Spanish moss, cemeteries, eccentric personalities, and Uga: this is how I had Savannah painted in my mind before my first visit in July 2009. The portrait in my head was influenced by John Berendt’s (mostly true) story Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Like many who have read the book, I felt compelled to venture south of my hometown in Northern Virginia to experience the Voodoo of the Georgia Low Lands. I wasn’t disappointed.
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ATTN: If you have not yet read the aforementioned book, you may want to wait to read this blog. There are one or two spoilers below.
Evening One – Entering Savannah
We were a little apprehensive as we drove into the county of Chatham. My boyfriend and I had driven nine hours from Northern Virginia and the first thing we saw upon entering Savannah territory was a lonely road littered by worn strip malls and DUI/Defensive Driving schools. Savannah does, after all, have a slight problem with drunk drivers. There was even such a school next to our hotel in the South Side of the city.
When we had first arrived at this hotel, it actually didn’t seem so bad until we walked inside. There was nobody at the front desk as we entered the lobby, just a note that said, “Call this number for receptionist..” We waited a long time for her arrival only to be told, “Sorry. I’m the only one working.”
The room was worse than the staff, but we maintained a positive attitude and saw it as motivation to escape and drive downtown.
As soon as we pulled out of the hotel parking lot, we became a bit more optimistic about the trip. We followed Abercorn Street in the direction of the Savannah River. Weeping trees as well as architectural masterpieces built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries hugged the sides of the road only to become grander as we drove around the squares. It was dark now and the town began to fill the sky with First Friday fireworks. I forgot about the South Side as I became hypnotized by the bursts of blues, greens, and purples detonating into the atmosphere. The same hues of blue that I saw in the air were also painted on many house shutters in the area. I later discovered that this is a Voodoo method of warding off evil spirits.
This was the Savannah that I had been anxious to discover!
July 4th – Bonaventure
Mercer Family Plot.
Independence Day. I spent most of America’s birthday visiting the deceased in Bonaventure Cemetery. As the late Minerva (Valerie Fennel Aiken Boles) from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was recorded to have said, “to understand the living, you got to commune with the dead.” I took her advice and visited the grave of Johnny Mercer, singer/songwriter who composed such songs as Hooray for Hollywood, Moon River, and Jeepers Creepers. He is buried alongside his parents and wife. I’m a huge fan of all of his work so it was a treat for me to see that his positive attitude has carried on into the afterlife; each grave in the plot has its own unique uplifting lyric line engraved upon it.
A short distance away from Mercer lies the plot of writer Conrad Aiken. According the “The Book” Conrad’s father killed his mother because she had too many parties. He then shot himself and Conrad was left an orphan at age ten. This family tragedy didn’t stop Aiken from enjoying a drink or two in his lifetime. In fact, his tombstone is in the shape of a bench so that visitors can stop by, have a seat, and enjoy a glass of Madeira. What a thoughtful gift to give to those who visit you.
Here is the grave of Danny Hansford (Billy Hanson). Danny Hansford was shot to death by Jim Williams (restorer of old homes and antiques dealer )in May of 1981. Danny was well known in Savannah for being a gigolo who was sought after by both men and women. Jim Williams was one of the people who was acquainted with Hansford in this way.
It was to my dismay to find out that two notable Savannahians who I thought were still alive are now buried in Bonaventure Cemetery. My respects to Jack Leigh, photographer for the front cover ofMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (the Bird Girl statue) and Laurice “Moe” Fetzer, Jr, otherwise known as inventor Luther Driggers.
UGA
Uga (pronounced Uh-Gah) is the beloved mascot for the University of Georgia. Uga VII, his father, his father’s father, and so on are so revered that they have their own restaurant. Visit one of the Dawg House Grills when you’re in the area and try an Uga Burger. The fried green tomatoes are well-seasoned and the waiters show genuine southern hospitality. Ours actually referred to us as “Y’all.” For some reason, it’s more endearing to hear this in Savannah than it is in Northern Virginia.
To-Go Cups and Fireworks
After half a day of cemeteries and Uga Burgers, we returned to our hotel to find that our room had not been cleaned and there were no clean towels!
We napped, showered, and used the same dirty towels. Once again, motivation to venture out of the hotel. We drove down town pretty early in the evening, which was a good choice as we were able to find a parking spot in a random garage. The cost was $15, but we were parked for several hours.
