Tea time in Savannah

We just love Savannah!

To explore the South we choose as first Savannah in Georgia. The houses may be not so impressing as in Charleston but the city layout is amazing! It has 21 scenic squares and every second street is punctuated by greenery. Even our son enjoyed walking between the beautiful houses from one square to another. The famous oak trees here give you enough shade to survive the heat. This city has really flair.

To top it we made a little discovery: a gorgeous, old tearoom “Gryphon”.

It was before a pharmacy. And they serve there delicious tea and pastries, like in the good old times. I was just waiting that Rhett Butler would enter the room…

In the heat of the South

After all this hard work (learning about the history) in Virginia we deserve some vacation now! Where could be a good place to relax? Hilton Head Island in South Carolina!

We have never before driven so far in the South of the USA and we have never before spend this kind of vacation. I mean: beach, pool, ocean, sun (a lot of sun!). We are more the Maine-type, so it is a completely new experience for us.

Our son loves it! Especially to swim in the ocean, he is lying sometimes in the water like in his bath tub at home (my husband, too).

My favourite place here is in the deckchair in the shade, with a breeze (without it you are melting…). I even learned here to like ice-latte, usually I prefer just hot coffee, but at this temperature…

No, that is not coffee in this picture...

The most impressing thing here, besides the gorgeous white beaches(!) and palms, are the pelicans flying above our heads. That is really something!

Ps. By the way: As we arrived here there was a wedding on the beach! Very romantic!

Visiting Europe and the first colonies

Visit Europe in one day? Not possible?! Yes, it is – in Bush Gardens. Here is England just two steps away from Germany, Italy or France. You already know it, we are visiting Williamsburg, Virginia. And like all parents we can not avoid it to spend one day in Bush Gardens…To be honest, we had fun too, especially seeing the American vision of Germany. I think our son ate for the very first time “bratwurst and sauerkraut” and saw Bavarian musicians in “lederhosen”.

Anyway, fortunately there is still Williamsburg, Jamestown, York – a lesson in American history.

Jakob was very impressed by the marching soldiers and the fort, and the courthouse plus jail, of course.

In Williamsburg history comes alive. Surprising, it is not even crowded. Jamestown offers a great, modern museum about the first settlements in the USA.

We watched an introducing movie, walked thru the photo galleries, visited the Indian village and the fort, and finally the ships which brought the Europeans to America. It is still amazing for me to see under which circumstances the first colonists survived (at least a few) and what they were willing to do in the hope for a better life… But still, our son`s favourite place of all time is: the hotel pool! Sometimes I am just wondering why we do not stay home and spend the days at the pool at our lake. Would it be the same? I hope not!

We would definitely miss to explore another interesting state: Virginia!

A weekend at the Jersey Shore

Do you know what a boardwalk is? I mean, a real boardwalk? I thought I knew, until I arrived in Ocean City, New Jersey, last weekend. It is huge, 2.5 Miles long(!), with many walkers, bikers, families with kids, several attractions and- a lot of fun! Oh, I forgot the many, many restaurants, ice creameries (and so on) along the boardwalk, of course… Yes, we visited the New Jersey shore, finally, after living in this State for more than two years. I loved the beaches in Connecticut, so it was like “let us see what New Jersey offers”. We were not disappointed. Not at all. The beaches are gorgeous. What is not to like about the ocean?!

Our son discovered for the first time how much fun is it to jump in the waves. (My husband, too!!) Jakob had the time of his life, anyway. He spent three days with his best friend and his sister playing at the beach, swimming, riding bikes and talking until midnight. I think he did not sleep for the whole weekend… We enjoyed our friends company, who invited us to share with them two cute houses, close to the beach, which belong to their parents. We had a wonderful time, just doing nothing…Oh no, that is not exactly correct. My husband was not to stop to take a few rides on the carousels (and pretended it was because of the kids…) and to bring us fresh donuts from the boardwalk for breakfast. Yes, he called it breakfast. Of course, he was wearing his “Life is good” t-shirt, his vacation uniform. And we learned something new too, besides the experience with an American boardwalk- the meaning of a “dry city”! To be honest, I missed a glass of wine to go with a nice dinner at the ocean. There is no BYOB, also. That is the reason, probably, why you already see at 6 am joggers at the boardwalk. Not us. In the evenings, we enjoyed a comfortable, not “dry” at all, gathering with our friends, in front of the cottages, with stars above us and the smell of the ocean in our nose…That is vacation.

Ps. Oh, I forgot to mention, that Ocean City is a really nice town, with many beautiful houses and cottages, quiet corners for long walks ( if you do not prefer the busy life at the boardwalk). And I will for sure find some time to discover them at my next visit to the Jersey Shore…