Savannah Georgia On The Georgia Coast
Heading out a little earlier than normal this year to the Georgia Coast. Lot’s of people from around the US and World don’t realize Georgia even has a coast. The beautiful coast of Georgia and The Golden Isles offers a lot to the visitor. Beginning with Savannah—it’s not a place you go by headed further south as most peoples routes to Florida is via I-95 from the Carolinas and I-75 through Georgia. However, a great destination indeed…………
SAVANNAH
Founded by James Oglethorpe in 1733 is Georgia’s oldest city and was the early capital of Georgia. The coastal city is separated from South Carolina by the Savannah River. It’s known for manicured parks, horse-drawn carriages, and antebellum architecture. Its historic district is filled with cobble-stoned squares and parks shaded by oak trees covered with Spanish moss. If you’ve seen the movie Forest Gump, a great scene was filmed on one of the benches at one of the squares. “life is like a box of chocolates”. The city was laid out by Oglethorpe himself drawing on his knowledge of cities in England and Europe.
Some of the more famous landmarks are :
River Street
A multi-faceted gem along the Savannah River. The century-old buildings, once cotton warehouses, have been converted into antique shops, boutiques, galleries, brew pubs, restaurants, unique nightspots elegant inns, and hotels. Bustling with welcoming hospitality, it’s the place to see Savannah from the river that made her by taking a cruise or watching ships from around the world sail into one of the busiest ports in America
The Waving Girl
Florence Martus (1868–1943), also known as “the Waving Girl”, took it upon herself to be the unofficial greeter of all ships that entered and left the Port of Savannah, Georgia, between 1887 and 1931. The statue is on River St. where she waved to ships entering and leaving the harbor.
Pirates House
Built-in 1753 is the oldest building still standing in the state of Georgia. Originally built on property Oglethorpe had laid out as a garden modeled after Chelsea Botanical Gardens in London. The first building was used to house the Gardner and was called the Herb House. As Savannah grew as a port and having no need for a garden at the location, it was converted into an Inn and Tavern for seamen visiting from abroad. Be careful when you visit as you might entertain ghost rumor of Captain Flint (a fictional character) from Robert Louis Stevenson’s book Treasure Island who in the book dies in Savannah. While it certainly won’t be Captain Flint most assuredly the walls and halls are filled with stories of characters from the sea and the world over.
Historic Savannah
Cemeteries
Savannah cemeteries are some of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, particularly with those seeking ghostly adventures and amateur genealogists attempting to research the death records of their families. Rich in history and legend, the Savannah cemeteries are the final resting place for many of her distinguished and notable citizens.
Bonaventure Cemetery
is one of the most photographed cemeteries in the country and best known for its role in Berendt’s best-selling book “In the Midnight of Good and Evil.” The cover of the book features “The Bird Girl” which used to reside in the Cemetery, but has since been moved to the Telfair Museum of Art. The cemetery features a number of unusual tombstones, but perhaps the most unique is one in the shape of a piano.
The Bird Girl
A great adventure to spend most of a spring day roaming this beautiful spot with some amazing headstones with lot’s of history and a bit spooky with all the shaded areas and entrancing Spanish moss-covered oaks.
Colonial Park Cemetary
While Bonaventure Cemetery lies just outside the historic district, Colonial Park Cemetery is right in the heart of it. Many of Savannah’s earliest citizens are buried here including many who were victims of Savannah’s tragic dueling era. This cemetery is a popular stop for local ghost tours. Dueling grounds can be found all throughout Savannah, but strangely enough most of the preferred meeting spots tended to be the city’s cemeteries. Colonial Park Cemetery was only one of the many graveyards where men once faced off in the name of honor.
But Colonial Park Cemetery is one of the only places where the duelist’s are named and marked for all to see who wander through. If you’re considering visiting the cemetery, be sure to go during the park’s opening hours from dusk to dawn. For those of you hoping to learn more about dueling in Savannah and the particular graveyards and the old “dueling site” at Colonial Park Cemetery, consider taking a Cemetery or Ghost Tour where you’ll learn all about Colonial Park Cemetery’s history as well as its secrets.
Savannah’s Beach–Tybee Island
Tybee Island is a barrier island and small city near Savannah, Georgia. It’s known for its wide, sandy beaches, including South Beach, with a pier and pavilion. In the island’s north, Fort Screven has 19th-century concrete gun batteries and the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum. The still-functioning 18th-century lighthouse has been rebuilt many times. The museum, in Battery Garland, focuses on local history.
Fort Pulaski
Located on Cockspur Island between Savannah and Tybee Island, Fort Pulaski National Monument is the perfect destination for a history buff or a nature lover. The fort remains an outdoor exhibit, while the surrounding area offers guided tours, an indoor museum and many trails on which you can go for a bike ride or a long walk under the Georgia sun.
