With my background in literature, it should come as no surprise that my first exposure to Savannah, Georgia was through the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. As I prepared to visit the historic southern town, I had visions of beautiful antebellum homes and trees draped with Spanish moss. When a place is built up so much in the mind, it usually disappoints; Savannah, however, did not.
As a whole, my weekend there set a bar that no city during my time on the road before or since has been able to meet.
It started with parking. Most cities are a nightmare in a 30-foot RV. Either parking is non-existent or so expensive that I don’t even consider it an option. Savannah’s main visitor center has designated RV parking for $20 a day (and it’s free on Sundays!) and the visitor center itself is both reasonably close to the sights and only a few easy turns off the highway. Not stressing about parking helped start everything off on the right foot.
When there’s a lot to see in a city I like to find a pass of some sort to really maximize my dollar as well as visit places I wouldn’t have even considered if I’d chosen sights on my own. Thankfully, Savannah had one of these passes and, being a cheap German whose mother is the self-appointed “Fieldtrip Queen,” I spent the night leading up to my weekend plotting opening/closing times, locations, and routes so I would not waste a single minute.
Day one was “museum day.” Well, both days ended up as museum days, but I’ll get to that. In the end I toured four historic homes and two art museums, plus a model ships museum. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!
The homes were stunning. One of the guides actually us into a room and paused after showing us something, or sharing a fact, so we could say “wow.” He told us we would do it and even with that warning we couldn’t help ourselves and said it, almost involuntarily. What saddened me (not about the houses, but people) was that the city was packed for St Patrick’s Day festivities but, except for the most famous of the four houses, I only had 3-4 other people with me on a tour. I didn’t mind it, but the teacher in me struggled with apathy of the masses. This feeling hit me even harder when I was in Charleston.
At one of the houses, I learned all about the Historic Savannah Foundation and how a group of very determined women saved Savannah in the mid-20th century from becoming just another ugly, modern city. The public officials actually wanted to pave the paradise that is Savannah and put up parking lots! (I’m not joking!) If not for the perseverance of these ladies, Savannah would be just another impersonal, “modern” city. Because of them, 410 historic structures have been rescued within the city and they are still working to keep the city’s history alive through preservation.
While the houses, and the history and culture they represent, were amazing, my absolute favorite museum was the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. I didn’t know what to expect, but since I’m obsessed with all things maritime, I figured it would be my cup of tea. I made the mistake of thinking an hour would be enough time to look through their collection of ship models and artifacts. Ha! Why I keep making that mistake when it comes to anything nautical, I’ll never know.
When closing time came I’d only made it through three of the seven rooms they had! On my way out I basically begged the guy to let me come back on the same ticket the following day. Personally, I think he was so gob smacked that a woman in her 30s was so passionate about model ships that he couldn’t help but agree.
In addition to spreading the model ship museum over two days, I was also able to visit the two art museums on the second day, due to a loop hole in the tickets for the three locations owned by the Telfair Academy which allowed me seven days to visit the other two after visiting the first.
Hence day two also being a museum day. In an awesome coincidence, the Telfair Academy had a special exhibit on the “bird girl” statue from Bonaventure Cemetery, the figure made famous by the cover of the very book that had introduced me to the city. I had visited the cemetery that morning, wandering through its serene paths (and nearly getting my RV stuck on a narrow road and taking out some headstones backing out), so seeing the infamous statue up close was an amazing bonus.
Because I know how to maximize my time (thanks mom), even with three museums and a cemetery adventure, I still had time to just wander the streets of Savannah, have a delicious brunch, drink some coffee, and relax in the park (seriously, and I wonder why I’m always exhausted on Monday mornings?).
Savannah really is a breathtaking city. One of my favorite parts is all the little squares. Each is unique, with distinct statues, greenery, and fountains. The whole city is romantic, beautiful, and bursting with life and history. Until I visited I didn’t get why everyone I knew who’d had a chance to visit this gem gushed about it and declared they’d love to live there someday. I get it now. Not many places have something for everyone while still remaining true to itself; embracing both its history and lives in the present. Savannah, like the southern lady that she is, does all of these things with both class and beauty.
That was excellent trip in Savannah. I too had a different picture in my mind. Keep in mind the Civil War was not brutal to Savannah historic centers. It was basically untouched hence so many great buildings.