EDISON/FORD ESTATES - MARCH 22

Now that spring is officially here, at least in  Florida, we are enjoying the flowers that bloom in the spring trala. And of course remembering godson Steve & Taryn's wedding on that day 4 years ago.

  On a sunny and warm day with a little breeeze (84 but not too hot in the trees) we visited the fascinating but data-heavy Edison/Ford Estates. You take a self-paced audio tour of the lovely reserve of 3 homes, gardens, laboratory and museum on the Caloosahatchee River. 

This is where Thomas Edison spent his winters from 1885-1931, and Henry Ford lived next door from 1916-1934. The two men were the best of friends and built winter homes for them, their families, and important colleagues to visit in winter. It is amazing the sheer number of patents the two men were reponsible for, and Edison is famously remembered for invention of the lightbulb, electrical installations, but also the phonograph, Xray machines, botanical research, with nearly 500 patents to his name. A drop-out from school, described as "addled" by his teachers, Edison became a giant in the world of inventions before age 40.

  Likewise Henry Ford (whose company was my original employer for 7 years in the UK!) was a giant in his field too, and the two men shared many ideas and inventions together. They created an alternative botanical source of latex for rubber from goldenrod plants. Henry Ford once made a car whose body was made from soy! A photo in the museum shows him hitting it with an axe to prove its strength!

  They recommend 4 hours to see the whole place, we ducked out before that, but it's a beautiful setting on the river with pools, fountains, a swimming pool (unheard of in its day), a moonlight garden, orchids planted into a mango tree lane. A vast banyan tree, an acre in diameter, was donated by Henry Firestone in 1925, the largest on the continent. Edison, Ford and Firestone worked on finding a home-grown source of rubber and banyan produces a latex sap.

  Photo: View from the Edison home, Seminole Lodge.

  Ted especially enjoyed the collection of Model Ts and records of all the famous Ford race cars and drivers. A recreation of the botanical records lab and heritage plants were interesting too. 

Photo: the Moonlight garden

  Still a beautiful site on the river, the estate was preparing for a wedding as we visited. Great to see so many people still enjoying this beautiful and interesting privtely-owned estate.

Photo: Couldn't resist this shot of a Model T chuckwagon, used for camping trips to the Everglades!

SOUTH TO BEACHES, BUT NO ENTRY! - MARCH 21

We thought to follow up on one of Brent's suggestions of a visit to lovely Vanderburg beach area. It is indeed a beautiful area but again, with parking at a total premium anywhere near beaches, we had to give it a miss. High-rises line the beach area and although they can't rope their beach area off for resident only, there are few entry points for the public. During school break, even more so.

  But we returned to the lovely bay entering Lovers Key and the good little Big Hickory Seafood Grille overlooking the harbour. 

the sighseeing boats looked inviting but we were happy to sit under an umbrella, enjoying mussels/clams steamed in Chardonnay and tons of garlic, and mahimahi griled to perfection.

    While waiting for a table, we crossed the road to the public beach, which was wall-to-wall people some who already looked like turtles!, spraying themselves and the peope nearby with oil and lying out by the surf for more rays! Not a pleasant prospect for us I'm afraid.

  We were hosted for drinks that evening here at the condo by Brent's two lively octogenarian aunts in the house nearby, where we learned lots more about the area from these two regular winter snowbirds.

CAPTIVA - STILL CAPTIVATING - MARCH 19

Despite all the development, and the $6 charge to cross the causeway for entry to Sanibel then Captiva Islands, Captiva still retains a tropical charm. Many of the huge private homes are largely unseen from the one road, only the lush tropical gardens and palmed driveways give one a glimpse into these special places. Parking is difficult and at a premium, so limits the number of visitors. The shell beaches are legend but at this time of year, virtually unavailable for any but the early risers who must get to the island just after dawn to get parking at the few public beach areas. Many families and visitors bike everywhere, with bike paths the whole way across both islands.

  We had a lovely late lunch overlooking a marina with two ospreys guarding the entry.

Later, trying to get off the island, we ran into what looked like a one-hour traffic jam, so retreated to walk for another hour around Bailey Tract, a lovely wildlife area, befoe tackling the traffic jam again. For people holidaying on these islands, you are basically stuck there for the duration, becuse driving on and off must be a lot more frustrating than getting on and off Vancouver Island, unless you go by boat.

SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA ISLANDS - A MEMORY - MARCH 19

When we lived in Toronto, we took a trip to Florida one year and remembered fondly camping in our VW on Sanibel Island. Those days are gone! Although it is still one of the most important turtle egg-laying areas in the US, it is a sad reminder of the memories we have. Wall to wall high rises, marinas, holiday homes shops, more shops, restaurants, line the whole beach area.

  One good thing is the J. Ding Darling National Wildlife preserve and we spent a few hours enjoying the 4 mile drive through with lots of stops for photo opportunities. It i a haven for bird life, and we are learning there is more to egrets and herons than little white and blue birds. 

  It is also wonderful that it's osprey season. They are thriving in this part of the world, and the angry looking wee faces peeping out of the nests or starting to furl their wings are great to watch. Also the pair of parents tenderly caring for their young. 

The anhingas, spreading their black and white plumes to dry, are a beautiful sight.

The tricolored heron was a new species for us.

And the rare green heron sitting silently for its prey was a special sighting.

BIG CITY ATTRACTIONS - MARCH 18

It's always great to be in another big city. We are certainly not over them yet! One plus, when my 2-year-old keyboard decided to stop communicating with my iPad, I headed to the local Apple store. A few minutes talking to what looked like a teenager, she tried all the things I'd already tried, got out a new keyboard, tried it on both her iPad and mine and when it worked, simply gave it to me to replace the dead one. That's why I love Apple! Ted is still complaining often that "it doesn't...(do whatever he was trying to do) but at least he uses it now, and we don't have to haul along a netbook too!

  We've had good wifi everywhere down here. Especially here at the house, a great connection all the time. I bought Telus 30 day US connection for $25 for my iPhone and hardly used it. What irks me is I can't turn off the home Telus service while I am away $80 a month for nothing. Frustrating! One of these days somebody will think of a better way...

  Eating out down here is mostly very reasonable compared to home. There is one restaurant nearby where seniors eat for about US$8. It's a lovely fresh salad bar, about 7 soups, fresh breads, 3 pastas, frozen yogurt/toppings - unbelievable. Everything fresh and home made at the restaurant. You can't buy produce at the store for that. I can see a return to Sweet Tomatoes this week...No wonder there's a lineup all the time there. You do have to carry a tray so it's for families and the able-bodied.

  There are also lots of interesting parks close to us here for walking and enjoying the flora, fauna and avifauna! One in particular is developed with lovely facilities for kids and people, but also wilder parts too at Lakes Park.

  Another is Six Mile Cypress Slough, a gorgeous lake preserve where we spotted a wild boar this week, along with the flowers just coming out.

  Below: Dinner with friends and family in our 'courtyard'

BACK TO FT.MYERS - MARCH 12

We were glad to pull in back to our home in Ft.Myers, with Ted's cousin Margaret and husband Brent. They are just the most graciouos hosts and we love their home here. The plaque in the dining room overlooking their lovely garden patio (lovingly planted with flowers and trees that the birds and littel critters love) says "Another day in Paradise" and we smile as we pass it a million times a day...

  One thing we miss here is news. You can switch on CNN which is supposed to be world news. Despite a revolution in the ex-Russian states, revolts in Turkey, a new premier in Alberta, it is non-stop talking heads surmising what might have happened to the missing Malaysian Air jet with almost 300 people on board. Lost without trace.  WE do get the weekend newspaper wherever we are and it's a tad better, but we basically  have to go to the Toronto Globe & Mail site to get anything worthwhile. We can get BBC newshouse on PBS here too.

  Naples is also a super city south of here, beautiful homes, multi-million mansions with their multi-million boats parked right outside on your personal canal. No sign of recession in this part of the US. 

Margaret and I on their boat! Hahaha

   We went down there one day to take a boat trip out to the Gulf, vaguely spotted two dolphins, lots of seabirds. then stroll the ritzy shopping area, 5th Avenue South, to check out the high-end restaurants and one-of-a-kind shops, where Margaret and I did a wee bit of retail therapy while the boys sat watching the passing scene.

