In a city like Savannah that is overflowing with creativity and talent and home to SCAD, the city's…read moreprestigious art school, it's mind boggling why there aren't an overabundance of art murals around the city. Having said that, I have definitely seen an increase of art murals in the short time I have lived here and Starland Mural Project (SMP), organized by the owner of Starlandia Supply is trying to do just that. To increase the accessibility and number of public murals, primarily in the Starland District. SMP's goal is to create eight new murals, in eight weeks by eight local artists on the walls of the old Starland Dairy, located on the corner of Bull Street and 41st Street. The murals will be up for only about a year, while the Starland Dairy completes its makeover. SMP seeks sponsors and donations to reach a $15,000 fundraising goal to be able to compensate the artists for their work at a fair and decent wage. You may recognize some of the participating artists: - Amiri Geuka Farris: he's done murals at the Savannah Children's Museum - Tyriq Maxwell - Jose Ray: we saw him working on the mural during our visit. Always cool to meet and watch an artist in action. - Jon Witzky - Xavier Hutchins - Kevin Bongang - Dana Richardson - Juliana Lupacchino: She is also known by the name of Ju Lu and her murals are in Starland Yard, as well as various prints on items around the city. She has a fun and playful style to her art and I can recognize it immediately! My kids and I stopped by to see the progress of the murals and as of this writing (week of Thanksgiving 2019), some of the murals seem incomplete. We saw and met Jose Ray on site, finishing up his mural and he said that all the artists were trying to finish by the "First Friday in Starland" as an unofficial deadline. So needless to say, the pics I've attached is the "work in progress". Love hunting for art murals and there is a gold mine of them, 8 to be exact, that can be found on Bull and 41st Street. Happy mural hunting and Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Whenever I visit an area, I love looking for local art and murals. Starland Mural Project in…read moreSavannah is an example of one. It's smaller than I've seen elsewhere, but I'm sure will increase in time. If you ever go to downtown St. Pete, FL, you can actually take a tour of all of the beautiful murals everywhere, a walking tour and a biking tour. Back to this local mural project, I love the color and the expression. My doggie loves to take pics next to them too. Well, he doesn't seem to mind as you can tell from the pics lol! Check it out! They are not far from Starland yard which is a food truck park(which is cool to see in Savannah) and down the street from Back in the day Bakery. One of these days when I visit again I'll check it out.

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.

I was lead to this spot by a website claiming the location is haunted…read more What I found was a newly remodeled, large building that seems to be housing students. The large parking lot was full of cars. There is a historical marker just up the driveway, to the side of the building that gives a bit of history on the building and looks like at one time it had been vandalized with graffiti, which has since been removed so you can again read the sign. Nice historic building that has been renovated keeping historic architectural elements.

I actually caught a photo of two women facing one another, forming a man with two dark eyes…read more Staring directly at me. 3 in 1. ghosties

These are the best chocolates I have had. Ever…read more Small boutique store. You select a tray and help yourself to chocolates on bookshelves. Each one is a delicious masterpiece and worth trying. It's a must for any trip to Savannah

On Sunday, my friend Matt and I decided to stop at this cute little chocolate shop near the…read moregalleria espresso. On Sunday, we tried the mint julep chocolate as well as the strawberry cream, heart chocolate however, on Monday, we tried a pink cream chocolate and a coconut truffle chocolate. This chocolatier reminds me of the one back in Disney Springs in Florida. It was very quiet and they had a lot of their chocolates available for tasting on Monday. Half of their chocolates were gone so obviously it's a very popular location. We went to the one off of Bull Street. The decor is a mix of French architecture along with gold and whimsical touches around the store. I believe they also do boxes along with gift sets and you can also purchase bulk online. 10/10

The Savannah Taste Experience food tour had a nice variety of "samples" along with interesting…read moreinformation about the history of the food and the areas we visited. While the tour information indicated there would be walking and some stair climbing, it didn't mention we would be walking up a steep hill covered with ballast from the riverfront back to the meeting point. After the tour, we realized that some personal belongings were lost and the staff at the store could not have been more helpful trying to track down our missing item.

Josh gave us a great tour, and the food was pretty good as well. We made 5 stops over about 3…read morehours and glad we did!!

One of my favorite squares in Savannah! Love the trees, landscaping, and of course the fountain in…read morethe center. It's very peaceful here as you can sit on one of many benches and just relax and take it all in.

