The Highs & Lows of Savannah

Lighthouses

Some people love them lighthouses. They’ll drive miles out of their way to look at a lighthouse. We’ve met several lighthouse “fans” while traveling. Seen them on the Oregon Coast, Door County Wisconsin, and now here in the “Lowcountry” of the Carolinas. I don’t get it. Maybe it’s the nostalgia. Maybe it’s just something to look at when you come to the beach and don’t want to get sand in your shoes. The notion of solitude? Perhaps here in the Lowcountry, people have never been this high- 167 steps high. They say the views are breathtaking. But, I think they’re high. They ARE only up about three stories.

Hunting Island Light

We just happened to wander up to this one from our camp site at Hunting Beach in South Carolina. It’s a common black-and-white, and was destroyed during the Civil War. They rebuilt it after the war, and made it in a manner which could be disassembled should it need to be moved. Pretty certain they weren’t thinking global warming, but it has been moved, due to severe beach erosion.

Give Me A Good Ol’ Fashion Cemetery

For me, I prefer old, historic cemeteries. This one is smack dab in the middle of Savannah, on a scenic bluff, overlooking a barge-laden river. Today, we paid a visit to the “Silent City” of Bonaventure Cemetery. I’m mostly curious about how the land was acquired, the lay-out of the plots, the history of those buried here, the solitude.

There is a section where the Mexican War veterans are buried. A section dedicated to the Jews, and a holocaust monument honoring 344 sacred souls. Early newspaper editors are buried here. As are poet and short story writer Conrad Aiken and Ashmore Otis, and the first editor of the Farmer’s Almanac.

Like any old southern cemetery, this will have its share of confederate soldiers. Here lies the Rebel naval commander who coined the phrase “Blood is thicker than water”…

Generations of the Mercer family take up a huge plot down near the river. Hometown folk hero, Jonny Mercer is laid to rest in these grounds. He was a four-time Oscar winner as a movie lyricist and co-founded Capitol Records…

We wandered around this cemetery for a good two hours and only scratched the surface of the history buried beneath us. It was quiet and was shady enough for Carlos to walk through as well. Indeed, this WAS a pet-friendly Savannah attraction AND listed as one of the top three tourists sights in Savannah. We just had to keep him from seeking out the unmarked gravestones.

Next week we head north to what just might be the Lighthouse Capital of the World: the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Perhaps I’ll soon become more of a lighthouse fan. Just perhaps. I’ve never been a great fan of heights- even167 steps high.