Photo: Homes on Port Royal, seen from our boat trip

  There are several very high end shopping malls - did I mention the shopping down here? Bealls is a dept store (also with an outlet store) where if you wait long enough, they practically give stuff to you. Ted has invested in several nice cotton shirts, shorts, belts, sun glasses, so it's not just me. Meanwhile I've found all sorts of bargains, nice Columbia gear (wish I'd had the rain jacket before we headed north!) Banana Republic seems to be overstocked so we've helped them out a bit there too. A big outlet mall south of here is jammed with ther kids on school break right now, but you can still shop easily in adult stores, like Merrill (2 pairs of sandals) and Rockport (two pairs of flats.) So much choice compared with Canada, and of course, running into all sorts of Canadians (mainly from Ontario and Quebec) who are busy cramming before going home after their winter breaks.

  There are good Mexican restaurants down here as many of the housekeeping and labour down here are Hispanic.

  But we are finding food fairly expensive, same as in Calgary, which is considered higher than Ontario. But it could be where we have been shopping, haven't gone to Walmart much!

  One thing that is lovely is eating outside, especially when it's full moon. But Ted has been bitten by something in the evenings. It must be pretty bad in sumer when the rains come as it's mosquito time then. The love bugs are merely a nuisance here.

  M&B invited friends and the two aunts who also have a place in this complex for dinner and we really enjoyed the camaraderie then.

OCALA - CENTRAL FLORIDA MARCH 11

Deciding to break our journey back south to Ft.Myers, we stopped in the middle of Florida, literally, which is an agricultural and big horse centre. Large white fenced horse farms attest to the fact of they money up here. It's all limestone underlying this area, so good grassland for horses bones and teeth apparently. 

  One interesting thing we found. There are huge retirement towns (The Villages!!) being created up there, like summer camp for seniors really, little self-contained towns on golf courses with seniors riding around on golf carts and bi- and tri-cycles! I guess a good way to put in 'God's waiting room' years if you like that. Happy hours rule, small plates and tons of takeout of the over-huge meals too. 

  One thing about the road system here, it is usually huge and good. But one accident on the interstate and you are stopped for half an hour. I was glad I brought my RV portable GPS unit with me, it at least tells us where and how long the delay is expected to be.

MORE SAVANNAH..MARCH 10

Savannah is obviously a very sophisticated town, although we didn't catch much of the action ourselves. Saturday night we made the mistake of going to the Pink House jazz bar for dinner. After waiting over an hour for a table, we were tucked into a teeny corner of a busy throughway so it wasn't relaxed dining by any means. The restaurant itself had many dining rooms, and looked lovely, with an outstanding menu and wine list but a reservation or long wait would have been the thing on Saturday night. Just the wrong time I guess. 

  By the time we ate, my appetitie had waned but the presentation was beautiful and Ted really enjoyed his crab-stuffed grouper. As an offset, the jazz was super, a pianist who sang accompanied by a young lady on double bass. But a group of women by the fireside decided it was karaoke night so it was rather drowned out by their squeals until they left. 

  One thing that is totally charming is the riverside walk. The old cotton warehouses have been cleaned up, also I suspect the red light district, and it's now shops, restaurants and boats. Huge old stone buildings and cobbled streets line the waterfront. You can take the free ferry across the river to the ritzy Westin hotel, and up the river, with 3 dropoffs. 

We skipped the one-hour paddlewheel tour after we'd done that. Savannah celebrates the second largest (after NYC) St.Patrick's day celebration. It starts a week before and we were into that window. You can also drink on the streets, carrying your drinks around in red mugs! What a zoo. Guys in green drag everywhere, gaggles of drunken women, glad we were out of there before 17th! But there was live music everywhere you went on the streets, in the restaurants, on the patios, and often good jazz so a big plus there.

  Of course like St.Augustine and Charleston, horse & carriage is a typical way to view the town but we did well on our feet. 

  Definitely a place we would consider coming back to in a quieter time of year.

GEORGIA COAST MARCH 10

One thing that we loved was the Georgia coast and islands near Savannah. It's a busy port centre, huger liners from China full of 2 and 3-level containers go right up the narrow channel. Also we saw European car ships coming up to Jacksonville in N.florida the same way. Both places are planning major expenditures to allow bigger cargo ships up their port rivers. I guess the Chinese love North America, everyone wants to buy cheap, ships return empty! 

  A big drawback is that Georgia has been the largest producer of pulp and paper in the US for years. As a result, you can smell it all the time, that sort of BC air smell which permeates everything. We had not expected that.

