99, feels like 115

Today was predicted to be the warmest of the next few days, and it lived up to all of it's predictions. This morning early, the temp was comfortable and the sky was blue, so we bought a couple of tickets on the Old Town Trolley and set about exploring the historic district of Savannah.

We chose to board the Trolley at the Savannah Visitors Center, because parking was plentiful and free with tour purchase. It was also within sight of the beautiful bridge over the Savannah River.

The Old Town Trolley Tour open air buses would be a bit cooler than walking through the Historic District, and perhaps it was, but just after noon, the temp got so high that it didn't really matter what we were doing! According to the news this evening, the recorded temp was 99 with a 68% humidity that made it feel like 115! And no breeze! Donna's Mom used to say "there wasn't a breath of air!" So true today.

In any case, the tour bus visited 14 of the remaining 22 Squares in Savannah. Originally laid out by General James Oglethorpe in 1732, there were 25 squares, each about a city block in size, to be used for the well being of the citizenry. Oglethorpe set up the colony with a number of rules, both to provide his version of utopia, and to provide a military buffer between the Spanish to the south and the British to the north. One such rule prohibited the use of slaves, fearing that runaways would provide intelligence to Englands enemies. Another prohibited the practice of the Catholic religion, since that might encourage sympathy with the Spanish. Perhaps the best prohibition was against lawyers, because they unnecessarily prolonged legal disputes!

The squares are certainly beautiful places to rest a bit, even on a scorching day like today!

The streets of the Historical District are tree lined and calm.

We were treated to a variety of old houses, all well-kept. Some are open to the public for tours.

There are several distinct architectural styles on display in the historic district and it's immediate surroundings: Colonial and Victorian being the most obvious, but also including Gothic Revival and Greek Revival among others. I won't pretend to give you a treatise on Southern Architecture, but please believe that these homes are a wonder to see.

Scattered throughout the city are Crepe Myrtle trees. Growing almost as weeds in this "humid subtropical" climate.

Forsyth Park is one of the largest parks or squares in the Historic District. Occupying the center of the south edge of the District, it is a miniature Central Park, with athletic fields, water features, and dog-friendly trails. The focus of the park is this fountain, which is a beauty, but we found that it was mail-ordered from Sears!

One of the stops on the fully narrated tour is called City Market. This is the site of the original City Market where goods were bought and sold by the city inhabitants. Now converted into a pedestrian walkway, with restaurants, shops and bars, it was a great place to hop off the open air tour and go inside to cool off. We chose The Cafe, since it was closest to the trolley stop, and thoroughly enjoyed a New Orleans Muffuletta sandwich and Creole Shrimp and Grits. The sandwich was very good, and the spicy shrimp, simmered in a unique sauce and served over cheese grits with Collard Greens on the side was absolutely wonderful! Much recommended!

Many of the homes in the Historic District have used iron in creative ways. The entire front of this house is made from iron, with the only wood being in the door. It seems that iron was much prized, and the more iron displayed, the more wealth the owner was considered to have! One house is called the Dolphin House because at the bottom of each roof downspout an intricate cast Dolphin sends rainwater to the gutter.

On December 22, 1864, General Sherman occupied the Green-Meldrim house. Having Marched to the Sea, effectively splitting the Confederacy, Sherman telegraphed President Lincoln offering the City of Savannah as a Christmas present. The Confederate defenders had slipped away the night before, so Sherman entered the town with little or no opposition resulting in very little damage to the city.

Back on the trolley, we passed the Pirate House. This is an original structure, added onto over the years, that housed one of the most disreputable watering holes in the area. Sailors from the port were known to spend their entire fortunes in the Pirate House, and Robert Louis Stevenson was reputed to have first heard the tale of Treasure Island here.

This is the small original building.

So, this is the South, and as such, the weather is something I have yet to figure out! About five pm, while we were riding the trolley back to our car, a series of thunderstorms popped up. In the space of 15 minutes or so, the temperature dropped 10 degrees, the wind picked up, and it began to rain buckets! Go figure!

The storm dropped southeast out of South Carolina, treated us to lightning and thunder and rain, and was gone in three hours. Huh!

We're glad to be home keeping Sasha company. She is starting to recover from her weeklong sleepover with Max last week, but still mopes in the evening a lot. We think she's a little depressed! Max was a great friend, and I'm sure that Sasha misses him terribly.

Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler, but we will probably try to have a laid back day. Saturday and Sunday in Savannah are said to be pandemonium, so we will probably avoid downtown.