Savannah Old Town Trolley Tour July 2018

I know I posted some complete "Old Town Trolley" tours from a recent visit to Savannah...  Well, I found this pretty much complete tour of town (courtesy of Old Town Trolley) from 2018!

Fort McAllister State Park Georgia November 2023

They DID close half an hour early without notice the day we were there, but otherwise we had a really nice visit to Fort McAllister State Park in Georgia!  LOTS of Civil War History here!

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield

Late 2023, we drove around Kennesaw Mountain to see some of the sites from the Civil War Battle!

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library Georgia November 2023

Just a few days before the passing of Rosalynn Carter, we stopped by to visit the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta.  In the video, I also talk a little about the time we were able to attend church with the Carters.  Jimmy and Rosalynn have been very accessible, giving and selfless.

Woodstock Georgia November 2023

We were here a year earlier, and we loved the town so much- so we came back again in late 2023!  There is a train track, and some great bookstores here too!

Old Town Trolley Tour Savannah GA November 2023 with Tyler

I know I just posted an "Old Town Trolley Tour video- here is a different trip around town with Tyler, a different driver.

Harbour Town Lighthouse Hilton Head Island

While on Hilton Head, we took a trip through the Harbour Town Lighthouse!

"Georgia's Ghostly Getaways" by Kathleen Walls

I found the fun little book, "Georgia's Ghostly Getaways" by Kathleen Walls at "The Sweet Read" while in Woodstock.

This is another great little book, packed with weird stories, ghost stories, and just general info on Georgia.  I love books like this.

It does have a very, DIY, self published feel.  it came out in 2002 so some of the info is a bit dated, but not really.  Sure, some of the businesses and phone numbers noted are no longer valid, but the meat of the book is still relevant and worth reading.

There are some grammatical and spelling errors too, which are really not that big of a deal....  BUT, Chickamauga is spelled "Chickamunga numerous times.  

Don't let that distract you though.  This book has a ton of info and won't take up nearly as much space as some larger, and fluffier books.

Walls covers some areas that I was unaware of in Georgia.  She brings up some really strange bits of trivia about Savannah.  She does a bit of a deep dive into some of the stories you already know, but adds to them.  

She also lets you know where the original Confederate States of America is housed.  There is a haunted house once lived in by President and Mrs. Carter.  A sub base, Black Beard, and an animal Safari are brought up.  She covers some of my favorite topics in Georgia too, like the General, John Bell Hood's leg, and a strange cult.

This book has a lot of information....  and a lot of heart.  Pick it up if ya see a copy!

 

Sea Pines Forest Preserve Hilton Head Island SC November 2023

While on Hilton Head Island, we spent a little time driving around Sea Pines Forest Preserve!

"Ghosts of Atlanta" by Reese Christian

While I was in the Atlanta area, I picked up "Ghosts of Atlanta: Phantoms of the Phoenix City" by Reese Christian.  It was a great book to have with me while in the area.

This was a nice, well written book that was still a quick read.  Reese gets to the point on the stories, and I appreciate that.

I love a good ghost story, but I am curious about the events that got us to that point.  What crime, murder, or other strange event occurred?

The author covers 10 locations and ghostly tales.  They are all interesting, and they were all new to me.

I really enjoyed the fact that many involved the Civil War (this IS Atlanta).  I enjoyed reading about a plantation turned restaurant that also has a door from Andersonville.  The exciting story of a man killing another man and fleeing to Texas, never to be heard form again is just a side note story in one exciting chapter.  Reese Christian also covers the largest hotel fire in American history.  By the way, you can still get a room there.  There is a haunted horse on a carousel ride.  The creator of the Uncle Remus stories, John Bell Hood, General Sherman and Nathan Bedford Forrest III all show up too.

 

Hilton Head Island South Carolina 2023

While near Savannah, we spent some time on Hilton Head Island!

Crazy Crab Hilton Head Island

We had a great meal at the Crazy Brab while on Hilton Head Island!

Chattanooga Battlefield and Lookout Mountain

Here are some Civil War sites around the Lookout Mountain area!

Bitty and Beau's Coffee Savannah Georgia 2023

We had some great coffee at Bitty and Beau's on our last trip to Savannah!

"Happy Valley: A Mountain Home Book" by Lin Stepp

While on a recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, we had a nice chat with Lin Stepp and her husband at a craft fair.  They were there selling some of their books....  Lin writes fiction, and she and her husband both have put together some state park guide books!

I bought their guide book to the State Parks of Tennessee and I also picked up Lin's book, "Happy Valley" for my mother in law.

The state park book was great, and I realized I have been to several of the parks.  The Stepp's have visited them all, and they have pictures, and descriptions of each.  I will definitely keep it around as a resource book.

I read "Happy Valley" after my mother-in-law read it, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected.  It is a Christian/romance/fiction book, and not the normal kind of book I read.  It is very much like a Hallmark movie.  

I wanted to read it though, as it was set in the Great Smoky Mountains.  The characters were sweet, and felt mostly believable.  The book had a very good flow and kept my interest.
 

Homewood Suites Hilton Savannah Airport Georgia 2023

We stayed at the very pleasant Homewood Suites Hilton Savannah while in Georgia!

Cotton Exchange Tavern Savannah Georgia

We had a very enjoyable meal at the Cotton Exchange Tavern in Savannah Georgia!

