Savannah Georgia 4th of July! 4th of July Recipes from Romantic Inns

SAVANNAH Georgia (June 5, 2013) -- Our Romantic Inns innkeepers have a great holiday idea for July 4th! Get away to Savannah and let our Romantic Inns' chefs host your guest lodging stay and do some fabulous southern cooking for your 4th of July holiday in Savannah!


If that is not possible for July 4, 2013, we'll share (below) some  favorite 4th of July recipes from the foodies at our member Savannah romantic bed and breakfasts.  Innkeepers are trying their social media hands, too, in Pinterest. Check out Green Palm Inn's patriotic recipes in Pinterest. 

We'll be adding more innkeepers' recipes between now and July 4th.  Please share your comments about these B&B recipes.

Innkeeper Jackie Heinz at Zeigler House Inn prepares "Red, White and Blue, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries". Photo: Zeigler House Inn

Zeigler House Inn
B&B Recipe: Red, White and Blue White Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
**Not recommended for outside warm weather. 

1 pint  fresh large, beautiful strawberries (appx. 12 oz.)
4 oz. white chocolate (chips or block)
Blue sugar (Jackie purchased from Michael's)

Carefully wash and dry strawberries and set aside on towel. Chocolate will not adhere to wet strawberries.  Line a baking sheet or cutting board with wax paper or parchment paper.  Chop up the chocolate roughly with a knife if it is in block form. In a medium-sized, microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate in double boiler pot or microwave. For microwave: Heat it in 45 or 60-second intervals, stirring between each time to ensure that the chocolate is melting evenly and not burning.  Meanwhile, mix blue food coloring and white sugar into a small bowl to desired color. Set it aside.

When chocolate is smooth, dip the berries 3/4 of the way into the chocolate. With the chocolate still warm, dip the tips into the blue sugar, and place on wax paper.

Refrigerate berries until ready to serve.

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Presidents' Quarters Inn
B&B Recipe: Baby Back Ribs (Southern Barbecue)
Season a rack of ribs to your taste. Pre-heat oven to 400F degrees. Place ribs (covered) in oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 250F degrees and bake for three hours. Last hour of baking, apply the BBQ sauce of your choice. Serve immediately. Fool proof and delicious!

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Green Palm Inn
B&B Recipe: Red, White and Blue Sangria
(see photo at Punchbowl.com)

Strawberries cut up
blue berries whole
Raspberries whole
Pineapple cut into star shapes
2 bottles white wine
1 cup triple sec
1/2 cup berry flavored vodka
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup simple syrup

Gently mix all ingredients together in a large pitcher and chill. Enjoy!

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Catherine Ward House
B&B Recipe: Watermelon/Blueberry Mojito Salad

4 cups diced or balled watermelon (about 1/2 melon)
2 cups blueberries
1/3 cup mint leaves, chiffonade
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons light rum (I might use a little more than that.)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
dash cayenne pepper
salt to taste

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, zest, rum, brown
sugar, and cayenne.
2. Add the fruit and mint, then mix together gently. Use your hands,
they are the best tool in your kitchen. Add salt to taste.
3. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld.
Variation: Add 1 cup of feta cheese and/or 2 cups of diced cucumber. If
using feta, blend it in just before serving to prevent it from becoming
soggy.

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1895 Inn
B&B Recipe: Cod Cakes with Scallion and Herbs

¾ teaspoon salt
2 pounds cod fillet
1-½ cups dry bread crumbs
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup lemon juice
1 egg, beaten to mix
½ red bell pepper, chopped fine (optional)
4 scallions including green tops, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Pinch cayenne
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Cooking oil, for frying (whichever you prefer)
Lemon Mayonnaise (recipe follows)

1. Put 1 inch of water in a large frying pan. Add ¼ teaspoon of the salt and bring to a simmer. Put the cod in the pan. Cook, covered, until just done, about 6 minutes. Remove the doc from the water and let cool. Pour out the water and wipe the pan.

2. With your fingers, flake the fish into a large bowl, removing any bones as you go. Add ¾ cup of the bread crumbs, the mayonnaise, lemon juice, egg, bell pepper, scallions, basil, parsley, cayenne, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Stir until well combined.

3. Divide the cod mixture into 12 portions and shape into patties. Coat the patties with the remaining ¾ cup bread crumbs and pat off the excess.

4. In the frying pan, heat about ¼ inch of oil over moderate heat. Working in batches if necessary, fry the cakes until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn and fry until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Drain on paper towels. Serve with Lemon Mayonnaise or sauce of your choice.

B&B Recipe: Lemon Mayonnaise: (mix in small bowl)
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

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Cherry Ice Box Pie | Photo from Forsyth Park Inn, Savannah GA

Forsyth Park Inn
B&B Recipe: Cherry Ice Box Pie
1 #2 or #3 can sour Bing cherries
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 pint whipping cream
4 Tbsp sugar
2 8-inch graham cracker crusts

Thoroughly drain cherries. Add lemon juice and almond extract to condensed milk. Stir. Add cherries and nuts to milk mixture. Whip cream separately
adding sugar slowly; then fold whipped cream into milk mixture. Pour mixture into 2 pie crusts. Chill overnight.

