Our trip was coming to an end. Savannah was our last major stop before heading home straight into the tight embrace of the pandemic. Obliviously, we had no clue what awaits us down the road. Unfortunately, our planned rendezvous with our daughter didn’t go as planned when she fell ill (we now wonder if it was really the flu…).
Left to explore the city on our own, we checked in at the Red Gate Campground, a pleasant facility very close to downtown, and headed into town. We walked about 12 km in what turned out to be a very hot day (over 100F or 38C). The beautiful and shady squares were very much appreciated along the way.
Acutely aware of some of the murky history, we were glad that we visited Whitney Plantation for a better perspective before coming to Savannah.
We’ll share with you a few photos from around town and a couple of stories that are a little on the strange side.
The Squares
There are 22 historic squares in downtown Savannah. We strolled from one square to the another under the canopy of large southern trees
cathedrals, Regency-style homes, beautiful and intriguing brick, stone, and ironworks.
Savannah
Savannah brickworks
Each square has its own character and beauty. Each square has a statue or a fountain.
Most commemorates a person or an event such as this event in far away Canada.
If you remember our visit to Fort Pulaski, you’ll be pleased to hear that one of the squares not only has a memorial for Count Casimir Pulaski
but also a dark secret that I promised to share.
General Casimir Pulaski was a Polish nobleman, soldier and military commander, considered the father of the American cavalry.
He perished in the Battle of Savannah against British forces and was believed to be buried on Greenwich Plantation. His remains exhumed in 1853 and reburied at the Casimir Pulaski Monument in Savannah. In 1996 and in 2019 his skeletal remains underwent a forensic studies that included DNA analysis. The latter examination concluded from his DNA, known injuries, and physical characteristics, that the skeleton was likely Pulaski’s even though the skeleton has a number of typically female features. This led to the hypothesis that Pulaski may have been female or intersex, and raised as a man.
If true, what a tough secret for a soldier to keep!
Happily Homeless
Many of the squares are populated by seemingly happy homeless people. Well, perhaps they weren’t homeless, but they were clearly loitering and very happy; smiling, singing, and greeting us as we walked by. We kept expecting an occasional request for change, but none came. Maybe there is no begging on Sunday, or perhaps they were just hanging out in the square. There seemed to be something in the air – the city was trying to give out a message of love and peace
Colonial Park Cemetery is another strange story . As the story goes, bored Union soldiers sheltered in the cemetery and allegedly altered dates on the gravestones. If you are doing genealogy in Georgia you should probably double check your information…
The Waterfront
The historic waterfront is very touristy but beautiful nonetheless. We walked along RIver Street
and back alleys
up and down these very steep steps
past some very old buildings, businesses and stores
The old buildings echo of musty moss and long forgotten stories,
but the waterfront is open,
colourful, and vibrant.
The Islands
Did I mention that we walked 12 km? Although exhausted after walking all day, we decided to drive to Tybee island. Although the drive there was pretty and our visit to Fort Pulaski on the way was interesting, the Island itself was just another barrier island that is highly populated with colourful beach houses dotting the shoreline.
Perhaps we have arrived at a crowded beach saturation point for now. The weather was foggy and dreary. At least that was different.
On Our Way Home
We started heading back, again making a run for it in the face of a storm. We winterized along the way.
Spent one night at Wolf Run State Park in Ohio where we were the only guests
and made it home to face a storm like we’ve never seen before: the Coronavirus pandemic.
A trip summary including costs and distances will follow. We sure hope we’ll be able to travel again.
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Wow – this was a great post. So many photos and I loved them all. Savannah looks like a beautiful place. Always like the moss handing from the trees, see a lot of moss in Florida.
Like that story of burial and was it a man or a woman. Interesting.
Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed it! We really enjoyed Savannah. I can see envision us spending a winter there….
ooh, I’ve always wanted to visit savannah! thank you for this post, as it will probably be a while before that is possible –
Hopefully soon, Beth! It’s a lovely city with lots to do and see!
Another great story and photos. Kinda looks haunting though.
Thanks, Mihali! I think that haunted look is partly because of the overcast skies and me being lazy to edit so many photos 🙂
There’s some beautiful ironwork. I like that. So many interesting places to visit and stories to hear.
Thanks, Linda!
Savannah is such a wonderful city with its squares and riverfront. We had also read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil before visiting, which offered another perspective on the city….
Yes! That book is such a great companion to visiting the city! I love finding a good book about a place I am about to visit!
It is nice to have some background info on places that you are visiting…
I also like to see travellers perspective about places that I want to visit. There is sometimes a different angle and some out of the way places that you wouldn’t find otherwise.
I guess that’s what makes sites like Yelp so popular!
I’ve been to Savannah once, but I was so small that I could appreciate the beauty or historical significance. It definitely deserves a return trip. Never pass up an opportunity to see it all; twelve kilometers is a fair hike.
Yeah, it’s definitely worth a repeat visit!
couldn’t appreciate*
Loved our time in Savannah..so much history and can’t say the food wasn’t top of our list. Love your words and photos.
Thank you! I left out one of the highlights of the day: a smoked Salmon bagel at a very cute little cafe The Gallery. It was soooo good!
Making me hungry 😋
Haha, right?
many tx for bringing back such great stories & pix — & so glad your daughter is ok 🙂
Thanks so much! Yeah, we were disappointed to have missed her, but she is fine and that’s all that matters 🙂
A lot of Southern charm in this area. Would like to visit some day. Thanks for sharing. No doubt arriving home to the pandemic reality was a bit of a shock. Allan
We really enjoyed Savannah and would love to go back one day. No kidding about coming back to the pandemic and lockdown!