I’ve often heard that life was meant to be an adventure among great friends, and that was definitely the case with our recent trek to Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina with our mamas. My lifelong best friend, Daneen, and I took our mamas, ages 71 and 70, on a trip we have pledged to do for years. The mamas, Nancy and Ann, have been best friends since the 3rd grade, when Ann moved from California to small town Louisiana. It’s been said that in 60 plus years, they’ve had only one argument- that time back in about the 9th grade…. but this depends on who is telling this story. I’m sure there have been more disagreements throughout a lifetime of friendship, marriages, children, divorces, and the like, but memory lapses and long-term friendships tend to go hand in hand.
For several years, they have mentioned wanting their girls to take them on this trip, in the Springtime, to see the flowers and all the things these two historic cities have to offer. As life often happens, something always came up- it was usually our own children, starring in a plays, sporting events, or moving off to college that left us saying “next year, we promise!” We finally sat down one day and said “Okay, Easter break 2019, let’s do the Savannah/Charleston trip.” As life often happens- I like to say “at 4 O’clock on a Tuesday”- when we least expect it, Ann suffered a massive stroke in May of 2018. It was devastating in so many ways. She spent many long, hard days in Intensive Care Units, Rehabilitation facilities, and outpatient therapy centers just relearning the basic activities of daily living- eating, dressing, walking, speaking. Regret hit me hard. I hated that we never took that trip, and I doubted that we ever truly would. But not Ann! Once she was miraculously on the mend, she asked us almost daily about our plans. I honestly believe that so many prayers were answered for her and I also believe that her steely resolve and hope of something to look forward to helped her on her most trying days. Her daughter, Daneen, got busy arranging electric scooters and wheel chairs to be delivered to both cities, and we continued with our planning. Wouldn’t you know, about one month before we were to hop a plane, my healthy mama, who takes no medication and runs a full-time business, landed herself right up in the local hospital! This Louisiana pollen got the best of her and before we knew it, her allergies and bronchitis led to a very scary pneumonia. Much to her chagrin, and our shock, she was sent home on temporary home oxygen. My first thought was “How will we tell Ann we can’t go after she has worked so very hard?’ Yet again, many prayers were answered, and these two strong- willed steel magnolias rallied. On Good Friday, the four of us landed safely in the exquisitely beautiful Savannah, Georgia.
If you have never visited Savannah, well you should! I have wanted to visit since I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in 1995. I even watched the movie, along with Forrest Gump, before our trip just for a refresher. The city did not disappoint. Our first stop was Clary’s Café. Just as we were seated, the tornado that followed us from Louisiana decided to make its debut in Savannah. While alarms were ringing and people were taking caution, we continued with our pancakes, grits, eggs and bacon, biscuits, grilled pimento cheeses, and reubens. Daneen said “tell us if we should get under the table”, and since no such warning was issued, we continued with the business at hand. Or mouth. After brunch and a short drive down the beautiful Jones Street (They say that’s where the term “Keeping up with the Jones” was coined), we checked into the beautiful Bohemian Hotel. The staff was friendly and accommodating and helped us daughters wrangle a scooter, an oxygen concentrator, and 6 portable oxygen tanks to our room with a balcony view of the Savannah River. Despite the rain, we took a break at Rocks on the Roof, toasted to survival and friendships, then took an Uber to Paula Deen’s Lady and Son’s Restaurant. Listen y’all. I’m a bit of a food snob for many reasons- (1) I come from Louisiana, and in all the world I’ve never found better food, and (2) My parents are great cooks. So, it was an interesting experience but my mama cooks better is all I’m saying…. We, still going strong as we have been since about 4:00 A.M., make our way to River Street. I loved everything about it, but watching Daneen speedily maneuver the scooter through the hotel restaurant to get us there was hands-down the best part. In fact, that scooter will probably be one of my best memories of the trip, for so many reasons! We finally made our way back to our room and capped off day one with chocolate covered strawberries and champagne, while taking in the sounds of the saxophone down below and the sights of the Savannah River at night. It was a Good Friday.
