Another crazy day back at camp. This morning, we had all kinds of cream filled doughnuts! I think the doughnuts were used as ammunition to make the eggtravagant games more challenging. Starting out with the egg toss, we armed our guests with rain ponchos. Eggs between Legs Race Spoon egg race Paddle Eggs, Check out Jane, above right. I bet she didn’t realize she could move that fast! Eggs in a Basket Eggs in a Cup What a Krazy Krew! Lunch was tasty Italian lasagna, creamed corn, salad, and the best cheese spread ever for our bread. FOLLOWED by a banana split bar. All the fixins! Skymed gave an informative talk about their emergency transport product. If you don’t have it, you should certainly think about it. They will cover at 100% ambulance/helicopter service. Just make that call to 911 and Skymed will do the rest! Social hour wine and cheese bar Light dinner tonight with pizza and beer. LOTS OF PIZZA Plain, sausage, pepperoni, supreme, meat lovers, vegetarian, white. You name it, we had it! Finishing off our night with popcorn and a movie, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” WAIT! Is Bill trying to steal some popcorn?
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Coffee & doughnuts, yum, yum. Kay started off our Sunday morning with Gospel Service complete with communion. The only way to start off your day! We boarded our bus for the Keller Flea Market! WOOOHOOOO. We were all challenged to find a treasure. The “Rivoli Rally Challenge” find something to sell at the auction and the person who makes the most profit on their “treasure” wins a prize. Everyone was on a quest to beat Kay at this chore. It wasn’t hard to find a treasure as the flea market - tables kept going, and going, and going, and going. Those who were quick shoppers, found time to make it back to the front of the market to get a photo op with the largest cow ever. Lunch at Betty Bombers, home of the American Legion Building and the birthplace of the Eighth Air Force. This building was a National Guard Armory at the time the Eighth Air Force was activated in 1942. You can’t get more “All American” than that. It was very touching to see a personal place setting for Prisoners of War/Missing in Action. The chefs prepare the kind of food that they like to eat, day in and day out. Their mission is to combine fresh ingredients with their craftsmanship to create delectable, wholesome foods for Savannahians. The servers were something else! Arriving at Chippewa Square too early for the Theatre, we decided to explore. Linda and Kay found where Forest Gump sat on his bench eating his chocolate covered cherries as well as the famous phone booth and restaurant found in the 1995 “Something To Talk About” with Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid. So WHAT are Kay and Linda talking about??? You’ll just have to come to one of our rallies to find out! “Savannah Live” at the historic Savannah Theatre was a delight. The Savannah Theatre first opened in 1818. Located in the heart of downtown Savannah on Chippewa Square. It is one of the United States' oldest continually-operating theatres. Ernie sat down next to Bill and GREW right before our eyes! IT WAS DOUG STEGALL’S FAULT! We saw Savannah Live, a high-energy 2 hour variety show that features everything from “Pop” to “Broadway” and “Motown" to “Rock & Roll!” All we can say is WOW! Our guests enjoyed the entire show, singing right along with the entertainers. We had much audience participation, including Don being invited up on stage with the pretty ladies. What a hoot! Who knew he had such rhythm! After the show, Don STILL thought he was the ladies’ man. NOOOO, DON, that’s the wrong bus! Finishing our night at Loves Seafood Restaurant. Yesssss Sirrrrrrr Yeeeeee! MORE FOOD! We had waterfront dining, located on the banks of the Ogeechee River. In October 1993 Love’s Seafood was selected by Paramount Pictures for one of the many filming locations of the academy award winning movie “Forrest Gump” starring Tom Hanks. Love that movie! Loves was picked as one of Coastal Living Magazine’s Top 25 Seafood Dives in the Coastal United States. What a treat!
