So, I arrived in Savannah yesterday morning. Have a parking spot at the Visitors' Center - 48 hrs for $12! Can walk anywhere from here! Super deal! According to one of the desk gals, there is no where else to park an RV in Savannah! There are about 15 spots and I'm the only one here. It's perfect!
I like Savannah. It is very laid back and everyone is so nice here. And there is an element of 'quirkiness' to it, too. In two days I have walked virtually the entire city. It's mostly a city of "side streets". A few thoroughfares, but not what I would call heavy traffic at all. These side streets are laden with old Savannah architecture and trees dripping with Spanish moss. Throughout the city are specific "squares"...there are about 20. They are small parks with benches and many include an historic monument of some kind. Around the perimeter are, again, the old Savannah homes. I will have a separate post for this architecture.
The 10-acre Forsyth Park is beautiful!
There's also a "downtown" like cities have, however, it is not filled with fancy new buildings. Savannah had the forethought early on to save the old buildings. Even McDonald's didn't score a new building! But, don't get me wrong...Savannah has it's fair share of swanky stores!
Many old brick buildings still carry the original painted sides...
Did I mentioned the 'quirkiness' factor? LOL!
"Old" abounds in Savannah!
There are antique stores here and there among the other shopping venues... some "high end" and some with just old "stuff"...which is what I enjoy.
For you old car enthusiasts, the Police station exhibits these old "cop cars" in front of the precinct. It was fun to see the first one is from 1953! Reminded me of Dragnet!
There is also an area that runs along the Savannah River, full of shops and eateries, candy stores and cigar stores. The weather was great for walking along the water yesterday! Again, all the old buildings along the river have been preserved.
There is also the City Market area. This is where you can catch a horse drawn carriage. It's a blocked off street full of shopping, art galleries, cafes, bistros...all in old buildings. And a good spot for people watching!
There is a younger crowd in Savannah, made up primarily of students at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Their main building is an 1853 railroad depot. I am parked about 30 feet from it. This is only a small section. This was some train depot in it's time. It is huge! The Visitors' Center is also part of the depot and there is an historic train area here, too. The SCAD Museum of Art is also right here. Unfortunately I ran out of time for a visit.
If you thought you would get away easy with no cemetery pictures...you were wrong! Ha! The Colonial Park Cemetery is full of history, but I'll just show you a couple of photos...
These stones are in the "1820 Yellow Fever Epidemic" section. Over 700 people of Savannah were lost, including two doctors who were aiding patients.
Tomorrow morning I'll be visiting the famous Bonaventure Cemetery before my hour drive down to Brunswick, GA. You all may have seen one photo from that cemetery already. It's the cover of the 1994 novel, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". (That particular stone, however, has been moved to a museum.)
There's my tour of Savannah. A great walking city full of history in every step! Catch the architecture in my next post!