When in Roam
By: Howard Fertig
Tags: Life Lessons, Travel, Moving, Personal Development, Retirement

I know it’s been a while since I posted, so thanks for your patience. I should be able to catch up on the trip to date next week as we’ll be hunkering down in Atlanta to see where we are as a country post-Thanksgiving as far as travel during COVID goes. As for today, I’ll bring you up to date on this little behavioral experiment of ours by sharing what went down at our last stop — Savannah!

We docked at Tybee Island, 20 minutes up the coast at an AirBnB named Seahorse Stables.

The first morning we went for an early walk, four blocks down to the beach before the showers were scheduled to make a prolonged appearance. Though it was cloudy and in the upper 40s, you could imagine it during a summer day. Shanty beach town vibe, lotta bungalows like ours painted either pink or turquoise, those plastic pink flamingos — we had two in our backyard, and many U of Georgia “Bulldogs” flags with accompanying red and black pickups, or Mustangs, in the driveway. “GOOOOOOOOO DAWGS, SIC ’EM, WOOF, WOOF, WOOF, WOOF, WOOF!”, is their chant, in case you were wondering. The only other mode of transport seems to be golf carts.

We walked this long boardwalk that juts out over the Atlantic, and the moment we were over water, we were accompanied by scavenger birds hovering motionless in the breeze laser-focused on prey, and fishermen, each with multiple rods at the end of the dock, waiting for the tip of one of their poles to bend, who kept checking their phones with one hand while nursing a cup of joe in the other to keep warm if nothing else.

Once we got back to the ranch — I mean stable, we went to work as if we were home. The neat thing about living on the road though is that you’re not hunkered down in your own home. Every few days, or week, you’re residing in a new space, and you’re figuring out how to do the things you do every day in a new layout, with different appliances, and electronics. Some people do the New York Times crossword puzzle to keep their mind active, I figure out how to get my streaming services on other people’s Roku systems, and unlock their keyless front doors to gain entry 😉.

At Seahorse Stables, the challenge was decoding the washer/dryer and the coffee maker. This washer/dryer is one unit that does both?! We’d never contemplated that as an option before. It reminds me of that joke about the thermos being the greatest invention ever — better than fire, or the wheel. Why? Because in the summer it keeps things cold, and in the winter, it keeps things hot. So? SO? HOW DOES IT KNOW?!!!

Anyway, Carol figured out the washer/dryer combo, a Kenmore Elite, and the clothes came out so piping hot that I burned my hands taking them out. I shit you not.

And, as for the coffeemaker, a TRU, it takes either pods or grinds — also a new concept for me. I figured out the latter option. The coffee was good while keeping our carbon footprint to a minimum.

Then Carol went to work on a PowerPoint deck for a client, and I did some prep for an upcoming training, while the Vikes pulled out a win at home against the Carolina Panthers to move to 5–6 with still an outside shot for a wildcard. Probs is of the five games left, they can only afford one loss at the most, and while they should beat the Jags, Bears, and Lions, I don’t see them faring well against the Bucs and Saints. They’re gonna have to earn it — as they should.

Later we had a Zoom call with friends and binged some Schitt’s Creek, season two. We didn’t appreciate the show at first, but after watching a documentary about the last season, we’re enjoying all their overacting now.

The next and last day in the area, we had a break in the rain and drove 20 minutes into Savannah during early afternoon under sunny skies — which quickly faded — for a walking tour of the city.

Savannah

Our guide, Orlando (not Indigo) Montoya, moved to Savannah 24 years ago from Orlando, FL (no, I didn’t ask him if he was named based on geography, though come to think of it, that’s a cool way to do it) and fell in love with the place. And, it showed. During our two-hour walk, delivered under the canopy of Southern Live Oaks draped in Spanish moss that give the city its atmosphere, he seemed to just riff about a great mix of facts and stories, including, but not limited to:

- History: In 1733 founder James Oglethorpe aspired to create an egalitarian city which included negotiating to trade land for favored trading status with Chief Tomochichi of the Yamacraw tribe. We also passed the Green-Meldrim House where at the end of the Civil War, General Sherman’s “40 acres and a mule” Field Order 15 was signed.

- Logistics: Oglethorpe envisioned a Utopian urban plan consisting of multiple public squares. There are now 22 of them. You feel like you’re walking on a chessboard with each square centered by a park the size and shape of a city block, at the center of which, a statue commemorates a historic moment of Savannah history.

- Judaism: Jews arrived on the second ship landing after Oglethorpe’s to escape Spanish persecution and were seminal figures in the city’s founding. And Congregation Mickve Israel, built-in 1733, is the third oldest synagogue in the U.S.

- Pop culture: Much of Forrest Gump — MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE MOVIE, was filmed here, as well as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which is based on a true story. And Johnny Mercer, co-founder of Capitol Records and the only person to win four “Best Song” Academy Awards is Savannah’s favorite son!

- Current events: Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), founded in 1978, has become the #1 college of Art and Design in the United States and simultaneously has revitalized the city.

- You can’t go home again, Carol: We skimmed by the presently under-renovation birthplace of Girl Scouts’ founder Juliet Gordon Low, but could not visit inside;( FYI, the missus has done a lot of great work for corporate over the last few years — my unbiased opinion, of course.

Post-tour, we convened on the outdoor deck of Rocks on the Roof, in The Bohemian Hotel on West Bay Street overlooking the Savannah River to compare notes regarding the previous two hours and commit it to memory.

Then it was back to the ranch for another Zoom call, followed by more binging while giving the washer/dryer a run for its money.

Though we spent more time cooped up due to inclement weather than anticipated, it hasn’t been a bother due to great company and knowing we’re still in the midst of a pandemic with five months of travel ahead of us. If we don’t hit a sunny day at the beach now or in town now, we will further on down the road.

Tomorrow — onward to Charleston!

Postscript: After reading this post, Don Davies informed me that “my fiance and I have stayed on Tybee Island for two different vacation times and we fell in love with the Island, the people the food and so much more! I recommend staying at least three days to enjoy Tybee and Savannah! For tybee restaurants, check out https://visittybee.com/restaurants.” Thanks Don!