The Georgia Conservancy is re-launching their Savannah chapter of young professionals group, Generation Green, by hosting this popular event, Save Water, Drink Beer.
The Georgia Conservancy is a nonprofit that works statewide to conserve Georgia land and water. Continue Reading »
My little “happy” for my Busy Bee friends is a glimpse of spring courtesy of the 2012 Tour of Homes that just happend last Thursday through Sunday in various private homes & gardens in the Landmark, Victorian, & Ardsley Park Historic Districts.
For those of you who did not make it, the 2013 Tour will be March 21-24th 2013! Make sure to check back with Busy Bee for ticket giveaways!
The water feature in Ellis Square.
The squares located throughout Savannah’s historic district are always a hive of activity. They’re a major point of interest for Busy Bees and Ellis Square is a wonderful place to enjoy the romantic nectar of the Hostess City!
Ellis Square is located on Barnard between Bryan and Congress Streets. It was named after Henry Ellis, second Royal Governor of the Georgia colony. It was also known as Marketplace Square, as from the 1730s through the 1950s it served as a center of commerce and was home to four successive market houses. At one time Ellis Square was in danger of being lost to commercial development, but anger over the demolition of the market house helped spur the historic preservation movement in Savannah. In 2004, the city began plans to restore Ellis Square and in 2006, a new public park debuted with open spaces for public concerts, as well as an underground parking garage. The underground facility was completed and formally dedicated in January 2009. This encouraged the restoration of adjacent properties to complete the Ellis Square project. The restoration of the square itself, begun in the spring of 2008, was completed in February 2010. Ellis Square officially reopened at a dedication ceremony held on March 11, 2010. A bronze statue of songwriter-lyricist Johnny Mercer, Continue Reading »
In honor of it being March 7 (3/7), I thought it would be a fun idea to showcase 37th & Abercorn Antiques & Design located (you guessed it) at the corner of 37th & Abercorn in Historic Savannah, Georgia.
Shop Savannah - you'll find things you never knew you needed at 37th & Abercorn Antiques & Design!
The cottage to the left (above in the photo) is particularly adorable and currently houses J’ai La Peche, a particularly clever shop of antiques and repurposed items.
Inside 37th AAD, you’ll find everything from antique brooches your grandmother would have worn to original artwork by Savannah artists like Hattie Saussey, and also gently used Louis Vuitton luggage & handbags!
Some of my friends over at Modcottage Designs recently started renting a booth at 37th — more to come on this team but here is a sneak peak:
Sneak peak at Mod Cottage's booth at 37th & Abercorn Antiques & Design
More to come on Mod Cottage as Busy Bee is currently working with Vic & Lana to finish out a townhome in the Victorian District.
Whatever you are looking for (or even if you’re not), 37th & Abercorn Antiques & Design Center is the perfect place to pick up a little piece of Savannah that you can take home with you.
Thanks for buzzing by!
Spanish moss drapes the oaks that lead you into history.
Busy Bees know the secret to good living is to get out there and enjoy life, and a fresh air jog is so Savannah!
I’m a local and I like to park by the front gate. After checking in, I run down the oak alley to the running and nature trails that border this state park. These paths are recent to the park and they’re really a nice change of pace for someone used to running on the streets around Downtown and Ardsley Park. I highly recommend you get out from behind your desk or wherever you spend your time indoors, put on your running shoes and take a jog. It’s one of the best ways to make sure you take care of yourself so you can keep buzzing around!
The ruins of Wormsloe Continue Reading »
Enjoy the beauty of Wright Square
It’s Leap Day, Busy Bees, so get out there and make the day count! Visit this second square established in Savannah and take a trip through our history.
Originally known as Percival Square, its namesake, Lord Percival is generally regarded as the man who gave the colony of Georgia its name. It was renamed in 1763 to honor James Wright, the third, last and perhaps most notable of Georgia’s royal governors. Throughout its history it has also been known as Court House Square and Post Office Square.
The square is the burial site of Tomochichi, a leader of the Creek nation of Native Americans. Tomochichi was a trusted friend of James Oglethorpe and assisted him in the founding of his colony. When Tomochichi died in 1739, Oglethorpe ordered him buried with military honors in the center of Percival Square. In accordance with his people’s customs the grave was marked by a pyramid of stones gathered from the surrounding area. In 1883, citizens wishing to honor William Washington Gordon replaced Tomochichi’s monument with an elaborate monument to Gordon, making him the only native Savannahian Continue Reading »
Colonial Park Cemetery
Busy Bees know one of the best things about Savannah is that no matter where you go in the hostess city you’ll enjoy the view! One of my favorite routes is to stroll through the Colonial Park Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Savannah. With family plots dating back to the 1700’s, it’s a sightseeing treasure.
Being able to traverse from East Liberty to East Oglethorpe via Colonial Park Cemetery is something I try to do every time I walk in Savannah. I love visiting the tombs and reading the inscriptions. It’s just so peaceful and a quiet reminder of the history that has transpired here in Savannah.
