April 2017
On our first morning in Savannah, we booked a walking tour of the Historic District with a local tour guide. We turned out to be her only customers for that morning so we wound up getting a personal tour. She was great. She grew up and lived in Savannah all her life. She covered a ton of interesting sites. We managed to check a lot off our to-do list. After lunch, we decided to grab tickets for the Georgia Queen riverboat tour. Later we took a walk to Emmett Park and finished the day walking along the riverfront, as we would do most nights.

At our first of many squares, Telfair Square, to meet our tour guide

The Telfair Museums

Exploring City Market

Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue Monument has the longest name of any monument I can think of. It honors a group of Haitian soldiers from the revolutionary war.

Exploring City Market

Johnny Mercer, one of Savannah’s favorite sons reads a newspaper in City Market

Savannah City Hall

Savannah City Hall

The Nathanael Greene Monument honors one of the most gifted and dependable officers of the Revolutionary War.

The carriage horses are all ready for Easter

William Washington Gordon Monument. He was a 19th century mayor of Savannah and founder of the Central Georgia Railway.

William Washington Gordon Monument. He was a 19th century mayor of Savannah and founder of the Central Georgia Railway.

Tomo-Chi-Chi Memorial. He gave his land to James Oglethorpe to build the city of Savannah.

Independent Presbyterian Church. The first of MANY churches we’ll see in Savannah.

Independent Presbyterian Church. The first of MANY churches we’ll see in Savannah.

Chippewa Square is where Forrest Gump sat on his bench. The bench would have been in the center of this photo, but it was just a movie prop.

James Oglethorpe founded Georgia. He now stands in Chippewawa Square.

James Oglethorpe founded Georgia. He now stands in Chippewawa Square.

Madison Square

The carriage horses are all ready for Easter

The Sorrel-Weed House

Green Meldrim House with its iron entrance was the Civil War headquarters of General William Sherman

Walkway outside Saint John's Episcopal Church

This lizard ran up to us while we were outside Saint John's Episcopal Church

Green Meldrim House with its iron entrance was the Civil War headquarters of General William Sherman

William Jasper Memorial, the Revolutionary War namesake of Jasper County.

William Jasper Memorial, the Revolutionary War namesake of Jasper County.

William Jasper Memorial, the Revolutionary War namesake of Jasper County.

The first headquarters of the Girl Scouts

The first headquarters of the Girl Scouts

Fountain in the yard of the Andrew Lowe House

The Andrew Lowe House was the home of the founder of the Girl Scouts

The Andrew Lowe House was the home of the founder of the Girl Scouts

Lafayette Square

Little amphibian detail in the Lafayette Square fountain has

Lafayette Square and fountain

Hamilton-Turner Inn

Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist

Colonial Park Cemetery

Colonial Park Cemetery

Owens-Thomas House, designed by WIlliam Jay, is one of the finest examples of English Regency architecture in America.

The Savannah School of Art & Design (SCAD) has their own movie theater.

The Marshall House and one of many restaurants we ate at, Savannah Taphouse

Leopold's Ice Cream has long lines, but is like stepping back in time.

Leopold's Ice Cream has long lines, but is like stepping back in time.

Leopold's Ice Cream has long lines, but is like stepping back in time.

Leopold's Ice Cream has long lines, but is like stepping back in time.

The view from our hotel room looking across the Savannah River to Hutchinson Island

We climbed these historic steps down to River Street MANY times over the course of the week

The riverfront from aboard the Georgia Queen riverboat

The Hyatt, city hall and crane on a barge. A lot going on here.

The riverfront from aboard the Georgia Queen riverboat

Savannah’s World War II Memorial

Passing under the Talmadge Memorial Bridge

All sorts of things come off the ships that pull into the Port of Savannah

Roll-on, roll-off cargo ship Bahri Abha from Dammam, Saudi Arabia

The tugboat Laura K Morgan passes us. There are so many tugs on the Savannah River.

Roll-on, roll-off cargo ship Bahri Abha from Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Looking up the Savannah River

The busy Port of Savannah

The Talmadge Memorial Bridge

Passing under the Talmadge Memorial Bridge

The Savannah River Queen is the smaller sister of the Georgia Queen that we’re on.

The over 100 year old Riverside Power Plant is being converted into hotels and an entertainment district.

About as close as you’re going to get to a moving container ship. This is the Zim Ontario from Hamburg.

About as close as you’re going to get to a moving container ship. This is the Zim Ontario from Hamburg.

About as close as you’re going to get to a moving container ship. This is the Zim Ontario from Hamburg.

Another tugboat, the Edward J Moran passes us.

Another tugboat, the Edward J Moran passes us.

The Orient Defender, a bulk carrier ship

A bulldozer is lifted onto the Orient Defender

The dredge Hampton Roads, working in the Savannah River

The dredge Hampton Roads, working in the Savannah River

Passing Fort Jackson. It looks like they’re preparing to fire on us!

Passing Fort Jackson. It looks like they’re preparing to fire on us!

Passing Fort Jackson. OMG, they’re shooting cannons at us!

A salute from the Union soldier at Fort Jackson after his cannon demonstration.

Passing Fort Jackson

A cannon atop Fort Jackson

A last look at the riverfront from the Georgia Queen riverboat before we dock.

Pralines are actually a food group in Savannah.

Fresh pralines. These are delicious!

Walking along River Street

Savannah’s very unique World War II Memorial

Savannah’s very unique World War II Memorial

Savannah’s very unique World War II Memorial

Savannah’s very unique World War II Memorial

Savannah’s very unique World War II Memorial

The Maritime Memorial

The historic buildings along River Street are beautiful

If you want to get off River Street, you must climb historic stairs.

The Georgia Queen riverboat

The Georgia Queen riverboat

The US Coast Guard Cutter Chinook is a coastal patrol vessel

The famous Waving Girl statue

Statue commemorating the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics

The Old Harbor Light in Emmett Park

The Old Harbor Light in Emmett Park

Chatham Artillery Monument in Emmett Park, honors the unit that has been around since the Revolutionary War and is still in existence.

Crossing over to Factor’s Walk

The historic Cotton Exchange stands as a testament to the importance of cotton in Savannah’s history.

Savannah’s visitor center has quite a facade.

The US Customs House

The Washington Guns were captured from the British in the Battle of Yorktown. George Washington gave them to the Chatham Artillery.

The historic Cotton Exchange stands as a testament to the importance of cotton in Savannah’s history.

The Old City Exchange Bell is the oldest bell in the state

The Old City Exchange Bell is the oldest bell in the state

The Georgia Queen cruises by as the sun begins to set

I call this one crane at sunset.

The sun sets behind the Talmadge Memorial Bridge

The sun sets behind the Talmadge Memorial Bridge

The huge container ships don’t stop at night. This is the Maersk Kensington.

The first and best shrimp and grits we had was at Barricuda Bob’s on River Street

Watch for falling taffy. Always good advice.

Caution, beware of history. We actuall climbed these dozens of times.

Our hotel room was built for someone shorter than me.