Survival Tips for St. Patrick’s Day
This is a big party weekend for everyone on Tybee and Savannah, Georgia and after surviving roughly 36 of these celebrations I have a few pointers that can ensure your survival. Some of you will be bringing your children out with you to enjoy the parade, others will use this weekend to party “Leaving Las Vegas” style. I have done both. I am still here. I know what I am talking about.
If you have to make this a fun family outing with your children, the key thing to do is to not lose them. Sounds much easier than it actually is. If you are coming out to Tybee this Saturday, it won’t be too difficult. The crowds are not that intense, the atmosphere is family friendly, and it is a relatively small island. I would still suggest perhaps writing your phone number somewhere on children that can’t remember it but other than that, you should be fine. Savannah is a completely different beast. If you are not super vigilant you may misplace a child that likes to wander. Since everyone is wearing green, you may want to consider a bright red item for your child’s ensemble, you will need to write your phone number on your child’s body with a sharpie, and consider a tether. If you have multiple children you probably should keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum unless your designated driver also likes to babysit.
Preparing for the parade should be done the night before. Pack your cooler before you go to bed and make sure it has plenty of waters, juice, whatever you want to drink, and snacks. Go ahead and put it in your car along with your chairs so you can just get up and go when you wake up. Lay out your clothes too. Make everything as simple as you can for yourself so you can get to the parade route as early as you can. Good spots fill up quickly. The Tybee Parade doesn’t begin until 3pm so obviously this applies only to Savannah.
For all the party people who will enjoy the festivities kid free ( I am so jealous ), this is what you need to do to pack as much celebrating into 24 hours that you possibly can.
St. Patrick’s Day Survival
1. Get some sleep the night before. You are about to have a big drunk fest be sure that you are well rested for the occasion.
2. Start drinking early. That’s right, I said it. This may be the only day of the year that you can have a drink before 10 am and not look like a complete alcoholic. So why not take advantage of it.
3. Avoid Green Beer. Sure it looks like it may be fun but I promise, it isn’t. Enough said.
4. Eat breakfast or something. All day drinking marathons require food. If you want to make it through the day, you need to eat.
5. Stay hydrated. Remember to drink water along with all your booze. Keeps the headaches away, you won’t drink as much, and it will make chances of having a black out later less likely.
6. Schedule a mid day shower if possible. If you go to the Savannah Parade during the day and plan on heading back downtown at night, take a shower to refresh. It will help keep the party going.
7. Don’t stop. Once you start drinking, you have made a commitment. Don’t plan on stopping unless you are truly finished. It messes up your momentum.
8.Carry cash. Nothing kills a buzz like having to go find an ATM.
9. If you are a lady, bring some toilet paper in your purse. Port o Potties are nasty to begin with and the toilet paper inside them becomes questionable very quickly. It is a great idea to have your own. This is very important to remember.
10. DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE. Don’t do it. There are plenty of other options.
I hope this guide will help at least some of you out. Be sure to have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day Weekend, keep safe, don’t make too many awful decisions, and stay out of jail.
