A day around Savannah

Savannah is a lovely city to spend a few days in, and there are few sites just outside the city that are worth visiting. None are long stops, so it’s entirely possible to see all of them in one day or space it out if that is preferable.

Bonaventure Cemetery, founded in 1846, is Savannah’s oldest cemetery. The majority of the historical gravesites are in the south east corner near the river. We ended up parking on the far side and walking all the way through. It’s interesting to wander and you can definitely tell when you get to the old area.

The cemetery is well marked with lots of location signs and there are maps available at the entrance. There are lists of the must see graves on various websites and somehow we managed to find most of them without trying too hard. Guided tour are also an options. I was not familiar with most of the famous burials, so my strategy was to find something that looked interesting and in that direction.

Another fort! Constructed for the Civil War, Fort Pulaski National Monument, is one of many forts along the southern Atlantic Coast. It’s just outside of Savannah on Cockspur Island. This one was quite a nice looking, well preserved fort with a moat, along with lots of interpretive signage. There are also trails in the area if you are in the mood for a walk.

Our last stop for the day was Wormsloe State Historic Site. It has a pretty iconic entryway with a beautiful oak-tree lined drive.

Wormsloe is the colonial estate of Noble Jones, who arrived in 1733 and helped found the state of Georgia.

The ruined tabby structure that includes the foundation of the house along with the fortification surrounding it (which it turns out was another fort of sorts) is the oldest structure in Georgia. It’s a pleasant walk through the woods to visit the historic areas of the site.