Welcome to the very first episode of our brand-new podcast, For 91 Days in Savannah!
Join us as we embark on a thrilling journey through the southern gem of Savannah, Georgia. In this episode, we'll share our arrival story, the trials and tribulations of our furry friend, and our first impressions of this charming city.
Our Savannah Blog: https://savannah.for91days.com/
Next, we'll take you to Forsyth Park, Savannah's answer to Central Park, only smaller and more fragrant. We'll explore the fragrance garden for the blind and share our thoughts on this unique experience.
Then, we'll give you a comprehensive overview of all 24 squares in Savannah, followed by a detailed look at Johnson Square, the largest and most iconic square in the city.
Along the way, we'll share tons of photos and articles to help you plan your own Savannah adventure.
So stay tuned for this exciting first episode of For 91 Days in Savannah!
See photos of the places mentioned in this episode:
https://savannah.for91days.com/the-road-to-savannah/
https://savannah.for91days.com/first-impressions-and-images-of-savannah/
https://savannah.for91days.com/forsyth-park/
https://savannah.for91days.com/the-24-squares-of-savannah/
https://savannah.for91days.com/johnson-square/
Bonus:
Our Savannah Travel Book: https://for91days.com/go/SavannahB17
Our Free Newsletter: https://for91days.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Join us as we embark on a thrilling journey through the southern gem of Savannah, Georgia. In this episode, we'll share our arrival story, the trials and tribulations of our furry friend, and our first impressions of this charming city.
Our Savannah Blog: https://savannah.for91days.com/
Next, we'll take you to Forsyth Park, Savannah's answer to Central Park, only smaller and more fragrant. We'll explore the fragrance garden for the blind and share our thoughts on this unique experience.
Then, we'll give you a comprehensive overview of all 24 squares in Savannah, followed by a detailed look at Johnson Square, the largest and most iconic square in the city.
Along the way, we'll share tons of photos and articles to help you plan your own Savannah adventure.
So stay tuned for this exciting first episode of For 91 Days in Savannah!
See photos of the places mentioned in this episode:
https://savannah.for91days.com/the-road-to-savannah/
https://savannah.for91days.com/first-impressions-and-images-of-savannah/
https://savannah.for91days.com/forsyth-park/
https://savannah.for91days.com/the-24-squares-of-savannah/
https://savannah.for91days.com/johnson-square/
Bonus:
Our Savannah Travel Book: https://for91days.com/go/SavannahB17
Our Free Newsletter: https://for91days.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Category
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TravelTranscript
00:00 Hello, and welcome to the For 91 Days podcast.
00:03 We're Mike and Juergen.
00:13 In 2010, we embarked on a new kind of lifestyle,
00:16 traveling the world for 91 days at a time.
00:19 Every three months, we'll pack up our bags
00:21 and move to a new city, country, or continent.
00:25 The idea is to travel slow and really get to know a place
00:27 before moving on.
00:28 Three months gives us enough time
00:30 to explore every facet of our new homes,
00:32 from the history, people, and landmarks,
00:35 to the cuisine and culture.
00:36 And we document everything exhaustively
00:38 on our blog, for91days.com, where
00:41 we've published over 2,000 articles over the years.
00:45 Now, we're exploring a new format
00:47 to tell our travel stories, a podcast.
00:50 So put on your headphones, sit back,
00:53 and let us take you on a journey.
00:56 We're starting this series with our time in Savannah, Georgia.
00:58 We spent 91 days exploring and learning
01:01 about this jewel of the US South,
01:03 visiting the most iconic sites, getting
01:05 to know the famously eccentric locals,
01:08 and exploring the region.
01:10 Whether you've already visited Savannah
01:12 or are thinking about a trip, we think
01:14 you'll love hearing about our experiences
01:16 in this beautiful and historic city.
01:25 The road to Savannah.
01:27 At 3 PM on a brisk November afternoon,
01:29 Juergen and I parked a smashed up car
01:31 in front of our new Savannah home
01:33 and pulled our exhausted bodies up the front steps.
01:36 We had arrived after a whirlwind trip that
01:38 had brought us from Oviedo to Madrid, Chicago, Denver,
01:41 Ohio, Kentucky, and finally, southeastern Georgia.
