what time you arrive at the airport.  Returned to the room where everyone showered, dressed,and went downstairs for breakfast. After we ate, we prepared for  day’s outing. We got on the trolley, rode it to a stop where there were a gift shops of Irish and Christmas items so we naturally had to explore them. Got back on the trolley and rode to our next stop of Forsyth Park which is a large city park known as Savannah’s Central Park and occupies 30 acres in the historic district; it is best known for its fountain.

The three of us

Tree lined walks

The fountain

After wandering around, we got back on the trolley which we rode to our lunch stop at the Pirates House. After lunch, we rode the trolley to River Street where we did some shopping.  While making our last purchases of the day, the trolley came and the driver kindly waited for us to complete our purchases. Returned to the hotel where Sarah took a nap while Lynda and I drank some wine, talked, and took a walk through the hotel. After answering some emails, we went down to the evening reception. Talked to a couple who lived in Florida but originally from Georgia. Nice time but came up to the room to watch Michigan State vs. Duke men’s basketball with Duke winning. Tomorrow we are going to the shopping district on Broughton Street and the haunted houses tour tomorrow night.

Lunch companions

Oldest part of Pirates House

River with bridge that connects Georgia and South Carolina

November 19: After taking a walk, I returned to the hotel and we prepared for the day. Had breakfast and headed out to the shops on Broughton Street; all of us found items to purchase. We then walked to St. John’s Cathedral where we briefly looked inside at the furnishings which included stain glass windows. Upon a recommendation from one of Sarah’s friend, we had a late pizza lunch at Mellow Mushroom.  We then headed back to the shopping area for a couple more purchases.

Beautiful mansion

Stained glass windows

St. John’s Cathedral

Went back to the hotel to rest up for our evening adventure of the haunted houses. After the Manager’s Reception, we were picked up by the trolley and headed to our first stop of The Pirates House where we were taken to the cellar which has sealed tunnels that leads to the Savannah River. According to a tour guide, hard liquor had been prohibited by law in Savannah and the cellar of the Pirates House was originally used to smuggle barrels of rum into the city. City officials were, supposedly, aware of the presence of the contraband, but were given free access to the libation in exchange for their silence on the matter. It was also explained, by the same tour guide with Old Savannah Tours, that many tortures and murders occurred in the cellar of the Pirate’s House. The story goes that trap doors were installed in the floor of the tavern and that drunk sailors who had passed out were chained and dropped into the cellar below. Should they sustain an injury in a fall and were unable to work on a ship, then they were murdered in the cellar and their bodies later disposed of.

Chest of candy

Down to the cellar

“Sealed” tunnel

Chained and dropped to cellar

The next stop was Sorrel-Weed House The house was designed by Charles Cluskey in 1835, the home was completed in 1838. The house was built for Francis Sorrel (1793–1870), a wealthy shipping merchant and esteemed citizen. The Sorrel-Weed House has a reputation for being one of the most haunted buildings in Savannah. People claim to see figures in the windows and hear disembodied voices inside the house. The connecting carriage house behind the main house was said to have housed a female African-American slave who was murdered by a member of the family after she was found in bed with the owner by his wife who took her life by jumping off the balcony after the discovery.

The garden; see any floating figures?

Stairway to upstairs

Beautiful chandelier and molding

Pictures of owner and wife

Door of carriage house where slave lived

Drawing room

Balcony where wife jumped

I was disappointed in the evening because I thought we were going to see more of the house than two rooms on the first level and the cellar. Got back to the hotel where we relaxed and, one by one, went to bed.

November 20:  Because it was late when I woke up,  I did not take a morning walk.   After breakfast, we went to the room and talked about what to see for the day.  We decided on Owens-Thomas House and Old Fort Jackson.  We walked to the Owens-Thomas House and had a delightful tour.  Some history about the house: The Richardson House, as it was originally known after its first owner and builder, is North America’s preeminent example of period English Regency architecture. The mansion was purchased in 1830 by local attorney and politician George Welshman Owens for $10,000. The family maintained it for several decades, until Owens’ granddaughter, Margaret Thomas, bequeathed the house to the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, est. 1885 as the South’s oldest art museum, in 1951. The house is notable, for its early cast iron side veranda on which the Marquis de Lafayette addressed the citizens of Savannah on his visit in 1825.

