Savannah has supplanted Vancouver, Canada and Qingdao, China as my favorite city to visit on vacation.
I should admit that I did not venture far from the historic side of the city on a recent vacation - and did not need to.
As an original colony, Georgia's history runs deeper than most states. In Savannah though, the colorful historical characters combine with the centuries-old, restored mansions to create a unique city with every bit as much character all its own as New Orleans.
Part of what makes the historical side of the city special is that it was designed to be special from the very beginning. Before General James Oglethorpe landed on Georgia's shores in 1733, along with the 120 passengers on the ship with the simple name of "Anne", he had a very detailed plan as to how Savannah would be laid out.
One aspect of his plan, which survives today, is that when you walk the sidewalks of the city you will find a park every few blocks. If you would like to escape the sun, you can take a seat at a park bench under the shade of one of the those long-branched trees, decorated with Spanish moss.
Each restaurant, bookstore, and coffee shop in Savannah has its own character as well. Tourists and locals have a choice between fine dining, seafood, Mexican, or they can find their own table at a British-style pub.
Film buffs can go to the city's museum to see the bench Forest Gump sat on, have their picture taken next to the phone booth Julia Roberts stood in, or seek out locations from a myriad of other films shot in the city.
The true charm of Savannah is found walking its sidewalks however, and it doesn't hurt to read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil while sitting on one of those park benches.
Comments / 6