Falling In Love With Savannah

When I arrived in Savannah, GA, I was cautiously optimistic. I had done a fair amount of research on the area and felt good about the adventures I had planned. However, the same was true for Columbus, and while I did enjoy my time there, I really had to stretch out my activities to make sure every day had some kind of event. Little did I know at the time that my stay in Savannah would not only be filled with adventure, but it would also end up becoming one of my favorite cities in the U.S.

My time in Savannah included multiple days dedicated to exploring the downtown area, checking out the biggest cemetery I've ever seen, going to the Savannah Wildlife Refuge, and attending a really fun board game night. However, instead of going into the specifics of each of those adventures, I'd like to dedicate this post to explaining why I fell in love with Savannah. The next 3 sections will be dedicated to each of the core reasons that Savannah now holds a special place in my heart.

Coastal Look Without The Coastal Vibe

As I've continued to travel over the course of this trip I've learned a little bit more about my relationship to the ocean and the people that tend to live near it. I've learned that while I love the ocean and being in a coastal town, I don't like the communities that pop up there. I've found that in almost every coastal city or town there is a subtle underlying sense of malaise and complacency. I often feel the people there lack the drive to continue improving their surroundings and ton create a unique environment. For example, most of the coastal towns I've been to have the exact same stores, feature the exact same bland architectural aesthetic, and begin business whenever they feel like it. In my opinion, this is usually due to the fact that the ocean IS their local draw. They don't feel the need to create cool buildings or start a unique business, because they already have something interesting-the ocean.

That is not true for Savannah. As I'll dive into later, Savannah has one of the most unique downtown areas I've ever been in. Despite it's proximity to the ocean, I didn't see one "Alvin's Island" or gimmicky beachwear store. Instead, I saw unique buildings and appreciation for it's history. I can't stress hard enough how much I enjoy standing on a dock and just sitting with the wind the ocean for a couple minutes, but when doing so involves spending time in a generic coastal town, I'm much less likely to do so. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about that at all in Savannah

Chilling on the dock at William E. Honey Park

A Visually Stunning Downtown

While being on the water is a big draw for me, that is not all Savannah has. The real heart of Savannah is it's downtown. The downtown aesthetic is so important to understanding what makes Savannah unique, so I took plenty of pictures in case I fail to describe how wonderful it is. The two keys to downtown Savannah's success are it's implementation of nature and it's architectural aesthetic.

Almost all the buildings in the central downtown area are fun to look at. After a while you might start to notice trends in various aspects of the buildings, but even so, each building offers something different from the last. My ongoing theory as to why this is so prevalent is Savannah's appreciation of it's history. Since the community there is so proud of the areas history, they are more likely to preserve the older buildings and the architectural vibe that the British utilized when they first set up the town. Additionally, Savannah was the first planned city in the U.S. and it's founders were smart enough to build it in a way that would compliment growth.

However, buildings aren't the only fun things to look at in the downtown area. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how the city implements trees into it's aesthetic. Oftentimes, walking through Savannah feels like walking through a forest. This is mostly due to the square system that the downtown was built with. When Savannah was being built, they used a grid system to lay out the downtown. As a part of this system, every grid would have a square in it. These squares are essentially just small parks, but they add a lot of variety to the downtown aesthetic. One square might feature an extravagant water fountain while another might feature a series of bronze statues. Usually walking around downtown can get a little boring, but with a square on almost every other street, I often found myself excited at what I might find when I turn the corner.

Beginning my exploration of Forsythe Park

Taking a selfie in front of the Memorial at Forsythe Park

Trying to get creative with some of those photos

Taking a break in front of a water fountain in Forsythe Park

Trying to create an interesting visual on Google Slides

I'm having to get really creative with these photos

Hanging out at the stage in Forysthe Park

Really enjoying the different squares in downtown Savannah

Spending some time with my metallic friend from the 18th century

I had to take a picture with this church, it was just too spectacular

Walking through another square in the downtown area

Let's see if you can find me in this photo

So much to see

Oh... You thought I was done? Nope, Savannah has even more to offer. On top of an amazing downtown area, Savannah also has a river walk. Usually I wouldn't be so estatic about this kind of thing. After all, almost every other city I've been to has a river walk. But what makes Savannah's so unique is how much it changes the vibe. Walking through the downtown feels completely different to walking by the river. It feels so different that it's kinda easy to forget they are within a 5 mile radius of one another.

I made this it's own section because it's just a microcosm of what makes Savannah special. I haven't even mentioned the Savannah Wildlife Refuge. The only part of Savannah that I've described so far is the downtown area. I haven't mentioned the other cool places and aesthetics elsewhere in Savannah. This city is so cool because there are so many different areas that feel unique. It makes exploring it never feel boring. You could turn the corner and feel like you're in another state.

Taking a break to see who this memorial was dedicated to

Checking out the Savannah Wildlife Refuge

First Alligators I've ever seen in the wild

With all that in mind, I feel very confident in saying Savannah, GA was the coolest place I've been on this year-long trip. Not only was it surrounded by unique wilderness, but it featured a nice social environment, and an absolutely stunning downtown. I still hold that San Diego was the best time I've had on the trip. Almost nothing can beat waking up in the morning, walking to the beach, and checking new things out nearly every day. But that said, San Diego was missing a visual flair and vibe that Savannah definitely fulfilled. I will certainly return to Savannah in the future and I look forward to seeing how my relationship to it changes as time passes. When this trip is over and I look back on the fondest memories I've had a long the way, I know with certainty that Savannah will rank among the highest.