My First impression of a Southern City
Enchanting Savannah Georgia

The word “enchanting” is almost a cliché, but it is the only word to describe old town Savannah Georgia at dusk. I drove slowly looking for traces of Savannah history or things to do in Savannah. Oglethorpe Avenue is a two-way thoroughfare with a 40-foot island dividing the traffic. Ancient oaks rise out of the island and their branches hang protectively over the street on either side. The branches are draped with Spanish moss which cascades down as a garland.

It is a thing of rare beauty. The atmosphere created by the moss and the cobblestones, the old brick buildings and the twilight is nostalgic and beguiling. Like another world. A place forgotten by the “real” world, and content for being so.

“Mysterious Savannah” was the descriptor on one of the markers I came across while exploring the island. That captured it pretty well. The engraving on the metal sign marked the childhood home of a famous American poet just across the street. I didn’t recognize him. That was a little jab at my ego, which prides itself in knowledge of American history. “Can’t know everything,” my Id excused my Ego.

I stopped at one intersection to allow a horse-drawn buggy with a couple of captivated tourists pass by. Tour buses and buggies were everywhere; horse-drawn tours were an obvious cash cow in old town, Savannah Georgia. It seems that Savannah Georgia takes a certain ghoulish pride in the dark side of its history. “Ghosts & Gravestones of Savannah” was the name on one tour bus. Ghost stories are a big part of the Savannah Georgia mystique.

Night was catching up to me so I cut over a few blocks and doubled back. In the process of doing so I stumbled onto a city park more lovely if possible than the island I had just abandoned. It surpassed the other in its aura of peace and seclusion.

And who should I encounter in that tranquil hideaway but the founder of Georgia himself, General James Oglethorpe. There at least was his inspiring image -- a full 9 feet in stature -- staring through me with visionary eye. Here indeed was a glimpse back into Savannah history.

Having spent 32 years in Parliament, James Oglethorpe was nonetheless, a strong defender of the colonies. In 1733 he founded Georgia at the mouth of the Savannah River. He served as judge and defender of the fledgling colony and was a strong opponent of slavery.

Turns out this cemetery was the final resting place (pun intended) for the Union Army when they finished up their swath of destruction from “Atlanta to the Sea” led by General Sherman. Having done their worst they took up winter quarters in this very cemetery.

The Yankees under General Sherman defaced many of the headstones and actually disinterred some of the dead and occupied their quarters. The “quarters” being scores of small mausoleum-type structures scattered all over the grounds.

“Fitting place for them,” I muttered to myself. I’m a Yankee boy and lived all my life in the North, but developed southern sympathies over the years.

I was mildly disappointed that the tour guide, a Southern belle, didn’t seem to share my sentiments. She was homogenized American, treating the whole thing with a sort of flippant detachment and canned humor. Nobody was really laughing very hard though. A rather shallow perspective. Or so it seemed to me. She noted that the cemetery had originally extended right under the street where we were now standing. Gave me a little shudder. She pointed out the dueling ground over on the south side, now occupied by a children’s playground. After the duel, they simply tossed the loser over the fence.

The group re-boarded their bus and I continued my trek down the sidewalk that skirted the cemetery. The gable end – the door-end -- of one of the tiny mausoleums was built right into the fence. It was starting to get dark and I unconsciously edged over toward the street side of the walkway. At the corner gate a Boy Scout leader was giving a lecture to his little troupe. I paused for a moment – he was speaking in more reverent tones than the tour guide.

I left Savannah Georgia that night feeling satisfied but hungry for more. I came, I saw, I purchased. One day on the Island at Hilton Head, South Carolina and I had procured one of her ocean front rentals. Born and bred a Yankee, I now owned a little piece of Dixie. Or at least the third floor of a little piece of Dixie.

I felt pretty good. Like a prodigal after many wanderings, I had at length returned home to a Hilton Head vacation in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The charm of nearby Savannah Georgia was an added bonus.

Want to know my personal conclusion? Sure. Hilton Head rentals are a pretty good option for those who want to buy in Hilton Head South Carolina. It’s also a great choice for those who simply want to rent a Hilton Head vacation villa for a week. That points to our next section on dealing with your old house, which I’ve entitled "Take A Week Off”.

You may have been working so hard on this old house that you just want to “Forget It”. A week’s vacation in the Hilton Head rentals could be the perfect “test drive” to decide if Hilton Head, South Carolina is the right place for you. And while you’re there, don’t overlook nearby Savannah Georgia.

Return from Savannah Georgia to Sell This Old House