Savannah

After three days on the road we made it to the end of our Georgia coast weekend trip. To cap off our trip we made it to Savannah, the heart of colonial Georgia, and one of the prettiest cities in America. Few cities in the nation have played such an understated role in the creation and reunification of our great country. Trying to pack an entire trip to Savannah in one post is challenging, and it all depends on what you are looking for when you come to town.  Both of us have been to Savannah before, but not together, and not for a vacation. This was our first real trip to wander the town and see the beauty of the city where Georgia was established nearly 300 years ago.

Getting to Savannah depends on where you are coming from.  You can get here from I-95, I-16, or U.S.-17. We came up U.S.-17 from Saint Simons, and I recommend this path to anyone. I understand the reason for interstates, and take them when needed, but highways are more fun. They show you the uniqueness of small American towns, and on many of these highways you can travel almost as fast as an interstate with a fraction of the traffic. When we arrived we stayed at the River Street Inn on E. Bay Street in the heart of the historic downtown district, and couldn't recommend it higher.  The location and quality make it a perfect location for seeing all the city has to offer.

Founded in 1733, James Oglethorpe and his band of settlers were greeted by local Yamacraw chief Tomochichi as they sailed up the Savannah River. After settling down, Oglethorpe laid out a grid plan for the city that exists to this day. Spread throughout the city are a series of squares that act as parks for locals.  The more elaborate squares are on the west side of town, but all of them are not more than a few blocks apart, so they can all be walked in a day. One quick thing to know is the name of the square, and the person honored there are not always the same. For instance, the monument to Casimir Pulaski is not in Pulaski Square, but instead is in Monterrey Park, a park dedicated to the American victory in the Mexican-American War.  While all were beautiful, some of the more impressive squares included Johnson Square (whose monument to Nathaniel Greene had to cornerstone laid by the Marquis de Lafayette in 1825), Wright Square (where Tomochichi is buried), and Chippewa Square (whose monument to James Oglethorpe again seems oddly out of place when there is another square named for him).

After you have visited the historic squares wander down to beautiful Forsyth Park. Forsyth Park is a 30-acre sitting in the middle of downtown Savannah. At the center of Forsyth Park is Forsyth Fountain a fountain that looks like it would fit in Paris or London. After you finish looking at the fountain keep walking down to the Confederate Memorial. This towering monument is dedicated to the soldiers from Savannah who died for the Confederacy, an odd notion considering the importance of Savannah is defeating the British to establish the United States nearly ninety years earlier. At the far end of the park is a unique memorial to one of the most forgotten wars in our nation's history. The Spanish-American War Memorial is a tribute to those who gave their time, and a few lives, to defeat a brutal Spanish monarchy. For those of you who are trying to remember your U.S. History, the Spanish-American War was fought in 1898 as word made it to the United States of the atrocities being committed on the people of Cuba and Puerto Rico by the Spanish monarchy. Following the sinking of the USS Maine, and the journalistic feats of yellow journalists like Hearst and Pulitzer, the nation was in a war frenzy and got what it wanted. The "splendid little war" was a monumental victory over another European empire, and turned the United States into an empire of our own in a matter of months.  While the memorial is plain, I have never seen another memorial for this war in any other city, so it stood out to me.  Throughout the park you will see hundreds of people playing and having fun.  The park really seems like the center of life in Savannah.

When it comes time to eat in Savannah you will find a city full of amazing restaurants of all types. One wonderful place we found was Savannah Taphouse, a local brew house that serves an awesome macaroni and cheese burger, and offers a wall full of local beers on tap.  If you are in the mood for a coffee, try The Coffee Fox on Broughton Street.  Wendy still hasn't stop talking about how good the coffee there was, apparently they put nitrogen in their coffee to make it extra smooth.  You should all stop by this location even if you don't want a coffee.  This location is the site where the Sons of Liberty met before the Revolutionary War. For dinner, you owe it to yourself to visit Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons. This Southern dining mecca has a daily lunch and dinner buffet that offers fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and corn bread. The true gem though is the butter cake. You owe it to yourself to walk a few extra miles that day so you can have a piece of this pure sugar delight.

I will repeat it again, Savannah has far too many sites to cover them in one post, but that is my best advice for a one day trip. Savannah is a wonderful example of history and beauty rolled into one. A person can spend a week reading the historic markers that line every street, or wander up and down the streets dreaming of which one of the two hundred year old row houses they would like to live in.  Either way you will have a great time, and be eager to come back soon.  Sadly we didn't get to any of the museums the city offers, but it just gives us a reason to plan our next trip back.