Leopold's Ice Cream Savannah Georgia 2023

We stopped by Leopold's Ice Cream in Savannah again in November, 2023!

Blue Moon Cruise Chattanooga July 2012

Here is an edited down video showing a nice river cruise we took in Chattanooga back in 2012!

Old Town Trolley Tour Savannah Nov 2023

On our recent trip to Savannah, we did the "Old Town Trolley Tour" again.  I enjoy the narration and the rides around town.  I edited this together using one drivers narration, but I spliced in SOME stuff from our second ride around just so you can see some stuff from both sides of the trolley.

This is a pretty complete drive around and it is long, but this should give you a feel for how great the Old Town Trolley Tours are.

"Historic Haunts of Savannah" by Michael Harris and Linda Sickler

While we were in Savannah, I picked up "Historic Haunts of Savannah" by Michael Harris and Linda Sickler.  The book was readily available at several souvenir shops in town.  Also, if you are on the Old Towne Trolley Tour, they give you lots of coupons, including one for 25% off an item at one of their gift shops.  I used that coupon to make this purchase.

And....  it ended up being a good buy.  I hesitated though, as some of these ghost books can be hit or miss, and I really didn't need another ghost book on Savannah.

Harris and Sickler have done something a bit unique here though.  In this book, they take seven commonly told stories around town (on the many ghost walks) and discussed them at length.  They get a ton of extra credit for researching the HISTORIC accuracy of these ghost legends.

Did a giant terrorize Savannah, killing children in past centuries?  What dueling ghosts are forever tied to the Moon River Brewing Company?  In what square was a woman hanged and what do we really know of the events leading to it?  What happened to town founder's James Oglethorpe's remains in the early 1900s and why were they dug up? 

These, and other well known tales are covered thoroughly in this easy to read volume.

 

"Civil War Savannah" by Derek Smith

 I have read a few books and magazines on Savannah in the Civil War, but Derek Smith's "Civil War Savannah" seemed like a interesting book to check out, so I picked up a copy before going back to the wonderful Georgia town.

I was glad I did.  The book lays out Savannah's involvement before, during, and after the Civil War.  There is more to the town and it's Civil War involvement than Sherman presenting it, mostly unscathed, to Lincoln for Christmas.

The book has a nice flow....  going through the years, and the town and its players involvement in the War.  

I think most know that the Confederate army evacuated Savannah right before Sherman started his invasion.  Lucky for admirers of the city NOW.  Savannah avoided the fate of other towns Sherman visited in the South not getting the torch.

Of course, there was still some action.  Several forts did see some back and forth fighting, though, in general, not much.

There are ironclads, blockades, blockade runners and other action on the waters around Savannah and Tybee Island.

I took note of several facts that I was unaware of, or that Smith drew in a new light, and made me think about in a different way......

CSA VP Alexander Stephens delivered his "Corner Stone" speech in Savannah.  It is...  well, the speech was heavy on stressing the "inequality of the races."  

Savannah was building ironclads in 1862.  With limited resources, and a rush to deliver, they weren't exactly built to last.

Grant OK'd Sherman's "March to the Sea", but, being Lincoln supporters, they postponed it until after the election for political reasons.

The Davis family, minus the imprisoned Jefferson, live in Savannah for some time.  

Jefferson Davis, Lee, Sherman and other Civil War heavy weights all make postwar visits to Savannah.

I could go on and on.....  But I just really enjoyed this book.

"Haunted Savannah" by James Caskey

I picked up a COUPLE of copies of "Haunted Savannah" by James Caskey on previous trips to the great southern town and I have had them on my book shelf for some time.  I think I have flipped through the copies a few times here and there, but I sort of dismissed this volume.

I THINK the fact that I bought 2 copies, each with a different year printed on the cover, expecting different/updated info put me off.  The book, no matter the year printed on the cover, has the exact same info as other editions.

Nevermind that though.  I recently went ahead and read a copy, cover to cover and I was wrong to think of this book as just an OK reference for the city.  The book is PACKED!

Caskey covers a lot of history in a tight, easy to read 200 pages.  Yeah, there are ghost stories, but something I really like is the dark history.  Caskey has not gone to psychics asking about their impressions, he has researched and he gives you the disturbing facts.

Many historic legends are brought up, with their connections to the city- some names you would expect- Jim Williams, Uncle Remus, Juliette Gordon Low, and of course, Sherman.  There are other characters that pop up too, including a 7 foot tall giant, President Monroe, and Joe Namath.

AND he gives a ton of historic and strange information about the city, its buildings, and its involvement in battles and other incidents.  You will look forward to your next trip to Savannah knowing that some of the places in town are former cotton warehouses relating to the Civil War.  There are Civil War hospitals, a building built of old ships, etc.  There are stories of 1,000 person mass grave (its location- lost to history), soldiers buried alive, and a dead man found walled up.  This book is thorough and complete.  Pick up a copy before your next trip.  It gets my highest possible recommendation.
 

Etowah Mounds State Park Georgia

We were lucky enough to be able ot stop at the Etowah Mounds in Georgia recently!

Cartersville Georgia and Noble and Main Coffee

In 2023 we had a nice visit to Cartersville Georgia, and also stopped by Noble and Main Coffee!  This is a very cool little town!