Around Savannah

We left Hilton Head Tuesday morning and had a short 26 mile trip to Bahia Bleu Marina in Thunderbolt, GA near Savannah.  All charts, maps, GPS etc. say we are heading southward but it sure is cool and with the wind it feels down right chilly.  Once we got in Tuesday around noon, Keith and I did chores on the boat and I made dinner on board as it was just too cool to bother going out.

Wednesday, however, was finally sunnier and warmer so we did go into Savannah to see some sites.  Savannah’s history begins in Feb of 1733 when British General James Oglethorpe along with 120 passengers of the good ship “Anne” landed on the bluffs above the Savannah River and established a colony.  Oglethorpe named the 13^th and final American colony Georgia after England’s King George II.  Savannah became its first city.  Oglethorpe planned the city in grids and made plans to include multiple squares planted and groomed like small parks that remain across the city today. 

The largest park within the downtown area is Forsyth Park.  It was built in the 1840s and is some 30 acres, contains walking paths, a children’s play area, tennis courts, basketball courts, a Fragrance garden for the blind and a large fountain.   This is one of the most photographed landmarks in Savannah.

The fountain was added in 1858 and is reminiscent of Parisian parks of the time.  It has been used in several movies including The Longest Yard. 

The Confederate Memorial stands in the center of Forsyth Park.

It was made possible by several wives and daughters of Confederate soldiers who wanted to honor those that died for the Confederacy.  They had it made in Canada and shipped by boat to Savannah so as not to touch Northern soil.  This is the side of the memorial. 

Despite the areas long history with slavery, particularly with the large cotton plantations of the region; General Oglethorpe originally banned slavery when he first established the colony.  Of the 13 original colonies, Georgia was the only one whose charter prohibited slavery.  It lasted 18 years until 1751 when pressure from wealthy and influential colonists resulted in the reversal of this rule.  By that time Oglethorpe had returned to England.

Homes in the historic and Victorian areas of town are elaborate.  Here are some examples.

 Even the veterinary hospital is ornate.

Yes this is a vet hospital.

In addition to the homes and parks, there are what seems like dozens of churches, most of which also have long standing histories.  Keith and I walked through The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.

Originally the colonial charter of Savannah prohibited Roman Catholics from settling and practicing their religion in the city.  The English feared Catholics might be more likely to side with the Spanish who were settling Florida if hostilities broke out.  This prohibition soon faded and in 1799 the first Catholic church was established in Savannah.  The spires were not added until 1896 and the current stained-glass windows were added in 1904.

With all our trekking about the city, we needed some sustenance.  Leopold’s Ice Cream was the ticket.

Founded in 1919 by 3 brothers from Greece; George, Peter, and Basil Leopold perfected their secret formulas for ice cream.  They are credited with the invention of “Tutti-Frutti” flavored ice cream.  Although we did not have Tutti-Frutti, what we got was sure tasty.  Pengi even got to sample some.

Peter’s youngest son, Stratton Leopold, took over the business when his father and uncles passed away.  He later left Savannah to pursue his dream of working in Hollywood and became very successful in the movie industry.  He has been a producer of such films as Mission Impossible 3, The Sum of All Fears, The General’s Daughter, and The Big Chill.  The family still owns Leopold’s and the shop displays posters from the films in which Stratton has been involved.  

Quite a successful day.