I Heart Savannah!

I absolutely ADORE the city of Savannah, and I can't wait to get back there! There are several cities I've fallen in love with in my travels, but I've now added Savannah to the list for it's elegance and character. When I decided to swing by the city (more because it's a city I've never been too and it was close enough to make a mini vacation out of my trip East) I mentioned it to a few people and nobody had anything bad to say about the city, but I can't believe I didn't hear MORE about it before I decided to add it to my list of places 'to visit.' My regrets are that I only had a few hours to explore, and I wasn't able to capture more of it on film, or experience more of the city itself. It was pouring down rain, but Maurine is headed there at the beginning of the summer, so I'm making it her job to capture the city for me. Each building and the bushes outside were master pieces! I've heard it's very muggy in the summer though, so I would definitely recommend this time of year, in addition to great weather, they had flowers in full bloom, it was SO colorful. There are 24 squares (small parks in my mind) that each of the historical areas are built around. There is so much to do and see, I couldn't even begin to explain it all, go to the city website, I'm pretty sure they've had more time to work on their adjectives! I did learn that Savannah is the only city in the south that survived the Civil War. The story is as Sherman marched south burning up the cities along the way he decided to save Savannah because he thought it was too beautiful to destroy. The homes reflect their age. Along with a ton of really cool little shops, historical homes and museums, there is a 'river front' that faces the Savannah River with a history and culture all of it's own with riverboats and candy factories and shops galore, and an old pirate's hang out (Is there any such thing as a bad vacation when their are PIRATES involved?). Across the Savannah River is a line of Islands that face out to the Atlantic Ocean. I'm definitely headed back sometime to explore it in more depth, you're invited. I've posted a few of the things I actually got pictures of in my whirlwind tour. Photo One: The trolley that tours the city squares, and the riverfront. Photo Two: Juliette Lowe's house (the founder of Girl Scouts), I went on the tour because of my past experiences, and I felt like it was my 'Girl Scout duty.' BUT it was such a cool experience, and she was one amazing woman-she makes Martha Stewart look lacking! Photo Three: Paula Dean's restaurant. I think it was Roslynn that said none of her food ever turned out for her (if you don't know who this lady is-she's on the food network). I agree, I've never really enjoyed a food network meal, but her restaurant makes me understand why she is a chef. Even the buffet was some of the best fried chicken and macaronni (among other things) I've ever had. It came with a dessert that was out of this world. In the photo you can see only about a third of the people waiting in line for the restaurant to open, they start taking reservations for the 11 o'clock lunch at 9:30 am....and I completely understand why. There was a line down BOTH sides of the street on a raining, wet Thursday! Photo Four: This is a church we passed, the windows are Tiffany glass that Tiffany himself came and helped install....if that isn't a recommendation for the city I don't know what is!