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Low Country Boil | Photo from Forsyth Park Inn, Savannah GA

Forsyth Park Inn
Recipe: Low Country Shrimp Boil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup salt
4-5 pounds new potatoes quartered
16 ears fresh corn, broken in half or 18 small frozen ears
4-5 pounds Roger Wood Lumber Jack Smoked Sausage cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces
6 pounds shrimp (deheaded) in shells

Fill a 10 to 12 quart pot half with water. Add butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and boil 10 minutes. Add fresh corn and boil 5 minutes, or 10 minutes for frozen corn. Add sausage and boil 5 minutes. Add shrimp and boil 3 to 5 minutes or until shells begin to separate from shrimp; do not overcook. Drain and serve from a large bowl or tray.

The Olde Savannah Inn 
B&B Recipe: White Chocolate Pancakes

2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tbs of baking powder/eliminate if using self rising fl
1 tbs of baking soda
2 tbs of pure vanilla
1 cup of premium white chocolate
2 cups of buttermilk
2 egg whites/fluffier than yokes

Wisk all ingredients together and you will have the best pancakes you have ever tasted. Serve with your favorite whipped cream. These are a real treat! Serves 6-8 guests.

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Green Palm Inn
B&B Favorite Recipe: Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad

1 cup chopped green onions, divided
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound unpeeled small or baby red-skinned potatoes
1 pound small purple or blue potatoes, peeled
1 pound unpeeled small white creamer or White Rose potatoes
2 cups cooked fresh peas, or one 10-ounce package frozen, thawed
1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese (about 6 ounces)
Paprika

Whisk 1/2 cup green onions and next 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and chill dressing. Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Place all potatoes in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and boil until tender, 10 to 15 minutes (time will vary depending on size and variety of potatoes). Drain and cool to room temperature. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices and place in large bowl.  Add dressing, peas, and blue cheese; toss gently. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Sprinkle potato salad with paprika and remaining 1/2 cup green onions.

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Romantic Inns in Savannah members send wishes for your enjoyable USA holiday and a safe 4th of July ... at home or vacationing! If we don't see you this July 4th, we'll hope to see you for July 4, 2014!
 

Father's Day Gifts for Him: Savannah Gift Ideas from Romantic Inns

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Father's Day is Sunday, June 16, 2013.  Who's shopping in Savannah for a unique Father's Day gift?

Fishing Men | Photo (c) Bruce Tuten

We took a quick poll of our romantic bed and breakfast innkeepers, asking for new gifts for him ideas found only in Savannah, Georgia  

QUESTION: "What is a favorite Savannah gift to give a man, say for Father's Day, birthday, etc.?"  

The early ANSWERS from our Savannah B&B members are fresh, and impress!  We'll keep adding recommendations when we receive more replies.


Leslie Larson at Catherine Ward House 
"An elegant escape you will long remember"
-- BarBQ 101 [Barbecue 101] Class at Wiley's Championship BBQ 
-- A round of golf at the Club at Savannah Harbor
-- A day on the water with Moon River Kayak Tours
-- A banana-split at Leopolds Ice Cream

Ed Bryant at 1895 Inn 
"A Victorian Bed and Breakfast"
-- A pair of shorts or shirt from J. Parker Ltd. on Broughton Street

Lori Glass at Forsyth Park Inn 
"Parkside Paradise"
-- Gold Dusted Lions Heart from Chocolat by Adam Turoni

Jackie Heinz at Zeigler House Inn
"Deliciously southern. Comfortably elegant."
-- "For my dad it would be a day of deep sea fishing off the coast with his two grandsons and, of course, his favorite daughter." 

Diane McCray at Green Palm Inn
"The Softer Side of Savannah"
-- Fly fishing with Unreel Expeditions or Sundial Charters, Fishing and Nature Tours. Did you know that Dolphin sleep with 1/2 of their brain at a time? One half remains awake to remind the other half to return to the surface to take a breath.
-- Day trip to Daufuskie Island with Daufuskie Discoveries.

Bill Saxman at Whitaker Huntingdon House
"Yesterday's Ambiance in an 1883 Home with All Today's Conveniences"
-- A gift certifcate to a nice restaurant
-- A can of Byrd Cookies (Byrd Cookie Company)
-- Something from Savannah Sweets

Jane Sales at Presidents' Quarters Inn
"Luxury with a Legacy"
- A gift certificate to Home Depot, the idea of heaven for most men!

Kathleen Dupuis at Olde Savannah Inn
- A complimentary pass to Fort Pulaski and Fort Jackson
- Celebrate Father's Day with complimentary breakfast in bed
- $50 Gift Certificate to Crystal Beer Parlor
- 18 holes of Golf
- A Complimentary day pass for Tybee Beach

Sip something cool and refreshing in private places Photo: Presidents' Quarters Inn

Of course, we'd love for you to consider the gift of travel.  Each Romantic Inns' B&B member has bed and breakfast gift certificates, which would make a lovely Father's Day gift!  

