May 5, 2014 Savannah GA

Savannah! Judie wanted to walk - so we went on line and found a 2-hour walking tour. Strange, you make a reservation, but pay when the tour is over - if you are satisfied. Well this guy is rated on trip-advisor as high as it gets - with 490 excellent out of 512 ratings. Odds are we would be paying.

Savannah was laid out with 32 squares - parks, meeting places, commons - and the lots are small with very little yard. Social interchange. We met our guide - Savannah Dan at one of these squares and started the tour. Dan is about 6'-4" tall and says there is nothing more appropriate in Savannah for a tour guide to wear than a Sears Sucker suite and a bow tie!

"Savannah Dan"

Our first Square and Statue.

It is difficult to remember whose Square or Statue these are because every square is named for someone - like Lafayette, but the statue in the square is always of somebody else. Named and honored at different times thru history - and changed from time to time. Anyway, the square are laid out along the street grid - at about three blocks apart in each direction. Savannah Dan had great stories about each Square and Statue for the 8 squares we visited along with all the buildings in between. Some of which we remember, most we don't after waiting 10 days to catch up on the blogging! One we were particularly impressed with was of some Scottish Lads that fought bravely in some War. (Sorry Derek and family - but the memory does go!)

 

We saw signs in restaurant windows for "Girl Scout Lunch". Seems thousands of Scouts descend on Savannah each summer to visit the founding place where it all started - a carriage house behind what is now referred to as the Andrew Low House.

 

 

First Girl Scout Headquarters

After finishing the tour, we (Judie) decided to walk the tour route backwards and spend additional time where we wanted. First we stopped at an ice cream parlor for lunch and a treat. The place was started by three Greek brothers in 1919 and one of the descendants is Stratton Leapold who produced Mission Impossible III, the Sum of all Fears and The Generals Daughter. Good food and great Ice Cream!

 

The Owens Thomas House was designed by a young Englishman who loved symmetry. Every window and door has an opposite one - sometimes leading to nowhere - simply for symmetry. there are three such interior ones that also share this misfortune. He never visited the house during construction - only upon it's completion. Typical Architect!

 

Iron pouch where Lafayette gave a speech when he came back from France for the 25th anniversary of the Revolutionary War. The second porch on the north side of the house was lost at sea during a storm during shipment from England and never replaced - symmetry shot to heck. 

 

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is the oldest Catholic church in Savannah - Catholics were not allowed into Georgia until the early 1700's by it's charter. Once they got there - they made up for lost time!

Part of the main dome.






The Baptismal and holy water font.

The Choir Loft

And now for the largest fountain we have seen to date in a beautiful park just south of the old downtown and residence area. Peaceful and yet still alive with folks.

and who could visit Savannah this time of year and not enjoy the fragrant Jasmine flowers.

This is just a small peek at Savannah. We have been here twice before and visited the River Walk, ate at some great restaurants, and seen the old grave yards. We actually motored by the cemetery from "The Garden of Good and Evil", but the tide was so low we could not see but a few tall headstones.