  One day we took a drive to the Savannah seaside, small Tybee Island, where parkign was again at a premium, but lovely long beaches and seabirds, and a historic fort and lighthouse, the tallest in the US. We strolled the beach and boardwalk area (shades of Brighton?) of the quaint downtown, and found a busy sidewalk seafood restaurant boasting the best crabs in town. It's blue crab season, you eat them slightly breaded, deep fried and eati absolutely everything, I love them!  But Ted sticks to mahimahi fish tacos! These places are cheap and cheerful, plastic everything, but often very fresh delicious seafood. And we are finding lots of good local beers, many special brews, everywhere we go.

  This time the temps were around 78 and sunny days, and the nice Hamptons Inn on the edge of town proved a good home base for our stay in Savannah. (Thanks Colin & Nancy for that suggestions.)   

  Ted often walked from there all around  town when I had had enough of sightseeing. We could walk to dinner every night too, so no driving for him, a bonus.

  

SAVANNAH BEACH?

What is surprising, apart from the fact that this city is home to one of the largest art schools in the USA (evidenced by the many lovely buildings housing different parts of the college) is that Savanah has beach too!

  A mere half hour drive east is sleepy Tybee Island where turtles come to lay eggs and hatch, and home to many seabirds, dolphins and sharks. There are other more sophisticated islands easily accessible from the city too, but we decided to check this one out.

  Disappointed with the choice of eating establishments, we nevertheless found an outdoor bar there with great blue crabs (soft shell crab) and mahimahi tacos on the menu for lunch. One beach was great for families, as long as you stayed well clear of the man-made seawall protecting it from rip tides, with bird nesting reserves, some unusual gulls, and the usual pelicans. The other side was like Brighton Beach without the funfair. The school breaks are starting this week, so there are lots of kids and families on the beaches, beach volleyball nets galore, and the ever-invasive smell of burgers.

SAVANNAH'S MANY CHARMS

Spared by General Sherman - nobody knows excatly why but there are several suggestions - Savannah remained much as it was before the American Civil war.

  Wandering through the quiet squares, beautiful streets of 18th and 19th century homes, you can quite imagine life back then before the automobile took over.

  However, one of the more interesting areas is the Riverfront of what was once King Cotton's busy port. Huge container ships from China pass right by you as you sit quaffing a beer at one of the many riverside bars. The huge warehouses were rescued from disrepair and are now a tourist magnet, with all the usual kitchy stores, restaurant and bars. You can take a triangular free ferry trip over to the ritzy Westin hotel, then west to a park, and back to the east end of Riverside without doing the paddlesteamer touristy sail down the river. 

SAVANNAH; SPARED AND PRESERVED

This area is suffused with memories of the American Civil War, the British history here and the civil rights movement. Its history is deep and people flock here to take it all in. Savannah's founder, General Oglethorpe, was a far-seeing British planner who laid out the city as it currently survived. It is is a charming place to walk through, around every corner is a new surprise, and it's small enough to see in a few days on foot. Of cousre, there are tours galore, horse and carriage rides, etc. that you'd expect from a tourist centre. 

Also many restaurants, from hole in the wall to ritzy places like The Pink House, with its 3 foot walls used for defensive purposes originally. Saturday night wasn't the time to visit the downstairs jazz bar, an hour wait and then eating at a tiny table in a quasi-hallway. I am sure if we'd made a reservation we'd have had a nice experience there, because the eclectic menu showed they have some exciting chefs in these parts.

  Savannah is also the home to the second largest US St. Patrick's Day celebration (second to NY) and its cranking up this week. It's the only US city where you can walk around with your drink in plastic beakers on the street, so I am sure it will be a huge drunk by the end of the week, shades of Stampede?? Everyone goes green for the occasion, they expect 400,000 guests and the catholic and Irish societies are already laying wreaths, attending masses, and attending lalvish parties at their Savannah headquarters. 

  One interesting sight on the street Saturday - a Sprinter van for a beer maker, with spigots along the side where they can dispense beer right out of the van!

DAYTONA WITHOUT THE CARS..

