On August 16 of last year at the ungodly hour of 1:30 AM we fired up the Silver Bullet and hit the road. We knew a couple of our destinations (West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Michigan). Beyond those destinations we knew we'd end up in California around Christmas. We just didn't know if we'd bring the Silver Bullet back to Florida and fly to California or drive. When decision time rolled around we decided to drive on to California and beyond.
Friday afternoon (March 26) at 7:30 PM the Bullet pulled back in the driveway on Anna Maria Island where the journey began. It had been 223 days, through parts of twenty five states and over seventeen thousand miles since leaving. I've tried to document the adventures we've had along the way in previous blogs. This one is to wrap of the final four days of this adventure as we made our way back to Florida from Estes Park, Colorado.
Day 1-Estes Park to Blue Springs, Missouri............
We said our "see you back in Florida" to Kenny and Shelly after six fun filled days in Estes Park. They would be flying back to the Sunshine State later that afternoon and assured us they'd wave at us from the friendly skies if they saw us chugging along I-70. It was a wonderful visit filled with adventures that included snowshoeing, sledding (Beth tells me the bruise on my butt from my temporary airborne experience is healing nicely), numerous hot tubbing sessions, great food and fellowship.
The drive out of Estes Park was as scenic as any of the drives we had done during our stay. The trees were covered with snow that had fallen over night. A single elk grazed by the side of the road as if she was placed there to welcome newcomers and bid farewell to those leaving. Even though we hit Denver right around the morning rush time, traffic wasn't too bad. Not far east of Denver it started to look like Kansas (flat and wide open ranch and farm land), even though we were still a couple of hours away from the Colorado/Kansas state line. Our drive across Kansas was uneventful. The wheat, corn and sunflower fields were dormant at this time of year. The main attraction along the way were the numerous wind farms. With plenty of wind to farm, they were spinning steadily, generating what I would assume was plenty of electricity. Ten hours and 676 miles after leaving Estes Park we arrived a little weary but in good shape in Blue Springs, Mo a suburb just a few miles east of east of Kansas City. We rewarded ourselves with a Kansas City BBQ favorite of burnt ends before turning in for the night.
Day 2-An Unexpected Destination..............
We were up early, which is a recurring event in our lives. Shortly after 4:00 AM, and feeling refreshed we fired up the Bullet and were on the road again. We were unsure of our destination for the day, but we figured it would be somewhere in Georgia.
As we drove along, Beth, who has the ability to sniff out a great travel deal found a hotel deal in Georgia that was almost too good to be true. There was only one catch. It wasn't exactly along the route, it was in Savannah and would require us to drive a couple of more hours. We turned what was going to be a twelve to thirteen hour drive into a sixteen hour (1,030 miles) trek. We passed through St. Louis as the sun was rising. Through Nashville around noon which meant we were a little ahead of the total chaos of rush hour afternoon traffic in Atlanta. We were in Savannah a bit before sunset which gave us time to stretch our legs a bit. We were proud of our accomplishment for the day and were looking forward to exploring Savannah after a good nights rest. We were also pleased knowing that once we left Savannah it would be a mere six hours drive back to Anna Maria Island.
Day 3-The Bullet gets a day off..........
Savannah is a marvelous city that is rich in history and southern charm (hopefully it doesn't get canceled). It is especially beautiful at this time of year. The leaves are back on the hundreds of moss covered oak trees that can be found along most downtown streets as well as in the numerous parks and squares. As spectacular as the trees look, they take a back seat to the azalea's that are in full bloom. At the risk of sounding overly poetic, it's a kaleidoscope of color throughout the city. We spent most of the day simply roaming around the riverfront and the historic downtown. Although most people were still exercising some degree of precautions, it was refreshing to see so many people out enjoying a beautiful day in a beautiful city.
Of course history and southern charm includes southern cooking as well, and there's no shortage of great restaurant options in Savannah. A nice couple we were talking with suggested we try to eat at Mrs. Wilkes if at all possible. They suggested that if we were going to try to eat there to get there right when it opens at 11:00.
We weren't there right at 11:00 but we did join the line of excited looking folks shortly after 11:15. The dining room typically serves "family style" which of course they are unable to do at the present time so everything is "take out" (there are numerous outside tables along the sidewalk). We were told the portions were huge and that they always threw in more food than what was ordered (southern hospitality). Heeding the warning, we ordered just one meal. The main entree was either fried chicken or meat loaf. We debated for a while, but decided on the chicken after seeing their sign proclaiming "if the colonel's chicken was this good he'd be a general". It was listed on the menu as four pieces of fried chicken and included three side dishes. We chose the au gratin potatoes, creamed corn and collard greens. The looks on our faces must have been priceless when our order was ready. It was ten pieces of chicken, the three sides we ordered, plus four additional sides including some amazing yams. There were biscuits, cornbread and a slice of pound cake included. Taking no chances of going away hungry, we added a serving of banana pudding for good measure. It was an amazingly gluttonous culinary experience that we look forward to experiencing again somewhere down the line. If you're in Savannah, check out Mrs. Wilkes. Bring your patience, appetite and cash (they don't take credit cards). Also, be sure to check their hours, they are only open a limited number of hours per day and currently closed on weekends.
Day Four-The final leg..........
Before leaving Savannah we had one final stop, the Bonaventure Cemetery. We didn't know anyone residing there but Beth had read that this was a "must see" while in Savannah. As it turns out, it truly was a "must see"! The 160 acre historic cemetery is located along the banks of the Wilmington River. The easiest way to describe the cemetery might be that it is to cemeteries what Augusta National Golf Club is to golf courses. It's full of huge moss covered oak trees and at this time of year, azaleas of every color. There are a number of historic graves, a few of which we visited as we strolled about. We were also amused at the number of guided bike and Segway tours in the cemetery, which made the scene a little surreal, however the permanent residents didn't seem to mind.
The drive from Savannah to Anna Maria Island was a little over six hours. Given the miles we had driven from Estes Park to Savannah this seemed like a hop, skip and a jump. Traffic was busy but not a nightmare, which is common on I-95 and I-75 at this time of the year. We enjoyed a picnic with food from one of our favorite Tampa Cuban restaurants (La Teresita) at the Blackthorn Memorial Park beside the Skyway Bridge before logging the final segment of the drive.
We'll be on the road (or in the air) again down the line but we're going to take a few weeks to enjoy visiting with NaNa and soaking up a little sun while the Silver Bullet gets a well deserved rest!
