Journey to Savannah
The Georgia city of Savannah is teeming with spirits both those crossing over from the Other Side and those spilling out from local distilleries and watering holes. And in some cases, such as at the Moon River Brewing Company and the Shrimp Factory, they can be found in the same place.
That seems appropriate for a city designated the most haunted in America by the American Institute of Parapsychology, and one with a colorful history of bootleggers, moonshiners and rum runners evading Prohibition agents in the marshes around the city.
Savannah is 732 miles from Butler which translates into an 11 1/2-hour car trip mostly down Interstate 79. For those without iron constitutions, a good stopping point is Beckley, W.Va.
Savannah is in east Georgia, just across the Talmadge Bridge from South Carolina. Despite the fact it is 20 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, container ships using the Savannah River make the city the country's fourth-largest port for container traffic.Savannah was founded in 1733 when Gen. James Oglethorpe and 120 fellow ship passengers landed on a bluff along the Savannah River.The city still retains its 22 squares — small parks with statues and fountains — laid out by the founders.Savannah's historyBut the city's bloody history attaches even to the most beautiful square in the city, Wright Square, located between State and York streets.Wright Square once had city's courthouse and jail on its western edge. And it was the scene of the first hanging in the colony in 1735 when indentured servant Alice Riley and her fellow indentured servant and lover Richard White were hanged after being convicted of murdering their master William Wise by strangling and drowning him in his bath.
The city's past is preserved in its Historic District especially along River Street, which parallels the river.Its former cotton warehouses have been converted into restaurants, bars and stores selling everything from candy, cigars and jewelry to touristy T-shirts and souvenirs.Spirited adventureThe Shrimp Factory at 313 E. River St. is famous for its seafood-dominated menu and its bar which sells Chatham Artillery Punch, a potent cocktail reportedly created in honor of George Washington's visit to the city in 1792.A spirit of another kind is reputed to be located in a hidden room upstairs where sounds of moaning often are heard.Another haunted establishment is the Moon River Brewing Co., a brew pub at 21 W. Bay St.Moon River's building once was the City Hotel, and history says James Stark was shot dead in the barroom by Philip Minis in 1832 over an affair of honor.Stark is said to haunt the building's staircase to the second floor. Other spooks reported include a small boy and a woman dressed in white.
Moon River is touted as one of the most haunted buildings in Savannah. It's been featured in the TV programs “Ghost Hunters” and “Ghost Adventures.” But Moon River offers up a great selection of craft brews. Come for the ghosts, stay for the beers.Intrigued by the uncanny? Sign up to take one of the many ghost tours offered. Thrill seekers can walk, take a trolly or even a hearse as they learn the history of some of Savannah's most famous spectres.Sunnier stopsThose looking for sunnier stops can visit the City Market, a four-block pedestrian-only market featuring restaurants, art galleries, live music and the American Prohibition Museum whose interactive experience ends in a working speakeasy.Or visit any of the squares, such as Forsythe Park with its famous fountain. The Mercer Williams House Museum, featured in the book and movie, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” is nearby.Chippewa Square features a bronze statue of Gen. Oglethorpe. It also was the site of the bus stop scenes in the movie “Forrest Gump.” Forrest's bench can be found at the nearby Savannah History Museum.
Dining optionsPeople line up at Leopold's Ice Cream at 212 Broughton St. for a taste of its homemade super-premium ice cream and other old-fashioned soda fountain treats.Stratton Leopold, the son of one of the store's founders, left Savannah to become a movie producer. Posters of his films, including “Mission Impossible 3” and “The Sum of All Fears” decorate the parlor's walls.Other dining options include The Lady and Sons, Paula Deen's flagship restaurant at 102 W. Congress St., which offers up down-home dishes such as fried green tomatoes and fried chicken.The Old Pink House at 23 Abercorn St. in Savannah's Historic District offers new Southern cuisine in the sophisticated, yet casual setting of an 18th century mansion.It takes a bit of planning, but a visitor to the city should try the food at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room at 107 W. Jones St.A line of customers gathers each morning to wait. At 11 a.m., the doors open and lunch orders are taken. Lunches feature plenty of fried chicken, black-eyed peas, okra gumbo, corn muffins, rice and biscuits. The menu changes daily. Because of pandemic restrictions, Mrs. Wilkes' orders are takeout only, but there are plenty of outdoor tables on the sidewalk outside the restaurant.But wait times can stretch to two hours and when the food runs out, service ends. But the food is well worth getting there early for a spot at the head of the line.A short driveSun worshippers can also visit Tybee Island, just 20 minutes by car from Savannah.This barrier island has three public beaches and a wealth of dining and shopping options.The weather can get a bit sticky in Savannah in the summer months, so the best time to visit is in the spring or the late fall when temperatures still might hit the 80s but the humidity seems much lower.