The next morning, after a breakfast and a run-in with ole Forrest Gump, we took a guided tour through Savannah. The smell of confederate jasmine still lingers in my mind, as does the taste of the Leopold’s Ice cream, which I highly recommend. In fact, I just ordered some to be shipped and I don’t even typically like ice cream. Trust me, there is a reason they have been in business since 1919. After a little sugar kick, we drove about 15 minutes to Tybee Island. We saw the beautiful Tybee Island lighthouse that has stood as a beacon in the night and battered many storms throughout the years. We then trespassed on private property that we still aren’t sure what the heck that was all about- perhaps the filming scene of a horror movie, or post hurricane ruins from the past? Who knows, but they should’ve locked that gate if they really didn’t want trespassers. Otherwise, it’s just a suggestion, right? We just wanted to see the Atlantic Ocean. To be fair, I think we probably didn’t see enough of the island to make a judgement call here, but we may have thought it was similar to Larto Lake or Hemps Creek, and yes, we do love both of those… That evening, Mama and I went to The Mansion on Forsythe for dinner. It was beautiful, classic, timeless. Versace leather furniture, beautiful pool and patio, live music (singing Sam Cooke songs- one of our favorites!), and a view of the park. Mama had the Prime Rib special, which was delicious. I had the seafood pasta, which was okay, but again, not NOLA good, and we shared oysters on the half shell. It’s a lovely place, and as per usual, the nicest people ever! I believe there are many reasons that tourism is their number two industry (right behind Gulfstream Aerospace), but their customer service, everywhere we went, was top notch.
We spent Easter Sunday morning back in Forsythe Park (honestly, I could’ve spent all three days there), listening to the live musicians, water fountains, children’s laughter as they hunted their Easter eggs, watching all the cute puppies, and just counting our blessings. It was the first time in my life I wasn’t in church on Easter Sunday, and although I missed our typical traditions, I’m not sure I’ve ever felt the presence of the Lord so much. Mamas. Friends. Health. Mobility. Sunshine. Peace. Gratitude…the list goes on. We then said good-bye to Savannah and made the two-hour drive into Charleston for a “gospel” brunch, which never included gospel music, but the food was good and the advice given from our mama’s was priceless. If you have the opportunity, ask people who have lived longer than you what advice they would give their younger selves. It’s one of the things I will remember the most; not just from the trip, but for the rest of my life. We then checked into the Renaissance Hotel on Wentworth Street, picked up our second scooter, and oxygen concentrator and tanks (which never had to be used, let’s raise a hallelujah!), loaded them onto the scooter and had Daneen do the driving once again. I do have video of this, if you are ever down and out and would like a good laugh. After securing all medical devices and luggage safely into our delightfully spacious room, we took an Uber to Waterfront Park that sits on the Cooper River. This area was at the foot of Vendue Range and was composed of gardens, swings, fountains, and beauty all around. Ann did inform us at this point, having been in the city of Charleston five hot minutes, that she preferred Savannah! We convinced her to give it a minute before forming her opinions, which are typically as strong as her resolve, and she did soon come around. Honestly, I think Savannah was easier for her to navigate and that may have played into her swift decision-making process. We then went to The Rooftop at Vendue for the view overlooking the water and the city. (note: there is a third level with a better view, but the elevator only goes to the second level. If possible, keep stepping up to the top!) After a little sightseeing, a lot of reminiscing, and one slightly overheated difference of opinions among fifty percent of our party, we called it a day. Hey, this is real life, y’all. To be able to disagree and still love with everything we have is something to strive for, and we have nailed it!
