...GEORGIA ON MY MIND...
Sighing through the magnolias...
Sipping mint juleps....
Swinging lazily underneath the shade trees..
Hummingbirds floating in the air...
Above the azaleas and the roses...
Don't you wish you were here.... ?
From the beaches to the mountains, Georgia captivates her natives
and the tourists who come to swim in the ocean or raft her white waters.
refuge colony for debtors and prisoners of England’s prisons.
This historic city was the capital of Georgia from 1754 to 1786.
During the 18th and 19th centuries it was a center for overseas
trade and the financial and cultural hub for the planters.
Trade was based primarily on cotton. During the Civil War,
Savannah was the most heavily fortified city in Georgia,
but was captured in December 1864 by Gen. William T. Sherman.
(Actually, it was handed over by the city fathers who thought that preferable
to letting Sherman burn the city.)
Sherman sent a telegram to President Abraham Lincoln informing
the president
that he was presenting Savannah to him as a Christmas gift.
(Another slight for which Sherman will never be forgiven!)
Savannah is Georgia's major seaport, its oldest city,
and the seat of Chatham County.
This beautiful lady is located at the mouth of the
Savannah River.
This is the fountain in Forsyth Park, the largest park in the downtown area. This fountain was shipped to Savannah in error by the foundry. The order for Savannah's fountain was for one with an Indian maiden on the top. This fountain has an Inca Princess on it and was ordered by Peru. Somewhere in Peru is our fountain!
In 1990, the population was 137,560. However, it is now approximately 300,000.
The city's historic residential section contains more than 900 beautiful homes,
many lining the parks and squares which were laid out by General Oglethorpe.
Historic churches, cathedrals and temples also impart charm to the area.
Factor’s Walk, a series of footbridges from Bay Street
down to River Street, is paved with cobblestones brought
for ballast from England in the colony’s early days.
On River Street, nearly 80,000 square feet of
previously abandoned or empty warehouse space
(which held cotton in previous centuries) you can peruse
from nearly 70 restaurants, shops and businesses.
Festivals are regularly held on River Street,
including the First Saturday Festival which is held
the first of every month and which features arts and
crafts from local artists and artisans from all over the southeast.
Above is the Cotton Exchange where the cotton was traded. The expression "fair to middlin" originated in warehouses like this one. "Fair to middlin" is actually a grade of cotton. (Not the best grade, as you would imagine.)
You may recognize the statue above. It was made famous by the novel,
_Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil_.
The statue stood until recently in Bonaventure Cemetary, on the grave
of a Savannah family's beloved daughter
who met an untimely death.
Because of the photograph on the cover of the book
(yes, known around Savannah as "The Book"),
the statue had to be removed from the cemetery
so that the poor child's grave would not be
trampled by sightseers in search of a photograph
of themselves standing next to the statue.
This is the true, ironic tragedy of The Book,
that the symbol of a family's grief is used for monetary gain.
On the way to spend some time at the beach, visitors
will see historic Fort Pulaski, designed by Count Pulaski
and fortified by a young engineer named Robert E. Lee.
Fort Pulaski still stands proudly bearing her scars
from injuries received during the War of Northern Aggression.
Tybee Island is located 14 miles east of Savannah
on the Atlantic Ocean.
Tourists as well as locals enjoy watching the waves roll onto the beach
from the Pavilion, or sunbathing or swimming in the warm Atlantic waters.
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The Tybee Lighthouse is the oldest and tallest lighthouse
in Georgia. The infrastructure dates back to 1773,
when General James Oglethorpe ordered the lighthouse built.
A small beacon was built on Tybee Island, lighting the way
for supplies and settlers to safely reach the colony of
Savannah on the Savannah River. The lighthouse was not
completed, however, until 1867.
The walls are over 12 feet think at the base, tapering to
approximately 18 inches at the top.
Visitors are welcome to climb the 178 steps to the
top of the lighthouse and enjoy the view.
There is a picture of the lighthouse on the next page.
Warning! The map is very slow to load, but worth the wait.
Ya'll come see us!
Don't foget to come back to these pages to see what other cities are featured!
In the meantime, enjoy these links:
If you are a Southern Woman, please see this page about a brand new web ring just for you! .....
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......Savannah........
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