Posts by author: Jennifer

Fort Pulaski in Savannah, after the bombardment

Here are some #OMGFacts about the Civil War events in Savannah. All facts are designed for brevity, and are 14o characters or less. Feel free to tweet them, recite them to friends or use them as you please. You may also add your own 140-character bullet point/tweet in comments.

Civil War Events in Savannah

• Fort Jackson, one of the interior brick forts guarding Savannah’s river approach during the Civil War, was never taken by naval vessels.
• Savannah didn’t see much action in the Civil War, other than the fall of the Confederate-held Fort Pulaski in 1862.
• The fall of Fort Pulaski was noted worldwide because it was penetrated by a new rifled artillery that made masonry forts obsolete.
• Gen. Sherman’s March to the Sea in 1864 started in Atlanta and ended with the capture of Savannah. The army torched everything in its path.
• Gen. Sherman was so taken with Savannah’s beauty, that he presented the city to President Lincoln as a Christmas present.

Want more #OMGFacts? Click on Savannah #OMGFacts, or better yet, visit Savannah. You can stay in the Heritage House, a Historic District Vacation Rental, within walking distance of everything downtown.

Savannah Signer of the Declaration of Independence

Here are some #OMGFacts about American Revolutionary events in Savannah. They are designed for brevity, and are 140 characters or less. Feel free to tweet them, recite them to friends or use them as you please. You may also add your own 140-character facts/tweets in comments.

Pre-American Revolutionary War:

• The Liberty Boys, a group of Savannah men, met periodically at Peter Tondee’s Tavern, to promote American independence.
• George Walton, Lyman Hall & Button Gwinnett, either worked or lived in Savannah, and signed the Declaration of Independence.

American Revolutionary War

• In 1778, the British captured Savannah, fighting off the American Patriot Militia and the Continental Army.
• The Siege of Savannah or the Second Battle of Savannah was a joint Franco-American attempt to retake Savannah from the British in 1779.
• The Siege of Savannah was one of the bloodiest battles in the American Revolution. Landmark is on MLK Blvd. in Savannah.
• During the American Revolution, Polish Cmdr Casimir Pulaski saved George Washington’s life. He died in the Siege of Savannah.
• A statue of Cmdr Pulaski, the highest ranking foreign soldier to die during the American Revolution, is located in Monterey Square.

Want to learn more @OMGFacts about this beautiful city? Click on Savannah #OMGFacts, or better yet, visit Savannah, and stay in one of it’s most charming Historic District vacation rentals.

Cobblestones on River Street

Savannah’s River Street is one of the most popular visitor attractions.  Besides its rich history, galleries, restaurants and shops, River Street is also a great place to watch ships from all over the world sail into one of the busiest ports in the United States.

It initially started as a dirt road. Then, English ballast stoned were laid to give schooners added stability for their trips for Europe. The discarded stones were then used in rivers and walkways.  To this day,  River Street and the walkways to  Factors Walk and Bay Street are still paved with these cobblestones.

Here are a few of the most notable historical landmarks located on River Street:

• A plaque on River Street marks the spot where General Oglethorpe arrived from England and established Savannah on Feb 12, 1733
• The River Street Inn opened as a cotton exchange in 1817. (In 1876, the Savannah Cotton Exchange was established and made its permanent home on Bay Street in 1883 (just one block from River Street). The exchange was established to provide cotton factors, brokers serving planters’ interest in the market, a place to congregate and set the market value of cotton exported to larger markets such as New York or London.
• The Waving Girl Statue, located at the eastern end of River Street, depicts Florence Martus (1868 – 1943) with her loyal collie. The daughter of a sergeant stationed at Fort Pulaski, Florence welcomed each passing ship with a wave of her handkerchief. Sailors began returning her greeting by waving back or with a blast of the ship’s horn. Florence Martus continued her waving tradition for 44 years and it is estimated that she welcomed more than 50,000 ships during her lifetime.
• The African American Monument, erected on River Street in 2002, depicts a family in chains. While slavery was initially forbidden, Savannah ultimately played an integral role in the slave trade over the course of forty-eight years.

