A Day In Savannah

The beginning of the second week in Hilton Head was sunny, but a little cooler - no complaints though - as the late October temperatures were hovering just below a pleasant 70F!
So with a morning crispness in the air, we set off under bright blue skies, to Savannah. Only 38 miles away, the drive took about an hour - due to mostly winding country roads - until we crossed over The Talmadge Memorial Bridge into the state of Georgia and the city of Savannah.
This bridge which crosses the Savannah River was opened in 1991 giving a much needed higher and wider clearance for large ocean-going ships to enter the Port of Savannah.
We’d researched areas for inexpensive parking - so with that knowledge, we entered Savannah and found our parking spot for the day.....on a side street, just a block away from Forsyth Park - and with no limit on the amount of hours we could park - it was free!
The oldest city in Georgia, Savannah - first settled in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe - became a strategic port during both the American Revolution & The American Civil War. Today the city is a well known and popular travel destination with one of the largest historic districts in the U.S. Combined with the eccentric old world charm and its lovely architecture it also has a modern “hip” vibe. Many “new” neighbourhoods are emerging - a large reason for this is due to the students of SCAD. The Savannah College of Art & Design is a private college, founded in 1978, that not only attracts its 11,000 students from across the country, but has a high percentage of foreign students. Along with the Savannah Law School and branches of other universities and colleges the city has a high population of young people.
We’ve stayed overnight a couple of times in Savannah, but they were short visits and we didn’t see very much.....so this time we had our street map in hand and a plan to see more of the city. We started at Forsyth Park - a large park that occupies 30 acres in the historic district. In addition to the grassy areas, this park has walking paths, a café, a children’s play area, tennis & basketball courts, a gorgeous fountain and even a “fragrant garden” - which is easy to miss as it’s hidden behind a wall!
We shared a coffee as we walked along the paths, admired the two-tiered cast iron fountain and enjoyed the fragrant garden.....we also watched some young dancers on a stage at the end of the park as they practiced their “moves.”
Taking a direct route to the river we walked down Bull street, walking in, around and through the historic squares along the way......sometimes deviating to admire a building that had caught our eye.....or to see a place or shop that interested us.
Made famous in many books and movies, Savannah’s squares were saved from destruction by the Historic Savannah Foundation, a nonprofit preservation organization founded in 1955 - credited with directly saving more than 350 buildings in Savannah. With no local zoning to protect historic structures, The Foundation was created after many buildings were destroyed in the 1940’s when buildings were bulldozed to create parking lots. With less than $40,000 a fund was set up to help prospective purchasers to buy and restore the buildings that were now derelict and in disrepair.....by the mid 1960’s the Landmark Historic District began its restoration.
Now cherished by residents and visitors alike for their aesthetic beauty, the Squares were originally built for the more practical reason of housing colonists and practising military manoeuvres!
Along our route down Bull Street we passed the 5 Squares that have been called Savannah’s “Crown Jewels” - Monterey, Madison, Chippewa, Wright & Johnson were intended as the grandest of monument-filled spaces.
Chippewa is a popular square, where many tourists look for the bench occupied by Forest Gump in the bus stop scene in the movie. Although the scene was filmed in the square, the bench was just a movie prop - there are however many stone benches in this square - perfect shady spots for people watching!
Laid out in 1815, the square was named in honour of the men who fought at the Battle of Chippewa in the War of 1812. With a statue of James Oglethorpe in the centre, and the Savannah Theatre - the oldest continuously running theatre in the U.S. built in 1818 - in this square.....there’s lots to see and admire in just one place.
All the squares are historic, attractive and interesting - many with a monument as the central focus and all are surrounded by other buildings of interest. Of the ones we saw - Madison Square is located on the site of the Battle of Savannah, with a huge statue of Sgt. Jasper, a Revolutionary hero in the centre. Wright Square is the burial sight of Tomochichi - a leader of the Creek Indian nation who became a friend and trusted advisor of Oglethorpe. There’s a huge granite stone to mark the place. Johnson Square, the first to be laid out in 1733, has a sundial, 2 lovely fountains, the first church built in Savannah (Christ Church) and even a bench dedicated to Johnny Mercer - a crooner, born in this city, who was popular in the 1950’s. The square also gives a great view of the City Hall, with it’s iconic golden dome.......it also offers a first glimpse of the River District.
Historic River Street, paved with 200-year-old cobblestones, runs along the length of the Savannah River. The warehouses and neighbourhood were abandoned in 1818 after it was quarantined due to the epidemic of yellow-fever. At a cost of 7 million dollars a new waterfront was created, and in 1977 the area was “unveiled” - with the huge warehouses having been transformed into restaurants, shops and art galleries.
We spent quite some time walking along the side of the Savannah River enjoying this area. The shops range from touristy t-shirts places to more specialized, boutique style ones. There’s also a large range of eateries and pubs - from casual to high-end. With cruises on land & water available + street entertainment, this area has a lively vibe.
Our route back to the car took us through different streets. Looking out onto Reynolds Square we stopped to see The Olde Pink House - built in 1771 - this house, built for a high ranking officer, Is now a famous - and reputed to be the most romantic restaurant in the city.....but we only got a glimpse of it, as the area was roped off for the filming of a movie.....so we moved on a couple of blocks to Broughton Street and finally rested our legs for a while.
Sitting in the sunshine outside Leopold’s, eating our ice-cream while facing the lovely Trustees Theatre - we watched the world of Savannah go by......I forgot to mention that the Savannah Film Festival was taking place and although we didn’t see any “stars,” we did see a lot of interesting people!
Almost 100 years ago, Leopold’s was founded in 1919 by three brothers from Greece. Generations of Savannah’s residents have enjoyed their ice-cream and their soda fountain was legendary. The previously mentioned crooner, Johnny Mercer wrote a song - Tutti Frutti - about their signature flavour.....he worked at the shop in his youth. Stratton Leopold, the son of one the founding brothers, left to work in Hollywood, but still drops in and works there when he’s in town. Stratton has worked as a producer on many popular movies, including Mission Impossible and The General’s Daughter. The ice-cream served today is still made locally, using the family’s secret recipes......and it’s really good! While enjoying our cones we admired the Trustees Theatre across the street.
Built in 1946 and Instantly recognizable - with a nostalgic marquee - it’s now owned by the Savannah College of Art and Design. The Theater operates as a large venue for the Performing Arts Department - hosting concerts, films, lectures and live shows. During these few days it was also one of the sites for the Film Festival.
Just before finding our car, we took one last look at Monterey Square. With a huge monument in the centre - another tribute to a Revolutionary War hero - it is more famous in modern times for the Mercer-Williams House. Building started in 1860, but the house was never completed until it was bought and finished by Jim Williams in 1969. This dealer in antiquities took two years to complete the task and created a house full of beautiful treasures. Jim Berendt’s 1994 nonfiction book - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - describes the lives and events based on real people who lived in the house while Jim Williams owned the property. The book was later turned into a movie.
Tours of the house are available - but for us it was too late in the day....and although we side-tracked to some of the other 22 remaining squares - we did not have time to see them all....or other areas of this fascinating and beguiling city......we hope to return soon and continue to explore its charms!