01:45 And our dog, Chucky, had come with us.
01:48 The flight from Madrid to Chicago had been long,
01:51 and she had surely spent every minute howling
01:53 in the dark solitude of the cargo bay.
01:56 When her crate arrived into Chicago customs,
01:58 I picked her up for hugs and kisses,
02:01 realizing too late that she was covered in puke.
02:04 There's no evidence for it, but I've convinced myself
02:07 that she must have vomited at the very end of the flight
02:10 and that she didn't spend 10 terrifying, turbulent hours
02:13 rolling around in her own mess.
02:16 My parents let us borrow their car for the trip
02:18 from Kentucky to Savannah.
02:20 I repaid that small kindness by backing
02:22 into the fire hydrant across the street from their house,
02:26 ripping the bumper off and putting a hideous gash
02:28 into the side of the car.
02:30 A great way to start off our new 91-day adventure.
02:33 Otherwise, the drive went smoothly,
02:35 and we were soon installed in our new home,
02:38 anxious to get out and explore the city.
02:41 It had been 10 years since I lived in the USA,
02:43 and neither Juergen nor I had never
02:45 spent much time in the South.
02:47 This was surely going to be a fascinating three months.
02:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:53 First impressions of Savannah.
03:00 Our first full day in Savannah was warm and overcast.
03:03 Luckily, the rain held off, and we
03:04 were able to spend the afternoon getting familiar
03:06 with the city that would be our home for the next few months.
03:10 Our landlord had offered to let us
03:11 make use of a couple old rickety bikes he had in storage.
03:15 We wobbled into town, unsure the ancient contraptions weren't
03:18 going to fall apart, but comfortably inconspicuous.
03:22 A sleek mountain bike would be out of place
03:24 in this eccentric, slow-moving city.
03:27 But ambling along the wide streets
03:29 on these quirky old things, we fit right in.
03:33 Over the course of the day, I gathered the same impressions
03:36 of Savannah which must strike every newcomer to the city.
03:39 The haunting beauty of the Spanish moss,
03:41 the crowded riverside promenade with its shops and tour boats,
03:45 the incredible Victorian architecture,
03:47 the parks and squares with their monuments
03:49 to Savannah's rich history, the looming mansions, which always
03:53 evince an air of mystery.
03:55 And I don't mean one or two foreboding old mansions.
03:58 Savannah must have hundreds.
04:00 Biking around them was enough to send shivers down my spine,
04:03 especially on a dreary day.
04:05 It's no coincidence that the city is
04:07 home to so many ghost stories.
04:10 But what impressed us most of all
04:11 was the people and the relaxed way of life which reigns here.
04:15 Nearly everyone we encountered was smiling,
04:17 happy to stop and chat.
04:19 Savannah boasts an eclectic populace
04:21 with proper society type ladies sharing the squares
04:24 and sidewalks with panhandlers and flannel clad students.
04:27 It's an old city, but one with a vital infusion of youth
04:30 that keeps things fresh.
04:32 Thanks to SCAD, the Savannah College of Art and Design,
04:35 Savannah might have a higher percentage
04:37 of hipsters than Brooklyn.
04:39 This initial tour was fascinating.
04:41 And by the time we returned to our own foreboding old mansion
04:44 just off Abercorn, I knew that we had made a great decision
04:48 in coming here.
04:51 Savannah is stunning at first glance,
04:53 but the city's true beauty lies in its depth, its history,
04:56 secrets, and legends.
04:58 Our 91 days was already ticking down,
05:00 and I could hardly wait to get back out there
05:02 and start exploring.
05:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:06 Forsyth Park.
05:13 Occupying 30 acres between Drayton and Whittaker Street,
05:16 Forsyth is Savannah's answer to New York's Central Park.
05:19 It's not as massive as its counterpart,
05:22 but blends seamlessly into the city
05:24 and has always formed a part of its identity.
05:27 Forsyth Park was built in the 1840s
05:29 and christened in honor of John Forsyth, a former statesman
05:32 and Georgian governor.
05:34 The park's massive central fountain,
05:36 crowned with a female figure and flanked by spitting geese,
05:39 was inspired by the fountain in Paris's Plaza de la Concorde.
