Midnight in Savannah
- tylercates
- a few seconds ago
- 4 min read
I had the pleasure of taking part in Books in Savannah on November 1 in Savannah, Georgia. For this blog, I will only cover my sightseeing in Savannah, and not my activities at the book festival. Due to my commitments, I really only had one free day to explore the city. I am sure there is far more to see and do than what I was able to get to in my short time available.
On Thursday morning, Miss B and I left early and took the long way to Savannah from the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, making a pitstop in Mount Airy, North Carolina, the childhood hometown of Andy Griffith and the inspiration for Mayberry. A very interesting town that I would like to take more time to visit again. Our side excursion, though well worth it, caused us to arrive in Savannah very late and very tired on Thursday evening. We checked into the hotel and went directly to sleep.
Friday morning, which was Halloween, after breakfast at the hotel, we headed out to explore Savannah. Luckily, our hotel was in the historic district and within walking distance of some of the city's most beautiful streets. Forsyth Park was our first destination, but along the way, we enjoyed the Spanish moss, live oak trees, and Greek revival architecture that Savannah is famous for. I can certainly see the alure to local residents being able to take in such beautiful scenery every day.
Unfortunately, when we reached Forsyth Park, we discovered that the famed Forsythe Fountain was being repaired and work crews had the area barricaded off. Although we couldn't get a good look at the fountain, the park was still beautiful.
Next, we headed to The City Market area, which is a shopper's dream, lined with shops and stores of all kinds. While we went into too many to remember, I would like to mention Byrd's Cookies, a fourth-generation family-owned cookie company with an amazing story and a delicious product. If you do to Savannah, make it a point to visit their shop.
After a lunch at the Six Pence Pub, we took the car to Bonaventure Cemetery. If you watched the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, you might be familiar with Bonaventure. Danny Hansford, whose murder the book is based on, is buried in the adjacent Greenwich Cemetery. There is an eerie beauty to the place that is evident even in broad daylight.
Bonaventure is the final resting place of songwriter Johnny Mercer and poet Conrad Aiken, but perhaps the most fascinating gravesite is that of Gracie Watson. Gracie was born in 1883 and by all accounts, was a bright and vivacious child until a case of pneumonia cut her life short at the age of six. It was not long after her internment until reports of a young girl clad in a white dress playing among the tombstones, particularly on moonlit nights, began circulating. Some folks claim to have heard the sound of a child's laughter echoing through the cemetery. These claims have only helped add to the lore of Bonaventure Cemetery.
There are companies that offer guided golf cart tours of the cemetery. The guides that I encountered seemed to be very knowledgeable and engaging, so if you would like to have the full Bonaventure experience, this might be the option for you. However, if you opt to explore Bonaventure on your own, I suggest wearing comfortable walking shoes.
After our excursion at the cemetery, Miss B and I went back to City Market for more shopping and an early dinner at Corleone's Trattoria. In the interest of full disclosure, while I enjoyed my Chicken Marsala, Miss B did not find the Carbonaro appetizing at all.
After the book festival on Saturday, we went to dinner at the Pirate House, which is housed in what is supposed to be the oldest surviving building in the state of Georgia. From the interior of the restaurant, I can believe it.
The food was topnotch. I had the gumbo, and it was fabulous, savory but not over spiced as many places tend to do. Miss B had the fried green tomatoes and fried chicken, and she raved about both. She also claimed the biscuits were THE best she'd ever had. The place is called the Pirate House, so of course, I had to have a rum drink, as well. If you like history and good Southern food, you can't go wrong with the Pirate House.
One thing I would mention is that there are all sorts of guided tours-the aforementioned cemetery tours, ghost tours, cuisine tours, donut tours, you name it. There are trolley hop on, hop off tours. Whatever your interests, you should be able to find a tour to accommodate you.
It was a whirlwind stay, but an enjoyable one. There was some disappointment, mainly due to my unrealistic expectation of it being like the Savannah depicted in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil which doesn't exist anymore, if it ever did. If you visit Savannah, take a few days and I'm certain you'll have an enjoyable time.