Hey Y'all!

My Savannah Summer Homes Away From Home!

Summer 04 West Taylor Street - off Chatham Square - Looks really big, but only the bottom floor was mine:)

Summer 05 - East Taylor Street off Whitfield Square

Summer 06- East Charlton, Beach Institute

Weekend visit - 05 - Liberty Street (third floor)

I'll pick up where I left off in my last post. . . .I did return to Savannah, In fact I rented a little apartment right off Chatham Square in the Summer of 2004. I stayed for a month. It was great. I really got to feel like a local. I had a lot of company, my friends and family all came to visit. I met my neighbors and made friends with others living on Chatham Square. I met Dana and his dog Mandy. I had gotten Zoe just a couple of weeks before going, she was sooooo tiny. Dana was helpful with directions to Walmart, restaurant suggestions, directions to the airport (had to pick up all my visitors), local hang outs, day trips and so much more. Mandy and Baby Zoe hit it off right away.

I returned to Savannah again in 2005 for a month where I stayed just off Whitfield Square and again for a month in 2006 where I stayed in a Beach Institute Bungalow. I have also taken a few other short weekend trips to Savannah to over the years. During my grad school years money and time were lacking so the long trips to Savannah came to an end. I'm looking forward to going back this summer. Too bad Zoe won't be making the trip, she went with me on all three long summer trips and enjoyed romping about in all the squares and in Forsyth Park.

H - you are right, there will be a Paula Deen visit on this trip.

The Lady and Sons - West Congress Street, near City Market

On my first long trip to Savannah in 2004, Paula wasn't all that big yet. She had her first show on Food Network, but she was still relatively a local celebrity. It was not unusual to see her or the boys around the Historic District or out and about at the Lady and Sons. Matter of fact on my firsts day in town I was walking on Broughton Street and stopped at a light waiting to cross, I looked over and Jamie Deen was standing next to me. Cool. The next summer Christa and I met both the boys and had a chance to talk with them. They were getting ready to come to Texas and film an episode of there show Road Tasted. They ask us a bunch of questions about places to eat in Dallas. Then a couple of years ago we met Paula again at a book signing in the metroplex. We made up a little song for her to the tune of Deep in the Heart Of Texas.

Paula Deen, Our Southern Queen

Deep in the Heart of Texas

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Reminds us of, the food we love

Deep in the Heart of Texas
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We sang it really loud when it was our turn to meet her,(claps and all) Tad took pictures. I'll see if I can find some to post. She probably thought we were nuts. But all my books are signed:)

I know we will go back to the Lady and Sons this summer, if any of the Deens are in the house, I'll be sure to get pics. However, In the years since I've last visited Savannah, Paula has become a huge celebrity. She has 3 TV shows and The Food Network does a special on her for just about any event, family vacation, etc. She as too many books to count. They boys have two books now and a TV show of their own. She has her own magazine and cookware line. She has a line of eye glasses and her own line of rugs. She is her own brand name. So with that said, I seriously doubt we'll see any of the Deen crew just strolling around downtown.