Journalist By Nature: Peachy Savannah

Lying just south of the state line, Savannah, Georgia is a city of contrasts. The modern and busy port keeps the exchange of imports and exports racing to and from businesses and employs dock workers, truck drivers and related service industries. The port, located up the Savannah River from the historic district, was a strategic element in the Revolutionary War as well as the Civil War.

The historic district is somewhat frozen in the 1700's, maintained facades retaining the original looks but interiors modernized with the basics of water, sewer, power, gas and security measures. Even though many of the structures are of brick or stone, time has taken a toll on their integrity. Wood rots, mortar cracks, roofs leak and all must be repaired within the confines of the historical register's requirements. The cost of maintaining these historical buildings must be enormous. And to buy one will cost you seven figures. Nonetheless, the historic neighborhoods of Savannah are charming, colorful in shades of peach, neatly groomed, and tight with security.

Early ships from Europe sailed with rocks for ballast. Once in port at Savannah, they would jettison the rocks in trade for weighted products from the New World. Because of the low lying terrain and sandy soil, the rocks became useful for paving streets in the growing city. As the sea merchants realized there was a trade potential here, they began to lug iron across the Atlantic as ballast and sell it in the southern colonies. Today you see the result of that material in black iron fencing, railings and balconies on many of the homes.

Well-groomed greenery softens the brick and stonework as various types of ivy-like plants grow over walls, stairways and fences. House numbers inlaid in the walls are trimmed around, hedges are evened up, and trees are pruned to keep them healthy. Many walled gardens contain clipped boxwood knot gardens. There seem to always be flowers blooming and lovely lavender wisteria graces many a balcony. It runs wild in the woods, hugging tall trees and spreading to anything it can reach. From a distance, these wild displays resemble huge walls of purple tresses.

The iconic Spanish moss that hangs languidly from the southern live oaks and cypress trees indigenous to the area is not really a moss at all. It is a member of the bromeliad family and a "cousin" to the pineapple! It has no roots, flowers inconspicuously and gets its nutrients from the air. Birds use it as nesting material and tiny pieces of it float in the air to attach to new locations. It doesn't seem to harm the trees it occupies except to limit leaf density and it blows loosely in the breeze much like a woman's long hair.

Throughout the historic district are plaques and signs retelling the stories of famous people and events. By stopping to read these informative displays you can gain a detailed knowledge of life in early Savannah and the movers and shakers who populated the city. There is a concerted effort to retain the historical memories of the city so statues and fountains also populate the town. The historic district is geometric in its layout with 24 squares or parks every five blocks or so, named for important people such as Lafayette, Pulaski, Oglethorpe and Chippewa. Statues of the people sit in the center of the squares and are surrounded by gardens and lawns and intersecting brick pathways. These were originally gathering places for the residents around the squares where they met to talk, trade and share tasks.

Bright, white riverboats moor at the Rousakis Riverfront Plaza and take passengers up and down the Savannah River on narrated tours. Little shops line the ballast stone walkways and offer the usual tourist souvenir fare or a cool ice cream parlor respite from the heat. Touring the old city makes you wonder what life was like when the port was bustling with sailing ships and ladies wore billowing ankle-length skirts and bonnets and life moved at a slower pace. Gone With The Wind would be an appropriate book to start with, followed by a list of books here.

Church steeples rise above the rooftops amid the squares of the old town. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is one of the most notable for its white spire, but other denominations offer similar memorable edifices: Christ Church, Lutheran Church of the Ascension, Trinity United Methodist, Independent Presbyterian, Second African Baptist, St. Johns Episcopal, Congregation Mickve Israel and Wesley Monumental United Methodist.

After walking miles and miles, we were thankful to rest our weary tourist bodies in an air conditioned room and fall asleep to the hum of cool air circulating about us. Awakened by the lilting pre-dawn song of the state bird, the brown thrasher, we gathered our luggage and headed for Charleston, South Carolina. We left many activities and sights unexplored but were happy to have stepped back into history for a brief time.