Six friends met in 1969 as freshmen at University of Pittsburgh. Each year since the mid 1980s they’ve met in a different city or on a different cruise to celebrate the friendship. In October 2015, they chose Savannah, GA; and what a great choice.
Trolley tour of downtown historic district took us through scenic parks and squares and down beautiful streets lined with huge oak trees drenched in Spanish moss. The poignant Freedom Trail Tour, conducted by lifetime Savannah resident Johnnie Brown, showed Underground Railroad safe havens, slave auction and burial sites and the historic First African Baptist Church, often called the oldest Black church in North America. Friend and lifetime resident and alumni, Carolyn Price, conducted a tour of HBCU Savannah State Univ. and of course there was jazz and dinner on a Savannah Riverboat Cruise, excitement of River Street, the City Market and great seafood.
And speaking of City Market, after giving them a grand tour of City Hall and City Council chambers, several city employees, with them in tow, rushed off to City Market to perform a flash mob dance to the popular “Watch Me (Whip/Nae-Nae)” song. What fun!
For history buffs, Savannah is a beautiful city rich in African-American heritage. And if you expand the definition of beauty beyond the physical aspect of buildings, gardens and trees, and include the people, the arts, nightlife and the eclectic, laid-back lifestyles, you’ll find Savannah well-worth a visit.
