Savannah, Georgia

I have a soft spot for Georgia.  My grandparents lived in this state for as long as I can remember so I've had many fond memories of my visits with them in Marietta.  This time around, I hit the coast and spent some time in Savannah.  I love Savannah.  It's such a beautiful city with so many charming buildings, people and the food...well, what can I say?  I basically ate the entire time I was here.

I couldn't stop in the city without a visit to Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady and her sons.  I didn't want to plan the day too much so I just hit the downtown area to see where it took me.  It just so happened to take me to Paula Deen.  In fact, I wasn't the only one who somehow gravitated towards the building.  I arrived around 2pm hungry for lunch and took a card from the host to be allowed in the building.  Once I stepped foot in the restaurant, I was then directed to the elevators to go upstairs to be seated.  What?  Upstairs?  Well, it might seem like a small restaurant but it's jammed packed with people for one good reason.

Butter.

I couldn't make up my mind so I decided to go to the "all you care to eat" buffet.  I am not a big fan of buffets and don't eat at them often but people told me it was good so I had to try.  Well, two servings later, I have to tell you that yes...it was gooood!  I dined on fried catfish, cornbread, collard greens, grits, mac n' cheese, biscuits, creamed corn and to top it all off, banana pie.  Ok, I don't usually eat this way but I just had to.  Thank you Paula Deen!

I usually run off to the next city but decided to stay a few days in Savannah.  I attended the local Moose Lodge's bingo night and toured around the town some more.  I don't know what Paula Deen put in her food but the following day, I just HAD to have it again.  After searching for a parking space for about fourty-five minutes, I finally found a spot and scrambled to find that little slice of heaven again.  I found it but arrived one minute before lunch closed.  It wasn't in the cards for me that day.  Maybe for a good reason.  Instead I toured around some more and decided to head to the famous Bonaventure Cemetary.  As luck would have it, I arrived one minute before closing time so I had a nice view from the gate.  It didn't matter.  I loved everything in Savannah.

Thank you Savannah for your hospitality.  I will be back.

The Waffle House

When I travel, I try to stick to a budget as much as possible.  I stepped into a waffle house for the first time last year on my travels and I am hooked.  They are not in California so this is all new to me.  If you want a hot breakfast any time of the day for very little money, this is the place to go.  It's a mix between a diner and a fast food place and each one I've encountered has been a good experience.  The people are friendly, the coffee is hot and there is no mystery on how they cook your meal since everything is done right in front of you.

You can get a breakfast sandwich with a fresh egg and cheese for two bucks.  For those of you who go to McDonalds, this is even cheaper then an egg "McSumthin'" but the difference is, you can actually see the egg cracking on the grill in front of you.  No microwaves.

It's a diner experience without a diner price.  They are almost on every corner here in the South.  If you've never been to one, I would give it a try.  It might not be the healthiest meal you will eat, but it will fill you up and keep your pocketbook slim.