Mirabelle’s (to the right)
On the second day of our Savannah trip, we found Mirabelle’s, a little pop-in restaurant, where we ordered a waffle and a panini at the counter. Many people enjoyed eating their breakfast or having a cup of coffee inside or on the patio. The restaurant is across the street from the Cathedral. Hubby enjoyed the Lemon Zinger, a waffle with lemon-lavender curd crème, served with raspberry and cardamom jam and whipped cream. I liked the Tacchino, a panini with honey roasted turkey, applewood bacon, Swiss cheese, fig mustard, arugula, pressed on sourdough. Once we found this place, we kept going back every morning. It was a short walk and reasonably priced.
We were happy we didn’t get a car, since we were able to walk everywhere. There’s a free shuttle, called the “dot” that runs along Drayton and Whitaker Streets. The dot goes to the Savannah River, by or near the Squares, and travels pass Forsyth Park, with many stops along the way. After breakfast, we decided to wait for the shuttle. It’s supposed to swing by every 10 minutes. We waited about five minutes, without seeing one of the purple and green buses and hoped we could catch a ride later. We took a short walk to Bull Street, where we could discover and walk through more Squares. It was only a 15-minute walk to the Savannah River.
The closer we got to the river, the more busy it became with traffic and people visiting shops. After we crossed Bay Street, we walked down steep stairs to find a dark and creepy tunnel. The cobblestones are tricky. People need to watch their step as a few have come undone and are naturally bumpy. The river was calm and there weren’t many boats cruising by. River Street is over 300 years old. “The port was once the primary location for incoming goods and was the leader in exporting cotton. Today’s shops, bars, galleries and restaurants that line River Street were once cotton warehouses. Initially, the stones that make up the 200-year-old cobblestone streets were ballast material on ships that sailed into the Savannah harbor.”
We walked along the river and explored a few shops on the way.
Only one ship was docked close by that day – the American Independence.
When we headed back to our hotel, we walked up what is called the “Stone Stairs of Death,” which has 33 historic steps on the western end of River Street. There’s a railing to hang on to, so it wasn’t as bad as what the name makes it out to be! Later in the afternoon, we ended up walking back to River Street for dinner at the Olympia Cafe. The food was served practically before we sat down! I had Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and Hubby had a Gyro Dinner. The food was very good, and we ate it up before I thought about taking pictures of our delicious meals.
On the way back to the hotel, we saw the dot bus heading towards us. We decided to hop on and got a nice tour of the city. We got a little nervous, because we thought the bus turned by Forsyth Park. However, the bus kept going and going. I wished I had my map with me, but there is an app to download. Now is not the time to download an app, I thought to myself and wondered how much of a charge was left on my phone battery. Anyway, the bus finally took a left turn, and we ended up getting back to our hotel safe and sound. That bus ride spooked me a little, and I couldn’t help noticing the creepy feeling I had after visiting River Street.
They say Savannah is one of America’s most haunted cities. Savannah has had its share of disastrous events. Many battles have taken place there, “From the Siege of Savannah in 1779, …to the American Civil War’s Savannah capture by General T. Sherman.” Residents also suffered through the 1820 Yellow Fever epidemic, which took a tenth of Savannah’s population. There was also a terrible fire on January 11, 1820. “A rapidly spreading fire broke out in a stable. The blaze destroyed 500 buildings before dwindling that afternoon. But this wasn’t the first catastrophic fire Savannah endured. In 1796, a deadly fire ravaged the city, destroying 229 houses and 146 outbuildings.” Plus, there were “mysterious murders” and “savage slavery” that took place in the historic city. After reading about these facts, it’s not surprising to learn it is one of America’s most haunted cities. If interested in learning more, click here.
I felt better after getting back to the hotel where it was quieter and where it felt calmer. After doing a little research about haunted hotels in the area, I found out that the DeSoto Hotel only has a minimal amount of paranormal activity!
Stay tuned for Day 3…
My Reality Show 