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National Train Day is May 12: Celebrate at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum, Savannah, Georgia

April 23rd, 2012 by Teresa

Natioinal Train Day in Savannah Georgia

Raritan River 0-4-0 Steam Locomotive, Tifton Georgia

With the train whistle hooting in the background, I walked through the burst of steam and for a brief moment I felt like movie star Marlene Dietrich in “Shanghai Express” or perhaps more suitably Madeline Kahn in “Blazing Saddles” (I am, after all, one the stunning and vivacious innkeepers of Savannah Inns)! In any event on my previous trips to the Museum I had never seen any of the locomotives actually MOVE so it is fitting that I choose this day to share this great surprise as we rapidly approach National Train Day and encourage you to celebrate at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum in Savannah, Georgia.

The museum is believed to be one of the oldest and largest railroad repair facilities in the world! For over 100 years (1833-1963) the complex served as the major repair facility for the Central of Georgia Railroad and played a vital role in Savannah’s industrial heritage. Today a guest can see and tour refurbished coach cars, locomotives and hand cars, take a ride on a steam or diesel locomotive, and learn about the functions of each of the buildings in this complex. If you are lucky enough to plan your trip on one of the special train ride days – you are in for a treat. Perhaps you will find yourself transported to a different time, a different America, maybe you can pretend to be John Wayne in almost any old Western!

The Coastal Heritage Society is the steward of three major Savannah historical sites: Old Fort Jackson, the Savannah History Museum, and the Roundhouse Railroad Museum which includes Battlefield Park. A much anticipated future project is the addition of the Children’s Museum.

May is a beautiful time of the year and the weather is near perfection so be sure to book your room soon at one of the four best bed and breakfast inns in Savannah (www.SavannahInns.com)

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Simple Southern Sweetness: Not Just Savannah Desserts

March 22nd, 2012 by Diane

Savannah Georgia in March 2012 | Photo (c) 2012 Green Palm Inn

Savannah in Springtime

SAVANNAH GA — We at Savannah Inns recently stopped to consider, “What is it about sweets in the American South, especially in Savannah?”  Not so long ago meeting up with friends for dessert and coffee was the sweet, familiar habit after a downtown Savannah concert.   Old spots included hometown favorites like Anton’s (now a bank parking lot), and the Pirates’ House restaurant, once legendary with its smorgasbord of fresh desserts.

That sweet little tradition continues, just in new places in Savannah’s nightlife.  In Garden and Gun magazine Annabelle Carr writes, “After a concert at the Trustees or Lucas theater, Savannahians of all ages gather at Stratton Leopold’s refurbished soda fountain” — Leopold’s Ice Cream shop.    On a night out with the gals, Lulu’s Chocolate Bar might be just the ticket!   A drive out towards the islands to Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House is well worth the trip for their signature Key Lime Pie.

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Starfish Cafe

February 10th, 2012 by savannahinns

Starfish CafeDiane and I, one of my sister innkeepers, stopped by the Starfish Cafe for the first time this week. What a wonderful experience.

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Blues and Jazz in Savannah Have Roots to Unnamed African Slaves and Negro Spirituals

February 6th, 2012 by savannahinns

Perhaps Bob Marley said it best in his classic anthem, “No Woman, No Cry”:
“In this bright future, you can’t forget your past.” — Dr. Pamela D. Reed, The Daily Voice

Negro Musiciand playing washboard and accordion. Photo Russell Lee(1903-1986)| photo Library of Congress LOC.govLet us give applause to Savannah’s black musical heritage, not only in February (Black History Month), but June (Black Music Month) and September (Savannah Jazz Festival), at Christmas, on Sunday, and lazy nights during the full year.  Unknown slaves first brought the African, black, Negro, colored, spiritual, and washboard minstrel here.  Jazz and blues music are alive every day because the slaves sang and played the music of their souls.

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Sisters of the New South: A Restaurant Celebrating African American Culture Through Food

January 30th, 2012 by savannahinns

So, do you ever find yourself going to the same restaurants, eating the same food over and over again, because you feel like there is no place else to go?   We know the feeling!  One day last week, the Innkeepers of Savannah Inns, Savannah GA, found  their way out to a soul food restaurant on Skidaway Rd. Because we’ve received many rave reviews on Sisters of the New South, we decided to give them a try.  Savannah foodies that we are, we all agreed - WOW!