When it was first established, Colonial Park Cemetery was where most burials took place. In time, it became overcrowded and after a period of neglect it was almost replaced. Luckily, as a result of a lawsuit to condemn the cemetery, the judge ordered that it be converted into a park and the grave markers protected. Markers placed by the Georgia Historical Commission stand beside a number of graves. These describe important events Continue Reading »
I love my Savannah! I love being able to walk, undisturbed, through the Bonaventure Cemetery. It’s beautiful and peaceful. After working with Save our Cemeteries in New Orleans while a student at Tulane, I came to appreciate cemeteries as gardens and as places that should be visited more often. It’s definitely a must see experience when visiting our hostess city.
In 1867 John Muir began his Thousand Mile Walk to Florida and the Gulf. Enroute, he became enamored with Bonaventure cemetery. He even spent six days and night there and he slept on the graves overnight while he waited for money from home! He found the cemetery even then breathtakingly beautiful and inspiring and wrote a lengthy chapter upon it, “Camping in the Tombs.”
“Part of the grounds was cultivated and planted with live-oak (Quercus virginiana), about a hundred years ago, by a wealthy gentleman who had his country residence here But much the greater part is undisturbed. Even those spots which are disordered by art, Nature is ever at work to reclaim, and to make them look as if the foot of man had never known them. Only a small plot of ground is occupied with graves and the old mansion is in ruins. The most conspicuous glory of Bonaventure is its noble avenue of live-oaks. They are the most magnificent planted trees I have ever seen, about fifty feet high and perhaps three or four feet in diameter, with broad spreading leafy heads. The main branches reach out horizontally until they come together over the driveway, embowering it throughout its entire length, while each branch is adorned like a garden with ferns, flowers, grasses, and dwarf palmettos. But of all the plants of these curious tree-gardens the most striking and characteristic is the so-called Long Moss (Tillandsia usneoides). Continue Reading »
Busy Bees know you’ve got to have a plan. Lots of really great things have come from well laid plans and it’s also one of the main reasons Savannah gets so much Buzz!
Savannah was laid out in 1733 around four open squares. The plan anticipated growth of the city and additional squares were added during the 18th and 19th centuries. By 1851 there were twenty-four squares in the city and fortunately, twenty-two still exist. Most of Savannah’s squares are named in honor or in memory of a person, persons or historical event, and many contain monuments, markers, memorials, statues, plaques, and other tributes.
Greene Monument in Johnson Square
Johnson Square was the first of Savannah’s squares and remains the largest of the twenty-four. It was named for Robert Johnson, colonial governor of South Carolina and a friend of General Oglethorpe. Interred in the square is Revolutionary War hero General Nathanael Greene, the namesake of nearby Greene Square. Greene died in 1786 and was buried in Savannah’s Colonial Park Cemetery. His son, George Washington Greene, was buried beside him after drowning in the Savannah River in 1793. Following vandalism of the cemetery by occupying Union forces during the Civil War the location of Greene’s burial was lost. Continue Reading »
Forsyth Farmers' Market, Photo by Terry Hayes
Busy Bee Vacations is celebrating! The Forsyth Farmers’ Market is coming back!
The Forsyth Farmers’ Market, which was created in 2009 with the goal of making fresh, healthy food easily accessible to the residents of Savannah and surrounding neighborhoods, will return for a fourth season on February 11, 2012. Each Saturday from 9 AM – 1 PM, at the South End of Forsyth Park in Historic Downtown Savannah, a variety of vendors will offer their produce and products to residents and visitors alike.
After the incredibly successful 2011 season, the 2012 opening weekend in February will kickoff featuring a high percentage of returning, well-known market purveyors including Savannah River Farms, Joseph Fields Farm, Clark & Sons Farm, Walker Farms, Kachina Farm, Readee’s Bees, Castra Rota, Oaktree Farm, and Hunter Cattle Co.
To assist the future growth and expansion of the Market and its mission, the market organizers have begun an initiative to couple outreach with health education, designed to encourage Savannah’s community to “bring home” knowledge of nutritious food and exercise to promote health and well-being.
Terry Hayes photo of Forsyth Farmers' Market
The” Bring it Home” project invites the Savannah community and visitors to learn, move and grow with the Forsyth Farmers’ Market. The first Bring it Home event of 2012 takes place on opening day, February 11th, with a theme of “Bike to the Market.” The first 25 people to check in with their bikes at the “Bring it Home” booth will receive $5 in market tokens and a healthy recipe, both sponsored by Healthy Savannah. In addition, Savannah Bicycle Campaign will be on hand with information and education about safe cycling.
Busy Bee Vacations salutes our farmers’ market organizers and we know you will support them, too. Just think about how wonderful it will be to prepare meals in our historic and cozy kitchens with all these fresh products. We’re just abuzz about this!
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