Savannah’s Historic District can give you an idea what it looked like in the 1800s. The first colony of Georgia was established in 1733. It eventually became one of the most important ports of its time.
My name is Anthony and I will be your tour guide through this exciting adventure. During my recent travels, I had the opportunity to spend some time in Savannah, GA. I will try to provide bits and pieces of history regarding this historic city.
The first thing you will experience when going from Bay Street to River Street is the concrete and iron stairways. These steeper than normal pedestrian steps are known as Factors Walk. The brokers who set the price of cotton were called Factors. These Factors would use the stairways to relay the cost of their cotton to the exporters on River Street.
Savannah’s first colonist would get their groceries, dry goods, household supplies and services from the City Market. The main market area was conveniently located in the center of town.
These and other contributing tidbits of information will be talked about throughout the blog. There will also be various photos and a brief video at the end of the article. Enjoy the read!
When wanting to experience downtown Savannah, you need to go early to make sure you get a parking space. There is limited street parking and the public garages and outdoor lots fill up quickly. We mistakenly arrived downtown in the late afternoon, but was fortunate enough to find an open space in an outdoor lot.
We began our adventure by taking the steep-iron and concrete clad stairs down to the Riverwalk. The hand-laid cobblestone pavers that line the streets where used as ballast for the ships that came to port. They would unload the various rocks along with their cargo.
In the 1800s, Savannah was the world’s major exporter of cotton. As we walked the red-stone pathway with the Savannah River flowing alongside us, I tried to imagine how much cotton passed through this busy port. At one time, most of the red brick buildings that line River Street held this soft and very precious commodity.
Savannah’s Riverfront offers a variety of attractions. You can float down the river on a paddle boat named Savannah Queen or listen to live music.
Another way to enjoy your visit to this nostalgic port is to order up some freshly prepared southern styled cuisine from several waterfront restaurants. The cargo ships that pass by add an extra flare to the ambiance.
With all the rich history that surrounds this unique city, Savannah has become quite the tourist destination. Savannah’s downtown City Market is another popular attraction. This four block-pedestrian friendly square is home to a variety of restaurants, art galleries, and specialty boutiques.
The atmosphere is upbeat, friendly and full of fun. Instead of bumper-to-bumper traffic occupying this beautiful thoroughfare, there are a variety of tables with umbrellas and lots of shade trees. Are you looking for a place to try some great food and handcrafted beverages? This is the perfect place to do just that! I personally enjoyed it and would do it again!
A bartender told me that Savannah has approximately a square mile of what is called “Fun Streets”. Within these blocks, you can walk around with your favorite beverage in hand while enjoying all the sites. There are plenty of attractions like encrypted mazes, museums, and horse drawn buggy rides to just mention a few. And yes, I did take advantage of this privilege.
If your travel plans include going through or being anywhere near Savanna, Georgia, it would be well worth your while to spend a day or two exploring this fabulous city. Before we end this adventure, we here at You, Me and The Dock put together a short video. Sit back and enjoy the sites!
Look for more exciting travel adventures coming soon!
Photography: Anthony & Maureen Scopel
Video: Anthony & Maureen Scopel
Article Creator & Formatting: Anthony Scopel
Video Production: Anthony Scopel & Matt Kemper
Associate Editor: Maureen Scopel
Technical Mastering & Web Support: Matt Kemper
Publishing Provide By: You, Me and The Dock
A special thanks to my beautiful wife for helping me film this wonderful adventure. Love you babe!
