Savannah

Savannah, Georgia is a magical, mystical, beautiful city with a haunting charm that wraps arms around me and pulls me close. It is a return to past times and beauty of simplicity that is an illusion, but a comfortable one.

The historic district is laid out with squares, part of a plan for defense of the city in the 1700s and 1800s that has been landscaped with live oaks, Spanish moss, azaleas and other flora then augmented with brick walks, benches and monuments to Savannah's heroes of the past. We were there in February before all was in bloom and it was still incredibly beautiful. The wealthy plantation owners borrowed architecture from numerous styles in Europe and the city has preserved most of these homes to sustain the flavor of old Savannah (good for tourism, too, of course-hmm).

The most captivating - albeit somewhat dark - work about Savannah is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The book absolutely enthralls with the pervasive good and evil of Savannah and the movie features the streets and squares of Savannah. A tour guide I read calls Savannah the most captivating city in Georgia and beckons visitors to Georgia to make Savannah their prime stop because it is "truly that special." I have not been to other parts of Georgia, but I will attest that Savannah enslaved me. Makes it easy to immerse in the charm and allure while ignoring the dark side of its history.

Being the gal of a thousand creature comforts, I can dream of past Savannah, become entwined with her heritage, ponder her quirks and stay in a beautifully refurbished hotel and eat and drink well - the best of two worlds. Dream a little dream with me.