Discovering sweet and seductive SAVANNAH
Story and photos by Cynthia Reeves
Recently, I watched the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and realized there was a lot of history and mystery to Savannah, Georgia, that had escaped me on my first and only visit about ten years ago.
At that time, I accompanied my daughter and her Girl Scout troop to see the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts. This time I was on one of my solo traveler expeditions to experience the food, culture and history — not through the eyes of a mom, but as an intrepid traveler.
HISTORY
My first view of the city was atop a bicycle. My tour guide, Will Reyes, of Savannah Bike Tours was outstanding and managed to keep my attention on the history and off the traffic or my wobbly bike-riding skills. We meandered through many of Savannah’s 22 stunning squares. We pedaled through lush landscapes and majestic live oaks with Spanish moss gently swaying above us.
I learned that British explorer and humanitarian James Oglethorpe founded the city in 1733 as a haven for the poor and persecuted. Savannah was the capital of the last of the original thirteen American colonies, Georgia.
It is amazing and admirable that city leaders have managed over the decades to preserve so many of the green spaces and historical landmarks. Pedaling past the fountains, gardens and stately homes was like riding through a storybook full of ghosts of the past come alive.
Reyes explained that part of what saved Savannah from destruction was that the city was given as a Christmas gift to President Lincoln during the Civil War. General Sherman marched through the city to the sea in 1864 but was persuaded not to burn the city down.
The preservation of the colonial and Victorian homes is a great source of pride in Savannah. Our bikes glided down Bull Street where we pulled up to the Mercer Williams House, which is an iconic structure housing part of Savannah’s dark past. Though it was built for the family of celebrated songwriter Johnny Mercer, it was later occupied by historic home preservationist Jim Williams, the subject of the New York Times best seller “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”
That book was published in 1994, and suddenly Savannah became a huge tourism destination. It seemed everyone wanted to learn about its past, see the macabre cemeteries, walk through the haunted houses and sample Southern-style cocktails.
My solo trek to the celebrated city was partially guided by Shannon Ryck, the owner of the Fearless and Fabulous Over 40 Travel Group. We stayed at an inn in the historical district. The majestic McMillan House was built in 1888 and set the stage for a memorable weekend of Southern-style charm.
SIGHTSEEING
The highlight of Ryck’s itinerary was touring the city in classic chauffeur-driven Bentleys dressed in 1920s flapper girl costumes. What a hoot! Sherri and Bill Anderson of Callan’s Classics gave me a different perspective of the cultured city, making me feel as if I had stepped back in time.
There seem to be as many trolley cars, tour buses and other modes of transportation around Savannah as there are strings of moss hanging from the trees. There is the Ghost Town Trolley, Land and Sea Combo Sightseeing, “Dead of the Night” walking tours and culinary food tours, but I appreciated the Bonaventure Cemetery Tour. The brochure touts it as “where death and beauty meet.” The cemetery seems to capture the pulse of the city’s past.
The tour guide made the old tombstones, sculptures and crypts come alive as he told secrets and stories of the people who helped shape Savannah’s history.
“Its breathtaking beauty possesses people, for sure,” he said.
In case being “possessed” by the ghosts of the past is a bit too dark an adventure, you can do as we did and follow that excursion up with a comedy tour. We boarded the “Savannah for Morons” Tour that promised to be “as informative was it is funny.” I laughed out loud the entire bus ride. Of course, I had a much more informative experience on the bike tour, but this was a clever, relaxing and entertaining respite from anything serious or heavy.
FOOD AND COCKTAILS
As part of the comedy tour, we stopped at one of Savannah’s Irish pubs. There is no shortage of Irish Pubs and restaurants because although originally established as an English colony, Irish immigrants arrived in large numbers during the1830s and ’40s.
The Wexford Irish style pub at City Market had excellent food and service. The Wexford Old Fashioned with chocolate bitters, strawberry simple syrup and smoked-chocolate-infused tobacco was a decadent delight.
One of the best restaurants I sampled as part of my Fearless, Fabulous experience was The Old Pink House. The setting was like sitting in your old aunt’s elegant parlor. Add to the ambiance with a Pink Lady Cocktail. Lunch featured luscious salads and fresh fish dishes, but I settled on a simple arugula salad topped with grilled salmon and drizzled with a mustard bacon dressing that was so good I could swim in it. I also highly recommend starting with the fried green tomatoes with applewood smoked bacon and sweet corn cream. Yep, I love some bacon. Don’t judge!
Another must-try restaurant for lovers of anything pink is Noble Fare. Their website best describes the setting: “The interior is black & white with fuchsia draperies, dazzling crystal chandeliers and a cozy ambiance of its 1879 roots.” Lovely. The special the night I dined was pan-fired grouper. Divine.
The Prohibition Museum is a must-see for history buffs, but a cocktail-making class in the museum is also incredible fun. How ironic. Mixing drinks in a prohibition museum in the shadows of wax figures of Al Capone and Bugs Moran. We sampled everything from Chatham Artillery punch (as featured in the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”) to a classic lime daiquiri.
After the class, we breezed through the city at night on Rickshaw Pedicabs which is another fabulous way to navigate the city and catch a cool breeze.
My final thought was that Savannah is truly the Hostess City of The South it proclaims to be — charming and seductive — cultured, yet spirited and lively. Don’t miss an opportunity to ride though the bricked and cobblestoned streets and get caught up in its spell.