ABOUT ROMANTIC INNS OF SAVANNAH
A collective marketing association of family--owned historic home inns (circa 1855-1898), Romantic Inns of Savannah LLC interprets and romanticizes southern hospitality a dozen different ways in Savannah, Georgia USA -- renown as North America's most beautiful city. Let Savannah Romance You!™ is the invitation from the non-profit organization. Situated along the southeast Atlantic Ocean coast, Savannah's National Landmark Historic District (2.5 miles) is home to the city's smallest restored home inns -- private carriage houses to 16-room European-style town homes -- that dot the prestigious, quiet residential neighborhoods. Elite among America's original 13 colonies, Savannah, Georgia is prized for its southern traditions and architecture that survived the American Civil War (1861-1865), now famous for its urban and coastal landscapes, the arts, friendly people, and international commerce. For more information -- romanticinnsofsavannah.com, Twitter @RomanticInns, and Facebook. Press Contact: Sandy Traub, straub@spatior.com

Copyright 2013 Romantic Inns of Savannah LLC

Love Notes: Where to Find Romantic Savannah Adjectives?

SAVANNAH Georgia (May 20, 2013) – Where’s the love in Savannah?  That answer is easy:  Everywhere. The old southern city by the sea is picture perfect! 

Great timing, too for this inaugural Love Note from Romantic Inns of Savannah.

Savannah is named among the top 25 Trip Advisor’s Travelers’ Choice ® 2013 USA Destination Cities, coming in at #14.

Romantic Inn's member, Forsyth Park Inn's southern porch with rockers overlooks the breathtakingly beautiful Forsyth Park.

“Let Savannah Romance You!”™ is the Romantic Inns of Savannah tagline. It’s really an invitation to a romantic place – Savannah. What's not to love? Just make your first stop for ideas and lodging at one of our romantic bed and breakfasts!  

Romance is so personal.  So, we have simply chosen a few deliciously descriptive adjectives – the feeling words of love – that fit romantic Savannah so well.  It’s amazing how a teacup full of delightful words can shake loose fresh ideas -- romantic places and romantic things to do – to better enjoy a delightful getaway to Savannah.

Aching --

Have you been aching to lunch again at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room or Wiley’s Championship BBQ? Or, aching (literally from your sports training) to take part in the running events, like Rock N Roll Marathon, November 9, 2013. The 2-person half marathon relay is NEW in 2013! Now, isn’t that a fresh romantic idea? Savannah is a flat city, making it a popular running spot to novice and avid athletes. 

Breathtaking -- 

Especially for travelers arriving from desert climates, the Savannah tree-scapes, sunset cruises, and wide open spaces of nearby beaches are breathtaking.  Experience a day of simple pleasures, salty breezes and relaxation on the Atlantic Ocean shore at Tybee Island – only 18 miles east.  Picturesque panoramic views are showstoppers from the top of Tybee Island Lighthouse.  An intimate, romantic dinner at Alligator Soul, or Sapphire Grill’s Late Night Cocktails – yes, the mint juleps and jet-set-style small plates -- are worth lingering, breathtaking moments!

From Green Palm Inn a daily gourmand breakfast. Varying from Continental to a light chef's breakfast to homemade pastries and tarts, breakfast at all Romantic Inns of Savannah is complimentary.

Convivial –

Begin with lodging at a Romantic Inns’ bed and breakfast for your first introduction to Savannah’s social, convivial life.  Innkeepers will point the way to choice places to meet more of the city’s friendly, jovial people.  Did you know that Savannah’s friendly people made #2 in Travel+Leisure magazine’s “America’s Favorite Cities 2012” poll? 

Decadent to Delicious –

Savannah’s cuisine is gaining a worldwide reputation.  TripAdvisor.com named Savannah #7 among the top 10 Food and Wine U.S. Destinations in the 2011 Travelers' Choice poll. Desserts from places like Lulu’s Chocolate Bar and choice European wines from Le Chai are worth the visit!  In quiet moments at Telfair Museums – Telfair Academy of Arts (The South’s oldest museum), Owens-Thomas House (an architectural wonder in North America), and the modern Jepson Center – you’ll see romanticized portraiture, historical murals, and big and small modern artistic snippets on life.  The SCAD Museum of Art magically blends Savannah’s ingenuity -- old and new -- in exhibits curated by Vogue magazine’s André Leon Talley to the quirkilty modern place for a bite -- TAD café: A tad of art, a tad of whimsy, a tad of everything. The new museum is housed in the restored 1853 freight depot of the Central of Georgia Railroad.

Engaging –

Southerners are known to be a chatty, storytelling bunch.  From her Savannah trip, Harriette Behringer wrote “Everyone has a story” in her article “Oh Savannah” published in Philadelphia City Paper.  The slow movement of horse drawn carriages, sightseeing shuttles, and walking tour guides perpetuate the lore.  From innuendo to specific pointers, it’s easy to glean recommendations for the ‘must do’, ‘must see’, ‘must try’ experiences, places, food and libations here.

A unique Savannah historic inn amenity, adored during summer in Savannah -- a swimming pool at McMillan Inn, a Romantic Inns member

Flowery –

Dancing through the summer breeze in Savannah are whiffs of sweet gardenias and southern jasmine. Tempt yourself and buy an Archipelago Savannah candle – a blend of gardenia and jasmine. In Savannah the fragrant candle is available at boutiques, including One Fish Two Fish near Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room on Jones Street.  You’ll spot beach morning glories in the dry sands at Tybee Island.  Palms and colorful oleanders dress the tidewater highways.

