Spectacular Savannah

Georgia is just above Florida. The coastal city of Savannah is separated from the state of South Carolina by the Savannah River.

Forsyth Park is a lovely green and lush landscape. There are 30 acres of flowers, foliage, and trees. You can have a relaxing time, listen to open-air concerts, and visit a farmer’s market every Saturday. The most well-known feature in the park is the large fountain located at the north end. It was built in 1858. There are benches all around the fountain and on St. Patrick’s Day, the fountain spurts green water.

The Confederate Monument is in the center of Forsyth Park. It is a large ornate column with a bronze soldier on top. It is dedicated to all the men who fought on behalf of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

The City Market is fantastic to see with four blocks of open-air shopping. It is surrounded by a restored warehouse in which you can also find shops, art, and even dining. It is a great place to sit and watch people go by. In the evening the bars can get lively here.

The Owens-Thomas House is an impressive example of English Regency architecture. It was built in 1819 by a Bermuda merchant and later purchased by a congressman. Today it is a National Historic Landmark. There is also a carriage house, the parterre garden, and one of the earliest urban slave quarters.

Telfair Museum of Art is the oldest art museum in the South. It has found its home in a classical Regency mansion that was designed by an English architect and purchased by the son of the Georgian government. It was completed in 1819. There was a sculpture gallery and a rotunda added to it. Visitors can see the restored interior rooms, paintings from German Impressionists, and American French period furniture. The museum is also home to the largest public collection of paintings by Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese-American writer, poet, and visual artist.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is referred to as the most impressive building in Savannah. It has towering spires and stained glass. You can attend a religious mass or enjoy a guided or self-guided tour. The cathedral was built in 1876 and after a fire it was rebuilt.

The Historic Savannah Theater is the oldest continuously operating theater in the U.S. It was built in 1818. It sits on Chippewa Square. It offers nightly shows. Right outside of the theater is the bench where several scenes of the movie “Forrest Gump” were filmed.

Wormsloe Historic Site is so lovely with mossy oak trees hanging over a beautiful lane. There is a wonderful avenue lined with oaks and Spanish moss that leads up to the ruins of Wormsloe, a colonial estate. This is the oldest standing structure in Savannah. You can visit the museum with colonial artifacts and hike the nature trail that takes you through the ruins, to a march, and around the grounds. There are guided tours available.

The Savannah Waterfront stretches along the Savannah River. You can walk the cobblestone streets and check out the businesses in the warehouses right on the river. You can find it all here – shopping, dining, drinking and galleries.

Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room offers the finest in Southern cooking. On the menu, you can find food like fried chicken, sweet potatoes, okra, gumbo, cornbread, biscuits and so much more. The menu changes daily. The seating here is family-style where everyone pays a flat price for dining.

The Bonaventure Cemetery with ghostly Spanish moss and some Southern ghosts can take you on a real adventure. This is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. You can take a tour or just wander about. You can get a free guided tour on the second Sunday of each month.

Among the famous graves are:

Johnny Mercer (1909 – 1976) who was the founder of Capitol Records.

Poet Conrad Aiken 

The grave of Little Gracie Watson is perhaps the most famous grave in Bonaventure Cemetery is that of Little Gracie Watson a little girl who died of pneumonia in 1889. She was popular with people because her father managed the famous Pulaski Hotel at that time and she was adored by all.

Old Fort Jackson is the oldest standing brick fort in Georgia. It was built in 1808 and attracts 50,000 visitors every year. The fort was named after a Georgian governor who freed Savannah from British rule. There were additions made to the fort during the War of 1812. There are self-guided tours available and from the top you can get spectacular views of the Savannah River.

Fort Pulaskee National Monument was built in the 1800s and stands on an island in the Savannah River, between Savannah and Tybee Island. It was the first Confederate masonry fort to fall under Union cannon fire, marking a turning point in military history. There are trails like the North Pier trail to explore. The trail goes through the original construction building and passes a 19th-century battery. There is a lighthouse, a historic dike system, bike paths, and much more.

Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace is a house museum that was created especially for girls and celebrates the woman who founded the American Girl Scouts. Low was born in this house which now belongs to the Girl Scouts of the U.S. She established the Girl Scouts in 1912. There are 45-minute guided tours available.

The University of Georgia Aquarium is a marine education center and aquarium.

It is located on Skidaway Island.

Here you will find exhibits on the marine animals that lived near the state. You can also see wooly mammoths and mastodons, ancient creatures once living in this area.

The Mercer-Williams House was once the home of lyricist Johnny Mercer. It was also once the home of Jim Williams who found fame among the pages of the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” by John Berendt. He is the only person in the state of Georgia who was tried four times for the same crime. It was a grisly murder that occurred in this very house. You can explore the house with furnishings dating back to the 1700s but you cannot see the murder site.

The Andrew Low House was built in 1848 and features an Italianate exterior. This was the family home of Juliette Gordon Low. After Low died it was purchased by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America

Tri-centennial Park is where you can find three different museums.

The Savannah History Museum and Battlefield Memorial Park

The history museum offers a self-guided introduction to the economic and cultural history of Savannah from the pre-Colonial period to the present day.

The Battlefield Memorial Park is a memorial to the hundreds of soldiers who fought and died for freedom On October 9, 1779, over 8,000 troops from three armies fought during the Revolutionary War Battle in Savannah. It was the second bloodiest battle of the war and about 8,000 troops died or were wounded.

The Georgia State Railroad Museum is thought to be the largest and most complete Antebellum railroad repair facility still in existence in the world. Visitors can walk around the grounds and learn about the function of each building. You can also take part in scheduled activities such as a train ride, rail car tours, the hand car, and children’s activities in the Baggage Car.

The Savannah Children’s Museum is an entirely outdoor museum that features many programs and exhibits especially designed for the imagination of children among them an exploration maze, reading nook, and sensory garden.

Leopold’s Ice Cream is a little ice cream shop that has remained the same since 1919. It was opened by Hollywood producer Stratton Leopold. The ice cream is made on-site with fantastic ingredients and recipes passed down through the generations. Its signature flavor is Tutti-Frutti.

The Olde Pink House Restaurant offers a lovely setting with chandeliers, 18th-century architecture, and a beautiful dining room fireplace. The cuisine is Southern. It also has some ghostly visitors. It is one of the oldest and most haunted buildings in Savannah.

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum has found its home in the house of the man who owned the very first steamship to successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean. It has one of the largest gardens in the Savannah historic district. The museum was founded in 1966 and exhibits ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques most from the great era of Atlantic trade and travel between America and England in the 18th and 19th centuries. The house was built for William Scarbrough, one of the principal owners of the Steamship Savannah and president of the Savannah Steamship Company. The lush gardens are available for weddings and corporate events.

Colonial Park Cemetery dates from 1750 and has many graves from some of the very first colonists. There are also graves of those who died from the yellow fever epidemic. It has become the place for ghost hunting after dark.

Fort McAllister State Park is famous for sustaining many attacks during the Civil War. It finally fell under General Sherman. You can camp onsite if you like. See the museum with many Civil War artifacts and enjoy the nearby wetland wildlife.