Just an Old Sweet Song Keeps Georgia on My Mind

On December 22, 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman wrote to

Lincoln

:  “I beg to present to you, as a Christmas gift, the city of

Savannah

, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000 bales of cotton.”

I was reading the brilliant E.L. Doctorow novel, The March, which describes in harrowing detail

Sherman

’s March to the Sea, taking you through the bloody campaign that led to the end of the Civil War, as we entered

Savannah

, a city that truly deserves its reputation as the Belle of Georgia. 

Forget the ghosts and legends.  Forget, if you can, John Berendt’s incredibly popular (and captivating) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which for the last decade has served as the driving force for much tourism to

Savannah

.

Focus instead on the fact that

Savannah

is one of the very first planned cities in the nation – a plan which included 24 city squares, of which 21 still stand.  Focus on the fact that

Savannah

contains the third oldest Jewish congregation in the

United States

, dating from 1790.  Or that today

Savannah

's downtown district – all two and half square miles of it – is a National Historic Landmark.

This is one hell of a gorgeous city.  Thank god

Sherman

preserved it instead of razing it to ground, as it he did so many other cities that lay in the path of his march.

During a hop-on, hop-off bus tour (of which there are dozens), we heard a great deal about how housing prices in

Savannah

have skyrocketed in recent years.  As we rode, we were told that the medium-sized Victorians and Colonials that line the city squares could cost as much as $300,000.  $300,000? we thought. That would buy you a broom closet in

Boston

.

In fact,

Savannah

would be a very appealing place to retire. 

Tybee

Island

, a real island with a real lighthouse and real, down at the heel seafood restaurants, is just 20 minutes away, so you’re close to the sea.  Whenever the spirit moves you, you can visit

Bonaventure

Cemetery

for some peace and quiet down by the river.  Perhaps you could even find an open spot in the Jewish section where you could relax for eternity.

Of course, you’d have to deal with the hundreds of busses clang clanging their way down the streets, and the frequent ghost tours that arrive outside the window of your home, as one downtown

Savannah

resident told us.  She’s pretty sick of the gawkers at Mercer Williams house, home of Jim Williams, the millionaire protagonist of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; and the movie lovers who flock (yeah, we flocked as well) to sit on the bench where Forest Gump uttered the immortal words, “life is like a box of chocolates.”

When we met her, she was walking her two King Charles Spaniels through one of the squares.  We were sitting while Henry played with two children he had just met, whose parents were in

Savannah

for a convention. 

She told us that we were doing precisely what a visitor to

Savannah

should be doing – and I must admit, it felt glorious.

Here’s one of the most awesome things about this trip. 

Every once in a while, without any conscious planning on our part, we find ourselves somewhere that, never in a million billion years I ever thought I would be, doing something that never in a million billion years imagined we would be doing.

And so, after

Savannah

, we decided that we didn’t want to go to

Atlanta

– too big, too much traffic, too much like other cities.  But we needed to stop somewhere.  I noticed that, just several hundred miles away,

Macon

,

Georgia

was starting its annual Cherry Blossom Festival on St. Paddy’s Day.  So off we went.

Now, thus far, we have missed just about every festival and event the

United States

has to offer.  We’re too late, or it just ended when we get there.  Or it’s another five hundred miles and we don’t have the energy or the money to make it happen.  We haven’t been to a rodeo or a state fair, or even the Wizard of Oz festivals that would make my life complete.

But now that we have been to the Cherry Blossom Festival, we are content.  It was all we could have asked for, and more.

We arrived at the fairgrounds for the ribbon cutting ceremony, where we were able to see the King and Queen of the Festival, as well as junior dignitaries.  We also met Lacie, the permanently pink poodle. 

His owner gave us a postcard with a picture of Lacie on one side and an invitation to worship at the

Cornerstone

Baptist

Church

on the other.

Then we set off on our tour bus to see the cherry blossoms in bloom.  With some 300,000 flowering Yoshino cherry trees, Macon bills itself as the "Cherry Blossom Capital of the World” – and our tour guide said that Macon may have actually given Washington, D.C. its cherry trees, though he can’t confirm the truth of the statement. 

More surprising to us was the incredible beauty of

Macon

’s antebellum homes, most of which survived the “War Between the States” unscathed. 

And that was another fascinating aspect of our visit to

Macon

.  Throughout the tour, our guide referred to the “conflict,” as the “War Between the States” and I wondered why.  Most northerners, to the best of my knowledge, call it the Civil War.  Where does the difference in terminology come from?  Civil war historians could certainly tell me.  But in looking it up, I’ve found some clues.

Wikpedia says that “the causes of the war, the reasons for the outcome, and even the name of the war itself, are subjects of much controversy, even today.”   

Florenceweb.com, web home of the War Between the States Museum (no italics for this museum) in

Florence

,

South Carolina

, which boasts a confederate flag on its home page, puts it more succinctly:

The Civil War was a war between two governments: The

United States of America

, and The

Confederate

States

of

America

.

After our two-hour bus tour, which was eye-opening in a host of ways, we returned to the fairgrounds, where we feasted on food from across the south including Bourbon Chicken from Louisiana, and Granny’s Apple Fritters with a heaping helping of vanilla ice cream on top.  We went on rides, played games, listened to live music, and took advantage of all the Cherry Blossom Festival had to offer.   It was a perfect southern experience – a slice of life, as Rick calls it. 

And though it doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, that’s what this trip is all about.

Comments

[Beth]

Hi guys,
I finally go to the blog and it has not been updated since March! What happened to keeping us up to date? I am getting caught up at work and thought it would be nice to review the blog.We'll just have to speak soon. Miss you all. Give my boys big kisses. The house is looking great with the flowers blooming. I love it.

[MrMike]

a BIG HELLO to the GANG OF 3! (its been a while)

What a difference a state makes. In Texas it was "that 'ol bag" suggesting Henry was traveling with his "grandma" BUT in Georgia, Savannah to be exact, you are talking retirement!

I've never been to Savannah but I have read (and loved) "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Sorry, I had to mention it.

Speaking of Georgia however, I do have a friend named Georgia who has 2 sisters, named Louisianna and Maryland, and 2 aunts, Virginia and Carolina. Her mother's name is Florida. TRUE!

On a sadder note - Jimmie Sacheli (and his uncle - who we stayed with in California) who was my traveling companion on our Magical Mystery Tour 34 years ago died in a terrible explosion and fire at the home they shared last Wednesday. It has been a diificult week not only because of his untimely death but because of the circumstances. The family has not been able to even hold services as of yet as the medical examiner still has the bodies awaiting final identification before releaseing the bodies. Yet at the same time it has been filled with many pleasant memories, especially of the trip we made so long ago.

Anyway, so as not to end this post on a sad note, once again GREAT PHOTO'S.

Where to next?

Drive safe..be well.
MrMike

[Auntie Helene]

What luck! You must have just posted this gem when I went online to check on your progress. I've always wanted to visit Georgia. It sounds as though you're all having a great time. You must really appreciate the warmer weather since leaving the cold Northeast. I am especially enjoying your photos of flowers, and am yearning for Spring in a big way. We miss all of you, but are so glad that we got to spend some time together.

Love you,
Auntie Helene