Sisters of the New South is located at 2605 Skidaway Road in Savannah, Georgia and locally owned by Kenneth and Vickie Brown.  In business since 2009, this laid back restaurant offers great Southern cooking that you would get at Grandma’s house on Sunday!  Come to think of it though,  Grandma never cooked like this!  The Brown’s menu includes Oxtails, Fried Chicken, Baked Chicken, Smothered Pork Chops, Hamburger Steak, and BBQ Ribs.  Some of the vegetables include Collard Greens, Lima Beans, Mac & Cheese, and Candied Yams.  Most items on the menu are prepared with secret family recipes handed down through the generations.

Meals come with 3 sides which is enough food for 2 people without the entree. We tried an order of ribs, fried chicken and the hamburger steak, along with the sides of mac n cheese, collards, black eyed peas, yams,okra & tomato, broccoli cheese casserole and some delicious corn bread.   Somehow we managed to find room for a little dessert; the Red Velvet Cake was the best yet!  We definitely needed a wheel barrel or a cot after that meal!

Great Soul Food!

So, if you are ever stuck in a food rut or if you just haven’t tried this cultural phenomenon; be sure to check out Sister’s of the New South.  Savannah Inns, – Dresser Palmer House, Azalea Inn and Gardens, Zeigler House Inn and the Green Palm Inn of Savannah GA, highly recommend you give them a try.

 

 

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Savannah’s Black Pin Point Community and Heritage Museum

January 21st, 2012 by savannahinns

Savannah Black History SavannahInns.com

Savannah Black History SavannahInns.com

Dedication of Pin Point Community Marker

Savannah’s Black Pin Point Community, located near Skidaway Island, is one of the last mainland waterfront communities along the entire Eastern seaboard still owned by descendants of the original African-American settlers. Located within the community is the newly dedicated Pin Point Heritage Museum, built on the grounds of a closed seafood factory.

Situated on Shipyard Creek, Pin Point was once part of the Beaulieu Plantation. Mr. Henry McAlpin purchased the land with the intent to sell it to wealthy white Savannahians as vacation property.  As Pin Point was only accessible by the creek it was considered less desirable and Mr. McAlpin sold several lots to African-Americans in early 1987. Pin Point was mostly settled by former slaves and their descendants from Ossabaw, Green and Skidaway Islands and nearby plantations.  Pin Point was a logical destination for them because land on the islands was not open for sale to them, and they sought to escape the devastating hurricanes that pounded the barrier islands from whence they came.  Two of the earlier settlers started the Sweetfield of Eden Baptist Church (formerly the Hinder Me Not church of Ossabaw), which for a time also served as the community’s school. Later Pin Point children attended the Rosenwald school in the community. This school was one of several schools established throughout the south by the president of Sears, Roebuck & Company to provide education for African Americans within segregated environments.

Pin Point’s location along the marsh and river was perfect for ventures into the maritime industries and in 1926 the Varn Oyster Factory opened and remained in operation until 1985, providing the area with its prime source of income.  Crab, oysters, and shrimp were harvested, prepared, and shipped to local markets by boat and by street car to places as far away as New York.  Men and women in the community worked in a variety of capacities at Varn’s seafood factory: harvesting and processing oysters in the winter and crabs in the summer. Bateau building, net knitting, and crab trap making were home industries related to the seafood business in Pin Point. Children earned money by scrubbing crab barks and women prepared deviled crabs for area restaurants. The business closed in 1985 deeply affecting the propserity of its residents.

Today, Pin Point represents one of the few traditional Gullah-Geechee communities remaining on the Coast of Georgia.  The people of Pin Point are determined to save their way of life, to preserve their heritage, to raise their children free of crime, drugs and apathy.  Pin Point remains a thriving community with an active neighborhood association.  In 2009 the Pinpoint Community became an active participant in “Blueprints for Successful Communities” and was recently listed to the Chatham County Register of Historic Places.

In 2006, with the passage of the National Heritage Areas Act, ten new national heritage areas were established, one of which is The Gullah-Geechee National Heritage Corridor (2006).  The Heritage Corridor was created to recognize the important contributions made to American Culture by Africans and African-americans known as the Gullah Geechee who settled in the coast counties of  northern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and southern North Carolina, and to assist in identifying and preserving sites, historical data, artifacts and objects associated with the Gullah Geechee culture.  In November of 2011, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas returned home to Pin Point to participate in the dedication of the Pin Point Heritage Museum and the placement of the Pin Point Community Marker as a part of the Gullah-Geechee National Heritage Corridor.

