State #39, Skidaway Island Optim Orthopedics Half Marathon, Savannah, GA, 3/24/18, Part 1

I arrived so late in Savannah due to some major issues with flight delays. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that if the airline promises they will put you up in a city you weren’t planning on staying in, don’t walk away without some kind of written proof. Misinformation, delays, new connections and hours later, I thankfully arrived in Savannah unsure that I’d get my original hotel room. (I had canceled it on the way thinking I’d be stuck in Charlotte for the night. Rookie mistake.) Thankfully the folks at the Hilton had me covered. I slept the best I could given the very late arrival.

My rental car was a Mustang. Look at the horse light on the ground!

I'm not a car person, but it was a pretty cool ride.

Next morning, I wanted to get in as much of Savannah as I could. but first I had to go pick up my number at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store a drivable distance away. It went well, and I grabbed a hydration belt while I was there, as I had read in the race write up that there weren’t tons of water stops in this race. Better to be prepared, but I have NEVER run with a hydration belt before. 

I got back to the hotel just around lunch time  Arriving back at the hotel, I brought my groceries to my room, and then started out on foot.

A very dear friend of mine, Terry, who frequents Savannah due to family connections gave me all kinds of recommendations of things to check out. But seriously, this city is filled with amazing things steps from every hotel doorstep! I walked around the immediate block(s) of my hotel and found countless boutiques filled with clothes, jewelry, artwork and all kinds of other artistic endeavors. Cute cafes and restaurants were sprinkled in, and on nearly every corner was a city square or park honoring or memorializing some famous Georgian and/or Savannah native. It was all so charming and lively! 

One of the art museums in the area, Telfair Academy.

I walked along the shops, making purchases here and there, and then found a terrific sandwich shop, the Goose Feathers Cafe. I enjoyed a delicious lunch and then decided to seek out the Italian restaurant in the area Terry recommended for dinner. As I walked around the corner to where the restaurant was, the street was blocked off for filming. I learned from the restaurant staff that Will Smith was filming his latest movie just a few doors down! I booked a reservation for later that night and continued on my exploration of the city. 

Movie set.

I decided to head toward the waterfront area next. 

Scenes along the Savannah River. 

The waterfront area runs along the Savannah River. More shops and artisan markets are located along this stretch, as well as a self-guided historical walking tour  that you can make as you follow along the placards that line the river. Lots of Civil War history was detailed, such as Sherman's march to the sea, as well as other historical facts about the area. My timing was great, as I was able to watch an enormous container ship head up the river. Now that’s not something I see every day!

Container ship on the river.

Riverboat.

I walked out to the famous statue of the “waving girl” who welcomes the ships in to the harbor, then I turned around and walked the length of the river back to the hotel area near where I was staying. 

I stopped in a terrific shop called the Savannah Bee Company that sold all honey related products. Since our school theme is bees, I had to check it out. They sold every type of honey, flavored and natural, as well as many products made with honey (soaps, lip balm, hand lotion, candy, etc.). Everything was amazing! I ended up purchasing an edible honeycomb square that I thought would be awesome with cheese and crackers at our upcoming Easter celebration. I also picked up some lip balm for my principal and Tupelo Honey for my husband. The shops all along this area were really fun to check out.

After the shopping, I went back to the hotel to relax for a bit before dinner. The restaurant I chose, Bella Napoli Bistro, was only a short walk from the hotel. When I made my way out, I made sure to leave a little early so I could check out the movie filming. I watched from across the street for a little bit. They were filming in a storefront that looked like it was a coffee shop or maybe a bike shop. It was hard to tell with all the scaffolding and lighting that was set up. I didn’t see Will Smith or any other actors I recognized (which isn’t saying much, as I never know who anyone is…). So I headed to the restaurant.

Park across the street from the movie set.

As luck would have it, I ended up being seated at a table in the front window, so I could keep an eye on all the action outside while I had dinner. It was fun to watch all the comings and goings of the various workers. It really is amazing how many people contribute to the making of a film. There were people everywhere outside manning various posts and taking on countless responsibilities. Since I was dining alone, it made for a more interesting time. 

When I finished and paid, I headed outside and watched the filming again from a corner across the street. Eventually, the folks helping with crowd control made us leave, probably because they were finishing up for the night. No spotting the stars for me tonight. Oh well. It was still cool to watch how they did everything. 

I walked back to my hotel a different way to see some other streets in the downtown area. I passed by parts of the art college and Leopold’s Ice Cream where the line was long. Must be a good spot…someplace to try next time around, as I was plenty full from dinner. 

Line outside Leopold's.

I stopped in to a couple more boutiques on my way back to the hotel, and in one I struck up a conversation with the shopkeepers. I told them about the race at Skidaway Island, and they mentioned that some of the Vietnam scenes from Forrest Gump were filmed out there. Cool. In fact, they said that Savannah is known as “Hollywood South” because so many movies are now filmed there. Apparently, there are tax breaks for filmmakers to come to Georgia, and since the weather is really nice most of the time, it makes for ideal conditions for filming. Who knew? I ended up buying some earrings for my mom and a bracelet for myself in their shop. It was a fun stop.

After that, I walked back to my hotel. Along the way, I passed by some of those dreadful bicycling bar trolleys (Ugh!). The gangs pedaling them were loud and obnoxious, and I thought if that was going to continue all night long, I’d have some sleeping issues. 

Luckily it turned out that wasn’t the case, or if it was, they weren’t pedaling outside my hotel window. Thank goodness. It had been a terrific day exploring Savannah, and I was looking forward to a great race in the morning.