Check out the largest private garden in the National Historic Landmark District. It is located on the expansive grounds of a beautifully restored shipping magnate's mansion, now Ships of the Sea Museum on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.

Note: Free admission to Ships of the Sea for National Maritime Day, May 22 annually.  The date honors the launching of the S. S. Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Good-looking –

Yes, indeed!  Savannah’s women are beautiful -- like Sandra Bullock and Charlize Theron, of course. And, the gentlemen are as handsome as Ben Affleck, Will Smith, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jude Law, Kevin Spacey, Dennis Quaid, and Matt Damon!  Fact or legend? Haven’t you seen the movies filmed in Savannah – “Forrest Gump”, “Something to Talk About”, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, “Forces of Nature”, “Baggar Vance” and “Glory”? 

Any time of day, truly, the head-turners move about the landscape.  And, it’s been that way here a long time. Check out the good-looking hero statues that dot the well-manicured landscapes -- in 22 garden squares, along the Bay Street strand, River Street, and Forsyth Park.  

For a chance to meet up with real-life Hollywood standouts, stop in for ice cream at Leopold’s Ice Cream. The handsome Stratton Leopold, executive producer in box-office mega movies like Mission Impossible III,  may very well be on premise at the family’s legendary ice cream shop. Stratton and his darling wife, Mary, reintroduced the homemade Leopold’s flavors, achieving ‘top 10 in the world’ status – and Savannah a place on Travel+Leisure’s #1 Ice Cream city -- in recent years. 

P.S. Romantic Inns’ beautifully restored historic house inns and boudoirs are good-looking, too!

A romantic breakfast, fit for kings or queens, at Zeigler House Inn, a Romantic Inns of Savannah member.

High-spirited –

The story goes that nightlife for the 20-somethings begins at 10:00 p.m. in Savannah.  Then, of course, there’s another version of high-spirited that points instead to those who imbibe – not needing a 5:00 p.m. cue.  The rumor that Savannah is a “to-go-cup” city is true.  

Newest in the tales of our high-spirited city is the Savannah Slow Ride – a 15-person pedal tour that is popular for bachelor and bachelorette parties, friends and family on vacation in Savannah, or destination weddings in America's most beautiful city. River Street and City Market entertainment, plus music and film festivals help to celebrate Savannah as a fun-loving, get-out-and-go vacation spot.   

Stay tuned!  Romantic Inns of Savannah will have more Love Notes, sharing adoring to unforgettable adjectives that introduce romantic Savannah travel tips.

Copyright © 2013 Romantic Inns of Savannah / Sandy Traub

New Video from Romantic Inns of Savannah: The Savannah Way to Stay

SAVANNAH, Georgia (April 29, 2013) -- In a town popular for its Savannah Film Festival and Hollywood movie making, it is no surprise that standout bed and breakfasts now turn the spotlight to themselves. In The Savannah Way to Stay the Romantic Inns of Savannah LLC highlights an important, yet overlooked word that defines their generosity -- complimentary.

"What a delight to be pampered in so many unexpected ways," announces Jim Carswell of Spyhop Productions, who produced and narrates the video. The association of privately owned Savannah bed and breakfasts in the National Landmark Historic District commissioned the USA travel video.

In just under two minutes the branded content emphasizes the high value and charm found in a dozen family owned and operated B&Bs. "Complimentary is a centric common denominator, important to each innkeeper and to each of our guests," says Jackie Heinz, volunteer chair of the association's marketing committee and owner of Zeigler House Inn. Each innkeeper chooses his/her own unique combination of complimentary offerings to be included in their lodging rate.

In southern, genteel ways the adjective "complimentary" is seen on-screen but never mentioned. Kudos go to the objectivity of Mari Carswell of Spyhop Productions, who pinpointed "complimentary" as the simple, memorable differentiator.

Complimentary Sweetens (or de-salts) the Deal
Business travelers estimate the value of the Romantic Inns' "complimentary" offerings would be an additional $75-$125 surcharge (nightly) at a national brand hotel. Especially for travelers with special diets, the complimentary home cooking is a extraordinarily welcome treat. It can be the deal maker, sweetening (or de-salting, de-wheating, de-lactosing) the enticement of B&B lodging in Savannah, Georgia USA.

No doorpost banners or street-side signs announce the long list of complimentary products and services at these historic lodging establishments -- each one tucked into prestigious residential neighborhoods of the National Landmark Historic District. "That would be tacky and provoke our neighbors to wag fingers, justly. Savannah's historic district guidelines won't permit it," adds Jackie.

Behind the Scenes: The By Words Are Local and Person-to-Person
"Innkeepers are connoisseurs of the arts, cuisine, literature, and well informed about what is extraordinary to do and see in and near Savannah. We wear a hat that once belonged to the fee-charging travel agent," adds Diane McCray, co-owner of Green Palm Inn, treasurer of the association and marketing committee member. "We will set up reservations to the area's top dining spots, arrange travel for sightseeing, set appointments for antique shopping, and pre-purchase special event tickets. Talking personally to a knowledgeable innkeeper is optimal efficiency."