Savannah Inns celebrates the rich black history of Savannah with a powerful two-day Black History Package during the months of January and February.  Book now while these limited packages are still available!

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Black History Month in Savannah GA: A Look At African American Heritage of Savannah State University

January 16th, 2012 by savannahinns

While celebrating Black History Month in Savannah (February  2012), it is important to the four Innkeepers of Savannah Inns to focus on Savannah State University, Georgia’s oldest public historically black university.  

Savannah State University Historic Hill Hall (c) Absolon Used under creative commons license.
Historic Hill Hall at Savannah State University, Savannah GA

 

Originally the African American university was founded as a result of the Second Morrill Land Grant Act of August 30, 1890, which mandated that Southern and border states develop land grant colleges for black students.

  • On November 26, 1890, the Georgia Assembly passed legislation creating the Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth, now Savannah State University.
  • A preliminary session of the School was held in the Baxter Street School Building in Athens, Georgia where it operated for several months.
  • The school moved to its permanent location in Savannah, GA on October 7, 1891.
  • The College awarded its first baccalaureate degree in 1898.
  • In 1921 the first female students were  admitted as residents on the campus.
  • In 1928 the college became a full four institution for the education of freedman as teachers in both the North and South.
  • In 1932 the college became a full member institution of the University System of Georgia and its name was changed to Georgia State College.
  • The college served as Georgia’s land-grant institution for African-American students until 1947. The designation was then transferred to Fort Valley State College.
  • In January 1950, the college changed its name to Savannah State College.
  • In 1996 the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia elevated Savannah State College to the status of state university and the name was changed to Savannah State University.
  • Savannah State University is the first institution in the state of Georgia to offer the homeland security degree program.
  • It was the second institution in the University System of Georgia to offer wireless Internet connectivity to students throughout the campus.

Savannah State University is located approximately 5 miles east southeast from the center of Savannah, Georgia, 250 miles from Atlanta, Georgia, and 120 miles from Jacksonville, Florida.

Get away to Savannah, Georgia, to experience African American History Month. Enjoy being near the rich black history in Savannah, while lodging with one of the historic Savannah Inns – Green Palm Inn, Zeigler House Inn, Azalea Inn and Gardens, or Dresser Palmer House. Each is a unique experience, and you’ll be near some of the best African American places of interest.

 

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Black History Month: Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum

January 2nd, 2012 by savannahinns

Ralph Gilbert Marks Civil Rights Museum

Ralph Gilbert Marks Civil Rights Museum

Black History Month is in February and as part of our continuing series we are highlighting the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum which chronicles the civil rights struggle of Georgia’s oldest African-American community from slavery to the present.

The innkeepers of Savannah Inns visited the museum last week while taking the African American History - Freedom Trail Tour. The museum has three floors of photographic and interactive exhibits that includes a  NAACP Organization exhibit, a map of 87 significant civil rights sites and events, a lunch counter where “sit-ins” took place, segregation exhibits and a video presentation. These are meant as part of the continuous education of the public on the history of the civil rights struggle here in Savannah and Georgia.

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Savannah’s African American History Tour

December 10th, 2011 by savannahinns

Last Thursday Shannon, Diane and I took the Day Clean Journey Tour. Day Clean Journey highlights the culture and rich history of African Americans in Savannah, GA as well as the surrounding coastal area. Our tour guide, Jamal, was an entertaining wealth of information on Savannah’s connection to Africa, Haiti and the islands. Sometimes speaking in several native African dialects including Gullah Geechee, he wove an interesting fabric of history, folklore and cultural stories. We traveled through now long gone African American neighborhoods such as Frog Town. Jamal pointed out the oldest black business in Savannah, Bynes Royal Funeral Home, where he was able to bring back a sense of what life would have been like then. Stopping to visit  several historic venues including the Beach Institute,  the First African Baptist Church(a portion of the underground railroad in Savannah, GA), Savannah’s Black Wall Street area, The Civil Rights Museum, and the Haitian Monument,  we were able to see the contributions these pioneers made to Savannah and her rich history. We ended the tour at the Garden of Eden restaurant for a slice of homemade red velvet cake. This was a lovely restaurant specializing in traditional Soul Food. I can’t wait to go back for a meal. Everything looked and smelled yummy!