What no doughnuts???!!! Nope, TODAY is HUGE BAGEL day. Bagels and cream cheese, now that’s the way to start the day. Then off to the Georgia Railroad Museum. The museum is a beautiful National Historic Landmark located at the old Central of Georgia Railway Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities. It has a fully operational turntable where you can explore historic railcars AND experience the handcar! The boiler room was the heart of the complex, pumping steam power and heat. The workers had to continually feed the boiler with wood or coal. Until the early 1900s when electricity took over and the boiler only provided heat for the other buildings. The steam powered the steam engine by turning a flywheel, which turned a line shaft. The rotating line shaft ran into the Blacksmith Shop, the Machine Shop and other buildings. The shaft was connected by belts and its rotation powered saws, drills, etc. The smokestack served several purposes. It is connected to the Boiler Room and Blacksmith Shop by underground flues. The system operates under the Bernoulli Principle. The height of the stack enables wind and pressure to create a vacuum and draw smoke through the tunnels and out of the buildings. The hot air crated by the boiler expanded and rose, contributing to this effect. This also brought fresh air into the boiler, creating a hotter fire. The stack contained a large water reservoir that held water needed by the shops. The base of the stack housed 16 privies and changing rooms for the workers. Below, Linda is checking out the privy. The highlight of this visit was the REAL LIVE steam train ride. You certainly DO NOT have a chance to get hungry with Rivoli Rallies! Paula Deen is so awesome that we went to their newest addition, Creek House Restaurant Seafood & Grill, for lunch. What good food and great service. And a wonderful gift shop, imagine that. Pinpoint Heritage Museum is located in the old A.S. Varn & Son Oyster and Crab Factory. How cool is that!? We experienced the Gullah/Geechee way of life from religion to foodways, spending the better part of the afternoon in a MOST interesting little place off the beaten path. Our tour guide was very special, Herman Haynes “Hanif,” the great great (maybe another great) grandson of one of the founders of Pinpoint, a very unique community. It all started in the 1890s after a series of hurricanes devastated the Georgia coast causing an exodus to the mainland. At the same time, the former Beaulieu Plantation was being divided into lots and sold to the wealthy who desired weekend retreats near the water. The less desirable lots were made available to freedmen. The Bond and Dilward families purchased the initial lots, thus the beginning of Pin Point. “Old Man Varn” kept his enterprise for nearly 60 years because of the people of Pin Point. This white seafood entrepreneur in a rural black community thrived for most of the 20th century. The residents of Pin Point led a secluded life, at the end of an unpaved road, where there was work and food. What mattered to them was faith, the tides, the weather and one another. Learning about the “Gullah/Geechee” heritage was moving. Gullah/Geechee became the common language of the African slaves mixed from different tribes. Words like “chirrin” for children. Their culture flourished, blending their African heritage with their American experience. They became skilled fishermen, shrimpers and crabbers, as well as harvesting oysters. They fused their African religious practices with the Baptist missionaries who started “praise houses,” leading to the Hinder Me Not Church established by David Bond and his son, Benjamin. The people of Pin Point have nicknames. If you ask for someone by their birthname, you will likely get a blank stare. This is likely from their African practices where people often kept their real names secret for fear that someone could work magic against them. One nickname is “Bacon” because he “brought home the bacon” or “Watchie” because he watched over the neighborhood children from his front porch. Other nicknames include Snapper, Moose, Quarter Horse, Chicken, Duck, Pee Wee, Popsicle. The list goes on. Pin Point is the hometown of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas where his single mother worked in the crab/oyster factory to take care of her family the best she could. The factory closed in 1985 due to tougher fishing and inspections. The crab population decreased with the airdropping of a chemical to control the ants, but it also killed an entire generation of adult crabs. Overfishing and minimum wage (widely used in the 1970s) didn’t help the situation. Residents began to take jobs outside the community, not as a choice, but as a necessity. Somehow we had time to make a quick bus stop at our local distributer of Nine Line Apparel. They are all about giving back to our veterans and WE ARE TOO! Because we were able to get home a bit early, we had time for a social hour and a WONDERFUL catered dinner at CreekFire Motor Ranch. Special Sausage Cheese Dip and spinach dip with bread and low country boil (a Savannah thing). As a special treat, we had an oyster bar! Look at the size! The oysters were especially good because the caterer owns the oyster bed and they were freshly picked for us. The evening would not be complete without the entertainment of Kay and Ron, Door Prizes, and Shout Outs! RiVoli Rallies has done it again, “ONLY THE BEST FOR ITS GUESTS.”