Front of Owens-Thomas House

Back of the house

Gardens and slave quarters taken from back balcony

All of us enjoyed the tour and were glad we selected it; we were able to see both levels of the house and all the rooms where some original furnishings were displayed.  There was no picture taking allowed inside the house so I only got pictures from the outside.  We then walked to Leopold’s for ice cream.  Leopold’s Ice Cream was founded in 1919 by three immigrant brothers from Greece: George, Peter, and Basil Leopold. They learned the art of candy and dessert from an uncle who had already settled in America. The brothers perfected the secret formulas and created the world famous Leopold’s VeriBest ice cream. And it was delicious!

Counter and employee at Leopold’s

We called a taxi to take us to Old Fort Jackson.  Old Fort Jackson is unrelated to Andrew Jackson; it is a restored 19th century fort located two miles east of Savannah on the Savannah River. It is a National Historic Landmark and the oldest standing brick fort in Georgia.   President Thomas Jefferson authorized the construction of a national defense system of fortifications to defend his new nation. Jefferson’s system included Fort Jackson, constructed between 1808 and 1812 over an old earthen battery from the American Revolution.  The displays were excellent and guides quite knowledgeable; we were really glad we came for a visit.  And very happy that we were ready to leave just as 250+ 8th grade students from Atlanta descended on the place.

Inside the fort

Getting cannon ready to fire

It fired with a LOUD boom

Medical tools and instruments

Another taxi picked us up and, on the recommendation of a volunteer at Fort Jackson, we had the taxi take us to the Olde Pink House for lunch.  Savannah’s Olde Pink House was so named for the beautiful shade of “pink” stucco which covers its old brick. This Georgian mansion was built in 1789 for James Habersham Jr., one of Savannah’s most important early cotton factors and founding-family members. For the first time in my life, I had Fried Green Tomatoes…delicious!

Outside of Olde Pink House

Stairway to upper level

Group picture

After the late lunch, we walked back to the hotel where we had a glass of wine, printed out our boarding passes, talked to hotel staff about late check out, and went to the Manager’s Reception.  Went upstairs, changed into pajamas, and watched Iowa men’s basketball team get defeated by Texas.  Tomorrow we plan on sleeping in, taking a walk, have late breakfast, pack, and checking out late.

November 21: Took a walk and came back to the hotel where we got ready and headed for breakfast. After breakfast, we got our bags packed and ready for transport to the airport. All of us liked the taxi driver who picked us up at Fort Jackson the day before so I called him and arranged for pick up at 12:30. Then a decision was made to walk to the City Market for additional shopping. It was a beautiful, warm morning so perfect walking weather. After an hour or so, we returned to the hotel where we checked out and waited for the taxi to pick us up.  Upon arrival at the airport, we checked our bags and found a food court where we had a late lunch. My flight started to board passengers so I said my “good byes” to Lynda and Sarah; I was heading to Atlanta and then Cedar Rapids where Lynda and Sarah had a direct flight later in the day to Detroit. There was a delay in Atlanta because of Delta overselling 2 seats so it took sometime to get volunteers who were willing to spend the night and take a flight out the next day.  Arrival into Cedar Rapids was at 9:00 and, by the time my checked bag appeared, it was 9:30 before I got underway for home. There was no freezing rain as forecast said which made me very happy! Got home to be greeted at the door by Beauty and Cutie…what a great way to end the trip.

Beauty and Cutie welcoming me to their house

Tom’s niece, Allison, was getting married on July 9th in Denton, TX to Josh Fuel so I decided to fly in for the wedding and stay for the reception which was being held on July 11th.  The day-by-day activities are outlined below:

July 9th:  I arrived a few minutes late on American Airlines which was no big deal since I got into Dallas at 9:30 AM.  Lynda and Jim picked me up; we returned to the Red Roof Inn where all the family was staying.  Nephew Michael got in about an hour later and, while Jim went to collect him, Lynda and I filled out registration forms for my room and Michael’s.  Note: the staff at the Red Roof Inn could use a course entitled “How to Be Efficient With Staff”.  The four of us spent part of the day running errands for the wedding reception on Friday; we went to Hobby Lobby, Target, Barnes and Noble, and Costco.  Temperatures were quite high…above 100…the whole time in the area so I took lots of showers while there.  Sarah and Mike, Tom’s sister and brother-in-law, arrived around 4:00.  The Barnes’ left for the chapel for picture taking; we went later and stopped at Burger Time Machine for our evening meal on the way.  The wedding was held at Little Chapel-in-the-Woods on the campus of the Women’s Christian College in Denton; the chapel was difficult for us to locate and we were almost late.  The chapel is beautiful and the ceremony was simple, short, and very nice.  My camera did not work the best so please excuse the quality of the pictures.