It was this evening that we took our time to enjoy the squares: Chippewa, Lafayette, Warren, etc. We made sure to visit Monterey Square. This is where the Mercer-Williams house is located. As Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil explains, Johnny Mercer never lived in this house.It was built by his great-grandfather. It is here where both Danny Hansford and Jim Williams took their last breathes.
Mercer Williams House
After hours of walking around the squares and up and down crowded River Street and Bay Street, we tried to find a place to dine. Note to anyone who visits Savannah on the 4th of July (and more importantly on St. Patrick’s Day) make sure to expect a wait of two hours for any restaurant along River Street. We had more luck on neighboring Bay Street. This is where we visited the famous Moon River Brewery. It is located next to another famous public house, Churchill’s Restaurant & Pub.
The hostess told us that we would have to wait an hour for a seat, but we were seated in twenty minutes. The house beers were extraordinary. We also ordered an appetizer of oysters on the half shell which consisted of pesto and walnuts. My vegi-burger was also the best that I have ever had. It was nutty and moist unlike others I have ordered elsewhere. The best part of our meal was when we had finished. We were going to leave our cocktails and beer behind, but the waitress reminded us that we had the option of to-go cups. The offer was, of course, accepted!
We paid our bill and walked outside with our cups in time to view the fireworks over the Savannah River. They lasted about twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes to watch fireworks, an hour and a half to exit the garage we had parked in. Another note; make sure to leave town before the fireworks end.
When we returned to our hotel room, it still hadn’t been cleaned. We realized that perhaps it just wasn’t going to happen.
July 5th -Firetrucks
The time was 1 am and we were just about to drift off to sleep when our quiet, dark room suddenly turned into a disco. The fire alarms had gone off and we evacuated the building. Not everyone thought that it was necessary to exit. I noticed as we sat in the parking lot that there were others inside gazing out the windows at us.
We sat outside of the building and within no time three or four Savannah fire trucks had wailed their way to the hotel. A young man who seemed slightly intoxicated had walked up to us and said, “Happy Fourth! How is your evening going tonight?!” We muttered, “Fantastic..”
An older lady with an oxygen tank sat inside the lobby as the firemen rushed in and up the stairs. They were soon back outside to announce, “You can all go back inside. Some drunk kid pulled the fire alarm.” There was no investigation.
Tybee Island
Waking up the morning after Independence Day was rough. We managed to drag ourselves out of bed, wash ourselves in the dirty bathroom we had developed a love-hate relationship to, and headed out forTybee Island.
A lot of driving was involved here as the price for parking was horrendous. We couldn’t even park at restaurants or churches for free. There were signs everywhere that required a price to park. I scrounged up a few quarters from my purse, enough for a half hour, and we walked down to the beach. The relaxation on the sand was well worth a few quarters. I would have liked to have spent more time on Tybee, preferably in a beach house, but our meter ran out and we decided to return to the mainland for more Chatham County fun! I found nothing uniquely special about Tybee; it’s just a typical laid back beach community. I’m sure there is more to it than I know so I plan on exploring the place more next time I’m in the area.
Fort Pulaski
It's a fort!
Fort Pulaski is located on the bridge to Tybee Island. This is a place packed with history, gorgeous scenery, and costs only $3 per adult which covers a week of return visits. If you enjoy forts, palm trees, and old men dressed in civil war gear, then this is the place for you. According to postings around the fort, there are also alligators in the vicinity. I, unfortunately, did not find any.
The Pirates House Restaurant
Some may consider this a tourist trap, but we looked past the brochures and souvenirs in the entrance in order to enjoy everything this place had to offer. Hospitable waiters, delicious food, and history. The Pirates House had once been frequented by, yes, pirates of the 18th century. For more information, visit the website via the link provided above.
Savannah She-Crab Soup. So good, I ate most of it before taking the picture.
The food was perfect. Everything on our plates was straight from the local waters and melted in our mouths. I enjoyed an oyster poboy. It was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Seafood heaven on a bun! When dining in the South, it’s important to put your routine health regime to the back corners of your mind and just enjoy.
If you are to try anything at this restaurant, order the She-Crab soup. It’s rich, creamy, and loaded with crab meat! The soup was so delicious that I wasn’t able to hold back from eating it in time to take a good picture.
