Many of the main streets in the old part of the city are tree lined boulevards. The old city is built around 24 squares or parks. Each of these squares is also full of large trees with many of the trees covered in Spanish Moss. The squares have statues or fountains and are dedicated to a historical figure in the development of Savannah. One of the squares was used in the shooting of Forest Gump, where he sits on a bench and offers candies to people who he is talking to.
One of the most impressive fountains can be found in Forsyth Park. The fountain was bought through a mail order company at the turn of the last century
Some of the more impressive houses in the old city include the Juliette Gordon Low house, the Sorel Weed house, and the Mercer house. Juliette Gordon Low was the founder of the Girl Guides and the Mercer house is the main house in book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
The Sorel Weed house is one of Savannah’s many haunted houses. It has been featured on the Homes and Gardens Channel and SCI-FI Channel on TV. We took a tour, where the guide explained how the current owner has restored the house to its original design by removing plaster from walls, knocking down partitions and opening up enclosed stairwells and passages.
As we walked down the sidewalk, we were approached by an elderly lady, who asked us if we needed any assistance. In the course of the conversation she disclosed that she had lived most of her life on a plantation, but that her husband had left her after 50 years for her cousin. She now lived in an expensive condo in the old city and looked after a garden in one of the near by squares.
We then went down to River Street which had been the main road in the harbour during the time when cotton was king. Savannah was the main cotton trading centre in North American during the 1800's. Now they have renovated the buildings and they are hosts to many excellent restaurants. We had lunch and did some shopping along River Street.
In the restaurant where we went for lunch, they had discovered that during the civil war General Sherman’s troops had used the building and drawn maps of their plans for the war after the capture of Savannah on the walls of the building. Over the years the walls had been plastered over, but luckily the current owner had the walls stripped and had discovered the maps.
During the evening we revisited River Street for dinner. There were a couple of street performers, including a blues singer who was accompanied by a jazz clarinet. It was interesting music that was produced.
Tomorrow we are off the Myrtle Beach for a couple days of rest and relaxation.
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