Savannah Road Trip in Pictures

As part of our celebration of the Christmas holiday season, we took a weekend trip to Savannah, hitting a few points of interest. The camera is always kind to Savannah.

The Mighty 8th Air Force Museum

The Mighty 8th Museum is just outside Savannah in Pooler. We've toured a lot of military history museums and this one is among the best. The knowledgeable volunteers really rolled our the red carpet for us. And the exhibits are outstanding.

The Mighty 8th has an extensive collection of captured Nazi artifacts, including this full length banner and Luftwaffe officer's flight suit.

This B-17 bomber is being restored as the City of Savannah, a well known WWII bomber that was processed through Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. The restoration process has been going on for seven years now.

We were given a rare opportunity to take a behind-the-ropes tour of the B-17. This is a look at the tail gunner seat. Many brave men spent 10-12 hours per mission in that seat manning the 50 caliber machine gun to defend his plane and crew from German fighters.

There was extensive attention paid to the plight of captured airmen. This exhibit is a reproduction of a Belgian family's home. They had a special room above the fireplace to hide escaped POWs as well as hidden compartments for weapons, maps, money, and even secret codes hidden in the patterns on their wallpaper. A network of families helped numerous escapees find their way back to England before D-Day, often at their own peril.

Modeled after a 15th century European church, the Mighty 8th Memorial Chapel is available for memorial services, prayer, and peace. The church is also available for weddings for miltary members and civilians alike. Proceeds from chapel rentals help to fund the work of the museum. Behind the chapel sits a columbarium dedicated to housing the cremated remains of veterans of the 8th Air Force. The chapel, memorial garden, and columbarium make a beautiful setting on the museum grounds.

Ft. McAllister 2015 Winter Muster

The Union force was camped along the Ogeechee River in preparation for the final assault on the fort. This bunch was portraying the segment of Sherman's Army of Tennessee that would capture Ft. McAllister, seal the fate of Savannah, and end The March to the Sea.

The Confederate garrison was testing the weapons and preparing for the assault. In 1864 these guys were outnumbered by the attackers 30-1.

Inside the fort, the bombproof was used for storage and as a hospital. It was also used to hide from heavy bombardments as this room was well under a mound of earth. The heavy timbers and the earthen mound made this a safe place from Union artillery. Today the bombproof is lit with electricity. In 1864 only candle and lantern light would have been available.

After the battle, the fort was open to visitors and rangers were available to answer questions and give some information about the fort, the military units that fought, and the battle itself. It is important to note that Ft. McAllister was taken, not surrendered. The Confederates fought to the last and the Union attack continued until all their enemies were killed, wounded, or captured. The Confederate Flag was lowered by Union forces and the white flag never flew over Ft. McAllister.

The actual flag that flew above Ft. McAllister. It was captured by Union forces when the fort fell and now hangs in the museum at Ft. McAllister State Historic Park.

Historic Downtown

The monument to Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski. Pulaski was a Polish nobleman who joined the American cause and helped lead the assault to take Savannah from the British. He was killed at Savannah and this monument stands in his honor at the center of Monterey Square.

The now famous Mercer House. In addition to being the home of Johnny Mercer's family it also served as one of the main settings for the book and film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The house is in Monterey Square.

Considered by many to be the most haunted city in America, Savannah willfully lets weird pay the bills. You can even take ghost tours in a converted hearse. Walking tours are also available. And don't fret, tours of the non-ghost variety are also available.

Bonavanture Cemetery

Bonaventure is filled with both natural and man-made beauty. The setting is at once creepy and breathtaking. The monuments and the moss draped oaks combine for a beautifully haunting location. The history is thick here.

Savannah's own Johnny Mercer, co-founder of Capitol Records and writer of numerous songs including "Moon River", Mercer's grave is a well loved spot for cemetery visitors.

The cemetery backs up to the Wilmington River, which was being navigated by sailboats on the morning we visited.

The views in Savannah were well worth the drive. We can hardly wait to go back. There are more pictures from our trip posted on our Instagram page. The link can be found among our social media links to the right of this page.