Inside chapel

Mr. & Mrs. Fuel

Silly wedding party

The wedding party

Family picture

After the wedding, a reception was held at the Italian Villa where there was beer, wine, appetizers, and cake served with the option of ordering off the menu if you wished.   A good time was had by all with toasts given and stories told.

Card house

Time to relax

Brother to brother

Cake cutting

Got back to the hotel around 11:30…late for this old lady…I read briefly and turned out the lights.

July 10th:  Slept quite well and did not wake up until 7:00 A.M.  We went for breakfast at Denny’s where the service left something to be desired; our waiter did a good job but there were not enough wait staff for the amount of people being served.  After breakfast and once Jim ran some errands for Allison, we went SHOPPING.  We went to Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Froggy’s (where I got a couple Christmas gift ideas for Savanna), Restoration Hardware (very disappointed they do not carry gadgets anymore), The Container Store, and Macy’s.  Lunch was at the Old Fashioned Soda Fountain which made an excellent Chocolate Malt.  Got back to the room about 5:00; after checking and responding to emails, I went to the Barnes’ room with a glass of wine.  Allison called and it was decided we would meet her/Josh at the Texas Roundhouse.

Making a Point?

Listening intently

We returned to the hotel where everyone went to their respective rooms.  I made some phone calls and read before turning off the lights around 11:00 p.m.

July 11th:  Once I got up, I looked online for the news, organized my suitcase for an early departure the next morning, showered, got ice for my cooler, and met everyone for breakfast at Danny’s.  Mike, Sarah, Lynda, and I decided to visit The Sixth Floor Museum located in Dealey Plaza, the place where John F. Kennedy was assassinated.   Even though it would of been better if the exhibits were further apart, the details of before and after the assassination was quite impressive.

Where JFK was shot

We had lunch at Chick Filet; it was the first time I had ate at one and their soup/salad was very good.  When we returned to the motel, everyone went to their respective rooms to rest and get ready for the wedding reception that evening.  The reception was held at the Jackson Pavilion at Lake Grapevine; Lynda, Jim, and I arrived a few hours early in order to assist in the preparations.  The affair was quite nice with excellent food, good conversations, casual & beautiful setting, and a very happy newly married couple!

Let’s sign the rock

Myself with Lynda

Getting tables ready

Unloading time

Food preparation

Starting to gather

Isn’t love grand?

We are having fun!

Allison & Daddy-in-Law

Sibling caring

Since some of us had early starts the next morning, we did not stay for the fireworks.  Made it back to the motel, read, and fell asleep.  Lynda came to my door at 6:00 the next morning, the 12th, to make sure I was awake.  I said my good byes to Lynda and Jim who were driving back to their home in Ohio.  My flight was leaving at 7:20 a.m. so I took the 6:50 shuttle to the airport.  There was no problem getting through security and my departure gate was right by the secure area along with a Friday’s restaurant so I ordered breakfast…the service at the airport was significantly better than at the Danny’s.  No problem with the flight, got to my car, and drove home with arrival around 11:30 a.m.  I was so glad I could attend Allison’s wedding along with meeting her new husband and in-laws; I believe she and Josh are going to have many, many happy years ahead of them.

Nephew, Michael, was getting married on May 16th at the White Star Park in Fremont, OH so I left on Tuesday, the 13th, heading to the home of the groom’s parents, Lynda and Jim.  My plans were to get to their home on the 14th by early afternoon so I drove for about 4 hours and stopped at the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Ottawa, IL for the evening.  Upon the recommendation of the staff at the inn, I had dinner at Woody’s Steakhouse which was excellent both in food quality and service.

On the 14th,  I left the hotel good time and was pleased to discover the traffic around Chicago was not bad; all the years of road work around the area has finally paid off!  Because of the good start, I arrived at Lynda’s around noon their time.  The rest of the day and evening was spent visiting with Lynda, Jim, and niece Allison who had flown in from Texas.   Allison will be getting married in July so Lynda and Jim are experiencing both of their children weddings within two months of each other!

The next morning we had breakfast and then got ready for a shopping excursion at a nearby town called Defiance.  Sister Sarah, from Adrian, MI, joined us.  While going from one shop to another, we ran into Michael.  Since it had been years since I had seen him, it was great to talk to him and see how happy he seems to be.  We had lunch at Kissner’s,  the restaurant where Michael and Sara first met.  Because of having to be at the rehearsal by 4:30, after seeing sister Sarah off, we got ready and left for the park.  Upon arrival, we discovered everyone was going to be late except Michael and the wedding coordinator.  What a cold, drippy evening!  Once everyone arrived, the rehearsal began.  When it was over, everyone drove to the Residence Inn where the wedding party and out-of-town guests were staying; a rehearsal buffet had been set up.

