It is a bus tour to the South this time. We are stopping in Bluffton, SC and touring Savannah as well as St. Simon and Jekyll Island. Then, we will tour Charleston before returning home.
We were given a brand new bus and a wonderful (very experienced) driver. There were pull down shades that we could still see through, charging outlets at every seat, trays to fold down, and cup holders that securely held our cup/bottle. There were two sets of seats where you could play cards or just face each other and talk. We played Cribbage at the table seat.
We stopped at Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q in Bluffton, SC. This is where I learned that mac & cheese is a vegetable. 😂 I ordered a veggie platter and I received a mac & cheese, potato salad, and corn. After all, I am in the South.
The hotel we were originally assigned to decided to close and renovate but fortunately the alternate hotel was very nice and had a swimming pool. It was nice to stretch and relax in the water after a day sitting on the bus.
DAY 1 - Savannah, GA
After some sleep, we headed to Savannah and toured the city via a trolley. The plan was to see the city by trolley, then walk the same streets to spend some time at the areas we were interested in and use the Hop On Hop Off trolley all day to get around. The problem I had was the trolley stops were marked with numbers on the map but the signs on the streets didn't have any numbers. We were confused as to which bus stops were for the Hop On Hop Off trolley and which were for the other buses/trolleys running the same routes. We managed.
Savannah is laid out in wards (rectangle squares) with a central square (park) in the middle of each. Each square has its own significance. John Berendt’s 1994 book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, takes place in Savannah, I think. The movie was filmed in parts of the city.
General James Edward Oglethorpe arrived in 1733 with a plan to create a settlement that would be classless, meaning no slaves. He also prohibited rum and lawyers. But the trustees allowed slaves and rum.
Increased commerce and the railroad tracks brought an influx of Irish workers. As a result of this influx, St. Patrick’s day celebrations begin a few days before and end a few days after March 17th.
My first stop was The Prohibition Museum. I thought it was fascinating but I am not sure how my fellow travelers felt about it. I had just finished watching all the Downton Abbey seasons and movies (a new movie is coming out September 2025) and the Prohibition Era was around this time period.
The Temperance Movement began back in 1850 and was interesting reading the propaganda fliers encouraging everyone to vote for a dry country. Lots of good information about the effect the drinking had on the other family members.
"Drinking was (and still is) a vital part of the American culture...In colonial times, beer regularly replaced bad water...even the Puritans drank beer." They loaded 42 tons of it on the Mayflower. "By the late 1700s, (George) Washington operated rye whiskey stills at Mount Vernon that produced some 11,000 gallons, making him one of the largest distillers in the U.S. at the time" (information from the Prohibition Museum).
Moonshiners made liquor at night by the light of the moon - hence the name "moonshiners." Do you know these terms: mash, still, Thumper keg, Worm? They are all used in making moonshine.
How about "Blind Pig" or "Blind Tiger"? You might buy a ticket to see one of these animals or other exotic animals and receive a complimentary drink (liquor). This would be at an establishment that catered to the lower class. A Speakeasy usually required you to purchase food along with your drink and you usually dressed up with a coat and tie or a dress. Also, walking blind tigers would carry flasks of liquor and "share a little" with people passing by who appeared to be asking for directions or just talking.
In 1920, with the Volstead Act (Prohibition), Coca-Cola capitalized on the now dry country and advertised their refreshing drink as wholesome and alcohol-free thus establishing itself as a household drink during the Prohibition Era.
Wine became available but it was in the form of a brick and you had directions of how to turn the brick into grape juice along with a warning to "avoid" creating wine.
People were very creative in devising ways to carry their illegal spirits.
Gangsters delivered their spirits using fancy Peerless cars. It showed off their wealth to drive around in these fancy cars.
Need a costume for the holiday? Here is what the gangsters wore.
This is a submarine still from Virginia.
Next, we stopped at a Byrd's Famous Cookie retail store. I grew up in the south until around age 8 but I was unaware of this cookie chain that had its start in Savanna, GA. It has been around since 1924 and five generations have continued this family cookie business. It is famous for its Scotch Oatmeal cookie.
Time for lunch. We had a variety of choices: The Old Pink House, Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room, and Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons Restaurant. These are all in the old district and each one was recommended by our tour guide. Our group split up and my group went to The Old Pink House which is an historic Georgian mansion built in 1771. It is the oldest 18th century mansion still standing as well as the first place in Savannah where the Declaration of Independence was read aloud. It was built for James Habersham Jr., a rice planter. The pink exterior is because the red brick seeping through the white stucco. It served classic Southern cuisine. Another group went to Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room which serves classic Southern comfort foods family style. Another group went to Paula Deen's restaurant where ... guess who shows up but Paula Deen! Everyone had a wonderful lunch experience.
Their cheese straws were delicious!
We entered the restaurant from the back street entrance and sat in a small area near the bar, Planter’s Tavern. (pictures from Google search website) To see more pictures of this beautiful restaurant, click on the link below.
