A STAYCATION ON THE WATER: A BEACH DAY AND KAYAKING

As you may have read earlier, last week was Wes' birthday.  He likes to spend his free time outside so we had a beach day planned out with his mother as well as a morning kayaking trip out on Wilmington Island.  We've never rented kayaks in all of the time we have lived in Savannah, so Wes's birthday seemed like the perfect time to try that out. 

The weather was perfect for our beach day on Saturday and there weren't too many people at North Beach.  We usually spend our time on the opposite end of Tybee when we go out so it was a nice change of pace and good to find a new spot.  I like getting to hang out down by the lighthouse.

The next morning we got up bright and early to head out on our kayaking adventure over at HOGAN'S MARINA just across the bridge on Wilmington Island.  After a Saturday at the beach less than 24 hours prior, we came prepared with plenty of sunscreen and water.  It gets bright and hot very fast down here; that's for sure.  We sorted out the heat pretty quickly by taking cover under docks when we needed a break. The area was absolutely gorgeous and so peaceful in the early morning; boats were only starting to head out when we were finishing up.  Wes and I are excited to head out to different areas to kayak and explore this summer. It's really nice to get a view from the other side every once in a while to remind me of the beauty.

LET'S EAT PT. 4 - TREYLOR PARK

This past weekend was a very special one as it was my dear Wesley's birthday.  His mom was in town for the occasion which made it extremely special.  As she trolleyed around the city, Wes and I fasted at work.  By dinner time we were all sufficiently starving.  After hearing great things from friends we decided to try out Treylor Park for the first time - I know, I know we're wayyy late on that one - but we were really glad we finally did.  We had a great time enjoying dinner in the beer garden out back.

We kind of shared a bit of everything from each  others'  plates  to get a better idea of what Treylor Park has to offer.   I've  got  to  say  that the PB & J chicken wings were my runaway favorite.  This may come as a surprise, but I  honestly don't spend all too much of my downtime thinking about crazy chicken wing  combinations that I would like to try.  That being said, the few times I have daydreamed about sriracha honey sesame  fire  wings  and the like, neither peanut butter or jelly came to mind as a winner  for  a  drummette's perfect pairing.  For that I am truly ashamed, because these  were  RIDICULOUSLY  GOOD!   These wings came out super fresh from the fryer and dripping with their peanut butter sauce.  The peach jam comes on the side so you can add as much or as little as you like.  I went  for  it  being that I love my condiments.  I can tell you I will never look at a PB&J sammie the same way again.

For our mains, Wes got the Chupacabra burrito with eggs, sausage, onions, peppers, and a very spicy sauce on top; Mrs. Norvell got the Southern Sloppy Joe with venison and fried banana peppers, and I got the Treylor Park Nachos Grande because I obviously hate myself.  Those nachos were massive!  Yes, they were awesome, but there's no way those are meant for one person.  I'm just glad we all shared our plates because that was a terrifying mountain of spuds I was facing down.  The Sloppy Joe was definitely a winner as well.  Memories from summer camp for sure, but much better tasting.  The Chupacabra was a great breakfast  burrito to really wake you up; tons of heat and everything was cooked extremely well.  

Also on the menu is a huge list of house made cocktails and plenty of beer options for everyone.  The atmosphere inside seemed a bit loud, but if you can find a spot in the beer garden out back, it's a peaceful hideout in downtown Savannah.  Treylor Park is a great place to go try out southern staples with a modern twist. 

And you can't end a proper downtown night without a river view.  We watched the sunset up at Rocks on the River before walking off dinner.

EARTH DAY AT FORSYTH PARK

One thing Savannians know how to do is have a good hangout at Forsyth Park.  And why wouldn't they?  It's an absolutely beautiful park that offers something for just about everyone.  In celebration of Earth Day there were tents all over the park offering up advice on helping to do your part in preserving our collective home.  The Savannah Bicycle Campaign had their bike valet set up to offer a safe place to park your bike and enjoy the festivities as well as hosting their 8th annual Earth Day Wheelie afterward.  It was a really fun ride that ended over at Blowin' Smoke Cantina for food and drinks.  Earth Day gets me excited for the season's bike events; I feel like it's the starter event to send us into the season of hanging out with the Bike Campaign which is always a great time.  Make sure you click on the bike campaign's link above in the bold black writing to see what events are coming up and how you can get involved!

The Forsyth Farmer's Market was also out in full force with some really great produce and samples to try.  The farmer's market is out every Saturday from 9:00 to 1:00 with great vendors and amazing foods.  It's a great way to spend a Saturday morning supporting something local.  Here are just a few snaps of our day at the park, hope you enjoy!