Off The Beaten Path - Savannah, GA

If the haunting tours of Savannah's Hearse tours wasn't far enough away from the mainstream tour list, some of these places listed below just might be.

Bonaventure Cemetery 

A lovely peaceful place as well as hauntingly beautiful Victorian statuary mingled with overhanging branches of large trees draped in Spanish Moss. 

Bonaventure is not as old as Colonial Park Cemetery, but it certainly is larger & more attractive. It was founded on property that used to be a plantation. At one time, called Evergreen Cemetery, its name was switched to Bonaventure (the name means "good fortune" in French) about 1907. 

Another reason to go to Bonaventure is to see the tomb of Gracie Watson. Gracie was born in 1883 & died of pneumonia when she was six years old. Because she was an only child & absolutely adored by her father, he had the famous sculptor, John Walz, carve a likeness of Gracie from a photograph. He did a life-sized statue out of marble, & visitors are entranced by the beauty of the child & of the sculpture. Legend says that Gracie's ghost haunts many of Savannah's buildings; thus, people are curious about her. 

There are so many gorgeous statues & plaques as well as inspiring epitaphs that it takes a good 3 hours or so to really appreciate this place.

Forts

Fort Pulaski is located on Cockspur Island at the mouth of the Savannah River. it was named after the polish count, Casimir Pulaski who fought with general George Washington during the revolutionary war construction on fort Pulaski began in 1833 and was finished in 1847. in 1860 the fort was taken over by the governor of Georgia and was later turned over to the confederacy. 

The fort had to sit on a firm foundation; a very difficult task in such a marshy environment. Workers drove the pilings on which the fort sits 70 feet into the soft mud of Cockspur Island. Brick arches were then built on top of these pilings to support the dirt, cannons, and platforms of the terreplein. Fort Pulaski was constructed as a masonry fortification with 5 walls, each of which was from 7 to ll feet thick and 32 feet high. It was built to include 67 arched casemates, used for housing soldiers and storing supplies. It supported a 30 foot wide terreplein on which the cannon platforms were placed. 

Old Fort Jackson was built in 1808 on the site of the revolutionary war era mud fort. old Fort Jackson was activated during the war of 1812 and named after James Jackson who was a colonel in the revolutionary war. during the civil war old Fort Jackson was the headquarters of the Savannah River defenses for the confederacy. old Fort Jackson was turned over to the forces of union general William T. Sherman in December 1865. This fort is located about two miles east of downtown on East Presidents Street. 

Fort McAllister State Park is located about 10 miles southwest of Savannah near Richmond Hill Georgia. Built by the confederacy in 1861 to protect Savannah from union attack, the fort is located on the great Ogeechee River and was shelled numerous times by union gunboats. Fort McAllister has much to offer the tourist. At the state park is a civil war museum, hiking and nature trails, camping, and fishing. For those interested in nature and civil war history this is worth a visit when in the Savannah area. 

Call Rawhide Travel and Tours and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com.

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Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc.
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
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