There are more personal touches behind the scenes. "Like visiting your grandmother who insists on preparing her family's prized recipes, we are the cooks too, serving deliciousness, minus an a la carte pricing chart. Most inn owners are in the kitchen cooking personally, daily," states Diane. Before heading to the kitchen she, like most of her colleagues, has been to the grocer that carries favored brands and to the day-boat seafood dock. "On farmers' market days the innkeepers are there as well, hand selecting what guests will enjoy," she adds.

First introduced through social media -- Twitter, Facebook and the blog stream -- "The Savannah Way to Stay" video will be accessible on RomanticInnsofSavannah.com; BetterWaytoStay.com, a Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) campaign; and on YouTube.com/RomanticInns.

"From this day forward our Savannah, Georgia tourism messages will include a lot more of this sweet adjective -- complimentary. No more of the Scarlett O'Hara approach of thinking about that tomorrow," concludes Jackie Heinz.

ABOUT ROMANTIC INNS OF SAVANNAH
A collective marketing association of family--owned historic home inns (circa 1855-1898), Romantic Inns of Savannah LLC interprets and romanticizes southern hospitality a dozen different ways in Savannah, Georgia USA -- renown as North America's most beautiful city. Let Savannah Romance You!™ is the invitation from the non-profit organization. Situated along the southeast Atlantic Ocean coast, Savannah's National Landmark Historic District (2.5 miles) is home to the city's smallest restored home inns -- private carriage houses to 16-room European-style town homes -- that dot the prestigious, quiet residential neighborhoods. Elite among America's original 13 colonies, Savannah, Georgia is prized for its southern traditions and architecture that survived the American Civil War (1861-1865), urban and coastal landscapes, the arts, and international commerce. For more information -- romanticinnsofsavannah.com, Twitter @RomanticInns, and Facebook. Press Contact: Sandy Traub, straub@spatior.com

Copyright 2013 Romantic Inns of Savannah LLC

Memorial Day Weekend in Savannah, Georgia 2013

SAVANNAH Georgia (April 10, 2013) – Formerly known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war.

Entrance to old Fort Jackson on the Savannah River.

In an address delivered for Memorial Day on May 30, 1884, Oliver Windell Holmes spoke that “life is a profound and passionate thing” and of “youth they lent the passion and joy of the spring”.

"Life is action and passion.” – Oliver Windell Holmes

For a long holiday weekend in Savannah, Romantic Inns of Savannah innkeepers will help you to celebrate Memorial Day – the day in late May that typically marks the start of the summer vacation season. Labor Day marks its end.

We invite you to get away for gentle climates and quiet, patriotic days and nights in Savannah. Enthusiastically, we look forward to welcoming you to our Romantic Inns in Savannah on your next road trip to the Georgia Coast!

Monday, May 27, 2013 - Memorial Day in Savannah, Georgia USA

Especially in Savannah’s beautiful springtime one does not need events. The city itself is a spectacular destination worth the trip and worth the anticipation to explore.

Memorial Day is a patriotic holiday in the USA, a time for a long weekend to begin your summer vacation in Savannah, Georgia.

Memorial Day is a respectful time for tributes to the ultimate sacrifices by soldiers. For nearly 300 years and today Savannah maintains an idyllic, southern way of life because of brave soldiers and wise civic leaders.

Recommendations from our innkeepers embrace Savannah’s unique places and southern style. Famous places include garden-park cemeteries -- Colonial Cemetery downtown, Bonaventure Cemetery on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, and Laurel Grove Cemetery where over 600 Confederates from the Battle of Gettysburg are buried.

• On tours of mansion museums in our fair city, you’ll come to appreciate architecture and lifestyles that survived the Civil War.
• On a walk down the Bull Street corridor, visitors will take photographs in Savannah’s famous squares that highlight monuments dedicated to fallen heroes.
• On a walk along the Savannah River riverfront and bluff tourists will see the World War II Memorial, and Vietnam War Memorial.
• Colonial and 19th Century forts – Fort Jackson and Fort Pulaski -- are spots you don’t want to miss.

Events Memorial Day Weekend --

• May 23 – 26, 2013 - Tony Award-winning Best Musical, "Urinetown" at Lucas Theatre
• Saturday, May 25, 2013 - “The Savannah Mile” (run benefits line-of-duty tragedy survivors)
• Saturday, May 25, 2013 – “Savannah Live” (8 p.m.)at historic Savannah Theatre.
• Sunday, May 26, 2013 (1 – 3 p.m.) - War of Jenkins' Ear at Wormsloe State Park
• Sunday, May 26, 2013 – “Jukebox Journey” (3 p.m.) at historic Savannah Theatre

Historically, Savannah’s slow-talking passionates offer refreshing welcome, goods, and services.

Located in Madison Square, downtown Savannah, patriotic monument to Sgt. William Jasper, hero in the American Revolutionary War, Battle of Savannah

During the 1700s, early colonists built a “Strangers House” in Savannah on Johnson Square. Yet, today the tales of ‘life and passion’ are daily episodes, like the arrival of strangers and returning friends into our historic Savannah inns. For over a century grand homes and colonial cottages have played important roles of ‘life and passion’ in the Hostess City of the South.

You will recognize more local names that we share with you in our chat here about ‘the passionates’ in Savannah, Georgia.

The headline from GastroTraveling is “Savannah Bee Company Passionate About Honey”. The local artisan honey is at the core of a modern-day, home-spun Savannah small business that has gained a chic-crowd following and now-famous praise. Besides that, the honey is delicious and the founder so passionate to deliver excellence!

