1/27/2022

I finished my stay with the Curcio family on a high note yesterday. We took a trip to Sullivan’s Island, walked the beach, had lunch and gelato at a really great restaurant called the Obstinate Daughter (great name for a restaurant too), and then toured the USS Yorktown. I had a meatball sub at the Obstinate Daughter that was described to me as being “Nerf football size,” and, yeah, it really was that big and I don’t think I have been hungry for a full 24-hours now after eating it.

With the day’s activities over, my time in Charleston came to an end. I said my goodbyes and thank yous to the Curcio family, and then hit the road south to Savannah, Georgia. And you know what? This was the first time on the trip that I had trouble saying goodbye to a place. Clearly, Charleston found a special place in my heart, and I hope that it is not too long before I am back to Charleston again.

Leaving Charleston, I once again had to travel through a bunch of monotonous swamps. But as I approached Savannah, the landscape changed. The area around Savannah is not swampy. It is instead filled with rivers, marshes and grassy wetlands that reminded me of the wetlands between San Rafael and Vallejo in the North Bay back in California. Water fowl could be seen wandering the marshes and flying about all over. The town itself is nestled against the Savannah River, with a long river walk along the river’s shore. Huge river boats and shipping vessels busied the waters.

I am staying at the Marshall House here in Savannah, and once again history seems to be seeking me out even when I’m not looking for it. I chose this hotel solely because it looked pretty in photos and was conveniently located downtown. But, as I have learned, this is a very historic hotel. I don’t think I could have chose a more historic spot in Savannah.

Near the end of the Civil War, from November 15 through December 21, 1864, the Union’s General Sherman marched his army through Georgia, from Atlanta to Savannah. Sherman’s March (as it’s called) is famous for its ferocity. Sherman ordered his troops to destroy everything in their path during the march, whether the property was military, industry, infrastructure, or civilian in nature. It was truly a ‘scorched earth’ operation. The operation horrified the Confederacy and helped lead to a surrender in early 1865.

At the end of Sherman’s March, the troops needed lodging. General Sherman decided not to burn Savannah to the ground, but to let it stand as a home for his troops. He commandeered the Marshall House to act as lodging and a make-shift hospital for the Union for the rest of the War. As such, I can honestly say that as I am typing this out right now, I am sitting at the end-of-the-road of Sherman’s March. Much of the hotel has been preserved since that time; even the hardwood floors are the same floors that Sherman’s army walked on. The hotel is also described as being ‘one of the most haunted hotels in the country,’ but I don’t know. I think that I might be haunted by more ghosts than this place. Pretty cool though, huh?

When I pulled up to the Marshall House, the valet got really excited. It turns out that she was from Omaha, and she had never seen a vehicle with Nebraska plates pull up to the hotel before. She told me that she missed Omaha and was looking forward to moving back there after finishing school here. It made me kind of smile because, you know what? I’m kind of missing the Midwest, too. I’m two weeks into this trip, and still have two weeks to go, but I’m starting to get kind of tired and homesick. I’m also starting to see my bill from all of these adventures, which is also giving me an incentive to start working my way back home. 🙂

Emphasis on the tired though. I woke up this morning feeling exhausted and, after walking around Savannah for a few hours (which isn’t as well-kept as Charleston, but has a charm in its own right) I decided to just come back to my room to take it easy and enjoy an afternoon nap. I’ve been going pretty hard now for weeks, and I’m hoping to wind things down a bit for the next few days. Who knows if I get to actually see calm though. Tomorrow I head to Tampa, to spend some time with my sister and brother-in-law, and I have a feeling that we are going to be having a bit of fun while I’m there.

Cheers,

-Rob

PS – I received happy news this morning that I have been accepted to Northern Michigan University’s Master’s program in pure mathematics. Thank you to those who wrote letters of recommendation for me! I am still waiting to hear from the University of New Hampshire about their Master’s/PhD program. The future is becoming a bit clearer and brighter.