One Year Anniversary Trip

Hey y'all! This may be one of my most favorite posts yet: celebrating our one year anniversary. Our actual one year anniversary was on June 27, 2016, but with both of us taking boards this summer, we had to compromise on when we took our weekend getaway. We knew we didn't have time to take a long trip, so while I was still studying and before Tyler started studying, we took a quick weekend trip to Savannah, GA. If you know me, you probably know about my love affair with Charleston, SC. I have never been to Savannah, but I knew it was another famous southern city that I MUST visit. I wanted to love Savannah, but I was afraid it just wouldn't compare to Charleston. I was excited to finally get to explore this gem of the south even if it was only for a couple of days. 

The view from our room.

Of course, Tyler planned a wonderful evening to celebrate our first year of marriage. He made reservations for the night we arrived at The Old Pink House. Y'all, I have NEVER in my life had fried chicken as good as the fried chicken there. They said their secret is putting a little bit of tabasco sauce on the chicken before they coat it in the breading and spices. It isn't hot, but there is just a bit of heat to give it so much flavor. We had chicken, collards, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes.. you name it, we ate it LOL That was seriously one of the most delicious meals I've ever had! Plus, they had a specialty drink of raspberry pink lemonade called The Pink Lady. I just had to try one! It was delicious!! The restaurant is exactly how it sounds: an old pink house. The rooms are cramped and not big open spaces like normal restaurants. They utilized the layout of the house as best as they could, and although it wasn't as functional as some of the more modern buildings, the close corridors gave it so much charm. Not to mention they had the ceilings painted haint blue. I could've died when I saw that. I WILL paint a ceiling in my house (someday) haint blue.  

That blue ceiling makes my heart skip a beat!

After dinner, we ventured down to River Street to see the views and other shops/restaurants. We caught a bike taxi back to our hotel because my poor feet couldn't walk on the cobblestone in my Jack Rogers wedges any longer LOL 

The next day we wanted to explore all that Savannah has to offer. We found a list on Pinterest of must see sights in the city, and by the end of the day, we had walked the entire historic district. We had a blast seeing all of the historic buildings, parks, and the large oaks dripping in Spanish moss. We also drove about 40 minutes and visited Tybee Island. It was spectacular. It sort of reminded me of Garden City Beach at Myrtle Beach. It was very low key and not crowded at all. There were no big hotels or high rises, so you could truly appreciate the natural beauty of the beach itself. On the inlet side, we had lunch with a view at a local restaurant. Tyler tried their gumbo, and I had loaded nachos. YUM! 

Heading to Tybee Island.

Back to Savannah for the evening...

Forsyth Park

We had dinner at Paula Deen's restaurant Lady and Sons. It was pretty good, but it seemed subpar after eating at The Old Pink House the night before. However, I did have her banana pudding for dessert, and Lord have mercy, it was phenomenal! 

Clearly, Ty liked his meal LOL

Back down to River Street for the evening.

Several years ago, my mom started a tradition with Kelly and me. Wherever we travel, we buy a Christmas ornament. It is a way to buy a keepsake to remember all of our trips that we can put out each year at Christmas. We put the ornaments from all of our travels on a "travel tree," and it is so fun looking at each ornament and remembering our experiences in that city. Tyler and I have collected several ornaments since we were first married. He thought to get this ornament at a Christmas store on River Street. How sweet! 

I can't lie to y'all. When I first arrived in Savannah I was let down a little. Charleston, in my mind, is the epitome of a southern city. Savannah is much smaller in size with less hustle and bustle; however, the longer I was there, the more I fell in love. It is so much more relaxed and low key. There is nowhere near as much traffic or tourists. I felt as if we were actually able to enjoy the quintessential  southern slow paced lifestyle while in Savannah. I was able to truly appreciate all that Savannah has to offer after I stopped comparing it to Charleston because they are not the same. You have to appreciate each for what it is. Savannah is definitely added to my list of favorite places now! 

On our way back home, we drove up to Charleston. I couldn't bear the thought of being that close to my favorite place in the world and not visiting it. We also drove to some places we hadn't visited before like Hilton Head, Daniel Island, and Palmetto Bluff. Those towns are breathtaking. Everything is clean and neat looking. All of the establishments are in very nice buildings, and they still incorporate old southern charm staples like the oil burning lamps and the mossy oak trees. I was loving life visiting these places! 

Quick stop at Hilton Head for lunch. I needed my cherry coke fix!

We made one final pit stop on our way home: The Lilly Signature Store on King Street. I couldn't resist LOL I got three of the cutest dresses (on the sale rack), and I have been wearing them almost every week. One of them is the new Sophie dress that has the built in SPF. It is my new favorite! 

It has been over a month since our actual anniversary, and as I type this post I can't help but think back to what all we've been through in a year. We have been together through births, deaths, marriages, a move, and job transitions just to name a few. I couldn't imagine going through this life with anyone but Tyler by my side. He is what I prayed for when I asked God to help me find my soulmate. I never dreamed I would end up with someone as caring, loving, and hard working as my Tyler. I don't know how I made it this far in life without him, but I'm sure glad I don't have to go another day without him by my side. It was so fun celebrating a milestone in our lives in such a beautiful place even if it was only for a couple of days. It is a trip I will never forget and will always cherish! Until next time.. Take care y'all!