It was time to say goodbye to the Country Inn and Suites by Carlson! Thank you to the gracious and friendly staff there!
We were heading to The Hamilton- Turner Inn for our last day and evening in Savannah! Jan had been a guest at this Inn a few years ago, and remembered it fondly! The Hamilton Inn was built in 1873.
Our check-in at the Inn was to be at 3:00 p.m., so we had a bit of time to kill. We decided to have lunch at "Clary's", famous for being the cafe in the movie "Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil". (Do you remember the writer John Kelso having lunch in a cafe, and seeing the character Luther Driggers with flies attatched to his lapel?) Yep. That was at "Clary's"!
A lovely gal named Mary was our waitress. I ordered a coffee (no surprise there!), a cup of their clam chowder, a biscuit, and bacon! A strange lunch to be sure, but that's what the taste buds wanted.
Yep- that's me, stuffing my face with yummy southern biscuits! There's going to be some SERIOUS attention to diets after we leave Savannah!
It was time to check into the Hamilton- Turner Inn!
We were greeted by a young man named Jeremy, who checked us in.
The owner of the Inn is Mr. Jim Dunlop. Shown to your left with Jan, Mr. Dunlop was a gracious host!
The parlor was the gathering place. From 2:00-4:00 sweets and tea (as well as lemonade) is served.
The "sweet" of the day was a macaroon enhanced with chocolate! Oh my! Delicious! (Oh my! My waist-line!--Oh dear! What waist-line??!!)
This is Jan by the ornate fireplace in the parlor. Lovely vases of fresh flowers graced this room. We met a few fellow travelers here while we waited to be shown to our room. Though this Inn is elegantly decorated, the "feel" of the place encourages one to sit down, slow down, relax, and make yourself at home!
The Inn has a lovely courtyard at the back of the house, next to the Carriage house. Sitting areas were available.
I sat listening to the fountain, the birds songs, and the wind in the trees! Ah!
The Carriage house is a separate part of the Inn, with three bedrooms.
Back inside, we headed to our room. We passed the "Breakfast Room" on our way. Wow! Elegant, beautifully decorated, and I have to say- inviting!
As we headed up the stairs, I glanced back at the lovely entrance. Tried as I did, I couldn't quite capture the beauty of that chandelier! Brian carried our luggage up for us. Thank you, Brian!!
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| This was my second attempt. |
We were on the third floor. As we climbed the stairs I
became increasingly aware of my knees! How did the older maids do this, six or seven times a day? Perhaps they were thinner than I! Putting on a "few" pounds while on vacation certainly was not being kind to my knee joints!
I was able to pause along the way to admire the hallways.
I loved the colors, the placement of beautiful furniture, gorgeous carpets, paintings, and accessories! Perfect! Mrs. Dunlop was responsible for the interior decorating!
Our room! "The Earl of Chatham"
This was our sitting area of our room!
Our sleeping area! Attention was paid to every detail for our stay! Soft, soothing music was playing on the CD player in the room. Bottles of water and a "welcome" box of chocolates were on a side table.
The bathroom was equipped with what Jan called a "small swimming pool", including jets to sooth those aching knees! Ah!
Back down to the parlor, wine and hors 'devoures were being served from 5:00-7:00 p.m.!
Lafayette Square is right across the street from the Hamilton-Turner Inn. This lovely, quiet park is a wonderful place to view many of the old homes surrounding the Square, watch the squirrels at play, and just have a moment to soak in the sights and sounds of the beautiful day!
Jan and I wandered to the square, sat for a while, and decided what we would do with our afternoon and evening. (That will be for tomorrow's blog!)
We returned to the Inn to find "Port" in the parlor! This is served every day from 8:00-9:00 p.m.
I decided to try the port! Then...I tried one more! My only regret is not finding out the name brand! It was delicious!
As Jan and I climbed the stairs to our room, we were remarking how good the jet tub was going to feel. We also felt in awe of the City of Savannah, this beautiful place, and the great hospitality of the Hamilton-Turner Inn!
When we entered the room, we saw that the beds had been turned down, bathrobes had been laid out on each bed, as well as a gift package of chocolate chip cookies on each of our pillows!
We fell asleep that night, aware that a King and Queen could not have been treated more royally than we had been!
The next morning our breakfast time was set for 8:30 a.m. The lovely breakfast room's main server was the owner, Mr. Jim Dunlop himself! He poured the coffee, stood chatting with us, and served us a fantastic breakfast of scrambled eggs, biscuits (that are baked on site), and wonderful sausage gravy! The sideboard had fresh fruit salad, juices, and fresh bakery.
A strong young man carried our luggage down from the third floor for us. (Thank heavens!)
As we said farewell to Mr. Dunlop and staff, we felt truly blessed to be able to stay in such an elegant home, surrounded by luxury. Gay and Jim Dunlop take seriously the task of continuing the legacy of elegance and hospitality!
But the biggest blessing was the warm and friendly "true southern hospitality" at it's best! A heart of gratitude to the Dunlop's and staff! Please never stop doing exactly what you're doing! Perhaps there will be a time I return, and for more than just a day!
Tomorrow I'll share with you some amusing adventures Jan and I found ourselves in on our last night in Savannah!
Life is an adventure! And the taste of "True Southern Hospitality At It's Best" enhances it ten fold!
Until tomorrow!!
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