Savannah, GA, and More Forts and Lighthouses

The first thing we did in Savannah was go on a trolley tour. I didn't get very many pictures, but saw lots of things. The Waving Girl Statue depicts Florence Martus, who waved at every ship that came and went for 44 years!

Although you can get on and off the trolley, the only official stop where everyone gets off is the Cathedral of St John the Baptist.

It's beautiful inside and out.

We saw many unique houses, but the Gingerbread House takes the cake.

Savannah was planned out with parks in squares every few blocks.

The houses have some unusual features, such as this downspout.

The next day we went to see Old Fort Jackson, Georgia's oldest standing brick fort, built to protect Savannah, which was an important port city.

And it still is an important port city. We saw 5 of these cargo ships go by in the short time we were there.

The moat provided some protection -

And there were lots of cannons.

Think we can take out this cargo ship?

Our guide kindly waited until the ship passed before firing the cannon.

We also toured the Congregation Mickve Israel. The first Jews arrived here in 1733.

They carried with them two Torahs, handwritten on deerskin in the mid-1400s. They are the oldest ones in the US.

The following day we went to Tybee Island Light Station and Museum.

I climbed the 178 steps to the top to see the view and the 1st Order Fresnel Lens.

And then we were off to Fort Pulaski.

It was taken over by the Confederates in 1861 when Georgia seceded from the Union, but taken back by the Union in 1862.

The quick fall of Fort Pulaski surprised the world. It was accomplished through use of the new "rifled cannons," which bored through Fort Pulaski's walls.

I got a glimpse of nearby Cockspur Island Lighthouse. It must have been high tide, because there wasn't much of an island.