Fleet Feet Sports -- the tireless sponsors of running events in the Savannah Area – posts this question on its web site: “Are you passionate about running and fitness?” Fleet Feet is a primary sponsor of running events year around, including the “The Savannah Mile” on Memorial Day weekend (May 25, 2013), and the Rock N Roll Marathon (November 9, 2013).

Of Flannery O’Connor’s Childhood Home, one TripAdvisor.com reviewer from North Carolina writes of his experience at the Pulitzer® prize writer’s home: “Absorbing story of a passionate girl. We absorbed vignettes of her child life on Lafayette Square and caught glimpses of the spirited, assured youngster, who would spell as she chose and not as directed! A true sense of caring for her memories is rolled up in the house restoration, which presents a resemblance of the O'Connor's 1930's decor and furnishings. The museum volunteers, staff, and donors earn our thanks for preserving and showing off the plain texture and style of this bygone era.”

Of the Black History Tour another TripAdvisor.com reviewer writes, “History Brought to Life Through Passionate and Gifted Story-Telling”. One stop on the tour is the First African Baptist Church, built by God-loving slaves. During the 1800s church patrons passionately hosted an important hub of freedom seekers, those traveling along the Underground Railroad during the American Civil War.

There is no need to wait only for Memorial Day.

The passionate spirit of the Romantic Inns of Savannah is stated gently in our tagline – Let Savannah Romance You!™ Be assured that guests staying under our roofs will spend their pleasantest days here, whether slumberous or excursion packed. Our innkeepers are among the doting passionates, too. Yes, the synonyms apply -- excitable, emotional, impulsive, and zealous.

‘The passionates’ and the homes of Romantic Inns of Savannah are like Savannah herself -- always dressed and ready for company. Just ask. We’ll even rustle up a picnic ‘dinner on the ground’* for you!

Of Memorial Day Wikipedia describes: “People gather on the designated day and put flowers on graves and renew contacts with kinfolk and others. There often is a religious service and a ‘dinner on the ground’*, the traditional term for a potluck meal in which people used to spread the dishes out on sheets or tablecloths on the grass. It is believed that this practice began before the American Civil War and thus may reflect the real origin of the ‘memorial day’ idea. Source: Memorial Day, Wikipedia 

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Copyright (c) 2013 Romantic Inns of Savannah / Sandy Traub

Romantic Savannah through the Decades: Tales of the 1920s

SAVANNAH Georgia (March 22, 2013) – Stories of Savannah in the 1920s are of romantic places and ideals, romantic adventurers and rascals, romantic movies and debonair villains, West Broad Street jazz and blues, and Frogtown’s soulful folk lore of haint blue door posts and the conjures of root doctors.

Christ Church (ca. 1920) where Johnny Mercer was a choir boy. On Johnson Square, it is a venue for the Savannah Music Festival (March 20- April 6, 2013)  Photo: Library of Congress.

Romantic Inns of Savannah is pleased to share a few of the dear stories, plus ideas for things to do and spots to visit in Georgia's First City.

Savannah’s population was 83,252 in 1920.  “In the 1920s, the ‘Jazz Age’ business flourished in Savannah, as it did in the rest of the nation,” we read in the City of Savannah tour guide manual. 

A Society for the Preservation of the Parks was organized in 1921 and continued to battle against the destruction of city squares through World War II.  Fort Pulaski National Monument, named after Revolutionary War hero General Casimir Pulaski, was first established in October of 1924 by order of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge.   

Born in 1925, Southern Gothic writer Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964) became the three-time winner of the O. Henry Award and posthumous winner of the National Book Award for Fiction for The Complete Stories. She was born in St. Joseph’s Hospital, at the time located at Taylor and Habersham streets overlooking Whitfield Square.  Her family home still overlooks Lafayette Square.

On March 23, 2013 (3 p.m.) at the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home and on Lafayette Square the Flannery O’Connor Foundation celebrates her birth at the Flannery O'Connor Homemade Parade and Garden Party.  Visitors can shop for unique books and gifts and also wander in the garden where a six-year old O’Connor famously taught her chicken to walk backwards.

James P. Houlihan Bridge, the swinging bridge on Highway 17 and Highway 25. Still in operation (now ALT Hwy 17), for decades this was THE bridge between South Carolina into Georgia to reach Savannah.

In 1927, the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge was officially established.

Located along and just across the Savannah River into South Carolina, one would drive across the Houlihan Bridge (photo left, still in operation) to reach the wildlife refuge, a popular spot today for nature photographers.

The city’s first radio station, WTOC, began broadcasting in 1929.  Reading the slang of that romantic era, it is easier to envision the liveliness heard spoken on the radio, in the music, and chatter in Savannah during the 1920s -- “And how!” (I strongly agree) or “Bank’s closed” (no kissing or making out).  

During the romantic era of the Roaring Twenties, it was in Tin Pan Alley -- the music industry in New York, located between 48th and 52nd street – where Savannah’s own Johnny Mercer set out in 1928 when he was 19 to begin his now famously successful career in music.  If you don't know the name think "Moon River,", "Days of Wine and Roses", and "Two of a Kind" -- a Johnny Mercer Bobby Darien recording tapped by Apple for commercials in 2012 comparing the iPad and iPad mini. 

