September 27, 2009-Savannah, Georgia

 

We spent the whole day in downtown Savannah.   We went on the trolley tour which I highly recommend for getting around the downtown sites.   Took a tour of the Juliette Low home.  She started Girl Scouts of America.    She got married in the late 1800s to an Andrew Low who was quite wealthy. They lived in England for a while.  The first 2 yrs of their marriage was happy, but then her husband starting flaunting mistresses around, so she came back to Savannah and stayed in Andrew's family home, which he had given to her.   Her husband passed away.    Juliette had no children.  She wanted to do something meaningful in her life, so she did alot of traveling.    She met the gentleman who started the Boy Scouts.  They didn't have an organization for girls, so with some help of her friend, she started the Girl Scouts.     She died at the age of 66 of breast cancer in Savannah and was buried in her Girl Scout uniform.


We also went to the Mercer home, which was featured in the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil".   The front office where the character played by Jude Law was found murdered was filmed here.   
We also went to Forsythe Park, which is also in the movie.


Savannah has several little parks all throughout the downtown, on practically every block.    The live oak are all over with the Spanish moss hanging on the limbs.     You don't want to take the Spanish moss home, as red ants can live in it.


We had dinner down at the Riverfront and then took the Haunted Mansion and cemetery tour.   The guide told us ghost stories along the way.   We thought it would be more interesting in the mansion, but there wasn't much to that.     I probably wouldn't recommend taking that tour.


Tomorrow, we are going on the Paula Dean tour and planning to have dinner at her restaurant.   


Here are a few pictures from the past few days at Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina as well as around Savannah, Georgia.