MRS. WILKES BOARDING HOUSE

WHEN WE WERE IN GULF STATE PARK, ALABAMA, I TOLD A LADY I MET WE WERE GOING TO SAVANNAH. SHE SAID TO BE SURE AND EAT AT MRS. WILKES BOARDING HOUSE.  SHE DESCRIBED IT AS " DOWN HOME  SOUTHERN  COOKING."  SHE WARNED ME  THAT YOU HAVE TO STAND IN LINE ABOUT AN HOUR. SO, ON OUR LAST DAY IN SAVANNAH, WE TOOK OFF ON THE BUS FOR MRS. WILKES. SHE ONLY SERVES FROM 11:00 TO 2:00, SO WE GOT ON THE BUS AT 10:00. WE TOLD THE DRIVER WHERE WE WERE HEADED AND SHE TOLD US WHERE TO GET OFF THE BUS. WE GOT OFF AT FORSYTH PARK.

 WE WALKED THROUGH THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK.

WE WERE STOPPED LOOKING AT OUR MAP AND A MAN WHO WAS WALKING HIS DOG STOPPED AND ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING......AND GAVE US DIRECTIONS. HE WAS VERY FRIENDLY AND WANTED TO KNOW WHERE WE WERE FROM. WE WERE NOW WALKING THROUGH THIS  LOVELY  NEIGHBORHOOD.

DARRELL COULD SPELL THE FOOD A HALF BLOCK AWAY! 

WHEN WE ARRIVED  THIS WAS THE LINE AHEAD OF US!

AND IN JUST A SHORT WHILE.......THIS WAS THE LINE BEHIND US!!

THEY SAY IT IS LIKE THIS EVERY DAY THAT SHE IS OPEN.

THEY PROVIDE WATER WHILE YOU WAIT.

WHILE WE WERE STANDING IN LINE THE COUPLE BEHIND US STARTED TALKING TO US.  THEY ARE FROM CINCINATTI, OHIO, IN SAVANNAH,  CELEBRATING THEIR  25TH.  ANNIVERSARY.  WE TOLD THEM WE WERE GOING TO BE MARRIED 50 YEARS PRETTY SOON. WE ENJOYED  VISITING  WITH THEM  WHILE  WE WERE STANDING IN LINE AND BRENDA INSISTED WE TAKE A PICTURE TOGETHER. OUR NEW FRIENDS BRENDA AND SAM.

WE VISITED WITH THE FOLKS IN FRONT OF US ALSO, A GROWN DAUGHTER AND HER SON HERE WITH HER PARENTS FROM ARIZONA. VERY NICE PEOPLE, THE DAUGHTER TOOK THESE PICTURES FOR  US.

WE WAITED IN LINE FOR ALMOST AN HOUR  BRENDA KEPT SAYING SHE HOPED THEY DIDN'T RUN OUT OF FOOD!

WE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE DOOR AND HERE IS MRS. WILKES SON WELCOMING US IN.

MRS. WILKES DIED A FEW YEARS BACK  AND HER FAMILY NOW RUNS THE BOARDING HOUSE AND RESTAURANT. THIS IS A PICTURE OF MRS. WILKES THAT WAS HANGING ON THE WALL.

THE FOOD IS SERVED FAMILY STYLE  ON CRISP WHITE TABLECLOTHS.  WE WERE SEATED WITH THE FOLKS FROM ARIZONA.

WE WERE TOLD THE BLESSING IS SAID FOR THE FIRST SEATING. WHEN WE GOT TO OUR TABLE IT WAS CROWDED WITH 20 TO 25 BOWLS OF SIDE DISHES.

THIS IS WHAT WAS SERVED THAT DAY..........FRIED CHICKEN AND CORNBREAD DRESSING, SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE, BLACK-EYED PEAS, OKRA AND TOMATOES, CORN MUFFINS AND BISCUITS, MACARONI AND CHEESE, BUTTER BEANS, COLLARD GREENS, BEEF STEW, CABBAGE, RICE AND GRAVY. I WANTED TO TRY IT ALL.....THIS IS WHAT MY PLATE LOOKED LIKE.......

THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD EAT IT ALL.....EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS. FOR DESSERT YOU  COULD HAVE PEACH COBBLER OR BANANA PUDDING. WE HAD THE PEACH COBBLER.....DELICIOUS.

WE WERE SO FULL......AND THEN THE SERVER CAME OVER AND SAID IT WAS TRADITION AT MRS. WILKES TO CARRY YOUR DISHES TO THE KITCHEN, WHICH WE DID. THEY DON'T TAKE RESERVATIONS OR CREDIT  CARDS. THE MEAL WAS $20 EACH.....IT WAS WELL WORTH IT. IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS AN AUTHENTIC SOUTHERN EXPERIENCE AND IT WAS!!
WE TOOK OUR TIME WALKING BACK THROUGH THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK.

TOMORROW MORNING WE LEAVE FOR CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.