Our Savannah Tour with Paula Deen

Our Savannah Tour with Paula Deen

Last week I shared Part One of our tour of Historic Savannah I took with my mama and my sister.  I wanted to break it down into two parts because well…pictures!  I had a LOT.  🙂   This week, I am sharing our visit to the Paula Deen Retail Store as well as our lunch at The Lady & Sons.  And you know me!  I’m a huge foodie so I have to give me review.  I am also sharing the look inside the beautiful Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, one of our favorite stops on the Trolly Tour.  Let’s get started, there’s a lot to see.

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If you missed last week’s Part One: Historic Homes, Monuments and Squares click here!

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The week we were in Savannah it rained. And rained and rained and rained.  There was even a tornado that touched down on Tybee Island the afternoon we had planned on going out to the Bonaventure Cemetery.   (I was very disappointed we never made it out there.)   Many of the places we planned to stop on the Trolly Tour had to be passed upon because of the weather.  But, three places were an absolute must no matter what – Paula Deen’s Retail Store, The Lady and Sons Restaurant, and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.  

Let’s start with the Paula Deen Retail Store and The Lady and Sons Restaurant. 

 

The retail shop is in the original “The Bag Lady” location. It’s a beautiful, old 2-story shop with original wood floors and exposed brick.  I was a bit surprised that it was smaller than I would have expected.  I think I was assuming it to be larger, as I had been in other Paula Deen stores in several casinos where she used to be located and those were quote spacious.  Either way, the merchandise was cute and Southern and all Paula, y’all.  

In fact, there was a lot of “y’all.”  You know I loved that.

 

 

The store was beautifully merchandised with lovely vignettes featuring of all types of Paula products.  Most of the furniture was designed by Mrs. Deen herself, and some were even available as part of her furniture line.  I LOVED these large hutches.

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Like I said, the walls were the original exposed brick.  Y’all, I am a nut about exposed brick, aren’t you?

The shop had lots of nooks and crannies throughout the two stories…

I loved her selection of aprons and purchased two of them.  Maybe I will model them for you one day.  😀

Don’t you love that sign at the top?  “Love and Best Dishes”

All throughout the store there were canvases of Paula.  LOTS of canvases of Paula.  *wink

 

I have to share the T-Shirt I got.   Pretty sure they had me and mama in mind when they made this.

 😀  

Originally, we had no intention of eating at The Lady and Sons when we planned our trip.  I had talked to several friends and relatives who had been there and their reviews were not raving.  We had heard about another restaurant called Mrs. Wilke’s Dining Room and wanted to give that a try.  In the end, Mama said we could not possibly go to Savannah and not eat with Paula.  So we made a reservation for the following day for lunch, and for Mama’s sake I’m glad we did.  

I would HIGHLY recommend you call ahead and make a reservation because the lines were unreal by the time we left after lunch. Because we were heading out of town that day, we opted for the buffet because we thought it would be the quickest. 

It was typical Southern faire – fried chicken and meatloaf and masher taters and collards, etc etc.  

Okay, here is my review.  It was okay – just okay.  It was good, don’t get me wrong.  But I think perhaps the problem is all my mama’s fault.  When you have a mama who is an AH-mazing Southern cook and cooks like this every day, it was nothing new and spectacular.  Now- it’s not to say that I am discouraging anyone from going. That is not the case.  If you want a good example of Southern cooking, this will give you that.  

What I did love?  The fresh sprig of mint in our sweet tea. That I loved.  😀

 In the end, I am glad we ate at Paula’s restaurant if for no other reason than to say we did.  🙂

Before we left, we were thrilled to see that Paula had made an appearance so I snapped a quick shot with her and my Mama and sister.  😀

Our last stop on the Trolly Tour earlier in the week was by far our favorite.  When I hear the word “Cathedral” here in the States, I get excited but have to admit I am usually disappointed.  When you have visited and toured dozens and dozens of European Cathedrals, its hard to find something that compares.  I am happy to say that THIS Cathedral did.  It’s as close to an actual European Cathedral as I have seen here in the States. 

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist recently went through a million dollar renovation. The insides just glistened.  My pictures do NOT do this beautiful structure any justice. 

In many ways, this Cathedral reminded me of the York Minster in York, England.   I am always so fascinated with the architecture of these magnificent buildings.  Once inside, I was happy to learn that cameras were allowed.  Please know I am always respectful and realize that yes, tourists are allowed inside but in the end this is a revered place of worship.  I was happy I could share this church with you.

You don’t get a true feel for the size of this Cathedral when you are standing outside.  It’s not until you walk in and see the full length and width.  This Cathedral is not as large as many European counterparts, but it definitely competes in the wow factor. 

Everywhere you look, there are beautiful stained glass windows and statues and marble columns. 

Then there are smaller alcoves with miniature chapels. 

The above is the Cathedral alter, and I was absolutely mesmerized by the stained glass windows in the background. 

I have to say my patriotic heart loved this scene…

But, the one area which made me pause and thank the Lord for all of my blessings was this –

How startling beautiful.  We lit a candle for our sweet Daddy, all three of us using the same match to light the candle as we said a prayer.  It was a special and moving moment for my mama and my sister and I, one I will never forget.  As I mentioned in Part One, we made this trip on this particular week, because it was one year ago that our sweet Daddy passed away.  Along the way we laughed and we cried, but the best part was seeing our Mama smile.  

 

I hope you have enjoyed this tour of Historic Savannah, Georgia.  It’s an amazingly beautiful city with an interesting and extended past.  The city is filled with a variety of sights and sounds which exemplify what the South is all about.   I was blessed to be able to take this trip with the other two Humphrey girls.  Thanks for letting me share it with you, too. 

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