June 13, 2009: Savannah, George

We were up early this morning, and traveled the short way up the ICW to Savannah arriving before lunch and in time to get space at the City Landing just behind the big paddlewheel steam boat, the Georgia Queen. We are now docked just below the famous old Cotton Exchange where the transactions for the city docks were run in the early years of Savannah. A short walk took us up to the wall of the old fort and the rooms where the slaves were held when unloaded from ships. The water front is full of tourists streaming through the little shops or looking for shade on the river front brick walkway. There are also artisans making baskets of vines and roses out of saw grass.

We took an Old Savannah Tour of the city this afternoon and traveled the streets lined with old southern mansions which included Juliette Gordon Low’s home; she was the founder of the Girl Scouts. Laurie and I visited there with her troop about 15 years ago. We also passed the City Market with its horse drawn carriages, the old city cemetery and many of the Savanna School of Art and Design buildings. Many of the houses were ornate with unique wrought iron castings – dolphin downspouts, flowery gates and fences. We passed the Kehoe House, built by the Iron works owner, where all the window casings and sills, though painted white were actually iron. The tour guide commented jokingly that this house was the heaviest house in Georgia. We saw City Hall with its newly refurbished and glowing gold gilded dome and many awesome old oak trees in the city parks.

Returning to the Savannah River, we really saw what an international seaport this is. There was continuous traffic of huge ocean going freighters, sometimes with one coming in passing one going out. People came to the edge of the docks with their cameras ready for the ships.

After our dinner at the Shrimp Factory, we came back to the board walk where there was lots of making the evening merry. There was a street musician trumpet player playing the Bunny Hop for a troop of Girl Scouts; and another was Christian group leading a street worship service. We watched the sun set pink and purple over the Eugene Talmadge Memorial suspension bridge.