Ariel Magno's Blog: lighthouse

After that heavy meal at Geneva's, we drove to Tybee Island which is about a 30-minute leisurely drive. There's another lighthouse to conquer. Ophine was so sleepy that she decided not to join us up the lighthouse and slept in the van. So she was more full than I thought she was, lol.

Together with David and Missy, we explored the grounds first for some more photo ops., Ophine might change her mind or so I thought. Finally we decided to just get the tickets and go up. As with any lighthouse we've been, there are floors so one can stop, rest, enjoy the view from the window and most importantly not rush. Climbing is part of the experience and not just the view from the top. Somehow, the kids have learned what to expect and that 'phobia' of heights have somewhat diminished. What I have discovered is that there's not so much difference with the physical aspect of climbing or watching the horizon from the top but each single lighthouse is quite unique, has it's own distinctive charm and it's really windy up there, hehehe.

I was glad the kids were game with the continuous snapping of my camera. Missy especially being my preeminent model (diva, ehem...) was super cooperative and hence I was able to make a ton of photos of her. David was okay too but he gets bored easily when I point my camera at him. Today was kind of perfect!

The mainstays of the lighthouse.

After saying our bye-byes and even receiving more 'for the road BAON' from the Kabilings, we went on our way to Georgia. First stop was Saint Simons Island. I really never heard of this place until it was recommended to me by the hubby of another of Ophine's cousins who lives not so far from our home. What a better time to visit than now. It's located basically between Jacksonville and Savannah. Savannah is just two hours away from Jacksonville. I've read they have a wonderful lighthouse on the island. It was Jan. 1 so I was not really expecting it to be open but we still have to go somewhere. After driving around the town, we immediately looked for the lighthouse. Ophine was thinking of visiting Jekyll Island first but since we left Jacksonville quite late, there was just no time to do it so it will only be the lighthouse for some photo ops. It sure was closed so we just toured the grounds, the same with the other tourists who dropped by to check it out. At least the property was not gated (like in Amelia Island) and even though we were not able to climb the stairs, we stayed there for at least an hour before driving to Savannah. I guess we'll do more exploring of the Golden Isles next time.

It's probably about an hour long drive to Savannah and before we checked-in at the hotel, we decided to check out a local restaurant that is #1 on Tripadvisor's list of restaurants to visit in Savannah. I always check out Tripadvisor for reviews from hotels to restaurants to places of interest and so far we've been right on the money 99% of the time. The place is Geneva's, not too far from the 'historic district' where our hotel is located. We don't have relatives in Savannah, LOL. Too bad it was closed so we ended up eating at Crystal's next door, a local burger and chicken fastfood joint. Their chicken sandwiches are very good and David liked it so much.

After dinner, we checked in at the 'Inn at Ellis Square' on Bay Street which is just next to River Street, Savannah's famous waterfront. Twice before we stayed in Springhill Suites which is also a nice hotel located in Midtown about 15 minutes away from the 'Historic District' but this time we'd like to try a 'new' one. Come to think of if, almost all things in Savannah are famous. With so much history, almost every square foot of Savannah especially in the historic district tells a story. It is said that Savannah has 1,200 historic structures. If we count all the bricks and cobblestones, I'm sure it would run to more than a few hundred million.

The 'Squares', 21 in all around the historic district are arranged in a grid-like pattern. The squares are like small 'plazas' with it's own centerpiece, gardens and benches all around. Savannah has a reputation as one of the best if not the best "walking cities" in the US. It's so easy going around just checking out every square, every nook and cranny, every house, many of them famous and that's why we keep coming back. If you really want to enjoy the place, one should stay for at least 4 days just to go around. Not that it's too big but there are just so much stuff to explore and learn from. There were some Hollywood movies shot here too, from Forrest Gump to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil to Something to Talk about with Julia Roberts.

So much for that, it's time to take a rest after a long day and the next day will be another long one.

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This shot was taken with the Lumix LX3. I'm holding a mini-monopod a la XShot to get our group photo. It also helped that the LX3's widest focal length is 24mm equivalent.