March 2024: Savannah, GA & Charleston, SC

Years ago, my sister and I did a long weekend in Charleston, SC.  I loved it and have always wanted to see it again.  I had read that Savannah, GA was wonderful as well, and it was another destination on my list.  Finally! So many years later but I made it to both.  Savannah sits along the aptly named Savannah River, which is large enough for cargo ships to navigate into the port there.  The first thing I visited was Forsyth Park with its famous fountain and live oak trees draped with Spanish moss.  This iconic scene was made famous in the movie called Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  I know I saw the movie but couldn’t tell you a thing about it except for this square. It was a beautiful day to see this square and the old ornate mansions along the outskirts of the park. There are a lot of architectural similarities between Savannah and Charleston, but Savannah is dotted all throughout with these small garden-like squares with benches to sit and contemplate life!  Or feed the pigeons?! The azaleas so prevalent in the southeast were all in full bloom here.  So pretty! Buildings along the river front are very old, and this is where Savannah shines.  River Street is an eclectic blend of shops, restaurants, breweries, and a wonderful promenade walkway along the river.  The old buildings mixed with new ones are quite the contrast.  A modern bridge that crosses the river is an architectural wonder and quite unique (although Charleston has one just like it)!

My first foray away from the city was to Wormsloe Plantation which is mostly tabby ruins now with some old farm buildings and historical information.  The most beautiful part of this plantation was the mile long drive with live oaks making a canopy over the road. There was a choice to ride the tram or walk this portion. I opted for the tram down and walked coming back.  It was another beautiful day and I’m so glad I walked back through the canopied drive which is still dirt.  And yes, it really is a mile long with 400 Live Oak trees lining the sides! It was incredible and so peaceful!

Palm Sunday was the perfect day to take a tour of Bonaventure Cemetery! This place is a garden, park, and cemetery all together!  It was intended to be that way when created and people use it to run, walk their dogs, enjoy nature, etc.  Paschal was our guide and a phenomenal one. He is a historian with a background in theology as well.  Perfect for Palm Sunday!  Paschal told us about the history of the prominent families buried there including musician/songwriter Johnny Mercer and his family.  My favorite part was the symbolism behind different parts of the plot or headstones.  A half wreath means one thing, and a full wreath another.  Of course, the language of flowers told a story as well.  A broken column or tree trunk meant a ‘life cut short’.  Many headstones had urns and veils on them (of course I can’t remember the symbolism now).  In the 1800s people were afraid of being buried alive (by accident). There was an option (we saw one) to have an air vent and bell added to your plot.  A string was tied to a toe or finger of the deceased so in case they woke up they could ring the bell above ground.  This is where our phrases of ‘Saved by the Bell’ and ‘Dead Ringer’ came from.  It was a gorgeous place with trees and flowers blooming.  It would be a great place to be buried, but alas, all plots are sold!

On to Charleston, SC. It’s amazing how things change over the years. Areas that I remember as being run down are now renovated and spruced up.  On my first trip to Charleston I was intrigued with all the interesting shops and galleries. Although there are still lots of galleries, the shops have turned into the typical touristy stuff.  It was fun going through the market which had more unique items.  I did a lot of walking here!  There is a beautiful bay front park with Charleston’s famous ‘Pineapple’ fountain and long pier with covered swinging seats. 

I took a boat tour to Fort Sumter where the first shot rang out and started the Civil War.  Since I have been to quite a few forts on my journeys, this one was not too exciting.  The boat ride going out to the island was the best part as we got an up-close view of the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier.  There were a few dolphins swimming around too, which is always a treat!

Out away from the city, I saw several awesome places!  First was Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens.  It was a little pricey, but so worth it.  This time the mansion is still standing and furnished much as it was in its heyday.  It is still a private residence, so the tour of the home is of the downstairs only. The gardens were very manicured, and many flowers were blooming.  Just beautiful especially on a fine Spring Day!  I wish I’d know how much there was to do and see here.  I allowed only half a day to see it and could easily have filled the entire day.  There are different sections to the plantation and each one has a program or talk to provide history on how the plantation worked and how people lived.  This was in the day of slavery, so there was a row of Slaves Quarters made of brick with placards giving the history of slavery.  An African American woman gave a talk about the Gullah-Geechee culture. It included plants and how they used them for medicinal or cooking purposes.  The slaves shipped from Africa all spoke different languages or dialects.  They created one language called Gullah that incorporated some of each language, including French and English. As slaves, they weren’t allowed to speak their Gullah language to each other (masters thought they were plotting escapes). So the songs they sang in the fields were a way of communicating to each other how to escape, where to go, etc.  But it all sounded very benign (Swing Low, Sweet Chariot). It was quite fascinating! 

Other areas of the plantation were the Cotton Gin and the Stables which had their own talks, but I didn’t have enough time to do them all. There was also a tram ride that takes you around the outside of the property. The narrator talked about the different crops grown there, and how they have created better ways of growing them. They have their own beehives for pollination purposes and grow different types of plants that help the bees thrive. This plantation is the longest continuously operating farm in the South Carolina… over 320 years.  If you’re ever in the Charleston area, this place is a must see!

Shem Creek boardwalk was listed in the ‘top’ things to do in Charleston. It was north of Charleston in Mount Pleasant.  The boardwalk trail starts out in a typical flooded grassy area. There were multiple people out kayaking as there are creeks/rivers that snake through the grass. Eventually the boardwalk leads to an intersection. One fork goes out to an observation platform, and the other goes along a river canal.  I took this latter part first and was I in for a surprise! First of all, it was a glorious sunny and warmish day. All along the river canal were restaurants, fishing & shrimping boats, pleasure boats, and lots of kayakers out enjoying the beautiful day on the water.  Oh, and don’t forget the motor-powered Tiki Bars that can be rented with a bartender!  It had such a vibrant, alive feeling.  Almost tropical!  In addition to the boats and people were lots of Pelicans hoping for handouts from the fishermen.  Some dolphins had also made a trip up the river and were looking for fish no doubt.  The kayakers were loving having the dolphins come up so close to them!  Heading back down to the other end of the boardwalk and observation platform, you could see where the river goes out into the ocean.  There are always people willing to strike up a conversation, and so I had a nice chat with several folks there.

I headed down the road to another walk that was highly rated. This was an old railroad bed and bridge converted to a walking/biking trail. It was beautiful there with similar marsh and water scenery. By then, the wind had picked up and it became quite chilly, so I called it a day!

For my 63^rd birthday (OMG!), I spent part of a day at Folly Beach near where I was staying. This was also Easter Sunday, so I was so surprised by the hordes of people at the beach!  The wind was cold, and I was a little bundled up. There were many people in bathing suits laying in the sun. I couldn’t see how they could be warm at all! I had a fun time walking along looking at shells and the occasional dolphin that swam by.  I treated myself to a nice lunch at Florence’s Lowcountry Kitchen. Blackened Chicken with vegetables on top of cheesy grits.  It was yummy!

Well, this is getting to be quite long, but I did a LOT!  Til Next Time…