Well I Declare

“Well I declare!” If I had a dime for every time I heard that or “Bless your heart” over the past two weeks, I’d be rich. Pia and I are back from our mid winter vacation to Atlanta, Savannah and Tennessee. This vacation was part of our plan to get through winter here in Provincetown. Spring has already “sprung” in Atlanta. The trees were already green!

I decided to take the train down to Atlanta from Boston. I rented a roomette and enjoyed some time to catch up on my reading. I also met some really interesting people in the dining car, one of which was a retired general working to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

Anyhow, I had much fun the first few days doing pretty much nothing. My brother Chris and niece Amanda went to the Atlanta Zoo. It was fun and I recommend it if you are in Atlanta. Troy and his roommate Steve were very hospitable and went out of their way to show me true southern hospitality.

Troy and I headed to Savannah Friday afternoon, and after getting stuck in Atlanta traffic for two hours, made it out of the city. This made me thankful that I live in

Provincetown. We happened to be in Savannah for St Patrick’s Day weekend and needless to say it was full of drunk, wild partygoers who were definitely not my scene. What was my scene was Forsyth Park, the beautifully landscaped squares and lovely old homes. The cafes on the squares, trolley tour and fountains were my favorite. There is a huge young gay scene in Savannah.

It so happened that while in Savannah my Blackberry lit up with emails and text messages from folks up north interested to know if I was OK. It turns out that a major tornado hit downtown Atlanta seriously damaging the buildings.

Our last night in Savannah was spent in the dark…literally. The power was knocked out for 12 hours. Troy and I got creative on how to spend the time. We did enjoy a fabulous lightening show that lasted for about half an hour. The sky was illuminated non stop! 

When we returned to Atlanta, Troy, his roommate Steve and my brother went to Tennessee on a day trip to see The Lost Sea. This remarkable attraction is an underground lake. Totally awesome! Afterwards we toured an ice creamery.

On my last day, Troy and I walked up Stone Mountain. This was a cardio workout but once at the summit, the views were breathtaking.

Before I caught the train home, my brother’s roommate Douglas, prepared a delicious meal. It was a nice send off. I boarded the train and headed home.

I’m now easing back into Provincetown life.