The First Time I was Evacuated. (Day 313, Year 2)

Today was really a bit unexpected. In retrospect, I should have expected it for a myriad of reasons including the meteorological sciences, the weather report and the sea water I noticed breaching the sand dunes at low tide on Amelia Island. 

What we expected to happen was a lovely resort day--breakfast at the Sunrise cafe with Jo making omelettes to order and Kevin greeting me with a warm coffee. A quick swirl of honey from a large honey comb and some biscuits with sausage gravy. Then we'd be off to hot tub, take photos of the waves, go shopping and lovely steak dinner dinner with grown-ups, while our daughter free ranged it for pizza and the Omni game room.

What happened was a mandatory resort evacuation, hysterical packing (the kids only had 7 domestics while packing), a strange concierge led photo shoot by the hurricane wind whipped pool and a trauma-induced lunch of McDonalds, eaten in the actual McDonalds like it was the 1980s (I looked for Ronald and he was not there!). All of this somehow led us from Amelia Island, Florida to the wonderful Savannah, Georgia. 

We took the F word of travel (flexibility!) and turned it into FUN! 

I should note that this trip is actually a working trip for Mike--who had to juggle a conference and networking and literally knowing everyone at the conference with doing actual work and conference calling while evacuating. 

Anyway, upon the notice of our mandatory evacuation (received via text while Jo was making my ham-pepper-onion -cheddar omelette), we were forced to be flexible and fun! Mike came up with the idea to drive north to Savannah which turned out to be brilliant. As we drove, our Jacksonville return flights for later in the week were cancelled and then rescheduled for much later than we planned. 

So, we turned evacuation into a vacation (for us, not Mike, he continues to do things like earn an income.). We explored Savannah this afternoon, hit up The Lady and Sons (Paula Dean's restaurant) for dinner and then did a fabulous ghost tour tonight. We are all a little bummed to miss out on 48 hours at the beach; but then again, I feel like our adventure is pretty epic. 

I came to Savannah when I was a kid and fell in love with all the Spanish Moss and watching my Dad eat his way through oysters and grits and hush puppies and fried okra. I know my kids will not forget their first time being evacuated and their first time, here, in the City of the Dead. They are really wonderful travelers. They love to explore and experience all the crazy things I discover. (Like our segway nature tour yesterday!). I hope they do this stuff with their own friends and partners and children. 

And I hope they invite me along for the fun. 



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