On the way down from Myrtle Beach, I stopped in Charleston, explored, probably not enough of it, and rested a night. Charlston is one of those cities that, the more I read about it, the more time I feel I should have spent there. One thing of note, that is very important: Krispy Kreme. No, seriously, yeah the donut place. Look, I know many people have mixed feelings about donuts, and more have complicated feelings about Krispy Kreme in general, but really, a warm, directly off the conveyer belt glazed original is unbelievable.
Just look at the this one- oh, wait, sorry I ate it already. Look at the glaze that dripped off of it *Homer salavating sound*:
I'm not saying they're healthy, or a light undertaking, but uh, they're worth it.
Speaking of food, before exiting Charleston, I went to Lewis Barbeque, and ordered a brisket sandwich. This, um, was delightful. I'd worry about overselling it, but I got a couple cuts of brisket to go, and shared it with a stranger while waiting for my car to get inspected and the only negative thing about it was it fell apart as he tried to pick it up, "oh that's tender" he said, in an even southern drawl, as we both closely guarded the cuts to make sure it didn't hit the floor. Yeah, I know this is overwrought & not exactly superlative writing about meat, but look - just look at it!
Look at this sandwich!!
My car. Again with the inconsistent narrative and lack of context. Ah, well, yeah my hood latch cable is broken, and while the latch closes, the hood was just flapping about for a while, not all the way up, nor was it staying down. I've made an appointment at a place further along on my journey, and ordered a new one, but until then, it's finicky, and if it starts acting up, I'll have to tie it down with a rope or something. A manageable problem for now, and one with a solution waiting in the wings.
And that's about it, honestly, I'm a bit dissapointed in myself, as from what I saw, it was an extremely cool city, and one that I should have spent more time in. It is one reason to do something like this with other people, or at least with a dog - motivation to get out and walk around, not just stick to the schedule.
Anyways, Savannah. Richmond has street art, Washington has history, and Savannah? Savannah has deep cultural roots with a dose of history. Were Richmond a meatloaf, and Washington a steak - Savannah would be a slice of excellent lasanya. Layers of history, art, and culture working together to form a city that even taken in large bites, will satisfy.
Ok sure, this food metaphor is a little silly, but I don't think it's entirely wrong. What I am a little worried about however is my approach to the places I visit. For Savannah, I spoke with a waitress at length about the sites and then got additional recommendations from there to further points of interest. In game design, this would be "hub and spoke" model, but this is our reality, and as such, the paradigm is inverted. One rather neat trick, that loses some luster upon further inspection, is looking at tour routes, and instead of hopping on a trolley, simply visiting those locations yourself. On one hand, you lose the guided aspect, and probable narration, but on the other, you get to visit where you want, skip sections (something you can do with a trolley). I visited a few places, such as Madison Square, Forsyth Park, the pirate house, and the cobbled district.
Listening to the trolley tours as they passed, I can tell they gave a much more indepth look at the cities history, but then again, I was able to wander around freely and drive where I may without worry of figuring out trolley routes or keeping a schedule in mind.
I drove out to Wormsloe park, the location of a bunch of different movies (Forest Gump, etc) that feature southern emotional walking scenes, but it was just closed when I arrived. Here're a few surreptitious pictures I got as people were leaving and the gates shut:
Just before leaving Savannah, I stopped at a place called Alley Cats. A speak easy with an incredible drink selection rivaled only by its menu, presented on a full size broadsheet, with quotes and anecdote interspersed.
While there, my brother called me and told me about a place called The Hostel in the Forest, and uh, yep, it's a hostel. In the forest. More than the name however, it has a coop feel to it, and at $30 a night, it's an inexpensive stop on the way down the east coast. It's very much a "put your electronics away and enjoy the incredible surroundings" type of place, but here are some pictures I took anyways... uh don't tell them (just kidding I hashtagged them on instagram :-/).
My stay at the Hostel in the Woods was wonderful if altogether too brief, though, I forgot bug spray and now have an uncomfortable number of mesquito bites. As they don't allow tents, I'd recommend a bug net for the bed, but otherwise, it is wonderful getaway, with ameneties very close in town. One caveat being if you have a super nice car, uh, maybe just rent something, or arrange a pickup.
I'll end this post on an odd note. Their out house is one of the better if not the best I've used, and it included a "poop log", a notebook for recording thoughts and notes about uh, your poops. Here is my contribution:
Really though, it was a glorious sunrise that morning,
