SAVANNAH, GEORGIA: The definition of 'southern charm'

Fountain in Forsyth Park

 

Savannah in one word is..."charm". Entering into the city's Historic District was like walking back into the past. It is a lavish southern town with a remarkable history. First established in 1733, Savannah has been through war (American Revolution, and Civil) and ruin, to peace and preservation. The Historic District was restored to its former glory and in doing so became a place unlike any other. Countless movies have been filmed there, including Forest Gump with Tom Hanks, Something To Talk About with Julia Roberts, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil with John Cusack and Kevin Spacey, to name a few. Famous figures in history have lived in and done great things in this city. Juliette Gordon Low, for example, was the founder of the Girls Scouts of America. She started the girl scouts in 1912 in a carriage house in back of the Low house. Johnny Mercer, the famous lyrisist writer of over 1,000 songs grew up in Savannah. One example of his many famous songs is Moon River, which is a beautiful song.

However, my first thought of this song goes straight to Chevy Chase in Fletch.

Anyhow, my first day in Savannah was actually a day trip with Shane, my photography buddy from South Carolina. And boy, did we get some great photos!

When we came into the city it just so happened to be Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We watched as a parade marched on by and then proceeded to take a tour of a museum.

Where we got to see the bench Tom Hanks sat on and told his story in Forest Gump.

Proceeding along the streets of Savannah we saw incredible buildings, all with a history and unique character.

River side and cobblestone

 

One of the many squares in the Historic District

We saw the Mercer Williams house, the scene of the murder in the book and movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Recently finishing up the novel, I have to say it was a great read! I recommend it, or at least the movie if you don't like reading.

 

Another great read is Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. A building associated with the book, the pirate house, was built in Savannah in 1754 and was the inspiration for that story.

 





 The Pirate House

 

 The "haunted" Sorrel-Weed house (built in 1840)

 

Luxorious steps leading to the Ballastone Inn

Numorous celebrities have chosen to stay in this small but lavish looking inn.

The Six Pence Pub

Appeared in one of the scenes in the movie Something To Talk About with Julia Roberts.

 

 

 

Of course me being the oddball that I am, I had to visit the cemetery for a beautifully creepy picture. It was a very old cemetery with most being graves from the yellow fever epidemic in 1820.

 

Tybee Island lighthouse

 

My final stop in Georgia was only a couple of miles outside of Savannah to a small island called Tybee island where I visited an old lighthouse and white sand beaches.

I really did fall in love with the city of Savannah. Not that that's hard to do, nor will I ever be the last to say that. If you ever feel like traveling to Georgia, consider visiting here. It's just one of those places you have to see to believe. You won't regret it.

~Kelsey P.

Next up, my trip to Florida takes an unexpected turn...