One thing that I could have lived without while dining at The Pirates House. Pirates. We were approached by one lady pirate who shared with us some politically incorrect stories of experiences she had had at sea. Uncomfortable and silent, my boyfriend and I sat in anticipation of her departure. When eating out, the last thing I want to deal with is a cheesy gimmick. Maybe it wasn’t a gimmick though. Perhaps she was a real pirate of the Pirate House past. The place is said to be haunted.
The Piggly Wiggly
By the time our trip was over, my boyfriend was about to kill me. Not because we had spent every waking hour together for the past ninety-six hours or so, but because every time we would drive by aPiggly Wiggly I would excitedly say, “I’m bringin’ you to the Piggly Wiggly Ms. Daisy!” This was my first time ever stepping foot into this magnificent grocery store. Founded in Tennessee and not in Georgia, but no matter! Another southern establishment with a fascinating story.
July 6th – Clary’s
On the morning of July 6th we ate at Clary’s. Located on Abercorn Street (in a nicer part of town) it looked exactly as we had imagined it from the book and precisely as it had in the less than spectacular movie.When ordering at Clary’s, don’t be shocked to not find fruits and vegetables on the menu. They have only grits, sausages, pancakes, along with plenty of other heart-stoppers. The way it should be at a diner.
The Lady and Sons
Food Network’s star Paula Deen’s restaurant. We saw it, but we did not enter it. The sidewalk was wrapped with people and we were not eager enough to join them. In order to get a reservation at this place, you have to arrive early, get in line, and get on the list for later in the day. Try Paula’s brother’s restaurant Uncle Bubba’s instead. It’s an oyster house that is tucked away at the side of the road on the way to Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island. No reservations are needed. Just walk in y’all!
Here Comes the Rain Again
Savannah is hot, so thank goodness for its monsoon-like weather to cool a person off. Thank goodness unless you’re caught outside without an umbrella! We spent another day and evening walking around the squares and ended up getting soaked in a freak downpour. The rain brought our on-foot adventures to a stop and we had to take shelter at a bar on River Street called Tubby’s Tank House. We planned on staying for a drink or two, but we met so many interesting people from the community that we found it hard to drag ourselves away.
After and before the rain.
One thing to know about Tubby’s: $1 shot every time a ship passes by.
Our Savannah Local
If you don’t know a soul in Savannah, talk to the locals. Our evening of rain-soaked clothing turned into one of the best nights of the entire trip because we made friends. Locals in this town know where the yummiest restaurants in the area are, where to get the best deals on hotels, and they know more about the history of the place than you would find in any textbook or online. We met one particular resident of the downtown area who we dubbed “our Savannah local.” An entire night was spent discussing the firsts of the town: the first golf course, first Girl Scout Troop, and the first working cotton gin. Okay, we didn’t discuss the cotton gin, we’re not that boring. I was also fortunate enough to see inside his brilliant nineteenth-century home. Built in 1808 and located on one of the town squares (I won’t mention which one) we finally felt as though we were insiders. We sat on the porch of his home to talk and enjoy the drizzling rain. I joked about the passing tour carriages packed full of passengers. It was a surprise when he told us that he had taken a tour or two himself in his lifetime. According to our friend, take a carriage tour! They’re very informative.
We meant to see him the following evening for dinner. He had also gotten us into a better hotel (five star) downtown for the same price as we were paying to stay in our slum in the South Side. It was unfortunate that we had to leave early. Family matters had brought my boyfriend and I back home to Virginia, but the tears we shed couldn’t fill a bucket. The reason? Because we will no doubt be back very soon!
Reflections
We have been home a few weeks now and the buzz from Savannah still hasn’t passed. Virginia is for lovers, but Savannah has character that you won’t find in any other place. Neighboring Beaufort and Charleston were two other places that we visited on our way home. They were beautiful too, but Beaufort had the feel of a small town in Virginia. Charleston had streets filled with expensive stores and the people walking in front of them had the money to shop in them. We didn’t! Lovely places in their own right, but we meshed better with Savannah.
Savannah is relaxed, charming, and unique. It’s a special place because the people who live there maintain the culture and keep outside influences at a distance while progressing from within. They have one of the best art colleges in the country, SCAD, and hold more “firsts” in U.S. history than some major cities. So progressive, yet still has managed to stay a small town and keep large companies at bay. I’ve never been to another place like it in this country, and that’s hard to say nowadays. If you haven’t had a visit, just try it. I hope you enjoy your time there as much as my boyfriend and I did.