BRAVE THE R.E.D. FRIDAY means starting our morning with coffee and doughnuts. Ron is SO patriotic. And it means Remembering Everyone Deployed Program. The American Legion graciously “presented colors” while Kay sang our National Anthem. A special treat was the barbershop quartet who serenaded us; they were amazing! They began by singing the song for each branch of the service, while our veterans were acknowledged. We would like to specifically acknowledge Bob, our World War II Veteran, as well as several in our group who served more than one armed force. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE! Before ending the program, the barber shop quartet sang some oldies but goodies. WHAT A TREAT! Once we boarded our motorcoach, we were off to the Crab Shack for lunch. Boiled shrimp and crab stew, deviled crab and clam chowder, chicken salad sandwich with corn and coleslaw, BBQ pork and Brunswick stew or sausage dog topped with peppers and onions and Cape Cod Chips. What could be better? Milling around the sanctuary, our guests found all kinds of things to get into. We then toured the Tybee Island Lighthouse and Museum. The Lighthouse was completed in 1736. Because of fire, it’s been replaced several times. Upon climbing the 178 steps, we found out just how out of shape we were. Across the street from the lighthouse complex was “the battery” (pictured below, left). It was used for gun placement during the War of 1812. Wow, oceanfront, that would have been a good “deployment.” Prior to 1933, before the Lighthouse was converted to electricity, 3 light keepers were required to “man” the lighthouse. Each keeper had their own house. The Summer kitchen was built in 1812 (photo above right, little white building on the left), The 1st Assistant keepers cottage was built in 1885 (photo above right, building to the left next to the summer kitchen). The 2nd Assistant Keepers cottage was built in 1861 (photo above right, building on the right). The head keepers cottage was built in 1881 (photo above right, building in the middle). Quite comfortable, inside pictured below. In the short film about the lighthouse, a woman was interviewed who grew up in the lightkeepers house. Her father and grandfather were keepers. She talked about how she and her 5 siblings would always run over to the lighthouse and sign in using movie star names hoping that their dad would not know it was them. Of course he did. HAHAHA We then made a beeline to Seaside Sweets for some old fashion candy and ice cream. YUM YUM YUM! A visit to Tybee Island is not complete without a “Captain Derek Dolphin Adventure.” Watching the dolphins jumping and playing off of Capt. Derek’s very Powerful Wave Creating Dolphin Surfing Machine was pretty awesome! While Kay sang to the dolphins, we waited for their appearance. We were not disappointed. Completing our perfect day was dinner at The Shell House. Ordering off the menu, shrimp, oysters, low country boil, catfish. What else could you ask for?
IT’S KRAZY THURSDAY, so German Chocolate and plain pastries with our KRAZY Koffee today! Everyone got Krazy and played Chicken Foot. Those who had to leave their table, joined the circle with a ball of saran wrap loaded with prizes to grab ALL KINDS of Krazy prizes. Some seemed to be polite as they grabbed that ball away from their neighbors, while others didn’t “mind their manners” and grabbed that big ball of saran wrap to see what prizes they could quickly obtain before their neighbor stole the ball. Our Krazy Yummy catered lunch was served by the “Liberty Ladies.” We inducted Bill into our exclusive group. Lunch, which was really dinner, consisted of baked chicken, yellow rice, green beans, yams, and red velvet cake for dessert. Once Bill was relieved of his duties, he was put behind the bar with his red solo cups. KRAZY Yummy catered lunch and then on to make a krazy memory. Afterwards we had KRAZY fun Bingo. Bingo is always a favorite and those who actually got to call “BINGO,” and there were a lot of them, received some really Krazy prizes. Which led into a KRAZY Fun Social Hour and then KRAZY delicious catered dinner with a “Mobsters & Molls” Theme. Our Italian Mobs and Molls were entertaining and drew in participation from everyone. The antipasti was not to be outdone by our cookie bar, followed by a LARGE, and I mean LARGE, Italian dinner. We must really be in Texas instead of Georgia..… What a Krazy Krew we had at this rally. Many were very creative with their costumes, with prizes for the best. Everyone’s job was to figure out who killed “daddy,” head of the mob. Daddy’s little girl kinda fessed up, but we really think it was DOUG STEGAL! Krazy Kay and Ron completed the night with some crazy fun door prizes, entertainment, and song, receiving a standing ovation for a job well done.
