Pre-Conference Savannah Song

Proceedings of the National Marine Educators Association annual meeting kick-off Monday morning here in Savannah, Georgia and I'm looking forward to it. I've been exploring a bit of the historic district close to my hotel today. To be honest, I explored the historic district until I was reduced to a sweaty, overheated mess. Which didn't take very long.

I know this climate is probably comfortable to the locals, but it feels like Papua New Guinea to me. Already damp from sweat at 10AM, I strolled along the Savannah River past the odd monument to "Savannah's Waving Girl." Apparently, this young woman made a habit of waving a towel at passing ships from 1900-1931. At night, she apparently waved a lantern. It's not clear why she did this. But this is Savannah, so you don't really need a logical reason.

I made my way along the tourist traps of River Street, climbed up the bank (and steps) to Bay and Congress Street and eventually down to City Market, the dining, shopping, arts, and cultural hub of this beautiful city. I walked along streets lined with amazing antebellum architecture and trees dripping with Spanish moss. All a feast for the eyes. That is, it would be if my eyes weren't blurry from the rivers of flop sweat pouring down my face.

I paused in front of the local celebrity restaurant, The Lady & Sons, home of Food Network star Paula Deen. I paused not because I particularly enjoy Ms. Deen's style of deep-fried everything, but because she had the genius to install mist sprayers beneath the restaurant awnings that cooled the air. I quite literally basked in the cool mist and found the reserves to continue my explorations. Ms. Deen, I promise to drop by for dinner this week just to drop coin as a "thank you." Not that you need it.

Savannah's history is everywhere. Want revolutionary trappings? There's a pair of bronze cannons on display that were presented to the city by General Washington after his visit in 1791. Pirate lore more your thing? There's the Pirates House, built in 1753 and allegedly the drinking hole of many a privateer. Cotton is what made Savannah the Jewel of the South, underwriting much of the historic architecture now under preservation. The Cotton Exchange above River Street was the portal for all cotton business through the city.

Cotton was also the fuel for the slave trade in the south, and Savannah does not hide this unfortunate legacy. The First African Baptist Church was established by former slaves and is the oldest black church in North America. The pews I saw and touched were hand-made by Savannah slaves. But according to oral tradition, the church was also an important stopping point along the Underground Railroad. Downstairs, we were shown floorboards in the church that had an unusual pattern of holes in the boards. We were told these were breathing holes for runaway slaves holed-up beneath the floors. The hole patterns are said to be traditional African symbols. The ceiling of the church consists of a quilted pattern of nine-patch squares. This pattern, we were told, was a code used along the Underground Railroad for slaves and their supporters to communicate safe havens.

I love the depth and breadth of East coast history. Having grown-up near Philadelphia and spent a good portion of my life in Boston, I was surrounded by American history all the time. And like most things that surround us every day, we often take them for granted. So now that I live in San Francisco, where 1849 Gold Rush seems like "deep history," I treasure the chances I get to bask in the trappings of a rich historic city like Savannah. I certainly hope I get a chance to see a bit before heading home.