Waiting

Stand here?

The happy couple

That’s funny!

Sara, keep warm!

Jim at the buffet

The morning of the wedding, Lynda and I went back to Defiance to return an article of clothing I had purchased the day before.  When we arrived back at Lynda’s, Linda and Mike Morley arrived from Niles, MI.   They have been friends of Lynda and Jim for years and years.  We had lunch and then got ready for the wedding.  Since my vehicle had the most room, we took it with Jim as the designated driver.  First stop was at Michael’s where Jim, the best man, helped Michael with his tie.  Second stop was the park for the wedding whose theme was based on Moonrise Kingdom, the first film Michael and Sara saw together and related to.  Many of the guests came dressed from the time period of the movie.  Third stop was the reception which was held at Ole Zimm’s Wagon Shed in Gibsonburg, OH.

Friends

Dad “teaching”

Cool Ties!

Groom & Mom

Bertholds & Groom

Groom’s Shoes

Mom with friend

Allison

Father & Bride

Coming Together

Wedding Party

Mr. & Mrs. Barnes

Neat wedding cake

Cousins

Newlywed Table

First Dance

The morning of the 17th, Linda/Lynda/myself drove to Adrian in order to visit with Sarah and Mike.  After lunch at El Chaps, a Mexican restaurant, we went to see niece Jana and her family.  I had never seen her youngest son, Joey, who is 2 years old and full of energy.  Daughter, Megan, is 6 and seems very mature for her age.  Upon leaving the Schutte residence, Mike provided us with a tour of Adrian.  And we just had to shop at a couple stores!  When we returned to Lynda’s, the Morleys decided to spend another night.  We went out to eat at Mom’s Diner in Archbold.  Since I was leaving early in the morning, I said my “good byes” to Allison and Mike/Linda.

After a cup of coffee and ‘good bye’ hugs from Lynda & Jim, I headed to the toll road and drove west.  Stopped for lunch at Wise Guy’s Grill in Princeton, IL.  Got home about 2:30 central time.  It was a great trip!  I am so glad of the relationship I have with Tom’s family and it was wonderful to spend time with them.  My new vehicle, Subaru Forrester) drove well and averaged 33.1 mpg.  The wedding and reception was based on the Moonrise Kingdom theme; it was casual, fun for all, and it was great to see how happy Michael is with his new bride…I hope they have a many years of happiness as Tom and I did.

Tom’s sisters, Lynda and Sarah, met me in Naperville, IL for a “sister” reunion from November 3 to November 6th.  Lynda and Sarah had checked into our hotel before my arrival so, once I got there, I went directly to our room where we joyously greeted each other.  We decided to drive downtown Naperville and explore the area.   While downtown, we found a Mexican restaurant so we had dinner there.  When we returned to the hotel, we spent the rest of the evening talking and catching up with happenings in our lives.  The next morning we drove to downtown Naperville and spent the day shopping.   We had lunch at Giordano’s whose specialty is Chicago style pizza; we did not order the Chicago style but the pizza was delicious!  By the end of the day, we were tired so headed back to the hotel.  All of us were not very hungry so we walked to a soup/salad place Lynda and Sarah had ate at the day before; great soup!  Being a Chicago Bear fan and the team playing on Monday night football, I had to watch the game; after the game, all of us headed for bed.  The weather was rainy the next morning so we decided to go to an indoor mall…at least we thought we were going to an indoor mall.  But first we traveled to the Container Store and Crate & Barrel outlet (don’t go, there is not much there).  When we got to the mall, we discovered all the stores were not inside and  access was only  from outdoors.  Brrr…it was cold!  We ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory; service was very slow but, once it arrived, food was good.  By mid-afternoon, we decided to call it a day on shopping and returned to our hotel.  That evening we walked to the St. Louis Bread Co. for a light meal.  When we returned to the hotel, we sat in front of the fireplace in the lobby area drinking our wine and talking; it was a very pleasant evening.

Finding a new friend

Eating at Mexican restaurant

View of river downtown Naperville

Lynda relaxing on tile lounge

On Wednesday, we went to breakfast at the St. Louis Bread Co.; after breakfast, we said our good byes with Lynda and Sarah heading east while I headed west.  It was a very pleasant, fun get together and I consider myself lucky to have such wonderful sisters.