Three Perfect Days in Savannah, Georgia

We had come from Chicago where it was much too cold to Panama City, Panama where it was much too hot. Then on the way home from Florida, we stopped in Savannah where the weather was just right. We arrived in Savannah in the middle of March. The azaleas were in bloom and the temperatures were in the 70’s with no rain.

Usually, when we go to another city, we have a few places that we plan to see. This time, however, we were content to just walk around this beautiful city. I had heard that Savannah was nice but it exceeded either of our expectations. The historic district is divided into twenty-four districts each one with a square. This was the original plan for Savannah when it was established in 1733. Each square has many very mature trees providing beautiful shade. With the azaleas and other flowers in bloom, each square was exquisite.

As if that wasn’t enough, the architecture of Savannah is wonderfully preserved from this time period. The beautiful cobble stoned streets and vintage buildings are great to see. The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a major part of the city and it has a lot of influence on the city’s current development. SCAD has a museum which we heard was wonderful but we didn’t get to visit it this time.

We did have time to go to the City Market Art Center where we met some very talented artists and artisans. Their studios were open and we were lucky to meet them. Jerry Taylor’s shop had many beautiful prints and she talked to us about her work. It was evident that she is very dedicated to it. She has painted much of the Gullah culture, former slaves from many African cultures that live on the barrier islands. Gullah is the dialect that they evolved to be able to communicate with one another across many tribal languages. I couldn’t resist buying a print.

artist Jerry Taylor in her studio

Next, we visited with Diane at Diane’s knitting studio. Besides making beautiful knit hats and scarves, she has classes where she teaches young people how to knit. In addition to her work, she sells earrings left to her by her late husband. Some of these are really special and I had to buy a pair.

Diane and me in her knitting studio

As we walked around Savannah’s beautiful streets, we were reminded that two very accomplished women lived there. One was the short story writer Flannery O’Connor. Her acerbic style is unique and I’d enjoyed reading some of her short stories. The tour of her childhood home, which takes about an hour, was very enjoyable.

childhood home of Flannery O'Connor

Being in Savannah on the weekend, we saw many groups of girls wearing their green Girl Scout uniforms. They were there to pay homage to the founder of American Girl Scouting. I had forgotten that Juliette Gordon Low grew up in Savannah. I wanted to visit her childhood home but the tours were sold out. We did get to see the outside of her house. Since I’d been a Brownie and then a Girl Scout, that was very exciting. On our next visit, we’ll have to take the tour. I am all ready to go back there.

childhood home of Juliette Gordon Low