Pleasant surprises abound across this great country, some of them in the most unexpected places. Savannah will host one of those wonderful annual surprises today. At 10:15, rain or shine, the Saint Patrick's Day parade will step off for the 185th time. Almost half a million people will line the streets and squares of this historic city to watch a family-friendly event. Organizers have worked hard over the past years to keep the "Saint" and sanity in the holiday, confining most of the adult revelry - drinking and excessive partying - to River Street following the parade. That was fine with me even in my early thirties during my second adolescence. It's only since the arrival of "the book" and the discovery of Savannah as a significant tourist destination that issues with irreverent activities became serious. [See my "A Night[and Day] in Old Savannah," August 23, 2008, for details.]My first parade there was in 1977 when I lived in the historic district. Over the years, I lost count as the events merged one into the other during my tenure in the Coastal Empire. Eventually, my children became Irish for a day and were part of the parade. They sat on the folded top of a hot convertible and waved their green, white and orange flags to the crowds. They have plenty of ancient Celtic ancestry, just not Irish, but no one was keeping score. It was simply great fun, often complemented with fine spring weather and thousands of azaleas blooming throughout the city.
Those were the good old days? To be honest, the parade is a fond memory, but life has moved on. Haven't been to the parade for several years, although I plan to watch it on the Internet. Still, I would put this event on a list of things to do before you die. That said, I suggest you make your reservations tomorrow before March 17, 2010 becomes "No Vacancy."
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