Savannah

Our third annual October Savannah trip

/ Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

The title gives it away, but we love Savannah in October! Alex, Linley and I make our way down every October and have since 2023, and this year was a little different because our friends Courtney and Chris spent some time with us, too. But one costume and photo at Forsyth Park will always remain the same…

2023
2024
2025

We decided to stay at the same AirBnB as 2023, and it was great to be in a familiar place in one of our favorite cities. Alex, Linley and I got in on Thursday (instead of Friday as usual), for an afternoon and evening just the three of us. We strolled by our favorite coffee shop and walked around the neighborhood like we do every year. Since we were there Halloween weekend this time, it was super cool to see all the decorations and you could really feel the spookiness and haunting nature of the city.

We checked out a new part of town for dinner and drinks; Starland District had some of the funkiest bars and overall had such a unique energy. We went to a spot upstairs for some sours, but went to their downstairs Smol bar for more good drinks, an awesome atmosphere and good conversation with locals.

For dinner, we stopped at Ardsley Station for more good drinks and amazing food. We sat outside by a huge fire with Linley, and it was so great to see everyone loving on him (as usual!) As much as we love our friends, Alex and I both said how grateful we are to have each other as best friends and favorite travel partners. Of course, Linley is always the glue and being with my two favorite fellas is the best feeling in the entire world.

Halloween morning was a little lazy and we slowly got around to meet up with Courtney and Chris. I took Lin on a walk around the neighborhood again, he made some friends, and we headed to our favorite brunch spot. It was fun to start seeing the city come to life and how some people were already in costume!

We had a great afternoon with Courtney and Chris, which started with brunch at Collins Quarter, strolling through Forsyth Park and other town squares and rows of homes with Spanish moss everywhere… In other words: I was in heaven! After all of that, we kept on walking to the river and enjoyed an afternoon of catching up, people (and dog!) watching, and cocktails before our evening pub crawl.

Once we got Linley tuckered out, we dropped him at the AirBnB and we met up with our friends again for a lovely dinner and cheesy bar crawl: the perfect way to spend Halloween in a haunted city! We went to another one of last year’s spots for dinner, then had the best time at our event. We were the “Spice Girls” and our costumes didn’t arrive in time, so Alex and I had makeshift ones. Throughout the night, we learned about some wild stories, tried a couple new bars and received compliments on our costumes. We all had a blast!

Another reason why we love being in Savannah is how close we are to the water. I’ll write about how we spent our Saturday in the next post 😉

Media taken Thursday, October 30 & Friday, October 31 (Halloween), 2025✨

Second-annual trip to Savannah & Hilton Head

/ Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

I can’t help but feel incredibly blessed lately. I have an amazing group of friends — afar and in Atlanta, I’m enjoying my new job at a different organization, therapy continues to go great and I’m seeing major progress with acceptance lately, and the quality time with Alex and Linley post Lin’s surgery couldn’t be better.

Last weekend, we hopped in the car (I was a little hungover from a fun night with Evelyn before, but I don’t regret it!) and drove down to Savannah, Georgia. It was a lovely belated birthday/early Halloween celebration and everything about the weekend away was wonderful.

After a long drive and some interesting OPL podcast episodes, we finally arrived and walked around Savannah while we waited to check into our Airbnb. We went to one of our favorite brunch spots, Collin’s Quarters, and grabbed a drink and lunch after a beautiful walk through historical Forsyth Park. Luckily Linley was exhausted, so once the Airbnb was ready, Alex and I were able to walk through a historical Civil War cemetery, enjoy a nice seafood dinner and some drinks — followed by a nightcap at a rooftop bar overlooking the river. I love spending time together and walking around with Alex, laughing and getting excited about plans, and checking out new places together.

After a great night’s sleep at our Airbnb, we got ready for another great day at Hilton Head. We arrived at the beach where Linley could run free and enjoy the calm water. We met a lovely couple who Lin kept running up to, but for the most part he was by our side the entire time. I love taking Lin to the beach and it’s really special to share these moments with Alex, too!