We hit Daytona area just in time for the big Bike Show which starts this weekend. Good thing we are now leaving, the wee town is awash with big noisy bikes. We found a couple of small local restaurants with very fresh fish and seafood. We thought we were getting to the only 3 star restaurant in town early but it was already full and big waiting list. That seems to be our experience here this winter. Very busy restaurants even though the snowbirds are supposed to be heading home by now. So we were pleased that the food was some of the best we have tasted on this trip, despite the busyness of the restaurant and the early bird special prices. Local fresh grouper stuffed with crab and seafood stew were just excellent, washed down with nice sauvignon blancs (a three-wine tasting flight no less!)

  With weather improving, Ted has decided to drive back north to visit Savannah so that's our plan

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BACK TO GEORGIA - MARCH 7

Ted was so disappointed at skipping Charleston and Savannah, after all the planning we had put ito this part of our trip, that he was willig to drive back up Florida and across Georgia to spend 4 days in Savannah. The temperatures were still pretty glacial for this part of the world, 45 overnight, and only 58 as high for the first day. But spring-like weather is now here, helped by DST starting. So it's 78 here at 6pm this evening in the sun.

  Savannah is a beautiful historic city, developed on a master plan laying out wide avanues and green squares of live oak trees hanging with Spanish moss. 22 of the original 24 squares remain, surrounded often by lovely old historic homes. Sadly the annual home tour begins March 27, the day we return to Calgary, so no chance of enjoying that. However, a few houses are open for tours and we went around a couple of them. But they are not the antebellum homes we remembered from previous visits to Charleston and also Natches on the Mississippi. 

TORNADO WARNING AGAIN!

I guess it's just our luck that this is the year Florida is having a very different winter with lots of storms and record low temperatures! Another serious storm is sweeping the country. The cold front from the north today meets the warm front from S.Florida right about Daytona Beach, near where we are today. We are on the 7th floor of a high rise hotel overlooking the Atlantic in New  Smyrna Beach, so we expect to see the storm with its 60mph winds soon! Ted will move our rental car away from under a palm tree.

  Yesterday, after our 7 hour drive south to escape the 30 degree weather in S.Carolina (and our 30 degree increase in temps that day), we had a lovely afternoon in Melbourne. This is a big resort area  an hour's drive south. It also happens to be where Ted's mum's cousin Peggy Kelly now lives in a delightful assisted living facility.

 Born in the UK, Peggy lived in Potters Bar (near by own birthplace in Herts) but took a trip to Montreal in her 20s to stay with an uncle there. On a trip to NY she met Al, dated long distance for a year, later married him and moved to Miami, where he worked for years for American Airlines.  When we lived in Toronto 40 yers ago, we took a trip down here and visited them in their canalside home in Homestead. Peggy raised 4 kids, 3 daughters and a son. 

  We have been in touch with daughter Margaret, now in the oilpatch in Houston, to arrange our visit. The fog lifted, the sun came out and we signed her out for the afternoon and took a trip to the beach, with drinks and photos on the deck at the scenic Coast Plaza hotel. It's a beautiful retirement area. 

  Although her memory is now failing, Peggy is a wonderful lively lady at 85, remembering many things from her early life, the family and her busy life now, very grateful to be living in Florida and surrounded by caring family and staff. What we would all like to be doing in our latter years, I'm sure.

  We had no problem recognizing the fiesty Peggy from 40 years ago. She also shows a strong resemblance to Ted's grandma, her aunt Maggie, as her mother Nelly was Maggie's sister.

(Below: Ted and Peggy)

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CENTRAL FLORIDA, IDEAL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY..

What's surprisig about this area is the lack of high rises all along the coast as in the south. There is a certain small-town quality to life up here, cows grazing in fields along the freeway, farmer's markets, and two days ago, a local Mardis Gras Parade (for 15,000 residents). Although we were tired and missed the night parade, we got beads in the bar where we had dinner!

  Everyone in this parto of the world is super friendsly and we are used to replying when y'all merely means the two of us. We've tried the local gourmet delights and declared them not a repeatable performance - ShrimpNGrits, Hush Puppies, grits with breakfast, PoBoy sandwiches, huge servings we can't cope with. However, the local fresh fish and seafood steamed and grilled can't be beat. Normally a big oyster area, oysters we order here are from Virginia as the local shellfish are off limits now due to pollution and red tide. And I wish we were here for the bourbon peach cobbler season! Even the bourbon pecan pie is worth the calories. And the pralines, did I mention pralines? Huge mounds of caramel studded with nuts, sometimes with more gooey caramel in the middle?