Moon Travel Guides writes of Johnny, “who began his theater career locally in the Town Theater Group”. 

Today you’ll find Johnny Mercer’s bronze statue in Ellis Square, a marble bench to honor him in Johnson Square near Christ Church where he was a choir boy, and his family grave in Bonaventure Cemetery.  And, you can see, row and fish in “Moon River”, which runs by the family's summer home and ‘huckleberry friend’ coastal playground of little Johnny Mercer.

Once upon a time the world was sweeter than we knew. Everything was ours; how happy we were then, but then once upon a time never comes again.  ~ Johnny Mercer (November 18, 1909 - June 25, 1976)

In 2009 for the Johnny Mercer Centennial, Carol Stalvey  wrote A Day at Massie School in the 1920’s: Johnny Mercer's Elementary School in Savannah, Georgia. It gives insights into the child’s school life at Massie School. 

Now open to the public as Massie Heritage Center: Savannah’s Museum for History and Architecture, Massie School on Calhoun Square opened in 1856 as Savannah's first free public school, operating continuously except for its use as a Union hospital during the Civil War. Extensive renovation were completed in 2013.

Tybee Island beach (ca. 1923), an era of oyster roasts, auto and turtle races on the beach. Photo: Library of Congress

The 1920s was an era of “boot leg” (illegal liquor) available in speakeasies (“juice joints”).  It was where one knocked on the door with a secret code to request entrance.

Today Mata Hari (Lower Factor's Walk near River Street) is a private club marketed as a speakeasy. 

In the State of Georgia archives of “Vanishing Georgia” we discovered  a 1920’s photos -- a Savannah policemen and his horse on Oglethorpe Avenue, Kingnut butter display at Chatham County Fair, and Interior of the Citizens and Southern Bank (now Bank of America) located on Johnson Square at Bull and St. Julian Streets.  

Sixth Sense Savannah haunted tours points to a 1920s photo of the root doctor’s house.  Surely there are tales of voodoo and herbal conjures in the folk lore – the tales of Savannah’s Frogtown!  A search of “1920s Savannah” in Google gives us a scrapbook of images, each sure to have character-rich southern stories.

We even stumbled across 1920s Era Entertainment for hire in Savannah today.  

Screen capture from "Stolen Moments". Statuary formerly at Greenwich Plantation is on display at Telfair Museum in Savannah, Georgia USA.  Photo courtesy: FlickrAlley.com

Silent era movies were made in Savannah. The yet-to-be-mega-star and “Latin Lover” of the silent movies, Rudolph Valentino stared in Stolen Moments, principally filmed “at a Savannah mansion on Greenwich Plantation.  Reportedly it rivaled Biltmore House in Asheville, NC, in both size and architecture. Source: essanaytrading.com. 

It was an era when the pipe organ provided the movie score.  Movie photos and city-side Savannah location pictures are posted HERE. The US television premiere was on Turner Classic Movies on May 22, 2006.

Today when one drives to Greenwich Plantation it is Greenwich Cemetery you’ll discover, overlooking the beautiful Wilmington River. “Greenwich Plantation, with its manicured gardens of ancient statuary, exotic plant specimens, and an elegant white marble fountain, was once considered the most magnificent, privately owned estate in the entire South.” Source: City of Savannah, Municipal Cemeteries

From "Stolen Moments" silent movie, showing magnificent gardens and statuary at Greenwich Plantation (now Greenwich Cemetery) in Savannah, Georgia USA. Photo courtesy FlickrAlley.com

The magnificent Greenwich Plantation mansion was destroyed by fire in 1923 just a few years after the Stolen Moments filming.

More than a few of the plantation’s statuary now resides as part of the Telfair Museum collection, on indefinite loan from the City of Savannah.  Many are on display inside the Telfair Academy of Arts and Science, located on Telfair Square in downtown Savannah, Georgia USA. Needing repair, the elegant white marble fountain remains at the old plantation. It is seen in background in a scene with actress Marguerite Namara. 

Rudolph Valentino starred also in the American romantic drama, “Camille” (a silent movie released in 1921), the first movie to be shown in the  Lucas Theatre in downtown Savannah.  Camille was included in Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies in 2005. 

Now the Georgia State Railroad Museum, the Central of Georgia Railway: Savannah Repair Shops were designated a National Historic Landmark on June 2, 1978. Photo: Library of Congress (1926)

“Staying on the cutting edge of technology, the [Lucas] theater was the first building in Savannah to install air conditioning in 1923, making the balcony a welcome retreat during the sultry summers. The front row in the mezzanine became known as ‘lawyer's row’ after local businessmen began spending their lunch hours sleeping in the cool, comfortable balcony.” - Source: SCAD.edu/lucas

Today the beautifully restored Lucas Theatre is where, periodically, classic movies replay on the big screen and a continuing series of contemporary events literally light up the night. The vintage marquee announces the 2013 show-stoppers. Also, daily silent movies play on the screen at The Distillery craft brew pub and restaurant, just off Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. near the Savannah Visitor's Center.  

What an exciting era! In Savannah, one historical era builds on another. The City and her citizens keep the best and keep expanding upon it.  

