SAVANNAH - We began by searching for the bird girl, Little Wendy. You may remember her with her rather sad expression offering two alternatives, on the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil two decades ago. Bonaventure Cemetery is the most beautiful place to be dead! Thousands of azaleas in full bloom beneath a canopy of giant live oak. Bonaventure is also big, and after an hour of unsuccessful searching, we, well, we swallowed our pride and asked someone. "Oh, it was removed to a museum 15 or so years ago because sightseers were chipping off pieces of her."

And so the Speths' April Fools trip began. We began in Savannah, a short two-night stay, but we crammed in a lot. An informative guide took us on a walking tour of the historic center and our friend Ian joined us for that. Later we had a lovely dinner with Ian and Margo at Cha Bella (recommended). And we went to the Savannah River National Wildlife Refuge and saw inter alia big flocks of glossy ibis. And we even went to Tybee Island Beach, where in early April it was 90 degrees with hundreds on the beach. Tybee reminded us of the DC beaches - Rehoboth, Ocean City - seriously built up.

Our dogs loved sitting at outdoor cafes looking at the passerbys and being petted by many.

Savannah vs. Charleston? Not to start another war, but they are very different and both worth some real time. Savannah seems more open, welcoming, easier to navigate! We don't think the cruise ships are as welcome in Savannah, and we did not see Charleston's zillions of well-to-do in Savannah, nor overall the explosive growth, though the outstanding Savannah College of Art and Design is certainly growing. That said, Charleston is even more of an architectural mecca than Savannah and has better beaches and restaurants - and grandchildren!

Off to Apalachicola, Florida, basically a day's drive from Savannah. We promise more pictures and fewer words from now on.