  Sadly one thing in the news here is the damage still being experienced in the Florida panhandle from the huge BP oil spills years back. Some of these areas seem they will never recover and families whose livelihood has been destroyed are at the mercy of Mother Nature desprately trying to repair the damage. 

  There are vast stretches of beautiful fine sandy beaches many places in Florida, Georgia and S.Carolina.  It will be inundated in the next 2 weeks with all the Spring Break refugees from the north.

  

  The other interesting thing is the prevalence of those dastardly English in the history of this area - the royalist eras, the battles, the sieges, those pirates like Francis Drake. We had hoped to see some of the antebellum mansions, richly furnished with all the spoils imported from around the world by the fabulously wealthy plantation owners. The historic house tours don't begin until the end of March, when we will be back in Calgary. Maybe another year!

  Stalwart people are out there on the beach, taking a walk before the big storm blows in so we should join them.

CHARLESTON - SHORT AND SWEET...

We returned to Charleston after a 40 year absence, looking forward to southern style living, hospitality, food and antebellum mansions. Well, it wasn't to be this time around.

  An expensive city (like Savannah) we had made bookings well in advance to avoid weekends, when prices double, but suffering its coldest winter on record, mainly on our first day there! It hit a frustrating 30 degrees overnight last night! On top of that our expensive hotel, which was well situated for walking tours around the many interesting downtown sights, turned out to be next door to a deafening building site where machines pounded from 8am to 6pm every day. Not the wake-up call we had imagined. 

  Determined to enjoy the one day that was sunny and warm, we drove out to famed Magnolia plantation yesterday before the rain started and the winds blew in from this terrible winter storm which is causing havoc across the US. A rich rice plantation, still owned by the original owner family from 300 years ago, it was an interesting look into the economy and life of the times. The  rice paddy area is now a preserved wildlife area, with many ducks, birds, gators, turtles. The gardens are probably gorgeous in season but a bit disappointing for colour and blooms, of which they appreantly have 350 varieties of magnolias.

  Wrapping up in 5 layers (we didn't bring clothes for cold weather like this!) we packed and left. Stopping only at the famed market for 3 lbs of pralines which are famous around here. Some may even reach home! 

  We decided to cut our losses, and drive as far and fast as we could south for the day, missing Savannah and all the other Georgia places en route!

  The temperature rose through the day from 34 to 65, a 30 degree increase! Fog built up so we could not see the tops of buildings in Jacksonville, back in Florida. I finally peeled off my merino wool hoodie (my XC ski layer!) and took off my socks. I am going to have to buy more black pants and socks if this keeps up! It's starting to look a lot like our UK trip last spring when I had to do the same.

  Now south of Daytona Beach, this is the area where you can pay a toll and drive the long sandy beaches. I guess people like that.

  Tonight we can hear the Atlantic waves roaring outside our window so all is not lost. We hope for sun tomorrow so we can actually see out to sea.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND

After a very quiet day when Ted had a sort of flu bug, spent our last day here catching up on St.A's history at the Castillo, built to fortify the town by the Spanish against those dastardly English pirates like Francis Drake!

  En route out of town to Georgia,we found not one but two outlet shopping malls - so a bit of retail therapy for me in the Merrill sandal store, but nothing for Ted that he could not live without.

  On advice from a colleague, we stopped for 2 days over the border in Georgia at Brunswick. The first day we visited St. Simons Island, a beautiful island community where we found the tony Coastal Kitchen restaurant overlooking a marina for a fancy dinner. 

  The second day we visit Jekyll island, the famed private island of the rich and famous magnates of the day - JP Moragn, Rockafeller, etc. Lunch of freshest seafood (she-cab soup, shrimp, mussels, crayfish)  at another marina restaurant overlooking the bay where dolphins and manatees romp. then catch sunset at another outdoor marine restaurant with happy hour $4 cocktails to whet the appetite. HH is big around these parts, but we haven't found much time to take advantage of it.

  Walking the long sandy beach and dunes, we read about the turtles who come here to lay their eggs every year. It's beauitfully preserved for walking and biking around this area.

  Georgia's Golden Isle coast was a surprise to us, and we really enjoyed every minute of our 2 days there, to avoid the doubling cost of hotels in Charleston and Savannah on weekends.