Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
Jan. 2010
Day 1
Welcome to Savannah, y’all! With apologies to Charleston, this is the most beautiful city of the South (in our humble opinion). Founded by James Oglethorpe in 1733, it has been home to Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts; The Lady Chablis, of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” fame; Paula Deen, the famous cook and restaurateur; Johnny Mercer, the songwriter and favorite son; and John Wesley, the religious leader. It is also the home of the third oldest Jewish synagogue in the U. S. and one of the oldest African-American churches in the U.S. When Oglethorpe laid out the city, he planned squares that would stay green; as a result, there are parks and gardens throughout the city. Savannah has elegance, southern hospitality, and energy. Restorations and preservations are taking place. Winter is a good time to visit. Why? The weather is milder and crowds are less. http://www.savannahvisit.com/
We arrived in the evening, and had our supper at Cancun on Abercorn St, in a shopping plaza. We have found some really good restaurants in shopping plazas! (Look at Bald Headed Bistro!) We both chose the beef fajitas, served with lots of beef, and sides of rice, beans, salsa, and guacamole. Tasty! Chips and salsa are complimentary appetizers. Margaritas were the special of the day for $2 each. The total tab before tip was $29!
A good first stop is the Visitor Center, and that’s where we went first. It’s in the former Central of Georgia Railroad Terminal, as is the Savannah History Museum. The museum was entertaining! Dioramas showing a Native American trading with an English settler and an English settler couple doing laundry were excellent. Other displays and exhibits include a Central of Georgia engine, canoes, American Revolution uniforms and weapons, and quilts. Savannah’s involvement with the Civil War, WWI, and WWII are featured. A children’s interactive exhibit focused on hats; they tell what work we do, where we live, and how fashion changes. www.chsgeorgia.org/shm
Across the road is the Roundhouse Railroad Museum, with 40 engines and cars circling the roundhouse, which is a structure used to store, refuel, and repair locomotives. The turntable rotated the trains. The ruins of the railroad are there with signpost describing what the buildings are and what they were used for. Buildings such as the machine shop, planning shop, smokestack, blacksmith shop and lavatories are there for the viewing. An elaborate train display is on the grounds. The structures are being restored by the Coastal Heritage Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring, conserving, and preserving Georgia’s coastal heritage. The price of the combo ticket was $26 for both of us. Allow at least an hour. http://www.pwrr.org/prototype/Savannah/index.html
The site of the Battle of Savannah, of the American Revolution, is across the street from both museums. A monument of bricks with each American soldier’s name marks the spot. Remains of the fortifications are there, too. Take a few minutes to reflect on the price of freedom.
We strolled along the streets, sightseeing. Many buildings are handsome, most are historic, and there are shops, galleries, and restaurants. In the City market area, Molly MacPherson’s is a delightful Scottish pub serving good food in a cozy atmosphere. Overstuffed chairs in front of a fireplace and Christmas decorations everywhere. We sampled two local beers. Our verdict: scrumptious. I had the cock-a-leeky soup and potato scones. What is cock-a-leeky? Traditional chicken with carrots, leeks and rice. Yum! The scones were served with raspberry jam. Yum, again. Greg ordered the chicken pot pie. He thought it was superb. Our total was $30. http://www.macphersonspub.com/Main/Home.aspx
Fortified, we took on more sightseeing. Squares, City Hall, the Customs House, monuments are all interesting. We tasted some Georgia wines at City Market and did some window shopping. Moon River Brewery was in our path and calling our name. We each sampled one of their brews, made on the premises. We could see the brewery behind the bar. Both beers were fresh and full of flavor. Tab was $11. http://moonriverbrewing.com/
Time to call it a day!
Day 2
The Pancake Palace on Abercorn St. is open 24 hours. Workers greet customers as they walk through the door. I decided on something completely different; quail with hash browns and eggs. It was wonderful! The two quail were succulent and the hash browns crispy! Greg opted for the standard eggs, hash browns and bacon, which he declared very good! Bottomless cups of coffee are a plus. Total cost $17.
Bright and early, sort of, we were at the Visitor Center to take the trolley tour ride. This is great opportunity to learn more about the history and culture of the city. A couple sitting behind exclaimed, “We didn’t know there was more than the riverfront area!” There is! Much more! Some sights to see are homes of famous people; where movies were filmed; majestic churches; the Pirate House; and Forsyth Park. Writer Flanner O’Connor lived in Savannah. Forrest Gump and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil were filmed her. The First African Baptist Church was built at night by enslaved people and the basement beneath the church was part of the Underground Railroad. Men were shanghaied from the Pirate House; now it’s a top notch restaurant. The spectacular fountain in Forsyth Park was ordered from a catalogue. We heard about why James Oglethorpe came here; to provide an alternative to debtor’s prison. The narrated tour lasts about 90 minutes and costs $25. There are 14 stops, and it’s a hop on, hop off policy. http://www.trolleytours.com/Savannah/
We returned to the Pirate House on East Broad St. for lunch. Greg asked for the chicken gumbo, a rich and savory tomato based stew. I went for the buffet, an assortment of fish, chicken, okra, rice, greens, sweet potatoes, and other southern comfort foods. Both meals were mouth-watering. A bonus was the shaft to the entrance to the secret tunnel next to the buffet table. We thought about fleeing pirates and shanghaied citizens. A pirate girl went from table to table to chat. Yaaarrrr! Our total lunch tab was $33. http://thepirateshouse.com/
Wandering around town to revisit some sights we saw on the tour was fun. We really enjoy all the squares, providing lots of green and even blooming flowers in the middle of the city. Most have monuments and/or markers, so it’s a history lesson, too. In Forsyth Park, we visited the Confederate Memorial. It was built in Canada and shipped by ferry, so it would never touch Yankee soil. Since it was a chilly and damp day, we dropped in at Six Pence Pub for an Irish Coffee. This was the sight of a scene from the movie “Something to Talk About.” The red phone booth outside was used as a time machine in “Dr. Who.” It can be a bit pricey here, but it is a fun spot. The coffees were $15 for both. http://www.savannah.com/sixpence/
A carriage tour seemed like a good idea, and it was! Wrapped in a blanket, we covered about 30 blocks with our guide, Jackie, and horse, Rowdy. Jackie told stories about Savannah and pointed out interesting sites. She even showed us some of her ghost photos! We rode on Jones St., one of the most exclusive neighborhoods, and heard that the expression “keeping up with the Jones’” may have started there. Many of the graveyards are under the streets, due to the past belief that exhuming the dead might cause a yellow fever epidemic. The tour lasts about 50 minutes and is $20 each; $10 for children. Private rides are available for $75 per couple. http://savannahcarriage.com/
Finally, we dined at Four Seasons of Japan on E. Broughton. I ordered the chicken green curry, a scrumptious mixture of zucchini, celery and green beans. Greg had the sushi assortment, including spider roll and tuna roll. A complimentary appetizer of edamame came with the meals. We drank green tea and sake. Our total was $45. http://www.americascuisine.com/georgia/savannah/SeasonsofJapanBistro.aspx
Savannah is a gracious city, filled with fun and exciting things to see and do. Diverse cultural food, drink, history, the arts, and outdoor activities make this a choice location for just about anyone. We look forward to another visit.