Heritage House, a Historic District vacation rental, is less than a mile walk from River Street.

James Oglethorpe, founder of Savannah

Here are some #OMGFacts about the founding of Savannah for Twitter users (and the rest of us). They are written in 140 characters or less. Feel free to tweet them or add your own in the comments.

Founding of Savannah

• James Oglethorpe founded Georgia, after a good friend died in a debtors’ prison. He sought a place to find relief for English debtors.
• James Oglethorpe and 114 settlers arrived in Savannah in 1733, after first landing in Beaufort, SC and then traveling 18 miles upriver.
• James Oglethorpe laid out in a perfect grid pattern of squares to serve as a meeting place for town residents.

Early Settlers

• Savannah had a mix of early settlers – Jews came in 1733;  Lutherans from Salzburg came in 1734. Scottish Highlanders came in 1736.
• Savannah was reluctant to admit Jews in 1733. But it changed course when a Spanish Jewish doctor arrived & cured an epidemic.
• Under Savannah, Georgia’s original charter, people were able to worship as they pleased, but rum and lawyers were forbidden.

Want to learn more @OMGFacts about this beautiful city? Stay tuned. Or visit Savannah, and stay in one of it’s most charming Historic District vacation rentals.

For Immediate Release

June 2, 2010 – Savannah, GA  – A new blog series, Savannah #OMGFacts, launched today to educate Twitter users, tourists and others about Savannah’s history – in as few words as possible.

The series, created by DowntownSavannahHomes.com, highlights Savannah’s history on themed blog posts, each containing 4-7 bullet points of 140 characters or less.

The blog posts are designed to provide the rapidly growing base of Twitter users, tourists and anyone who enjoys history “in a nutshell” with a few facts that they can easily digest or tweet. (Twitter counts more than 105 million users, and one of its most popular trends are tweets that include the phrase #OMGfacts and an interesting fact.)

Each blog post in the Savannah #OMGFacts series has a theme. For example, the post about the American Revolution includes the following bullet points:

• The Siege of Savannah or the Second Battle of Savannah was a joint Franco-American attempt to retake Savannah from the British in 1779.
• The Siege of Savannah was one of the bloodiest battles in the American Revolution. Landmark is on MLK Blvd. in Savannah.
• During the American Revolution, Polish Cmdr Casimir Pulaski saved George Washington’s life. He died in the Siege of Savannah.

Both the blogs posts and individual bullet points can be re-tweeted by anyone with a Twitter account (Twitter is free, just visit Twitter to sign up). Visitors to the blog can also provide their own 140-character fact/tweet for a post’s theme.

There are five posts in the history series to date, and more will be added. Additional blog posts about Savannah’s culture, nightlife, and movies are also forthcoming, each with 4-7 bullet points that are just 140 characters long.

To view the new blog series visit Savannah #OMGFacts, or follow @SavVacationHome on Twitter.

#letsfaceit. The oil spill is depressing. North Korea is frightening and Justin Bieber is not very exciting for anyone over 15.  But don’t let your Twitter feed bring you down.

Drive the family to Savannah, and enjoy one of the nation’s most beautiful and historical cities, created long before #followfriday started trending.

The city is 100% walkable, adorned with breath-taking Spanish moss, and full of #OMGfacts:

-       James Olgethorpe founded Savannah in 1733. His intention was to establish a haven for debtors. #Jamesrocks

-       Under Savannah’s original charter, people were able to worship as they pleased, but rum and lawyers were forbidden.  #Yeahnolawyers.

-       The city is so beautiful, that General Sherman spared her the torch during his March to the Sea. Instead, he presented the city to President Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas gift.  #Whatachristmasgift

Right now, a family of four can stay in Savannah for a lot less than touring with #501destination. Just stay in a vacation rental, like http://staysavannahvacationrentals.com/heritagehouse.html.

You can cook all your meals at home, and save even more.  Four nights is just $797.72, including tax and cleaning fees.The house can accommodate 6 (perfect for families, or couples traveling together). #OMGfacts.