Another awesome Savannah Square. On St Patrick's Day this one usually has the fountain water dyed…read moregreen. Orleans Square is located on Barnard, between Hull and Perry Streets, and is adjacent to the Savannah Civic Center.

This large monument is located in Johnson Square in Savannah. It was built to honor Revolutionary…read moreWar hero Brigadier General Nathanael Greene. Green was born in Rhode Island on August 7, 1742. He was a Quaker which is a pacifist religious denomination. He advocated independence from Britain and set aside his religious beliefs to set up a militia in Rhode Island when it looked war with Britain was eminent. His service in the 1776 Seige of Boston was noticed favorably by George Washington who gave Greene command of Boston after the British fled. Greene went on to fight in the battles of Trenton, Brandywine, and Germantown. Washington appointed him as commander of the southern forces of the American Continental Army during the American Revolution. He was instrumental in getting the British out of the south by directing Anthony Wayne's campaign in Georgia and aiding Colonel Henry Lee's revolutionaries in Georgia. The Mulberry Grove Plantation located north of Savannah was granted to Greene in thanks for his service. Greene County Georgia was named in his honor on February 3, 1786. Nathanael Greene Park in south Savannah was also named for him as is many other places in Rhode island. Nathanael Greene passed away on June 19th, 1786 from heatstroke while riding his horse. He was second in command to George Washington and Greene and Washington were the only two generals to serve the entire duration of the American Revolution. Greene was so revered by George Washington that he came to visit his widow at Mulberry Plantation upon Greene's death. Greene was buried in Colonial Cemetery but during the Civil War his grave was desecrated. His remains were later found in the Graham vault and interred in 1901 below this monument along with the remains of his son. The Egyptian obelisk monument to Greene was designed by William Strickland who took his design from Cleopatra's Needle. The foundation of the monument was laid by Marquis de Lafayette on March 21,1825 and the monument was completed by Strickland in 1830. In 2018 Savannah was in an uproar when someone put googly eyes on the relief of Nathanael Greene on the base of the monument resulting in a comical appearance and no damage was done. This monument is very well known in Savannah. Ghost City Tours along with other city tours uses this monument as a meet up point.

Another lovely square in Savannah! The art in the area and trees are wonderful to enjoy on a nice…read moreafternoon!

One of the most underrated squares in all of Savannah... if you're looking to sit down away from…read morethe heavy tourism this is your spot. Adjacent to the birthplace of "Jingle Bells"

Erected in 2002, the African American Monument (AAM) is located in Rousakis Plaza by the river…read morefront to symbolize where many African Americans first arrived in Savannah. This monument is of a black family with broken chains at their feet and it commemorates Savannah's African American citizens and their contributions to the city's history, economy and culture. In 2007, the City of Savannah publicly acknowledged its involvement in the institution of slavery. The artist behind it is Dorothy Spradley and supposedly, it took 11 years of planning before completion. The statue is made of bronze and granite. Inscription on monument: "We were stolen, sold and bought together from the African continent. We got on the slave ships together. We lay back to belly in the holds of the slave ships in each others' excrement and urine together, sometimes died together, and our lifeless bodies thrown overboard together. Today, we are standing up together, with faith and even some joy." - Maya Angelou. Interesting fact: as of the completion in 2002, the organizers were trying to raise funds to pay for the project with a hefty price tag of $250,000. Wonder if they've paid it off yet 8 years later? Parking is always challenging by the river front, so I suggest parking garages or on Bay Street and beyond and take a walk down! Stay safe, Friends!

Savannah City Hall is the seat of government for the city of Savannah. Designed by architect Hyman…read moreWitcover, the building was built between 1904 and 1905 and opened the following year. It is a contributing property to the Savannah Historic District. When the original design of the City Hall building in Savannah called for ornate statues of chariots and horses, the cost to build such a structure was around $200,000--a monumental sum in those days. To keep the cost down, the statues were excluded from the final plans and the Renaissance Revival building began to be constructed. Built in 1901, the structure replaced the original 1799 building and was an impressive sight located on Yamacraw Bluff. City Hall features a domed roof that rises 70 feet. It is a beautiful piece of architecture located in the historic part of the city...very frequently highlighted during the historic walking tours of the city.

The city of Savannah is absolutely beautiful and if you have time on your trip to stop here it is…read morewell worth it! just take a nice walk on the Riverwalk and get to enjoy the beautiful view and all the shops in the area. There is lots of historic events by and captured moments in Savannah GA. Just down the river walk alone and through the little streets of Savannah it's definitely a go to stop in our book!