Oak trees are most likely included in any description or picture of Savannah. That's what makes up…read morethe charm of this city, coupled with the Spanish Moss draping over the oak's large canopy and it makes even the not-so-nice parts of town, still so pretty! Candler Oak, however is a special oak tree. It is one of the oldest living landmarks in Savannah and os estimated to date back to around the 1700s. Thankfully, in the 80's, a group of citizens formed a group when the tree was at a risk of dying and have made great efforts in keeping this tree alive and protected. History was made when the group obtained the first conservation easement on a single tree. - Parking - Street parking. - Location - It's located right next to Forsyth Park, on Drayton and E Gaston Street, on SCAD's Ruskin Hall's property. There is an iron gate that surrounds the tree that is kept under lock and key. You can't get past the gate. As we visited it today, there were a group of workers, repaving the cement walls that surround it from the street. It looks like the cement walls have slowly collapsed over the years and there were quite large cracks to the foundation. The information board is also contained inside the gated area. According to the board, the last time they measured the tree was in 2003 and it is as follows: Diameter - 65 inches Circumference - 17 feet Height - 54 feet Width of the canopy - 110.25 feet - Fun facts - 2001 - Designated a Georgia Landmark & Historic Tree 2004 - Placed on National Register of Historic Trees Tip: There is actually a Dot bus stop right in front of it and Dots are free to ride in Savannah. If you're walking around Forsyth Park, it's definitely worth going over to the end of Forsyth Park to see this beautiful tree.

I was walking back from Forsyth park when I discovered this magnificent oak tree located on the…read morecampus of the Savannah College of Art and Design. The Candler Oak is believed to have taken root in the early 1700's before James Oglethorpe arrived in Savannah in 1733 and laid out the city. It is 300 years old making it one of the oldest trees in Savannah. The tree is 54 feet tall, 16.85 feet in circumference, and the crown spread is 110 feet. This tree has witnessed a lot of Savannah's history. The surrounding land around the tree was a seaman's hospital built in 1803. In 1819 a poor house and a hospital was built on the land. In 1854 it became the headquarters of the Medical College of Georgia. During the Civil War it became a Confederate hospital named Camp Davidson. In 1863 stockades below the tree held Union prisoners of war. General Sherman seized the hospital in 1864 when he arrived in Savannah and used it for Union soldiers. From 1930 until 1980 it was the Warren A. Candler hospital. By the 1980's, the Candler Oak was sick from years of pollution and construction. It was given a life expectancy of only 20 years. The Savannah Tree Foundation was formed in 1982 to protect the Candler Oak and the other trees in Savannah. The group made history in 1984 by getting the first conservation easement of a single tree in the nation. Huntingdon II, Ltd. purchased the building and donated the easement to the Savannah Tree Foundation so they could care for the tree. In 1985 asphalt was removed over the trees roots. In 2001 the tree was designated a Georgia Landmark and Historic Tree by the Georgia Urban Forest Council. In 2004 it was named added to the National Register of Historic Trees. In 2012 the Savannah Law School purchased the property and restored the historic buildings and set aside four parking spaces around the tree to protect it. Today the Candler Tree is regularly visited by arborists who have judged the tree to be in good health and it is expected to last for the next century. A fence now surrounds the tree in order to protect it.

Lafayette Square is gorgeous…read more We dropped by and between the trees with their spanish moss sweeping low over the green grass and brick pathways--we were charmed. It's also home to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which we stopped by while were were there as well. There's a beautiful fountain in the center of the square that makes for a lovely focal point. There are plenty of benches along the brick pathways for lingering as well. We enjoyed a leisurely afternoon here of reading in lovely weather while listening to the sound of the fountain in the distance.

Nice spot we visited that had Statues and things to look at. Nice easy walk that is worth a visit…read morewhen you are in town

Bounded by E. York and E. State Streets, Wright Square was laid out in 1733. It was the second…read morecreated and one of the four original squares laid out by Georgia founder, James Oglethorpe. At that time of its creation it was named Percival Square in honor of Viscount Percival, Earl of Egmont who also helped found the colony of Georgia. He is credited with giving the colony its name Georgia, in honor of Great Britain's King George II. The square was later renamed Wright Square in 1763 in honor of Sir James Wright, the third governor of Georgia and its last royal one. Other names the square has gone by include Post Office Square, Courthouse Square, and Hanging Square. In earliest days the square held a courthouse, monthly auctions, and government bonds. It was also known as the hanging square because it was where people convicted of capital crimes met their deaths at the end of a hangman's rope. A boulder in the southeast corner of the square honors Tomochichi, chief of the Yamacraws. He was a friend of General Oglethorpe and was instrumental in negotiating the treaty that gave Oglethorpe the land that would become Savannah. He also helped establish a military outpost that repelled invasion by the Spanish. Tomochichi died in the Yamacraw village in 1773 but at his request he was brought back to Savannah and his body was put in the square with a pyramid of rocks over his grave. In 1882, a hundred years later, the mound was removed and replaced with the Gordon monument purchased by the Central Georgia Railroad for its founder William Washington Gordon who was also a politician and businessman. The monument has four red granite columns with Corinthian capitals. At the top are four winged figures that hold a globe. The figures represent agriculture, manufacturing, commerce, and art. It is the only monument in a square to a native Savannahian. Upset by the disrespect shown to Tomochichi, Nellie Kenzie Gordon, Gordon's daughter-in-law along with the Colonial Dames made a new monument to the Native American leader with a piece of granite taken from Stone Mountain. It was placed in the southeast corner of the square since his body still resides under the Gordon monument or was scattered when the Gordon monument was laid according to differing accounts. Legend has it that Tomochichi's ghost still remains in the square and if you say his name three times he will appear to you. Tomochichi is not the only ghost purported to be haunting Wright Square. This square was one of the stops on the Ghost City Tour, Dead of Night where we heard the sad tale of Alice Riley who is buried just off the square. Alice Riley and Richard White came over from Ireland as indentured servants. Alice and Richard were sent to work on a farm where Alice was forced to bathe her employer William Wise. Wise ended up drowned in a bucket, making him Georgia's first murder victim. Richard was blamed for the crime and hanged first and in 1735 Alice followed her lover to the gallows proclaiming her innocence after she gave birth but who the father was, her employer or White, is a mystery lost to time. Baby James passed away soon after the death of Alice and shortly tales began that she was a witch and had cursed the city of Savannah. It is said Alice is still roaming the square looking to be reunited with her son. Aside from ghosts, Wright Square is also home to many beautiful buildings like the Lutheran Church of Ascension which was dedicated in 1879. The church took its name from the stain glass depicting Christ's ascension into heaven that sits behind the alter. I love all of the squares of Savannah. Each one has unique monuments, history, and stories attached to it. This one might be the most storied of all. As one of the oldest and most haunted squares in Savannah, Wright Square is a must see on any tour.