All in all, I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. They also offer several other wonderful tours including the one I want to take next, the Drums n’ Spirits Tour that covers Haants/Haints, Spirits, Ghosts, Hoo-Doo and lots more. You can see the list of tours and additional information on their website www.daycleansoul.com .

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Veterans Day and B&B For Vets in Savannah GA

November 23rd, 2011 by savannahinns

SavannahInns.com hosts reception honoring Military on Veterans' Day

SavannahInns.com hosts reception honoring Military on Veterans' Day

Thank You Reception during B&B for Vets hosted by Innkeepers of Savannah Inns.

In honor of Veterans’ Day and in conjunction with the “B&B for Vets” organization, four Savannah GA inns chose to donate 30+ rooms to deserving military on the eve of the parade, November 10, 2012. These four innkeepers of Savannah Inns not only gave 30 soldiers and a guest a respite for the days’ toil, but enlisted the aide of several local businesses to provide an evening reception resplendent with food, a visit from Forrest Gump, a photographer to memorialize the event, and a minister to perform re-commitment ceremonies. We want to thank Bistro 45, Pirates’ House, Alligator Soul, Leoci’s Trattoria, Fiddlers Southside, Sapphire Grill, Photographer Jerry Harris, Rev. Steve Schulte, and Bistro 45 Florist for all the wonderful arrangements. The night would not have been as wonderful without our volunteers - the gratitude of these brave men, women, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children, is without a doubt one of the most satisfying perks of being an Innkeeper.

Each of the innkeepers had her own reason for participating:

Shannon, Dresser Palmer House Inn:  “It is not very often that an event comes around that hits home with so many people, but the B&B for Vets program is such an event. Personally I come from a family with at least 4 generations serving in the military and living in Savannah with such a large military presence, this was an event I could really get behind. What moved me most was how many times I was thanked by all the Vets that participated in the event, when really it is us that owes them all the thanks!”

Diane, Green Palm Inn: “Veterans day is a special time for me. My Grandfather was born on Veteran’s Day in 1903. Grandpa Skelly and I had a special relationship as only a first born grand daughter and her grand father can have. He showered me with love and gave me a wealth of information upon which I stood all these years. Veterans’ Day was always a special birthday time for us because Grandma decorated his cakes in red, white and blue, sometimes with flags, sometimes with sparklers. It was lots of fun to celebrate his special day with him. If his birthday fell on a week-end, we were able to go to the parade with him too. Watching and listening to our men in uniform and the military bands was great fun. Grandpa without any formal training, played a fiddle by ear. When the parade was finished, we would head home and Grandpa would play more music. Then he would allow us to try our hand with his special instrument. Even today whenever I hang my flag and put aside a special time for our Veterans, I remember my Grandpa and the many things we shared together on his special day. Grandpa gave us his whole heart to our family which is why I love to give back to those who stand for us every day, especially on his special day!”

Jackie, Zeigler House Inn:  “Another wonderful experience! That’s all I can say. Our participation in the B&B for Vets program has been such a rewarding way to say “thank you” to our active duty military and veterans. This is the second year we have been involved and I was again impressed by the men and women who came to stay with us. There is no way to truly compensate them and their families for their sacrifice during their service to our country but hopefully in some small way our participation will let them know just how much we appreciated what they do for us. God Bless them every one!”

Teresa, Azalea Inn and Gardens: “I grew up in a military family, and support of our troops has been a part of my life my entire life.  My father served during WWII in first the Navy and in the final year of the war with the Army-Air Corp.  He went on to give another 20 years of his life in service to his country as an agent with OSI.   Both my grandfathers served in WWI and each was injured during their service, one at Keiberg Ridge and the other at Vimy Ridge. I have five female cousins who are on active duty in the Canadian Military. My sister served in the Air Force and I have served in the US Army. Service runs deep in my soul and I am fortunate enough to have a husband whose passion runs as deep.  We are blessed to be able to provide such a simple gesture of thanks.”

The four innkeepers are proud to announce that in 2012 we will continue with this tradition.  Look for details on the 2012 B&B for Vets ( www.betterwaytostay.com) or here with the Savannah Inns in September 2012.

Savannah Inns is a collection of four historic bed and breakfast inns in beautiful sultry Savannah, GA.

 

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