05:43 With water shooting haphazardly in all directions,
05:46 it's one of the most recognizable landmarks
05:48 of Savannah, appearing in films like 1962's Cape Fear
05:52 and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
05:55 Three monuments in Forsyth Park commemorate Savannah's
05:58 contribution to American wars.
06:00 To the north, there's one for the Vietnam War.
06:04 An impressively large memorial to the Civil Wars Confederate
06:07 dead is in the park's center with the biblical inscription,
06:11 "Come from the four winds, O breath,
06:13 and breathe upon these slain, that they may live."
06:16 And at the southern end is an interesting tribute
06:19 to the Spanish-American War, in which the US helped liberate
06:22 Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam
06:25 from Spanish influence.
06:28 Though the northern third of the park is shaded and tree-filled,
06:31 the rest is wide open with flat lawns that host weekend
06:34 picnics and pickup sports.
06:37 There's a cafe, a visitor's center,
06:39 and an open-air stage for summer concerts,
06:42 as well as something I'd never heard of before,
06:44 a fragrant garden for the blind.
06:46 The gate was locked, but I stuck my nose through the bars
06:48 and took a long whiff.
06:50 It smelled of trash and roses.
06:52 During our first few days in Savannah,
06:54 we had already crossed through Forsyth Park multiple times.
06:58 Practically an extended pedestrian-only section
07:00 of Bull Street, it's as much a thoroughfare as a destination,
07:03 and I had a feeling we'd be getting
07:05 to know the park intimately.
07:06 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:10 The 24 Squares of Savannah.
07:16 At the time of its founding in 1733,
07:19 Savannah was the first North American city
07:21 planned around public squares.
07:23 General Oglethorpe's grand design for his new capital
07:26 called for four squares to serve as gardens and meeting areas.
07:29 The western and eastern sides of each square
07:32 were reserved for public buildings,
07:33 such as churches and government offices,
07:36 while the northern and southern ends
07:37 were for private residences, called tithing blocks.
07:41 Savannah was the original capital of Georgia,
07:43 the last of the original 13 colonies,
07:46 and its logical design won it fame around the world.
07:49 The plan was far-sighted, allowing
07:52 for over a century of growth, always replicating the square
07:55 system further outward.
07:57 By the mid-19th century, there were a total of 24.
08:01 From the largest, Johnson, to the smallest, Crawford,
08:05 each of Savannah's 24 squares has
08:07 its own history and personality.
08:10 We made a promise to fully explore each of them
08:12 during our three months here and learn
08:15 their stories and secrets.
08:17 It was a promise we kept.
08:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:21 Johnson Square.
08:27 We had 24 squares to explore during our time in Savannah
08:30 and decided to start with the oldest and largest.
08:33 Johnson Square was established in 1733
08:36 and named in honor of South Carolina's colonial governor,
08:39 Robert Johnson.
08:41 The most notable monument in Johnson Square
08:43 is a 50-foot white obelisk dedicated
08:45 to Nathaniel Green, the Revolutionary War
08:48 hero from Rhode Island who retired to a farm near Savannah.
08:52 His remains, along with those of his son,
08:54 are buried underneath the obelisk.
08:57 Johnson Square also features two identical fountains
09:00 and a sundial dedicated to the memory of William Bull, who
09:03 helped General Oglethorpe both choose Savannah's location
09:06 and design its unique layout.
09:08 The time was off a little when we visited,
09:10 but ancient sundials can't be expected
09:12 to cope with daylight savings.
09:14 Another monument is the Johnny Mercer Bench,
09:17 which honors the city's best-known musical artist.
09:20 Ever since Savannah's inception, Johnson Square
09:23 has been the center of city life.
09:25 In the very early days, this is where colonists would
09:28 meet to check the time, fetch water,
09:30 make use of public ovens, and congregate for worship.
09:34 The Christ Church, found on the eastern side of the square,
09:37 is known as the Mother Church of Georgia.
09:40 Built in 1773, it's the oldest in all of Georgia.
09:43 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:47 We hope you're enjoying our stories from Savannah.
09:54 If so, please subscribe to our podcast
09:56 so you don't miss any episodes.
09:57 And of course, you can read all about this amazing city
10:00 and admire photos on our blog, savannah.for91days.com.
10:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:08 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:15 (upbeat music)