As hurricane Irma approached our home in Nokomis, Florida, we decided it was not a good idea to stay in our home We left home at 10:30 p.m. on Friday, September 8 and headed north. We had no destination in mind but to escape the hurricane. Traffic was heavy, but we landed in Tallahassee at 7 a.m. There were no rooms available, so we used our I-phone to search for a place to stay. The most fortunate call I could have made was to the Hampton Inn in Bainbridge. There were two rooms left, so we reserved both since our neighbors just met up with us.

Tired and scared, we made our way to Bainbridge not knowing what we would find. We couldn’t have found a better place anywhere. The hotel was at full capacity, but the staff made us feel welcome and couldn’t have taken better care of us.

Everything we discovered in Bainbridge was amazing. Saturday night we were directed to the Howard Johnson parking lot where Southwest Baptist Church and Grace Church fed us, and others like us, with a wonderful barbecue. Everything was free and the people were wonderful.

Sunday morning we attended Grace Church where we found friendly people and a wonderful service. After church we were directed to First United Methodist Church for a fabulous lunch, again free.

We walked through the square, gazed at the cannon and wandered into the shops visiting with the owners. We were impressed with how friendly everyone was and how they made us feel welcome in your community. This scary experience was made into a fun weekend because of the people of Bainbridge. You have an awesome community.

When we returned home we found nothing damaged at our home. We were one of the very few that had power. We spent the next day helping our neighbors that weren’t as fortunate.

We want to thank the entire Bainbridge community for your Southern hospitality. You all truly made this experience perfect. I am looking forward to visiting you again soon.

Sincerely,

Frank and Jana Methany