The Flooring Contractors Association (FCICA) has announced its tour schedule for Convention 2012, taking place at the Mulberry Inn in Savannah, Ga., March 11-14, 2012.  The convention marks the 30th anniversary of the association.

2012 Tour Schedule

Saturday, March 10, 2012, 8:30 am - 1:00 pm - Golf at Southbridge Golf Course

When legendary golf architect Rees Jones decided to work his magic in the Georgia woodlands, the result was Southbridge Golf Club in Savannah, GA. Southbridge has long been the most acclaimed golf course in Savannah, due to Jones’s strategic placement of water with a design set on a densely wooded tract of Georgia pines and oaks. Large undulating greens are protected by grass mounding and finely sculptured bunkers, providing a fair test and entertaining round for players of all skill levels.

Saturday, March 10, 2012, 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm – Slow Ride and Segway Tour

Your journey begins with Savannah’s newest eco-friendly transportation mode, the Slow Ride. The Slow ride is a fifteen person bicycle excursion that will take you from the Mulberry Inn to the Segway office.  Once at the Segway office you will complete your paperwork, get fitted for mandatory helmets, have a short training session and then head off for a two-hour Segway ride through historic Savannah

Sunday, March 11, 2012, 12:30 pm – 5:00 pm – Paula Deen & Low Country tour with Lunch

On this tour we will take a peek into the life of famous southern cooking entrepreneur Paula Deen. The tour will start with a buffet lunch at Lady & Son’s which will include her famous southern fried chicken.  From there you will go to Wormsloe Plantation and Byrd Cookie Company. A breathtaking avenue sheltered by live oaks and Spanish moss leads to the tabby ruins of Wormsloe, the colonial estate of Noble Jones (1702-1775). Jones was a physician and carpenter who arrived in Georgia in 1733 with James Oglethorpe and the first group of settlers from England. Wormsloe's tabby ruins are the oldest standing structures in Savannah.  The Byrd Cookie Company has been a Savannah tradition since 1924, when Ben T. Byrd, Sr. began making cookies by hand, packing them in wooden boxes and delivering them in a Model-T Ford to Savannah stores.

Monday, March 12, 2011, 10:00 am – 1:30 pm – Mrs. Wilkes Savannah Flavor Tour

Starting with the perfect way to see Savannah – by carriage we will ride through the streets of Savannah as we head for Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House and Restaurant for the true flavor of Savannah.  This family –style restaurant has been in business since before WWII when the soldiers began taking their dishes to the kitchen after a meal, a tradition that continues today. You will be seated with 10 others at a large table covered with choices of vegetables and meats but always include her wonderful fried chicken and biscuits. Following this incredible meal we will take a guided historical walking tour which will include visiting the Cathedral of St John the Baptist on the way back to our hotel.  

Tuesday, March 13, 2012. 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Savannah Architectural Tour

The Girl Scouts celebrate their 100th anniversary this week and no tour in Savannah would be complete without visiting Girl Scout founder Juliet Gordon Low’s birthplace museum home.  A National Historic Landmark, the Wayne-Gordon House, completed in 1821, is an outstanding example of Regency architecture. Saved from demolition by the Girl Scouts, the house has been returned to its 1886 glory. Authentically furnished with family pieces and 19th-century decorative art, the room arrangements and collections interpret the lifestyle of a fascinating Savannah family.  After visiting this house we will enjoy a Savannah tradition – Tea at the Griffon Tea Room. After Tea we will walk to the Andrew Low Museum home. Andrew Low was the husband of Juliet Gordon Low and the actual place she started the Girl Scouts.  The lovely brick Andrew Low House combines Grecian details with elements of the Italian Villa style and boasts one of Savannah's most stunning ironwork balconies. A shuttered piazza overlooks a beautiful brick-walled garden in the rear of the home. The front garden remains much as it did when first planted, with two hourglass-shaped flowerbeds. Handsome inside as well as the out, the Andrew Low House features spacious rooms decorated with beautiful plaster cornices and carved woodwork.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm – Haunted Pub Crawl

Join us as we start at the Mulberry Inn and learn about the haunted aspect of Savannah.  You get a scientific explanation of paranormal activity by one of Charleston’s most enthusiastic guides.  Some of the stores you will hear will be about the Hampton Lillybridge House, the antics at the Colonial Cemetery and the touching story of William and Eleanor Low, parents of Juliet Gordon Low.  During this tour you’ll visit McDonough’s and The Mirage to recharge what is known in Savannah as ‘your traveler’!  Savannah is one of the few places left where you are able to walk with your drinks

Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 9:00 am - 4 pm - Tybee Island Excursion

Discover Tybee’s Island - an outdoor adventure located just 18 miles east of Savannah. We will start our excursion with a tour of Ft. Jackson including a cannon firing.  Named for James Jackson, the fort is the oldest standing fort in Georgia.  Following the fort we will have lunch at the Crab Shack.  Known for its seafood, unique atmosphere and 78 live alligators, it is an experience you won’t want to miss.  

After lunch we will tour the Tybee Lighthouse and station grounds.  The Tybee Lighthouse was built in 1773 and its military history includes the American Revolution, War of 1812, Spanish American War, WWI and WWII. From the Lighthouse we will go downtown and have some free time to explore the downtown area or have a drink at one of the neighborhood bars.

For more information about the FCICA Convention, please call (248) 661-5015 or visit FCICA’s website at www.fcica.com .