I have recently been to Charleston, SC and to Savannah, GA. Most people have told me, "There is no point in going to both, they are almost the same. They are sister cities." Well, if they are sister cities, they sure don't have the same daddy. Yes, they are both old cities in the south that are laid out with their streets in a grid style, and they both have a lot of history and old houses. That is where the similarities end.
When it comes to the history, Charleston wins, hands down. Everywhere I went in Charleston I was reminded something that happened in that particular site during the civil war. In Savannah, I had to search those things out. Plus, Charleston is where the first shots of the civil war were fired.
Let's talk about getting around town. Savannah is much more car friendly. The streets are much wider, and the traffic lights are timed so that cars aren't stopping at every light. The down side is that the cars drive much faster in Savannah than they do in Charleston, and riding a bicycle is scarier in Savannah. Bikes are not allowed on most of the sidewalks in Savannah but they are in Charleston. I also noticed that it took longer to cross the street in Savannah. The traffic light cycle seemed to be much longer than normal. I might be full of crap about that though. To sum it up, Savannah is better for driving, Charleston is better for biking, and we'll call it a tie for walking.
How about all of the city parks? There is really no contest there, Savannah has more parks than any city I have been to, and they are spaced out evenly across the whole city. The parks have massive shade trees, and a lot of them have some sort of water feature, from a small cement pond all the way to extravagant water fountains. The parks all have nice benches to relax on. I took advantage of this and took a short 10 minute nap after sampling the micro brews at a brewery in town.
Lastly, the people. I didn't run across very many locals in Savannah. It was mainly retired people walking slowly and talking nonsense. Here is an excerpt from a conversation I overheard while walking down a cobblestone street. I named the old couple Lester and Poly Ester. Poly: "They should make these stones smoother to walk on." Lester: "I know, it is killing my hip." I wish I could tell you that I made up that conversation. Charleston was completely different. Most of the people that I talked to were locals, and they were all happy to tell me the thins that I had to see and do while I was there. That is how I found out about walking across the bridge for the sunset, and someone told me about a fantastic seafood restaurant that most tourists don't go to. It was some of the best seafood I have ever had and I got full and buzzed for less that twenty bucks.
So, if someone were to ask me which city they should visit, I would have to say both. They were both fun, interesting cities, and both very different from each other and from any other city I have been to.
Sorry for not having any pictures today. I am too lazy to go out to my car to get my camera and usb cord. I will post my Savannah pictures next time I write. By the way, I am writing this from Daytona Beach. I am headed to Justin and Erin's place for the next few nights. They are just outside of Orlando.
Dom
I want to come back to the Tetons during the summer. This is the most beautiful place that I saw on my trip. I had to cut my visit short due to an incoming winter storm. I ended up having to drive over a mountain pass at 9600 feet during a blizzard. Scary stuff. 
And here is a pic of James, me and Sam. We weren't posing at all.
Okay, I'm done now. I am tired. Until next time,
I am going to attempt to make it all the way up to Virginia today, a 12 hour drive. So, if anyone is bored at work, any phone calls would be welcomed! I do have one stop to make along the way, Pedro's South of the Border truck stop. According to their web site they have "something for every Juan."
