Savannah, Georgia

Our first full day in Savannah we took off on a self-guided walking tour and were determined to walk to every “square” in Savannah’s historic district. There are 24 squares…a square is a large block of green-space in the middle of neighborhoods, all with trees, some with fountains or statues, benches or gardens.

Oglethorpe Square. James E. Oglethorpe was the founder of the Georgia colony, and a champion of the oppressed.

They are laid out very orderly and each one a few blocks from the other. After eight miles of walking, we accomplished our goal.

Another Square in Savannah.

We took a photo of each sign at each square. We’d stop to rest at times, read history plaques, drink a cup of coffee, enjoy a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful, sunny day and a nice temperature for walking. It gave us a great overview of the historic district in Savannah. 

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
In Reynolds Square, Savannah Georgia.
The John Mercer house. John Mercer was a popular figure from Savannah. He was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer. He was also a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records. His house was featured in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Warren Square sign with a lime green lizard (Green Anole).

In the afternoon we stopped for ice cream (of course!) at a wonderful little shop we walked past, and found it to be a long standing, well-known ice cream parlor, with wonderful treats.

A delicious Southern Socialite flavor at Leopold’s Ice Cream.

As we were waiting for the walk sign to change so we could cross the street to Leopold’s Ice Cream, I read a plaque on the building we were next to. It happened to be the old department store where, in 1960, black students led by the NAACP Council staged sit-ins at white-only lunch counters in eight downtown stores. Three students, were arrested in the Azalea Room at this Levy’s Department Store – now a SCAD’s (Savannah’s College of Art and Design) library. We didn’t remember sit-ins took place in Savannah. It was interesting to see the building where one took place.

The previous Levy Department Store, now a library for SCAD (Savannah College of Arts and Design).

We returned to our hotel, happy and exhausted. Each day I loved climbing the stairs to the second floor where our room was located. It was an older hotel and it had a lovely wooden staircase. Each time I climbed it I imagined myself in an old southern mansion. It added amusemnt to our stay.

The stairway in our hotel.

8 thoughts on “Savannah, Georgia”

  1. Looks like you had a good time there😃
    I think we visited Savannah on one of our tours around the different states in America, together with Jomar and Bente. Must have been in 2009😃
    Is’nt that the town where the steam boat are touring on the river? I remember us walking along the river on a nice walkway😃

    1. We had a wonderful time in Savannah.
      And, yes, what you describe sounds like it could have been Savannah.

  2. Thank you for taking me to Savannah on this bitterly cold Minnesota morning. What a beautiful city of squares and historic buildings. And then those history lessons, so needed. It sounds like you had a fabulous visit.

    1. You’re welcome. It was an interesting and fun city to visit…easy to get around, so much history, such beautiful places to see…and on the Savannah River. I like river towns.

  4. Savannah is always a place I have wanted to visit. It looks as beautiful as I would expect it to look! What a lovely place to have visited!

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