SAVANNAH, GA

(I dedicate this one to my mother, Joanne Patricia Thurin. She told me not too long ago that she’s always wanted to go to Savannah. Hopefully you can live vicariously through this until you’re able to see it with your own eyes. Happy birthday, mom!)

Saturday, June 1, 2019. The city of Savannah has a lot of history to it. And a lot of character too. From the broad variety of interesting architecture, (which includes Victorian Regency, Italianate, French Empire, and Gothic Revival, just to name a few) to the botanical gardens and ubiquitous oak trees covered in Spanish moss, there’s a unique Southern charm and beauty here.

And speaking of character, I met one in particular who I won’t soon forget!

I cruised into town around 7 am. I’d spent the previous night sleeping in my car at a travel center in Richmond Hill, which is about 20 minutes from Savannah. I drove straight to Forsyth Park. Smack dab in the middle of the downtown historic district. I had the windows down and the sunroof open and the first thing I noticed as I pulled into the park was the sweet, fragrant smell of honeysuckle in the air.

The park was quiet at first. Birds were chirping in the background. Squirrels were darting around, scrambling up and down trees. But before long people started to arrive. Morning joggers and dog walkers, elder couples holding hands, and vendors setting up their tents for the farmers market that would be opening shortly.

It was a peaceful morning. I strolled the sidewalks and took a few pictures of the scenery, read the plaques of the civil war memorials and got some shots of the park’s fountain.

This is where the Clint Eastwood movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was filmed. And after being there, I can tell you he perfectly captured the mood and ambiance of Savannah. Walking through the park I felt like I was literally walking through the movie (which I guess I was. Literally!).

I’d reached the edge of the park so now it was time to explore the streets. I saw a gentleman sitting on a bench and approached him to ask directions. I had NO IDEA what I would be in for for the next two hours!!

I said good morning and asked the gentleman if he could point me in the direction of the Mercer-Williams house. He stared me up and down, like he was evaluating me. For a moment I didn’t think he was going to answer. Then, slowly, with a thick Southern drawl he finally spoke:

“Honey, you don’t even realize how lucky you just got!”

I kinda smiled and said, “Oh yeah, why’s that?”

“Because if you are looking for a tour of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, you came to the right person. Honey, I’m Jerry! I played the hairdresser in the movie?”

His tone of voice clearly implying I should know who he was!

He said, “My family is from Savannah. My aunt owns the …..”(sorry the name escapes me)”….and yes, Paula Deen is my friend.”

Turns out I had stumbled upon a celebrity!

….who REALLY liked having his picture taken. (He would pose in front of nearly every building we passed and tell me to take his picture)

“Now, what’s your name, honey? Sit down here and talk to me for a minute.”

I was amused, so I thought why not? I told him my name was John and I was just visiting for the day. And that’s pretty much all I had the chance to say. I barely got a word in edgewise after that.

It quickly became evident that Jerry is kind of like a local mascot at Forsyth Park. He knew everybody! We were constantly stopping and talking to people along the way. But he was a damned good tour guide! He took me to all of the homes featured in the movie and told me the history of what occurred in them. (In case you weren’t aware, the movie is based on a true crime novel written by John Berendt and was filmed at the actual locations where the events took place.)

He showed me the estate where the murder took place. You could even see through the window into the bedroom.

Then the Mercer- Williams house. Where lyricist Johnny Mercer lived at the time and threw wild parties. Also the carriage house in the alley, another notorious party location.

A lot of the houses are still private residences and have been in the same families for generations. It got a little embarrassing when Jerry started knocking on doors and windows trying to get the owners to come out so he could ask if we could go inside and look around. I just kinda wandered off whenever he would do that.

We walked around for quite some time, taking pictures and harassing locals. Finally we got to a point where I had to end our tour. Jerry wanted to take me into a crowed cafe while everyone was eating breakfast to look at pictures on the walls. Plus I must admit, his constant flirtations were beginning to make me feel a little uneasy. So I told him I had somewhere I had to be, thanked him for the tour, and handed him a few dollars.

It was an interesting experience, to say the least. But I enjoyed it immensely. And like I said, I won’t be forgetting him anytime soon!

On my own once again, I walked to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Enormous and breathtaking, it was really something to see. Pictures do not do it justice.

From there I started making my way back to Forsyth Park. I crossed through several park squares with ornate fountains and marble obelisks. Even a free-range tortoise!

Taking more pictures of the marvelous architecture as I strolled.

By the time I made it back to Forsyth Park the farmers market was in full swing.

I slowly ambled through the crowd. Stopping occasionally for samples. My car was parked on the other side so thats where I was making my way to. I saw a very cute girl walking her dog so I took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with her. We talked about how lovely Savannah was and how lucky she was to live there. I asked her where I should visit next and she told me I couldn’t leave there without checking out Bonaventure Cemetery.

Incidentally, Bonaventure Cemetery is where the famous statue from the movie is located. Or I should say, WAS located.

After traversing damn near the entire cemetery without finding it I finally approached a large group and interrupted their tour by shouting out, “EXCUSE ME! WHERES THE STATUE FROM MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL??!!!”

For some reason the tour guide seemed irritated by my loud outburst and curtly explained that the statue is no longer there. It has been moved to a museum in town. Well that sucks!

My walk through the cemetery wasn’t in vain though. There are numerous soldiers from the civil war buried there. And it was sobering to read the headstones and learn something about those unknown men who fought and bravely laid down there lives for the Confederacy. At one point, I looked up to notice the bronze bust of a man who’s features looked familiar to me. The shrine read “General Robert Anderson”. General Anderson was commander at Fort Sumpter, in South Carolina, when the first shot of the civil war was fired. I’d read a lot about him during my stay in Charleston but never realized he was buried here. With his wife right beside him. And I discovered it completely by accident! What an awesome feeling!!

That was the crowning jewel on my day. Time to head to Brunswick.

I’m glad I had the chance to visit Savannah, if only for a day. The history, the beauty, and the unique character of this city captivates you.