And, if you really want to stay plugged in to the #lakers, or #satc2 (Sex and the City 2), you can. Just remember, that the oil spill is growing every day, and #BPCares.

Learn more about Heritage House, one of Savannah’s most charming vacation rentals.

Savannah has a plethora of trolleys.  Most serve as guided tours providing insight into Savannah’s history and famous residents.  However, one trolley appears to offer a first-hand look into the past.

According to this story from WSAV,  “Mystery Letters Found Inside Trolley Car“,  some personal letter were found in a rail car in the process of restoration.

The video shows some quick footage from the RoundHouse Railrod Musuem, a great place for kids and families visiting Savannah. It also explains that the letters were postmarked in 1950, yet the trolley was phased out in the 1940s.

There’s a search underway for anyone who might be connected to the mysterious letters.

Need a place to stay while visiting Savannah, check out this 2 bedroom/2.5 townhome, or 3 bedroom/3 bath rowhouse. Both are walking distance from downtown Savannah and the RoundHouse Railroad Museum.

Bring out the pirate hats,  Mardi-Gras beads and your old cut-off shorts. The Tybee Island Pirate Festival kicks off this weekend, with all the hokey fun and pirate antics you can stomach.

The fifth-annual event features an array of activities for kids and adults, including:

Friday Oct. 9, South Beach Parking Lot

-  A Thieves Market from 5-11 p.m. Lots of trinkets, loot and other pirate treasures to buy.

- Fireworks  starting at 7:30 p.m

- Local bands

-  Little Matey’s Cove activities for kids, including a magic show, balloon making and more.

Saturday, Oct. 10, South Beach Parking Lot

- Thieves Market from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

- Bunch of kids activities, including face painting a puppet show, petting zoo and more.

- More Bands

But what we’ve always found truly enjoyable is the Pirate’s Victory Parade (scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday on Bulter). If you ever wanted to vicariously experience the thrill of being a pirate welcomed home by adoring fans, than this is the parade to attend.

Just grab your sword, and watch area residents donning pirate garb (or even their cut-off shorts) drive down Butler in Pirate Boat floats that range from ramshackle to reasonably clever.

It’s campy. It’s short (lasting about a half hour). And it’s a bit of a cliche. But it’s a wonderful family activity,  and only 20 minutes by car from your downtown Savannah vacation rental.

For more information, visit Tybee Island Pirate Fest.

If you walk by 1511 Price St.  in Savannah’s Historic District, you’re probably not going to think much. The dilapidated, boarded up home gives no hint of its historic significance.

But it was the home of Mother Matilda Beasley, Georgia’s first black nun and founder of the St. Francis Home for Colored Orphans.

Near the end of her life, she sewed everything she could and gave the proceeds from her work to poor blacks.

Chatham county (where Savannah is located) is now restoring the home to its 20th century condition and using it as an education center, per the Savannah Morning News.

It will also relocate the home to the East Broad Street dog park that bears Beasley’s name.  (The park is a block away from the Gaston Street Getaway, a 3-bedroom, 3 bath vacation rental).

While it’s not clear whether the home will be a tourist attraction, hopefully it will create greater awareness for the contributions of this fine woman. Restoration is scheduled for completion in November, 2009.

If  you ever want to see the breadth and depth of Savannah’s residents, go to Picnic in the Park, held in Savannah’s beautiful Forsyth Park.

This annual fall event showcases some of the most eccentric, adorable, spooky, odd and inviting picnic displays in the Southeast. But more revealing is the people behind these displays.

You’ll find folks dressed up in evening gowns, Halloween costumes, cross-dressers, and a lot more. You’ll find CEO’s, bank tellers and all ranges of employees behind  eye-catching picnic displays that took days,  if not weeks, to create.

And, you’ll see elaborate picnic spreads, including 5-course meals with caviar, fine delicacies and rare red wines.

In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find picnickers with peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches and a few chips.

This year’s event was no exception. Check out the photos in the Savannah Morning News for Picnic in the Park. And next year, head to Savannah for this very Savannah-event.

(Need a kid-friendly vacation rental while you’re there, check out Gaston Street Getaway).