History

On Feb. 12, 1733, General James Oglethorpe and more than 100 passengers of the good ship "Anne" landed on a bluff high along the Savannah River. Oglethorpe named the 13th and final American colony "Georgia" after England's King George II. Savannah became its first city. The plan was to offer a new start for England's working poor and to strengthen the colonies by increasing trade.

The colony of Georgia also was chartered as a buffer zone for South Carolina, protecting it from the advance of the Spanish in Florida. Savannah is known as America's first planned city. Oglethorpe laid the city out in a series of grids that allowed for wide-open streets intertwined with shady public squares and parks that served as town meeting places and centers of business. Savannah had 24 original squares; 22 remain today. Savannah's Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966. It is one of the largest historic landmarks in the country.

Why you should go

The nation's largest Urban Historic Landmark District, the 22 green squares and 1,600-plus historically and architecturally significant structures are all within a 2.5 square mile area. Wear your walking shoes and stroll the Historic District. Guide services can personalize your walk to a specific interest. And there are all the places where "Forrest Gump" and "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" were filmed.

Main attractions

* The Historic District: The Historic District of Savannah is the heart of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with cobblestone streets, manicured gardens and oak-shaded parks with silvery Spanish Moss. The vacation destination for all ages, which encompasses art, culture, festivals, concerts, live theater, outdoor cafes, gourmet restaurants and true Southern hospitality. Savannah contains more than 22 city squares filled with museums, monuments, antebellum mansions, magnificent churches, and famous forts of the Revolutionary & Civil War eras, including Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace -- now owned and operated by the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. as a memorial to their founder -- and Forsyth Park. http://www.savannah.com/HistoricDistrict/HistoricDistrict1.aspx

* River Street: The road that parallels the Savannah River is lined by century-old buildings, once cotton warehouses, which have been converted to antique shops, boutiques, galleries, brew pubs, restaurants, nightspots, inns and hotels. You can have a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone while watching huge ships pass within 100 yards on the river. http://www.savannah.com/RiverStreet/RiverStreet.aspx or www.riverstreetsavannah.com

* Tybee Island Lighthouse: Tybee Island stands at the mouth of the Savannah River, and in 1736 a 90-foot wooden tower was built to aid navigation. After it was washed away by a storm in 1741, a wood and stone tower was completed the following year. This second tower met the same fate as the first. It was replaced in 1773 -- a 100-foot brick tower with a wooden interior staircase. www.tybeelighthouse.org or http://tybeeisland.com/attractions/tybee-island-lighthouse/

* Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum: The museum was founded in 1966 and exhibits ship models, paintings and maritime antiques. The Museum's collection is housed in the elegant home built for William Scarbrough, one of the principal owners of Steamship Savannah and president of the Savannah Steamship Company. www.shipsofthesea.org

How to get there

It's about 250 miles and takes about four hours from downtown Atlanta. Regular flights are available at to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

Links of interest

http://visitsavannah.com/

http://www.officialsavannahguide.com/

http://www.savannahga.gov/cityweb/SavannahGaGOV.nsf

* Savannah Chamber of Commerce: www.savannahchamber.com

Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.savannahchamber.com/board-cvb.php