The beach was extra special this year because I proposed to Alex. 💛 I’d known I’d wanted to do this for a while, and knew this trip – specifically on the beach – would be the perfect place. Unfortunately, I left my note and ring in the bag at our spot, but while walking with Alex, I told him my intentions — sharing that he’s the best gift I’ve ever been given. I don’t want to wait for our forever to begin. Alex said yes and after our family walk, I gave him the ring and letter from my bag. I could tell Alex was surprised but flattered; all I wanted him to feel was special. It was such a lovely morning all around!

We went to our favorite restaurant afterward: Hudson’s on the Dock. The drinks are delicious and the food is seriously amazing. It’s probably the best seafood I’ve had at a more casual, local place before. Linley enjoyed the sun and meeting other pups on the dock while Alex and I enjoyed some oysters, crab, and other delicious food.

After the hour-long drive back and a solid nap we all needed, we wandered around with Linley once more before heading out on our cemetery tour. Our guide at the Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah was incredibly knowledgeable and the cemetery itself was gorgeous and full of history. We heard stories about the Free Masons, different witch doctors in the south and sadly, how young children was buried there due to lack of medical advances leading up to the 1920s and 30s. I would highly recommend doing a tour of Bonaventure if you ever visit Savannah!

The rest of our evening was great! Alex and I ventured back to the Irish pub we visited last year, saw some friends from Atlanta and met their friends, and enjoyed a nice nighttime walk together. Next year, Alex and I decided that we’ll make our own pub crawl, and each pick a couple bars we want to check out one night.

The next morning was lazy but much-needed before the drive back home. We grabbed coffee then strolled through Forsyth Park once more and dressed Linley up as a ghost again. He did much better in the costume this year, and even got some encouragement from strangers who walked by!

Both trips to Savannah and Hilton head have been lovely, and I’m super excited for next year already!

Media taken Friday, October 25 – Sunday, October 27, 2024.

I turned 30!!!

/ Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

On October 19, I turned 30. Unlike most people who have a “milestone birthday,” I couldn’t have been more excited to enter into a new decade of life. Last year I was in Germany with one of my best friends who made my day incredibly special, so Alex had some big shoes to fill, but made everything leading up to it, during and afterward better than I could’ve imagined.

Wednesday, October 18, I had a phone date with another one of my best friends as I walked Linley through Piedmont Park. It was such an awesome evening weather and conversation-wise. Alex came over and we played the War card game and drank spicy margs until midnight. And on my actual birthday, I took the day off and didn’t look at a single work email and I even had my personal phone text notifications off. I FaceTimed two of my best friends while I was in Target, buying things I didn’t need. I had the best evening with Alex and two of our friends (his longest friends who I’ve become closer with since moving down here) filled with good Latin American food, strong drinks and much-needed laughter. It was the first evening where I took a deep breath and thought, “I’m home.”

Justin’s birthday was the next day!

Alex planned an incredible weekend in Savannah for us (us including Linley!) and it was an amazing first family trip. I’d never been to Savannah but have always wanted to see the mosey trees, beautiful southern architecture and cobblestone streets. Alex and I enjoyed a lovely seafood dinner and awesome drinks that Friday night after our long drive and walk with Linley. Seriously everything was perfect: the Airbnb, Linley’s behavior, the company… I felt so much love the entire weekend.

Luckily we found out that Tybee Island Beach isn’t dog friendly the night before, so we traveled to Hilton Head, South Carolina. Seeing Alex and Lin on the beach together melted my heart, and it was Alex’s first time seeing Lin like that (and Linley’s first time in the Atlantic Ocean!). We all ran around and then enjoyed some delicious seafood and drinks on the dock. The highlight was someone walking up to us and saying, “He’s a daddy’s boy isn’t he?!” when seeing Alex and Lin together! It was the perfect ending to a perfect afternoon.

After finding a not-so-great bar after a much-needed lazy afternoon, we went back to our bar from the night before, then had a blast at our spooky bar crawl. We met some awesome strangers along the way, including none other than comedian and Impractical Joker Sal Vulcano! I couldn’t believe that we saw him at the end of the night! The hangover the next morning was SO worth it.

We enjoyed a morning walk, some attempted ghost photos, brunch and stopping at Buc-ee’s on the way home.

I fall in love with Alex more and more as the days go on, and I can’t wait for more adventures as a trio!

My two favorite fellas!

Media taken October 19-22, 2023.