We started a new tradition a few years ago. Our family is spread out pretty much all over the country, so that it is often difficult to get together.
Last year, Sandy and I decided to go away for Christmas for just a few days. The new tradition was born. We go somewhere we haven’t been before; book into a good hotel; let the concierge do all of the work; eat at a wonderful restaurant. No cleanup. No mess. Just enjoy the day and explore a new city.
This year we chose Savannah, GA and invited Sandy’s sister and her husband to join us. Savannah was an easy flight for us and a short drive for them. We discovered Savannah is a charming city to explore and seems to have no end of spectacular restaurants. I seem to have a knack for homing in on ice cream and we weren’t disappointed. If there is a place nearby I seem to walk right to it and that’s how we discovered Leopold’s. We put the diet on hold and visited more than once.
Whenever we visit a new city, we’ve found that Hop-On-Hop-Off tours work well for us. We get a quick overview of a city and it’s easy to get back to places we want to explore more. It was on our Hop-on/Hop-off tour that we met Tony, our driver and guide. We quickly discovered that tour guiding is Tony’s second or maybe third career. And I’d bet it’s his last. Tony exudes P.E.P. (passion, excellence, perceived value) as he introduced us to his city. He obviously loves history and he obviously loves his job. It was also pretty obvious that everybody on the tour loved Tony. Tony shared his goal to be tour guide of the year and I know I cast my vote for him.
It amazes me that when I travel I always seem to find a Tony, a person who has found the job they can love. It’s a rarity, but it’s refreshing. And as Tonys all over the world always do, this Tony certainly brightened our day.
Where we spend Christmas or Thanksgiving next, I can only guess. There are lots of places we have yet to visit. But the adventure will continue.
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