We hit up a lot of squares while we were in Savannah Georgia. This is one of them that we stopped…read moreand saw took a lot of photos. Kept it on moving nice little spot.

Chippewa Square is also known as "the Forrest Gump square," for its use as the backdrop of the…read morescenes where the title character sits on a bench as he waits for a bus, a box of chocolates in his lap, and narrates his life story for the other characters who sit down beside him. The scene was shot on the north side of the square with Oglethorpe in the background, using a bench that was brought in for filming. A replica of the prop bench can be found at the Savannah History Museum, and also at Georgia's I-95 Welcome Center, where visitors can sit next to a life-sized Forrest to have their picture taken. The square itself has lots of old big trees that provide lots of shades to those who want to sit under them....on the grass or on one of the many wooden benches...there are lots of nice bars, restaurants and shops around the square, making this a nice cute little area to stroll around.

Chippewa Square in Savannah is a really nice spot to slow down and take in some history. Sitting…read moreunder the shade of those big oak trees with the Spanish moss hanging down gives it that classic Savannah feel you expect. I liked the statue of James Oglethorpe in the center and how peaceful the whole area felt, even with people coming and going.

Arriving in Savannah on Juneteenth, I realized some of the sites I wanted to see were closed. One…read moreof those sites was the Juliette Low Museum, the founder of the Girl Scouts. What I didn't realize was that the Andrew Low house was nearby. He, of course, became one of the richest people in Savannah in the 1800s and had this house to show of his massive wealth. We stuck around for a tour that lasted about 45 minutes. Was pretty informative and learned a lot of things about Juliette that carried over to when we saw the museum a couple days later. One of the cool things we saw was an upright grand piano, of which only 3 exist in the entire world. That was pretty cool. This was a fun respite from the heat and wasn't overly expensive.

I've been here for the Girl Scout tour and now the Ghost tour and what a difference! I love that I…read morecould come back to another place I have been and learn more. We learned the history of the house and how tragic it was. The staff were welcoming and knowledgeable, overall it was a great tour!

My friend Matt and I decided to do the sorrel weed house tour during the day. Our tour time was 2…read morePM. We toured the carriage house, along with the gardens, as well as the first floor and second floor of the sorrel weed house. I did not take many photos because I am the type of person when they go to a historical site that really likes to take in the scenery. I believe each ticket cost $30. Our tour guide was OK. We really wanted to know some of the ghost happenings and she just kept telling us it's not in my beliefs, so I don't talk about it which I understand. However, the sorrel weed house is like one of the most known haunted houses in all of Savannah. The daytime tour was really nice however I do want to come back and do an evening tour just for the ghosts . 10/10

Such a great tour! Our guide was fantastic and told great stories. We were able to walk around most…read moreareas of the house, except the living quarters but heard those are opening soon so we're coming back in a few years. While walking through one of the rooms, one of the cabinets opened up. The guide tried to debunk it but I'd love to see the video footage! This tour was hauntingly good!

I was visiting my daughter- who attends SCAD- and she needed to renew her passport, but could not…read moredo it via mail. THIS WAS BY FAR THE BEST EXPERIENCE WE HAVE EVER HAD AT A PASSPORT OFFICE. Desiree was sooooo helpful and cheerful. There was no wait at all. Never had such a pleasant time at a courthouse in my life.

This is a tough one. It's hard to know what kind of "Service" to expect from a courthouse. We…read moreemployed their services so the better half and I could become legally wed. The first thing you encounter is the "No Nonsense" Security. They ARE NOT messing around. If you are a visitor from out of town, this can seem incredibly off putting. They don't care if you are a tourist, they don't want to make your stay in Savannah the best it can be. They want to get you the heck through security safely. Be ready. Don't expect service with a smile. Second, the person responsible for our marriage license did seem to be a joyless bureaucratic machine, but we did get our license completed with no fuss or muss. The person after us was there to renew his carry permit and he also went away with what he came for. In-between we had some random person who wanted to ask "A quick question". She disallowed this to continue to focus on the business at hand and directed them to someone who was not involved in an activity. So while I don't disagree with Karen D's assessment, I think they do provide the customer the service they arrived for, they just rarely do it with a smile.