Savannah Situation

So there we were, sitting next to each other in abject silence.

The gravity of the situation sunk low into our thoughts as we saw all of our carefully laid out plans for a romantic, relaxing, restful, intimate, exciting, anniversary get-away for just the two of us to Savannah, Georgia go gliding slowly out the window. We had spent a lot of time on those plans. I think I even saw them wave goodbye fondly as they disappeared.

Our two baby girls were now COMING WITH US to Savannah.

Our plans for the babysitter--who was going to stay with the girls while we were supposed to be off catching up on date nights, late night rendezvous, romantic carriage rides, nice restaurants, and interesting history excursions--fell through at the last minute. (We love you, K!!!) But rather than lose our already paid for hotel stay, we decided to go ahead and go with the girls. Hey, it's only a 3.5 hour drive away... and there's a pool at the hotel. How hard can it be, right?

Apparently, I missed the large 50 foot billboard just outside of Savannah that read: "DO NOT bring your small children here. We don't like them." Once we got into town and found our way around, several people were gracious enough to let us know.

While Savannah is incredibly beautiful and filled with fascinating history and much to do (for adults), it is simply not child-friendly. It was obvious that people were surprised we brought two very small children (7 months and 2 years old). I could have easily spent a week there (without children) and loved every minute. Gorgeous homes, interesting history, beautiful architecture, great food, etc, etc. We will certainly go back again by ourselves. In the meantime, I will choose to remember some of my favorite moments from this crazy trip we just took.

1. Sitting down with the concierge the first day as we try to find some new things to do that would be child-friendly. He looks at our double stroller and sees Selah (2 yrs old). "Hi little one!" Then he sees Moriah. Then his expression changes to surprise, concern, and embarrassment for us. "Oh my! You have two!" We just smiled and explained.

2. Walking around town with Selah on a child harness. She loved being able to walk--until she needed a nap and then it was crying meltdown in the making. One nice lady suggested we put her on an extendable dog leash.

3. Walking up to the OPEN-AIR tour trolley for a history tour of the city (very cool and fun for all of us) and hearing an older lady inadvertently and sarcastically exclaim "Oh! Faaaabulous." under her breath at the sight of our babies climbing on board her trolley. I glanced at her and only then did I think she realize that she had actually said it out loud.

4. The Old Savannah boat tour. Very fun and actually relaxing! Selah called it the big Boat. All the tug boats in the port were the "Baby Boats".

5. The horse and carriage ride. Very fun for all four of us. Cool history stories... but no, I'm honestly not interested in which house is haunted.

6. Kenneth treating me to an hour long massage at a nearby spa while he stayed at the hotel room with the girls while they napped. My husband is amazing!!

7. Praying with Mary, who is homeless. She is making "Savannah Roses" out of palm fronds to try and make some money so she can get a place.

8. Getting caught in the rain. Selah wanting to dance in the rain outside a pub on River Street. Hey, they were playing a good song--can't say that I blame her. Despite themselves, people smiled when they saw that.

9. Exploring a lot of the streets and alleyways with a double stroller. The rough cobblestone walkways made Moriah glare in confusion like we were taking her though a perpetual earthquake. It was funny.

All in all... Savannah is a beautiful place to visit. Without kids. Click on the picture below to see more pics of the trip...