Savannah
We have booked a Savannah architecture tour for this morning at 10. We meet our fellow tourists, 13 women and 1 man, and our guide at Oglethorpe Square. 10 of the women are traveling in a pack. They are grads of Goucher college and friends still, gathering from all over the country to explore Savannah. We are impressed. Our gray hairs fit right in.
Our guide Jonathan is spectacular as an architecture guide. He is originally from Iowa, came to Savannah College of Art and Design as an architecture student and has stayed starting these tours and doing who knows what else. He is very knowledgeable, and keeps us all moving along and takes us through the many styles that are Savannah: from the original colonial days of thatched roof cottages (palm fronds) through Georgian, Greek Revival, Federalist, Romanesque, Regency, Art Deco, 1940’s we don’t remember the style name and into the 2000’s, Jonathan fit it all in. We got a good dose of history on the side. Fantastic!! https://architecturalsavannah.com/
An aside here….whenever we are listening to a ranger or a tour guide or information provider, in general, one of us tunes out at any random time. We figure maybe together we get about half of what is said. If each of us takes in a different 1/4 of the information we are golden for a good half of what is rendered!! We think with Jonathan, together, we may have exceeded our normal 1/2 retention!
The Tour
Shopping and Walking Around
After a stop for lunch, we did a bit more of a walk around down by the river, and popped into a bunch of the shops. We found a Prohibition Museum which apparently highlighted the way the Savannahans (is that what we call them?) ignored the alcohol ban and carried on in the fun way as they do.
So much walking today. We soldier on for a house tour. The Owens-Thomas house. Built in 1816 for a very wealthy banker/slave trader it was sold several years later to Mr. Owens an attorney, plantation owner and politician. The Owenses hosted Lafayette in 1825 and the house is restored to that period. We got to hold the very handrail that Lafayette held when he visited there. Another great guide who offers us a superb history lesson along with the tour of the house.
We feel very smart for the 5 minutes or so that we retain all of the information. This only partially makes up for the fiasco of LOST on the beach yesterday!
We walk back to the hotel for a coffee. The hotel is on Forsyth Park which is full of activity at 5:00 or so when we walk back. Sights seen along the way:
We meet up with our friends Gerry and Sonya who arrive in Savannah this evening and will spend a couple days here and then on to Charleston where we hope to meet up with them again. We have company!!!!! Wooooo!!
Good night Savannah!!! Off to Charleston tomorrow.
Who knew pigs were the new dogs. My neighbors have a pig pet. How’s it work to herd cats and pigs?
Love the pictures!! So beautiful. Are you lost again? It is Sunday!! Way too quiet; where are you? Love the array of beans on the plate in Savannah!!
You know Riley lives in Charleston!
I totally forgot that Riley had moved there! So sorry to miss her!
LOL! You went right past her apartment when you took the picture of the Ravenel Bridge!! She lives in Mt. Pleasant and it is the first complex on the right as you come off the bridge!! Sounds like a great time there.
Glad to see more grits. The historian at the Gullah Museum is the best!! So great.