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11-night Great Smoky Mountains National Park Cruise/Land Package

Price: Please call for rates - # of Days: 11 days

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Overview

Introduction

Savannah. The very name sounds like a southern drawl. With its history, cobblestoned streets, old homes and beautiful gardens, Savannah, Georgia, is everything you think a southern city should be. Add a collection of glorious beaches and coastal lowlands just a short drive away—including Tybee Island, Skidaway Island, the Golden Isles and Hilton Head Island—and this is the South at its finest.

Savannah was America's first planned city, and architecture is part of its charm. Twenty-four squares lined with Federal, antebellum and Victorian houses branch out from the city's historic cotton warehouses. The long, wide verandas and intricate scrollwork of the houses recall a time when magnolias and gardenias sweetened the air, and the loudest evening sound was the clip-clop of a horse's hooves. Echoes of Savannah's past are still present as many tourists and locals enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, historic home tours, symphonic concerts in the city's many parks and ghost tours in what is reputed to be one of the most haunted cities in the U.S.

Along River Street at twilight, however, the pace picks up in the cafes and taverns lining the Savannah River. Savannah loves to party, and River Street sets the tone.

Must See or Do

Sights—The many beautiful homes and squares in the Historic District, including house-museums such as Davenport House and the Owens-Thomas House; the old cemeteries, especially Bonaventure Cemetery; Fort Pulaski National Monument and Old Fort Jackson; the Savannah River as the big ships, riverboats and tugs make their way up and down the harbor.

Museums—Telfair Museum of Art; Savannah History Museum; Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum; the Georgia State Railroad Museum; Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

Memorable Meals—Elizabeth on 37th for a taste of southern elegance; Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room for down-home favorites such as fried chicken and collard greens; a veggie plate and banana pudding at Sweet Potatoes Kitchen; Local 11ten for hip, urbane fare; a big, juicy burger at Green Truck Pub.

Late Night—The restaurants and clubs of City Market and River Street; Lulu's Chocolate Bar for its retro vibe and chocolate martinis; The Jinx for live bands; Club One for performances by Blair Williams and other female impersonators.

Walks—The beach on Tybee Island; the streets of the Historic District; Forsyth Park; ghost tours at dusk; the cobblestoned River Street; an unhurried, intimate stroll through the city.

Especially for Kids—Wildlife at Oatland Island Wildlife Center; sea life at the University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium; the Savannah Children's Museum; splashing in the splash pad at Forsyth Park.

Geography

Savannah is part of the Lowcountry, the region of flat plains and tidal salt marsh that stretches across eastern South Carolina and Georgia. Though it has always been a port city, Savannah is not directly on the ocean. Instead, it sits on the Savannah River (which forms the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina), 14 mi/23 km inland from the Atlantic.

River Street, a popular tourist destination with an abundance of bars and dining options, runs along the waterfront. The Historic District (also known as downtown) is the main area of interest to visitors—it stretches south from River Street for some 15 blocks and is bordered on the west by Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and on the east by East Broad Street.

The city's most prominent shopping area is downtown along Broughton Street, where a mix of old and new, thrifty and high end mingles to create a unique shopping experience.

Several other prominent districts extend to the south of the Historic District. The Victorian District begins south of Gaston Street and continues to Victory Drive, where Midtown begins. Farther south, DeRenne Avenue forms the boundary between Midtown and the Southside, a bustling, ultramodern shopping and residential district. The Ardsley Park/Chatham Crescent Historic District, aptly named, features unusual circular parks and crescent-shaped avenues.

Between Savannah and the ocean lies a group of barrier islands, including Wilmington, Skidaway and Isle of Hope. This is generally known as the Islands area. A part of this coastal region is the town of Tybee Island, the principal beach and oceanfront community in the Savannah area.

History

Founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe, Savannah first served as an outpost to help defend England's North American territory from the Spanish, who had established settlements farther south, in Florida. A distinctive city plan of squares, parks and green spaces was swiftly created to provide military training grounds, markets and public gathering places—and this same layout now forms the town's Historic District. As part of Georgia, the 13th British colony, Savannah quickly became an important port city, and it remained prominent after the U.S. achieved independence in 1782.

By the early 1800s, King Cotton was contributing to the city's opulence. Many magnificent homes were constructed throughout downtown, and River Street bustled with ships loading cotton for export to Europe. But with strict blockades to sea-trade routes during the Civil War, this prosperous era came to an end. The city's most famous role in the conflict occurred in 1864 when Union Gen. William T. Sherman captured Savannah at the close of his infamous "March to the Sea." Sherman is said to have been so impressed by the hospitality and warmth of the residents that he spared the city from destruction. Instead, he sent a telegram to U.S. President Lincoln offering him the city of Savannah as a Christmas present.

The city's architecture was threatened again with destruction in the mid-1900s—this time from real-estate development plans—but preservation efforts kept most of Old Savannah intact. In 1966, a large area in the heart of town was officially designated a National Historic Landmark District, the largest in the U.S. As well, the Savannah College of Art and Design has been instrumental in renovating historic buildings in the downtown area since 1970. Today, the city's past is paying rich dividends, as tourism has become an enormous business.

Potpourri

Savannah boasts the second-largest St. Patrick's Day celebration in the U.S. For several days the entire city shows off its Celtic roots, and a quarter of a million visitors mingle in a sea of green.

Forrest Gump sat in Chippewa Square with his box of chocolates as he pined for his beloved Jenny. The square was named to commemorate the 1814 Battle of Chippewa.

The Pirate's House, a 1700s-era tavern that is still in use today, inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil focuses on Mercer House, the infamous Italianate mansion on Monterey Square where antiques dealer Jim Williams shot and killed his lover. John Berendt's book (and the inevitable movie) revealed a previously hidden side of Savannah life filled with cross-dressers, old-money socialites and a practicing voodoo priestess, which quickly attracted tourists from all over the world.

Supposed ghosts of children and Civil War soldiers roam the hallways of the Marshall House, and the ghosts of drunken sailors ramble through the walls of the Pirate's House Restaurant in search of more rum. And some folks swear up and down they've heard clanking champagne glasses and high laughter drifting from Bonaventure Cemetery.

You might notice the blue-green paint on many of Savannah's doorframes, porches and windowsills. It's known as "Haint Blue," and according to Gullah folklore it represents the color of water, which evil spirits cannot cross.

Food Network guru Paula Deen hails from Savannah and operates The Lady & Sons Restaurant and Paula Deen's Creek House. Deen is so popular that several tour companies have added itineraries in her honor.

Celebrity sightings are common in Savannah as some famous actors—including Clint Eastwood and John Cusack—have been seen at local bars and hangouts. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are among the sometime residents of Savannah. John Mellencamp and Sandra Bullock also own homes on nearby Tybee Island.

Location