Journeying Geographer: Day 56: Historic Downtown Savannah

Another trolley tour today. We took Old Town Trolley (there are several tour companies operating here, and being Sunday and perfect weather, all were quite busy). We've taken a tour with them in San Diego, and knew they were good, and we weren't disappointed today. Surprising as it may sound, after seeing Charleston, Savannah was a bit of a let-down. If we had come here first, we would have been more impressed, I'm sure, but the buildings in Charleston are more grand, the architecture more varied, and the history more compelling.

Savannah has some interesting and unique features, such as 22 squares (small one block parks throughout the historic downtown district). They all kind of look alike, though, so after seeing most of them today on the tour, it was a welcome relief to finally get to the riverfront. Savannah is a major shipping port, and is in fact the second-largest container port on the east coast. It is located about 20 miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean on the Savannah River, which is dredged to maintain a 42 foot deep navigation channel for the large ships. We walked along the riverfront, exploring the shops and taking photos. For lunch, it was Bernie's, a pub-style restaurant. I had a different variation of the low country boil today, with andouille sausage, shrimp, crawfish, corn on the cob, baby potatoes, and cole slaw (and of course, sweet tea, or "southern water" as I call it, since it's a staple of their diet).

After lunch, we boarded another trolley and got off at Ellis Square. We walked a couple of blocks to see Lady & Sons, Paula Deen's buffet restaurant (few gluten free options here, although there is a gluten free menu, believe it or not). We also toured the gift shop, which was filled with her cookbooks, cooking apparel and utensils, and sauces and spices.

After finishing our trolley tour, we drove back toward our lodging, a semi-detached house in the historic district. But first, we made a stop at Forsyth Park, the largest park downtown. It has playing fields as well as a large fountain. We took some photos and just relaxed, enjoying the sunny 85 degree afternoon. In the shade and with a cool breeze, it felt perfect. I'm not missing the October rains and wind in western Oregon!