Savannah, Georgia
June 2017
Click all pics to enlarge.
When we arrived at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in the historic district of Savannah, warm chocolate chip cookies 🍪 were waiting on us. The hotel was beautiful and our room was nice and comfortable!
That evening, we dined al fresco at Belford's. It was very nice out that evening. I had She Crab soup and roasted garlic baguette 🥖 with truffle oil for starters, then salmon with shrimp skewers, Parmesan truffle whipped potatoes 🥔, and haricot verts. Of course, I had Long Island Tea to drink. Dinner was wonderful.
The next day, we got an early start to Old Savannah Tours. I can't say enough about this tour around Savannah!!! It is such a great way to see the city! You can hop on and off as to eat and shop as you wish. And our tour guide is from Winchester, TN!!! Tammy was flippin' awesome! This is definitely her calling!! If you are ever there, you need to get on HER tour!
You never know who might come aboard the trolley throughout the city....it could be anyone from Rosie the Riveter to Dessa the Gullah Woman to Forrest Gump to Minerva to a dead soldier to General James Oglethorpe (just to name a few)
The city is gorgeous, and you can learn so much about the homes and buildings through your tour guide. Such interesting stories that come out of this city...and much to-do around "ghosts". Whether you buy into all the ghosts stories or not, you will be intrigued with all of the stories and history of this beautiful city!
Some other places we ate on our trip were...
This quaint little out-of-the-way place, Joe's at the Jepson, was delicious!
Sweet Treats are a MUST!
One evening we ate at Cotton and Rye.
I don't have a pic of what I ate, but I enjoyed my cocktails!
No Savannah trip is complete without seeing Forsythe Fountain
Two things that we really enjoyed, were...
1. A Ghost Tour
Sweet Treats are a MUST!
and....
2. Bonaventure Cemetery
Here's Little Gracie's Story...
Gracie Watson was born in 1883 to W.J. and Frances Watson. They made their way to Savannah after W.J. was hired to manage the Pulaski Hotel. This luxurious hotel was one of the best hotels in all of the south. Managing the hotel was a prestigious position. While working at the Hotel his daughter, Gracie Watson, became quite the center of attention. This bright-eyed girl warmed the hearts and brought smiles to the faces of almost every visitors to the Pulaski Hotel. It is said she would put on little shows for the guests, dancing in the lobby and singing songs. In 1889, just two days before Easter, Gracie Watson passed away. She suffered from pneumonia and finally her little body couldn't take any more. Savannah was heart-broken. Her parents were far beyond heartbroken. Her father fell into a deep depression after Gracie's death. She was laid to rest in Bonaventure Cemetery. Gracie's father had sculptor, John Walz, carve a monument of his girl. Using a photograph as reference, Walz sculpted the monument which now sits upon Little Gracie's grave. It is said to be life size and a picture perfect representation of Little Gracie Watson. The saddest part of the story is that her father quit his job, and her parents moved back to New England, leaving Gracie all alone. It is said that Gracie's ghost is seen sometimes in Johnson Square, the square in which the Hotel was built on, running about in a pretty little white dress. Believe it or not...that's how the story goes.
What we saw today was lots of little trinkets and stones left from many that have recently visited Gracie's grave. The sweetest was a note from a little child that said.... "Dear Gracie, you are not alone. Love, Dakota". So many people have visited her grave, that a black wrought iron fence was placed around Gracie's final resting spot.
One of the most visited graves here is that of a little girl named Gracie...
Bonaventure Cemetery is the final resting place of singer/songwriter Johnny Mercer.
We found ourselves wandering more and more through the cemetery...intrigued with the elaborate monuments.
Of course the trip would not be complete without window shopping and antiquing for vintage treasures. And what a Treasure Trove we found!
It was a fabulous trip!