Day 25, February 14, Savannah, Part 1

I was packed up to leave the Country Inn & Suites at Exit 94 by 9:45 a.m. It was 50 degrees; the temps had dropped from 80 degrees when I arrived. I went back to my room to put on a turtleneck. I also put on a sweater. (That poor sweater which I only bought last night is looking so beat up now. The camera strap keeps catching and pulling threads.) I stopped at an Exxon station, but didn’t get caught by the two different prices this time. Pay cash and the price is $3.59, use a credit card and it’s $3.99 per gallon. I went inside and paid cash. Unfortunately with that, it only brought it up to ¾ of a tank. The odometer read 15702.9.

With it being so cold, (yeah, I know, 50 degrees isn’t cold compared to what’s been going on back home,) I considered by-passing Savannah. If I did, I’d probably regret it. When the exit for Rte. 16 came up, I took it and followed the directions I’d been given to the Visitor’s Center. Hey, I thought the brochure said Free Parking, but this was gated and I had to get a ticket. The odometer read 15719.4, it was 10:15 a.m. and the temperature was still 50 degrees.

The different tour buses were lined up each with a little kiosk to buy tickets. I waited in line at the orange and green Old Savannah Tours (same company as in St. Augustine, the one I didn’t take and I wish I didn’t take this one) and bought the trolley ticket plus ones for the museum and ones for the Owens-Thomas House and the Isaiah Davenport House Museums. This trolley was already full, so I opted to go in the museum which was in an old train station.

I wandered around looking at all the artifacts and displays talking about the history of Savannah. There was an old locomotive and I took a couple of photos, but it had been painted over so many times, the layers didn’t look that good. There was an entire section on Girl Scouts as that started here. It was interesting to read what role women played during rough times and how they were the ones who often managed to raise money to support their men during war.

I finally had enough of that and headed back outside. I debated about walking down the end of the long building as there were a couple of old train cars, but decided to wait until I got back. I boarded the trolley and sat in the front seat just behind the driver. The trolley filled and we were off.

Oh, what a rattle trap and the vehicle jerked and groaned. I wondered if the driver had ever driven this thing. Savannah was designed on a grid around squares. After about the fifth “This is so and so square and on you’re right is the statue of so and so or the monument of blah blah,” I was incredibly bored and discouraged. Yes, the squares were beautiful with big live oaks from which hung Spanish moss and fountains, but I didn’t take a tour to look at statues. Yes, some old homes were pointed out, but there was also some newness to this old city (even a McDonalds.) It was a little interesting to see Paula Deen’s restaurant Lady and Sons and you could even do a Paula Deen tour.

The tour wound round these squares and back. I’d been told that the stop for my house tours would be Stop 7. However, they’d made some changes to the route which was not on the map. Next thing I knew, he was announcing Stop 8 which was where some stores were. What happened to Stop 7? I hopped off (well, as much hopping as hobbling with my walking stick will afford) and began the trek back to where the two houses were that I intended to visit.

There are some gorgeous structures in Savannah. Many are now restaurants, hotels, and private homes. It’s hard to get photos with all the trees. There are a few quiet streets, but for the most part, the roads are very busy with stop and go traffic. I found the Owens-Thomas House and the tour started in the Old Slave Quarters. The tour itself was basically about the family and the house; not really much history.

We started in the basement where there were kitchens and a huge cistern. The walls were built of tabby and very thick. The house actually had three cisterns, one of the first places to have indoor plumbing; even before the white house. Most of the styles of building came from Europe and they had indoor plumbing.

The architecture (and I can’t remember the term) was symmetrical. What was on one side was on another even if not real. For instance, there were matching… towers (I don’t know the proper name)… on both sides of the house and on the portico, there was the main entrance and two doors on the side into the towers; one to a butler’s pantry and the other to the master bedroom. There was a window to one side and the indentation on the matching side. No real window, but keeping with the symmetry. Inside, the symmetry continued with fake doors and windows to offset the real ones.

