Putting pen to paper to write out a goal or dream is incredibly powerful. Whether it be New Year’s resolutions, intentions for the month, or a bucket list, the action of writing down a want or desire has massive effects. One such item on my bucket list is staying in a Bed and Breakfast in Savannah, Georgia. Earlier this month, we realized that we had an unused Delta companion flight that would expire at the end of January. Rather than lose the free round trip ticket, we opted to book a last minute flight to Savannah for the three day weekend. We stayed at Forsyth Park Inn, a historic home renovated beautifully with an expansive porch to boot.
Per usual, we found a city tour to get our bearings and inform us of the illustrious history of the old town. We stopped at the famous Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. The cathedral was built 1876 in Neo-Gothic style. The spires overlook Lafayette Square and can be seen from nearly every aspect of the city.
There are hundreds of renovated historic homes in Savannah, many are available to tour inside. The Davenport House, built in 1820, was the first act of the Historic Savannah Foundation, which has gone on to save hundreds buildings in the historic city.
Who loves Girl Scout cookies? Anyone who answers no should be banned from this planet. This home was the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.
The Owens-Thomas House is located on the corner of Oglethorpe Square. It was built in 1816.
The construction of the Mercer House began in 1860. It is well known, thanks to the 1994 Berendt book titled Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Here at the Mercer House, Danny Hansford, Jim Williams’ assistant, was shot. Before this murder, two other people had died in this same house. In 1913, an owner tripped over the second floor banister and died. In 1969, a boy chasing birds on the roof fell over the edge and impaled himself on the iron fence below. I’m sure the walls of this house have more than a few stories to tell.
The Sorrel Weed house is considered one of the most haunted buildings in Savannah, which is quite telling given the plethora of ghost tours around the historic town.
On our first night in Savannah, we meandered along River Street, a raucous crowd of bars and restaurants fueled by tourists and the ever famous “open container” laws. We fetched our own frozen drinks at Wet Willie’s and ate dinner overlooking the Savannah River at Tubby’s. For dessert, we nabbed an ice cream cone at Leopold’s Ice Cream before heading to Club One for after dinner drinks. Lady Chablis, a famous drag queen featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, brought Club One to fame. It is a quintessential small town gay bar.
For lunch one day, we hit up Crystal Beer Parlor, a locals’ favorite.
On Sunday morning, we made our way to Wormsloe Historic Site. The entrance to the prior Wormsloe Plantation is the postcard view of Savannah, long rows of live oaks with dripping Spanish moss along the branches. The plantation was established by one of Georgia’s founders, Noble Jones in the 1700’s.
After strolling through Wormsloe, we headed to Bonaventure Cemetery. Like many sites in Savannah, it became famous by Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The book cover featured the Bird Girl, a sculpture in the cemetery that has since been moved. Other notables buried in this cemetery include the musician Johnny Mercer, the prior governor Edward Telfair, and many civil war heroes.
Luckily, our bed and breakfast was situated along Forsyth Park which provided a gorgeous running route.
Savannah and all of its southern charm did not disappoint. We are forever grateful for weekend getaways and the opportunity to make our dreams come true through travel.