Day Four was a busy day that covered some territory! We had a delicious brunch at Poogan’s Porch, thought we might have to perform CPR, but fortunately the EMT’s arrived- As did the police, the fireman, and the paramedics, …surprisingly enough, the 911 episode was not for our party and it had a happy ending, so once again we continued eating without pause. It does take quite a bit of raucous to pry us away from a meal. After an eventful brunch, our Uber dropped us off at Market Street where we took a horse and buggy ride through the historic district. I can’t even attempt to describe the beauty and history here. See my Facebook for a few (hundred) photos. After that, another Charleston-loving Uber driver took us on a car tour to Rainbow Row and South of Broad, then we retrieved our rental car and headed out to Mount Pleasant to Boone’s Plantation and then Sullivan’s Island. Boone’s Plantation is where movies such as Queen, The North and the South, and the best movie of all times- The Notebook-were filmed. It’s still a working plantation and is said to have about a two-year waiting list for weddings. Rumor has it that many brides-to-be book the venue before ever finding their knight in shining armor. Talk about faith in action! One of my favorite parts of this tour, other than the super fragrant apricot drift roses, was the live Gullah presentation. If you aren’t familiar with the Gullah people, they are African Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of the U.S., along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, and even into Florida. They are a culturally rich group of people who have a distinctive language all their own. I highly recommend this portion of the tour, and I probably need to apologize to the people sitting next to me for the irreparable damage that fell upon their ears as I sang along. When the presenter broke out the old gospel “Down by the Riverside,” I couldn’t help but sing along. Loudly. Still, the most memorable part of this little stop along the coast was a simple photograph taken of our group standing in front of the house. If you look closely, you will indeed see skid marks in the sand just behind us. We asked a nice family if they would mind taking our picture, and while we were getting our pose on, Ann’s finger was stuck on full throttle, while the steering wheel was taking a hard right. She continued to spin in an uncontrollable circle, running into the back of mama’s knees, while Daneen chased after her and I laughed uncontrollably- yet not as hard as the husband of the lady attempting to take our picture. He was trying to be respectful and not laugh, but once he saw us lose it, he let it rip as well. A good time was had by all, and mama will recover from the hit and run.
I also enjoyed Sullivan’s Island, as I love water, sand and sunsets pretty much anywhere. There were more lighthouses that could tell a million stories and there was just a special feel of days gone by. Esthetically, it reminded me of the 30A area in Florida, sans the white powder sand and blue and green water. It was still very nice, super clean, beautiful homes, and the first time we had been to the Atlantic Ocean and put our actual toes in the water. Very cold! We had dinner at the Obstinate Daughter, which had been recommended to us by an Uber driver. It was a fun, hip place and you need reservations. We didn’t have any but after a little issue with half of our party being stuck in an elevator for a spell, we were able to get seats (I’m sure we would’ve gotten seated regardless, eventually), and the kind manger gifted us a complimentary Obstinate Flatbread (omg!)- a butterbean and olive oil puree with their oven- baked bread, and it was delicious! We also enjoyed boiled shrimp appetizers and had brick oven pizzas. I did try the scallops and they were good, but honestly once you’ve had Clancy’s in New Orleans, I’m not sure any others would satisfy me. We had a great time on the Island and wish we had longer to stay.
We made it through six airport expeditions, one rental car, two scooters, three states, two oxygen concentrators, twelve portable oxygen tanks, multiple wheelchairs, and one missed flight without a hitch! Seriously, we were two girls, happy to be with our mamas. Looking at the two of them, I was reminded of the beautiful lighthouses we had seen along the coast. I thought of how they are symbols of refuge in the midst of storms; of how they guide people forward in rough seas; of their shining light into the dark places to help ease the burdens of the dark; of their ability to stand tall, despite all of their personal tempest; of their positioning in places that will always need their guiding light; yet as beautiful as these lighthouses were, they couldn’t hold a candle to our two “lighthouses”- Nancy and Ann. Our mamas have been standing tall through many adversities, shining their light into all our dark and scary places, helping us navigate the rough waters of life, for many years. Although they may have felt like we were helping them on this trip, I was thinking “God, I pray to be as strong and resilient as these two great women are.”
Life is not easy. In fact, it often seems almost impossible. I have learned that with good friends, family, and an abundance of prayers, we can get through most anything. I say all of this to remind us all to (1) Take the trips, (2) Savannah and Charleston are both lovely places to visit, (3) No food is like New Orleans food #sorrynotsorry, (4) Lifelong friendships are gifts from God, as are great mothers, and (5)Never let the difficulties of life stop you; stand up like the lighthouses and shine your light, even when it feels dim. I am eternally blessed and grateful that we have these two lighthouse women to help us navigate this life, and I hope this serves as a reminder to both, spend time with those you love, and know that regardless of your circumstances, you can be a lighthouse for others.