As you can tell the 1920s are very much alive here. Stay tuned for more romanticizing in our Romantic Inns of Savannah story series -- “Savannah through the Decades”. 

Copyright (c) 2013 Sandy Traub.  

Romantic Inns Point to Georgia’s Scottish Heritage Honored in Savannah Scottish Games -- May 11, 2013

SAVANNAH Georgia (March 8, 2013) -- Scottish lineage has seeped and soaked into the Georgia populace the way the Ogeechee River saturates the Low Country swamps and sloughs. 

Piper Dana Wells leading Scottish wedding processional to Lafayette Square in the National Landmark Historic District. Photo (c) James Byous.

When you visit Savannah watch for Scots – diaspora that is, maybe a few directly from Old Scotland.  A kilted Scot here, bagpipes playing there. Scottish families have been in Georgia since the colony’s beginning years and made up a large percentage of the population even at that time. 

The innkeepers of Romantic Inns of Savannah issue a special invitation to ‘stay romantic’ when arriving for the 2013 Savannah Scottish Games and Kirkin of the Tartan at Independent Presbyterian Church. Lodge in one of a dozen of the history-rich charming inns, all located in the National Landmark Historic District.

Even the founder of the state, James Edward Oglethorpe has plaited lines of Scottish ancestry.  His father, General Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe was English… “to the bone” one might say.  But, his mother, Eleanor Wall, was Irish.  Her family has been touted by Georgia historians throughout the state’s history as being “related by marriage” to the house of Argyle in Scotland.  Eleanor’s maternal grandfather, Lord LaRoche of Tipperary, was more than just associated by marriage. 

Kirkin of the Tartan at Independent Presbyterian Church. Photo (c) James Byous.

Today by a study on the website Ancestry.com one can connect the family of the titled heirs, Lords LaRoche along a weaving, genealogical line that zigs and zags across the Erin landscape and over the Irish Sea to Scotland.  There it winds through Western Scottish Highlands and down through the Ayrshire Lowland’s, through grandfathers and grandmothers of historic mark, members of the clans of Campbell, Kennedy, Carrick and Stewart.  It then reveals that Eleanor and her Georgia founding son, James Edward Oglethorpe are direct descendants of Scottish hero-king, Robert the Bruce. 

Bruce, you may remember, was immortalized by Scottish poet Robert Burns over a century ago.  But more recently he was highlighted in Mel Gibson’s movie, Braveheart, when Scottish actor Angus Macfadyen punctuated the warrior-king’s historic call, “You have bled with Wallace! Now bleed with me!”  That’s Robert I, the Bruce.  He’s purported to have enunciated those words…, or at least something similar. Many of his descendants, Oglethorpe’s distant cousins, can be found living in and around Savannah, Georgia today -- seeped, soaked, saturated.

In 1733 the year of Georgia’s founding Oglethorpe created a defensive position a few miles upriver from Savannah.  In 1736 Patrick MacKay, John Cuthbert and George Dunbar, all Scottish Highland officers, made their homes in the swath of wilderness that was then called Joseph’s Town.  The location became Mulberry Grove Plantation.  Many years later it was there that Eli Whitney invented the Cotton Gin and changed the face of the South. Those Lowland Scot gentry, wanting an occasion to commemorate and the libation thus associated, created the “Scotch Club.”  St.Andrew’s Day, 1735 was their first time to celebrate. It is still celebrated annually. Always with a wee dram.

A few miles south, other Highland Scots settled New Inverness, the coastal city that is now called Darien, Georgia. John Mohr McIntosh was their Clan Chief. His family included son, General Lachlan McIntosh, nephew and Cherokee Chief William McIntosh and nephew George Troup who became Governor of the State of Georgia.  Oglethorpe accompanied the Scots on their voyage from Inverness, Scotland and upon arriving donned a kilt when he stepped from the boat.



Scottish Games at Fort Jackson. Photo (c) James Byous.



Savannah has its own Scottish Games each May, always on the same weekend as Mother’s Day. 

Appropriate, one would suppose, since old Scottish lineage was passed equally from either the father or the mother’s ancestry. The games have changed locations over the years but now meet at the historic site of the Bethesda Academy (formerly known as Bethesda Home for Boys) a few miles outside of Savannah. The tree-lined green has ample room for caber tossing and rock chucking.

Scottish games were once a test for personal fitness and endurance, “for king and chief, for skill and strength,” it was said.  As did the Greeks in ancient times, the clans of Scotland gathered the best and strongest through competition.  The winning honor was to be selected as warrior protector of their region – so states tradition. 

Today, in Savannah and across North America, games are for fun, friends and family.  On Games Day everyone is Scottish.  If you’re in town this May 11, 2013, stop in and watch the big guys toss telephone poles.  Bring your mom.  She may want to chuck the Clachneart [“Stone of Strength”].

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Romantic Inns of Savannah wish to thank our guest blogger James Byous. A Savannah, Georgia resident, Jim holds a BA in Journalism and an MA in History. He is a photographer and writer who resides on the Internet at AATRPublishing.com and at JByousPhoto.com. Specializing in the history of his home city, he is currently working on a series of GPS history tours to bring Savannah history to life by taking history lovers to the exact Google Earth locations where history was made.