By Amy Jorgensen
Savannah is the largest and oldest city in Georgia. More than 130,000 residents call the city home. Visitors can see the combination of beauty and history captured there, including the 21 town squares of lush landscaping, monuments, statues and plaques that tell the story of this city on the southeastern edge of the state.
Visitors Information
Savannah has several visitors centers to help you figure out what you want to see and do. One is at the Savannah Airport and another is on Tybee Island. Two more are the River Street Hospitality Center at 1 River Street and the Savannah Visitor Information Center at 301 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Ships of the Maritime Museum
The Ships of the Maritime Museum, founded in 1966, has a collection of fine ship models, paintings and antique pieces that were gathered from the ships trading in the Atlantic during the 18th and 19th centuries. The models include steam and paddle yachts, fishing boats and some vessels from the 16th century.
Skidaway Island State Park
Skidaway Island State Park has both fresh and saltwater and is ideal for picnics and camping. The park's nature center displays a giant sloth model, various nature exhibits and a reptile area, as well as a birding station. Visitors can look for such wildlife as deer, raccoons, shore birds and rare migrating birds along the nature trails.
Telfair Museum of Art
Telfair Museum of Art has a collection of more than 4,500 American and European paintings, works on paper and sculptures. The Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences (formerly the Telfair family home), the Owens-Thomas House and the contemporary Jepson Center for the Arts make up the museum.
Tybee Island
Tybee Island, which is also known as Savannah's beach, boasts three miles of beach and sea-oat-covered sand dunes for sun bathing and swimming. The south-end pier and pavilion is an ideal spot for strolling and fishing. Fort Screven, The Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Pulaski National Monument also are on the island.
For Bird Lovers
At the National Wildlife Refuge in Savannah, visitors can see bald eagles, wading birds, and different varieties of ducks and geese. Manatees also are found there. The refuge sits on the border between Georgia and South Carolina and has been open since 1927.
About the Author:
Amy Jorgensen is a freelance writer and college instructor from Indiana. In addition to freelancing, she has also taught writing, public speaking, business communication and customer service courses at two different colleges. Jorgensen holds a Bachelor of Science in English and a Master of Liberal Studies degree.