The building was old and beautiful, though most the furniture and set pieces inside were guesses as to what might have been there through the different periods. Still, lovely pieces that anyone would love to own. Upstairs was a plexiglass section of floor to show the plumbing and part of the middle cistern. The other cistern was on the roof. The cisterns collected rain water and ran through lead pipes throughout the house. Yes, lead pipes. Good thing they didn’t use the water for drinking.

Yellow fever was prevalent throughout many years in the south. Some years were much worse than others. Then came a year when the city was struck extremely hard and Savannah was put in quarantine for about three years. This was totally devastating for wealthy merchants relying on trade as nothing came in and nothing went out. Many, if they lived, lost most of their families and their fortunes. Possessions were sold off and eventually houses.

Back outside where I was allowed to take pictures, I did. Then it was off to find the Davenport House. A tour was already in progress, but a woman, Gayle, volunteered to take me on a private tour. How lucky is that! This house wasn’t as pretty on the outside as the other house. Georgian brick is called gray brick (not gray to me, but not the rusty red we think of in brick). The inside was fascinating. In restoring this home, they had researched period wallpapers and those were brilliant and stunning. Again, most all the original furniture and even fire places had been sold off, so it was decorated with pieces that could have been in a house like this.

What was fortunate was that they were able to get back a couple of the original Italian marble fireplaces with the original bill of sale. Even though Georgia has its own marble quarries, it was more fashionable to have Italian marble.

The molding in this building was beautiful, intricate; handmade of horsehair plaster (is that right?) But the thing that had me drooling was the spiral staircase going up three floors. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be able to photograph that! Again, there’s a term for this, but I cannot remember… it’s not totally free standing… and Gayle couldn’t remember, but it’s only attached on one side (to the wall) and the floors. She told me I’d have to settle for a post card. I suppose if I even tried to take a photo when her back was turned, the big, black guard following us probably would have smacked me to the ground.

The tour ended in a lovely walled garden. Across the way, I could see a Blick store. I buy most my art supplies from Blick. Gayle said that was a new store recently opened this past fall. Should I go? I really don’t need any more art supplies.

In the gift shop, I purchased a couple of post cards of that staircase. They had taken the photo looking down and it’s all the brown wooden treads. An okay picture, but I would have taken it looking up with the white walls and blue. Looking up was a stunning view of the spiral.

Back on the street, I took a few photos while waiting for the trolley. I wasn’t sure whether to hike down to another stop, but eventually one came. It was crowded with one seat left with a young woman. Luckily it was a front seat. I felt bad crowding her. At least this trolley didn’t sound like it was going to fall apart. Lillie announced that this was Stop 9. Then again, she kept getting confused as to the number because of those new changes.

As we went through the stops getting back to #1, we did part of the River Street District which was a lot of shops. My seat mate told me I have to go there and visit the Nut Shop where they have all kinds of nuts with free samples. Ooh, I like nuts. I did see some things that I want to return to. There are photos to take that cannot be achieved from a trolley.

Finally back where the tour began, I headed to where I’d earlier seen some train cars. It was a Whistle Stop Café, but wouldn’t you know, it was closed for renovations. It looked like there’s part of the café in a building to one side and dining in the passenger car or on the outside platform at café tables. I wandered onto the platform and took a few photos of the old, but renovated buildings. Then I saw the sign that said Train Museum. Oooh, what’s there?

The ramp led outside. What? There’s nothing. Then I looked across the street. OH MY GOD! (Gosh, I’ve been saying that a lot lately.) There was a huge, HUGE area with trains and roundhouse and buildings and… but it was getting late. I needed to get a hotel room. But, maybe I could walk over and look a little bit.

The entrance was through the gift shop. It cost $9 and was good for six days. Okay, I could look around a little and come back tomorrow. I headed out into the yard. Every step was a wow. This was the first intact turnstile (really the only) I’d seen and there were engines and cars in every space in the round house. There were huge arches leading to other areas. Wow, wow. There were garden areas, blacksmith shops, machine shops and more. Section after section and out back was a HUGE smoke stack. I was slack jawed and close to drooling. What a fantastic place! I took lots of pictures.

I left without seeing it all. The girl at the counter had told me that during the day they have tours and you can go upstairs in the round house. I am definitely going back!