Mrs Wilkes Dining Room (pictures from restaurant website). This is the most authentic southern dining around a communal table and eating the best fried chicken and often described as Savannah’s original comfort food paradise.
Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons Restaurant (image from website search) with a store next door.
Now to begin our walk around the historic area. But first, we stop for ice cream.
Some maps are better than others and I did not research this before our trip. We had a little difficulty interpreting our map. Historic Savannah is laid out in a grid pattern with lots of squares (parks) - 23 squares I believe.
The area is very shaded with live oak trees. These trees do not shed their leaves - they are green all year. Savannah is very proud of their live oak trees even though the trees make it hard on the traffic but they give the appearance as Savannah was when it was first settled. They started a tree planning committee in 1891 and now some of the trees are over 100 years old. They can grow to over 60' tall and 80' wide. See the tree list here. https://treestoseesavannah.com/
A lot of the trees have Spanish Moss hanging from them. The "moss" is not Spanish nor is it moss. It is actually an air plant and we were cautioned not to touch or attempt to take some home as they are filled with chiggers and chiggers bite.
General James Edward Oglethorpe founded and established the colony of Georgia, February 12, 1733 is in Oglethorpe Square. The general is facing south, towards the Spanish. We looked for the bench site from the movie Forest Gump and could not recognize the spot where the bench had been placed. The grass and shrubbery looked different than what was in the film but the statue is in the background so we knew we were in the right place. The original bench is in the Savannah History Museum.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist has a long history and has moved a few times because they out grew their buildings. French Catholics from Haiti came to Savannah along with French nobles fleeing the French Revolution in 1789. The church at this site laid the cornerstone in 1873 and it was dedicated in 1876. The spires and stucco were added in 1896 but a fire destroyed much of the building in 1898. Mass resumed in 1899 but it took 14 more years to complete the renovations. In 2020, Pope Francis elevated the church to a minor basilica. This honor is given based on various elements: historical significance, architectural significance, and the number of visitors (about 300,00 each year).
Houses in Savannah come in a variety of styles. Most homes do not have basements because of the clay soil, above average rainfall, and poor drainage. Therefore, many houses have the first floor up one flight of stairs. The amount of iron railing indicates how wealthy you are. In Scottish tradition (and in Savannah), a red door means the mortgage as been paid off (red is a more expensive paint and now you could afford it). In the South, a red door also means people/travelers are welcome. During Civil War times, a red door indicated it was a safe house for runaway slaves. In general, a red door meant you had much, including money. A blue door is said to ward off wandering spirits as the blue symbolizes water. Pineapples above the door indicate all are welcome.
Juliet Lowe's birthplace is the headquarters for the Girl Scout organization. It was listed as a National Historic Landmark District in 2007.
John Wesley Monument resides in Reynolds Square, was erected in 1969, and is the first erected monument to honor a religious figure. John was only in Savannah about 2 years but he founded the Methodist sect of Protestant Christianity and he is also credited with the idea of Sunday School for the congregation. Here in the statue he is wearing his Church of England vestments and holding a Bible in his hand as if preaching to his congregation.
Big Duke, an alarm bell, was constructed in 1872 and retired in 1985. It moved to its present site and is a memorial site for fire fighters.
Colonial Park Cemetery was established in 1750 as the burial grounds for Christ Church but in 1789 it accepted people from all denominations. It was closed in 1853 before the start of the Civil War. It was used by the Union soldiers as a home site and it is believed they damaged and changed some of the headstones.
We ventured down to the riverfront to see the statue of The Waving Girl and the Olympic Cauldron. The waving girl (Florence Martus - 1868 to 1943) would greet ships by waving her handkerchief or towel during the day light hours and then switched to a lantern at night. The sailors began to respond to her waving by blowing 3 blasts of the whistle. She never missed a ship. The legend is she fell in love with a sailor and started to wave at every ship in hopes that he would see her. Another legend states she lost a dear friend to the sea. These are both untrue. Florence was lonely and it brought her much joy to wave to the ships and have the sailors wave back. She became a symbol of what the sailors left behind and what they were returning to. When she died, over 300 sailors came to her funeral.
The Welcome Center had some interesting facts. I am surprised that Mac & Cheese wasn't listed as a favorite or as a vegetable. Twice I ordered a veggie platter as my meal choice and both times I received mac & cheese as one of my vegetables.
Our dinner stop was at Houlihan's Restaurant. We had an appetizer choice of potato soup or a salad, then a main (for me I chose salmon), and a brownie for dessert. It was all very good, but naturally I enjoyed the brownie the best.
The Historic Savannah Theatre offered a wonderful two hour show with music from Pop, Motown, Broadway, and more. Plus, a skit or two thrown in. A special guest sang for us as well. It is a show you don't want to miss if you visit Savannah.
I walked over 19,000 steps that day (over 7 miles). It was great!
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