Coffee and doughnuts before our “chariot” bus arrived. We started our tour day at the haunted Distillery Ale House where Ghostbusters was filmed, as if we didn’t have enough “ghostal” experience the night before. Look how we were greeted! DELICIOUS Bloody Marys were served - YUMMY. While we ate an early lunch of hamburger and chicken “sliders” (because that’s what they eat in the south), French fries, sweet potato fries, salad, the owner told us that ghosts have been known to be on site…. They had “Drink and Spirits” from the Discovery Channel come in and “mic” the three story building. They asked the spirits questions and actually (supposedly) got answers. He is supposed to get the results in a few weeks. After all, this IS the most haunted city in the United States. Next stop was the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, which is located in the “1819 William Scarbrough House” housing 18th and 19th century model vessels. Scarbrough was the President of the Savannah Steamship Company. There were models of ships throughout the 3 story building, but the most notable was the “Titanic.” The model was amazing. Each individual person, on the ship and on the lifeboats were created, and they are all different - no duplicates! Leave it to KRAZY KAY, to find that the floor registers were hand painted to match the carpet! And then there is KRAZY KAY with KRAZY BARBARA We learned what the sailors did while at sea. How creative they were. Before we left, everyone was able to create their own “scrimshaw.” With their tongues hanging out, focused on their piece, they scratched in their design and colored over the scratching leaving color in the scratches to make their design. Thank goodness we didn’t have to do a ship in a bottle! We ended our day at the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum for a tour and dinner. The 8th air force was activated in 1942 (52 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor) in Downtown Savannah. It began with only 7 men and no planes, but within 4 years became the largest air force in the world! In front of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is an F-4C Phantom, originally designed for use on board Navy aircraft carriers. In 1962 the Air Force adopted a ground attack version of the F-4, which was used extensively in Vietnam. This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force. There is also a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17A, introduced in 1951 and used by North Vietnam and in many of the African and Middle-Eastern conflicts of the 1960s-1980s. They were originally built as a subsonic, fighter-bomber designed to intercept straight and level enemy bombers. Once the U.S. introduced supersonic bombers, the MiG-17A was rendered obsolete on the front lines. This Russian built MiG-17A bears the distinctive insignia and camouflage pattern of the North Vietnamese Air Force. This aircraft is owned by the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. Behind the Museum is a B-47 Stratojet, a key aircraft used by the United States during the Cold War years that could fly at high altitudes to avoid detection. This aircraft was pivotal as a nuclear deterrent in the Cold War. The B-47 was America’s first swept-wing jet bomber and helped lead to the modern jet airliner. This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Along with beautiful gardens. We even got a chance to start the engines! Inside the museum we learned about the conditions that allowed Adolph Hitler and his Nazi party to win the support of the German public and the use of propaganda by all countries and the essential role it played in swaying public opinion. In August 1940, once Hitler conquered the majority of Europe and Northern Africa, he turned his attention to the United Kingdom. While Germany was wreaking havoc in Europe and Africa, its ally Japan had its own campaign with a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, launching the United States into World War II. After the Germans and the Italians declared war on the United States on December 11, 1941, the U.S. and its allies must come up with a plan to win the war with fronts on opposite sides of the globe. The Hall of Valor exhibit honors a number of outstanding individuals who served with the Eighth Air Force during World War II. Included are the aces, the Commanders of the Eighth Air Force, and those awarded the Medal of Honor. These men paved the way to end the war! The Eighth Air Force also played an active role through the entire Cold War era. The stories of heroism and memorabilia will leave you in awe. The museum set up a tasty dinner for us. Salad, herbed chicken, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, green beans AND peach cobbler. Can’t do a meal in Georgia without peach cobbler!
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