Day 6: Touring Savannah

April 21, 2017

Today I'm starting out a bit tired but it will be an easy day. Up at 7:45, on the road at 9:30 with the panniers mostly empty.

5 easy miles from Quality Inn Midtown to the cathedral on the south edge of the historic area. Most of it was on bike lanes. Central Savannah is bike friendly. It was fascinating to see the houses get gradually older as I approached the city center.

My first stop was at the port area along the Savannah river. To get there you have to descend a steep cobblestone ramp that was probably built in the 18th century.

Main riverfront street for the old port of Savannah.

The port side is a major tourist zone with many restaurants and gift shops. Big hotels bookend the riverside strip. On the east end is a beautiful new Marriott about to open. It blends well with the historic buildings. On the west end is a boxy modern Hyatt Regency hotel that does not blend with the historic buildings. Probably built in the 1970's when they were more desperate for development.

City side of the same buildings. Streets connect to the 3rd floor of the buildings.

Side view of the port buildings. The Savannah river is the border between Georgia and South Carolina. The high rise in the distance is on Hutchinson island which belongs to Georgia.

Most of the downtown area has a riverwalk. Savannah does a good job of showcasing the river even though the space is very tight and inconveniently far below the city streets.

Tall bridge across the Savannah river. I will cross the river upstream on a low bridge.

Then back up to street level to explore the city. The northwest part of the central city is the central business district. The remainder of the central city is mostly residential.

I walked the bike through the pedestrian mall. For most of the day I pedaled very slowly because the city is so congested with cars and pedestrians.

Savannah is a huge tourist attraction. I saw many thousands of tourists speaking many languages. Many tour buses and many huge hotels. A few hotels have modern architecture but most of the hotels look like they belong. Overall, Savannah has managed to accommodate mass tourism without ruining its historic appeal.

I also saw dozens of wedding parties posing for pictures. It's Friday. The weddings will be on Saturday. The wedding parties were a nuisance because they expect everybody else to disappear when they show up.

Savannah's old Post Office is as grand as the old Post Office in Washington D.C. but probably too small to be a Trump hotel.

The most notable feature of Savannah is the 17 squares in the central city. Each square is a block-size park plopped in the middle of an intersection. It's hard to go more than 3 blocks in Savannah without having to go around a square. The result is that driving in Savannah is painfully slow, but walking and biking in Savannah is delightful.

One of 17 beautiful squares in central Savannah.

A very large percentage of the buildings in the central city were built in the 19th century. A few were built in the 18th century. The buildings have functional shutters which are always painted black. I would not like to spend the summer in Savannah. It has a reliable ocean breeze but it's too hot and humid for my taste. Today it is a tolerable 85F. It's a few miles from the open ocean, so the humidity is lower than it was on Jekyll Island.

Most of the old buildings have functional shutters that open and close.

Savannah has many impressive churches that usually face a square.

Independent Presbyterian church. Founded in 1755. Built in 1891.

At one of the squares a cyclist approached me and said he is also pedaling the Atlantic coast. He was touring the city today, same as me. He said he tows a dog in a trailer. I never saw him again.

Savannah has many carriage ride companies. Most use one horse to pull a very large load. There is a campaign to require more humane treatment of the horses.

Tourists were everywhere. Locals were everywhere as well. The locals were much better dressed than the tourists.

Sort of contrived, but Georgia was an English colony.

I had a great lazy afternoon wandering around the central city and gawking at the old houses and churches and enjoying the shady squares.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Built from 1873 to 1896.

I was enjoying the squares and taking photos of the buildings so much that I never even thought about going inside the cathedral. Here's what I missed.

Interior of the cathedral, photo from Wikipedia.

Several notable old houses have been made into museums. I didn't tour any of the houses. I was in the mood to stay outside. For the first time on the tour I was relatively comfortable in the afternoon heat.

One of several museum houses. I didn't tour any of the houses.

Savannah tightly regulates development and restoration in the historic district. I wish my town's historic district was as well enforced.

Savannah is a cosmopolitan city and a unique "quality of life" city that attracts young professionals and artists. It's more progressive than most of the deep south. Gay and lesbian couples were a common sight, both tourists and residents.

Savannah's main synagogue looks like a church. I suppose that makes a statement that the Jewish community wants to be visible yet also blend in.

Temple Mickve Israel resembles a church.

Late in the afternoon I wandered south of the central city into the newer Forsyth Park neighborhood which was built in the late 1800's. It has many beautiful Victorian homes and apartment buildings.

Forsyth Park is much larger than the squares. It's Savannah's central park, with a swimming pool and a big outdoor amphitheater.

Savannah is an amazing place to see, but I can't help but think that its early wealth was a direct result of unpaid labor by millions of slaves. I think the city could do a better job of acknowledging this reality.

From Forsyth Park I had an easy 4 mile ride back to Quality Inn Midtown. It was interesting to see the houses get gradually newer. Savannah has had very long periods of growth and prosperity.

It was a great day. I've been looking forward to seeing Savannah. Expectations were high but it exceeded my expectations. I can't imagine pedaling the Atlantic Coast without seeing Savannah.

Distance: 18.5 mi. (29.6 km)
Climbing: 150 ft. (45 m)
Average Speed: 6.2 mph (10 km/h)

Today's ride: 19 miles (31 km)
Total: 198 miles (319 km)

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