USA - Georgia & South Carolina
by Susie Howard
I so enjoyed my trip to Savannah in Georgia, I was lucky enough to win the bet with some of my fellow travellers and enjoyed the luxury of Continental Airlines business class cabin to Newark from Manchester. From the check-in desks at Manchester to the onboard crew on Continental Airlines, I was extremely impressed with the whole service, everyone was very friendly and professional and looked after all their passengers with the greatest of respect and care. I would not hesitate in recommending the business class service they offer.
After a very relaxing flight, we landed at Newark and had an hours wait before our connecting flight to Savannah with American Airlines, again they could not be more accommodating and they loved our English accents!
I must say that in the deep south of America the people are unbelievably warm and friendly and welcome you with open arms. Savannah is one of the largest restored National Historic Landmark districts in the nation. It is a beautiful city, with Spanish moss covered trees, splendid mansions, restored 18th and 19th century buildings and a waterfront where cotton warehouses are now restaurants, hotels and shops.
We were also hosted by ‘Mrs Wilkes' for lunch one day, which I would highly recommend, Mrs Wilkes has been a tradition for over 6 decades, formally a boarding house serving up down-home Southern treats in the basement, the lunch crowd gather every morning at 11oclock ready to share large tables with complete strangers as they have been doing for years!
We then travelled onto Charleston, South Carolina by road, which takes approximately 2 hours, this is the cultural capital of the South, rich in history dating back to the Civil War. This is a beautifully preserved city with 18th century homes, plantations, amazing restaurants and fabulous art galleries. I would recommend the carriage tours here as their guides are full of local knowledge and a great sense of humour!
I loved the feel of Charleston, the semi tropical climate and of course its people, and I would be delighted to tell you more about these wonderful and interesting states of America...