Savannah’s charm dangles from every Spanish moss draped tree as the drive from the highway slows down to a sauntering pace winding through the historic streets of this Southern city. Though a tourist town, did not feel touristy at all where we stayed at the Eliza Thompson House (discovered via Expedia), a social little bed and breakfast nestled in an old brownstone a block away from the mansion which housed the scandal detailed in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Parking is on the street, which adds to the feeling you’re spending the night with your Great Aunt Mildred in a home which has been passed down for ages. Greeted streetside by a friendly bellhop, my bags were picked up and delivered to my room, which freed my arms up for the wine and cheese that was being served in the antique-furnished parlor, after signing an agreement that I was not bringing any pets or toddlers with me. While my sweet 18-month old would love to toddle around the courtyard, she was not with me on this overnight excursion nor would be permitted to stay.
On to the watermelon basil water in the parlor, where a lively crowd gathered with glasses of wine: one couple from Fort Lauderdale, one from New York taking a Lowcountry vacation through Georgia and South Carolina, and one nurse who was taking a break before going back to college at Georgia State University. After 20 years of being a nurse, decided to go back to school to pursue her college degree, and regaled us with stories in a deep Georgia accent of her technology triumphs, like learning about flash drives and leaning on the “younger, smartest students” to help her figure it all out. She was the crowd favorite.
Before urban development became a buzzword, Savannah became America’s first planned city, laid on a grid with 24 public squares. 22 of these squares remain part of the cityscape today and punctuate the commercial and residential zones with green space. Since the 1700s, people have mingled and meandered through these squares that serve as beautiful parks with bricked paths that frame hundred-year old trees, shrubbery, sculptures and fountains.
Savannah’s streets are lined with gorgeous homes with such distinct details, it’s like an architectural art gallery. Intricate ironwork, bold door frames, script-like window designs, and grand columns grace street after street, making a walking tour of the town a visual treat. I could have walked for hours, comparing the front doors of Savannah. I took pictures of my favorites:
We’ll start with my favorite (I think. It’s really hard to decide, much like trying decide between a filet and fried lobster tails from the The Olde Pink House.) Doric column. Lantern. Bold red. Light gray frame. Topiary.
Ogled at the design in the windows around the door frame in between snapping photos, while my father, somewhat befuddled by my photo-taking, patiently waited for me across the street. This one wins as my favorite door frame.
Love the bold coral red with brass accents and the pretty painted script-y eleven above the vanilla door frame.
Square columns, hanging lantern, gorgeous angular door frame and a copper (?) roof above the entrance make this a spectacular southern front door.
How Georgian. How Gorgeous.
That wooden door and the beautiful columns (can you tell I love a square column!?) with the hint of pale blue in the ceiling makes this entrance outstanding.
Keep reading about the Lowcountry: Weekend Guide to Pawley’s Island
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