This adventure involves a visit to Savannah in an RV. It was a fantastic trip because we stopped on our way to Georgia and picked up Steve’s cousin Eddie and his wife Dianne at their home in Opelika, Alabama. They are the best sports, so they are easy-going and enjoyable people to share a small space with. What a great adventure altogether!
Skidaway Island State Park
52 Diamond Causeway
GPS Coords: N 31.9493100 W -81.053710
After a gloriously comfortable night at Eddie and Dianne’s home, we all hopped in the RV and drove the five hours to Savannah. We had a three-night reservation at the nearby Skidaway Island State Park.
The Park is nestled among majestic live oak trees loaded with Spanish moss but less than half an hour from River Street in downtown Savannah. Skidaway has many pull-thru sites, laundry facilities, bathrooms, showers, hook-ups, picnic tables, fire rings, hiking trails, and easy check-in with the personable staff.
Skidaway was a perfect home base for our adventures in Savannah and the surrounding area.
River Street
223 E. River St.
GPS Coords: 32.0809, -81.0872
We settled in at Skidaway, squeezed ourselves into our Jeep, and headed to town. This area of Savannah is, of course, along the river. Tons of restaurants, pubs, galleries, and boutiques can be found in this part of the City. We did not arrive until dark, and most shops were closed.
Unfortunately, we only had time for dinner, so we parked in a pay lot and went to the restaurant. Parking in this area was a bit of a challenge. I hope we can return on a warmer (but not hot) day and explore thoroughly.
Graffito’s Pizza
400 W. River Street
Our first experience in Savannah was a brief walk along River Street (it was COLD) and a stop at this authentic Neapolitan-styled pizza restaurant. We each had different individual and delicious hand-crafted pizzas. Mine was an excellent Funghi pizza.
Genteel & Bard Savannah Dark History and Ghost Encounter Tour
The Genteel & Bard tour was the best choice to maximize our time and was all about Savannah’s colorful history. Ghost walking tours are among the best ways to learn about the history of the cities we visit.
This tour was full of interesting, funny, sometimes shocking, and gruesome stories about Savannah’s past. There were no ghosts but great ghost stories, just as our Galveston ghost tour was. Our tour guide wore a wireless speaker, and all participants were given earbuds.
We could hear the entire presentation, even straying behind the group. Our guide was a professional storyteller knowledgeable about Savannah’s legends, tales, and stories. Another ghost tour option in Savannah is The Official Savannah Ghost Tour. I have not yet had an opportunity to take this tour, but I hope to do so at the first opportunity.
One fascinating story we heard was about the graves in Colonial Park Cemetery. In the late 1800s, this Cemetery was “resized” to make room for streets, sidewalks, and buildings. Much later, in the 1960s, street construction workers discovered human remains.
The construction continued, and a decision was made to leave the remains where they were. On one of the brick sidewalks next to the Colonial Park Cemetery, we noticed each brick had a swirled pattern. Our tour guide told us these bricks indicate where human remains from the Cemetery are buried.
We were walking on those human remains. This Cemetery is kept locked after dark, so we were unable to venture inside.
Historic Squares
Savannah has 22 historic squares. Each square is a small park that provides green space among the historic homes and buildings. These squares have benches, beautiful trees and plants, a fountain, and/or a landmark statue. Each one has a particular and often colorful history. We only visited a few, so we have plenty to see when we return.
Wright Square
Chippewa Square is where a statue of General James Oglethorpe stands. This is also the Square where Forrest Gump sat on a bench waiting for his bus.
Lafayette Square
Madison Square is the location of a statue of Sergeant William Jasper, an honored Revolutionary War soldier.
Forsyth Park
2 W Gaston St
Forsyth Park encompasses over 30 acres and is home to the beautiful fountain you see in photos of Savannah. This Park has large sports fields, including tennis and basketball courts, large soccer playing areas, a children’s playground, and much more. Forsyth is a large park!
Isn’t this a beautiful Park?
Mercer-Williams House Museum
429 Bull Street
Mercer-Williams House Museum
Our tour of this home may have been my favorite thing in Savannah. Construction of this more than 150-year-old house began in 1860. After a delay caused by the Civil War, it was finished in 1868.
Even though this house bears his name and was built for General Hugh W. Mercer, he sold it before it was finished and never lived there. I was told historic homes in Savannah are named after the original owner and the most prominent family that owned them. The most notable family that lived in this home was, of course, Jim Williams.
Mr. Williams was a famous antique dealer in Savannah but is better known as the subject of John Berendt’s well-known nonfiction novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
The book was made into a huge hit movie starring Kevin Spacey. I read the book and saw the movie years ago, but I have watched the film again since our tour. If you plan to visit Savannah, re-reading the book or watching the movie will significantly enrich your visit.
The house is now owned by Jim Williams’s family, who still live upstairs. For this reason, we were not permitted to take photos of the house’s interior or exterior gardens, which was somewhat disappointing but understandable.
The movie was filmed in this house, and today, it looks very similar in many movie scenes. The home contains many antiques and unusual objects from around the world. It was a charming home to take a little peek into.
Pinkie Masters Bar
318 Drayton St
A fun place to visit
While Dianne and I toured the Mercer-Williams House Museum, Steve and Eddie discovered a historic Irish bar nearby, where they could take a break from all our walking and be out of the cold wind while they waited for us.
This small corner bar was visited by President Carter when he was in Savannah. Pinkie’s opened in the 1950s and was a big deal in its day. It is still a great place to stop by for a casual drink with friends.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
222 E Harris St
This Catholic church is simply beautiful. Of course, it is an active church and cannot be toured during services or religious events. We were there at the right time and popped in to look. It was dedicated in 1876, partially destroyed in a fire in 1898, but repaired and opened again in 1900. This is a must-see when visiting Savannah.
Bonaventure Cemetery
330 Bonaventure Rd
Thunderbolt, GA
This much-photographed former Plantation, covering nearly 160 acres, is located about four miles from Savannah’s Historic District in Thunderbolt. Bonaventure Cemetery was featured in John Berendt’s novel Garden of Good and Evil.
The Cemetery is breathtakingly beautiful and full of old oak trees dripping with Spanish moss and striking monuments and headstones. I cannot imagine how many unique and fascinating stories there are to be told about this Cemetery and the people buried here.
Well, guys, this was a very “this and that” sort of visit to Savannah for us. There is so much more to see and do, and we have saved that adventure for a warmer spring day when we can enjoy wandering through the City. Hopefully, after the “trials and tribulations of COVID,” we will have an opportunity to try all the fantastic restaurants and museums and see all the beautiful things in Savannah.
Check back next week for the rest of our four-day adventure in Georgia with cousins extraordinaire Eddie and Dianne.
And a fun trip it was; and wonderful hosts! Thanks Steve and Debbie for letting us tag along!
It WAS a fun trip. I think we travel well together.