I took the picture below at Colonial Park Cemetery in Savannah.  Our tour guide informed us that many of the headstones were changed by Union Soldiers when they occupied the cemetery and used it as a camp during the Civil War. 

Traveling in the past, I have always wanted to document in words, not just pictures, my experiences.  My thought was to start writing in the summer as soon as my wife and I returned from our honeymoon, but a flooding natural disaster got in the way.  Since then life in general has kept me busy, but finally I have made the time!  The purpose of this blog is not only a guide to my personal reflection but also a resource for others.  Anyone can list the top stops or places to see.  However, the stories and encounters that come from travel are what create the greatest understanding to different cultures.  This blog is my perceptions, opinions, and realities from my own travel experiences.

Choosing the perfect spot for a honeymoon certainly presented its challenges.  After spending the previous summer backpacking southeast Asia, we felt like it would be difficult to top that experience.  Savannah failed to disappoint and exceeded expectations, in different ways.  

Having never visiting the southeast area of the United States, I heard mixed reviews... Driving through South Carolina there were too many confederate flags to count.  It served as a strong reminder of the division that still remains through United States.  Stopping at a gas station, I was quickly reminded I was an outsider when I spoke  and about half the line turned to looked at me.  While waiting in line, the woman in front of me asked the clerk if she could pierce her tongue for 15 dollars after her shift was over.

After returning to the highway an angry driver began an episode of road rage with us.  She drove past our car, slowed down to point and flipped us off.  I am not sure how we set off the driver, but this behavior went on for over 30 miles.  All I can think of is she did not like our 'just married' magnet on the back of our car.  This was not the best introduction to the south or the feeling of a honeymoon we anticpated.  

When we arrived in Savannah we crossed large bridges as torrential rains came crashing down.  At one point we had to pull the car over until we had visibility to drive again.  As we arrived in the historic district the rain had produced flooding and large pockets of water on the old brick roads.  We found our final destination, the historic Kehoe House.  

Upon entering the Kehoe House I felt the southern hospitality come to true fold.  The concierge who greeted us was beyond welcoming.  Our room had the perfect balcony overlooking the historic square.  As we unpacked and drank sweet tea, I gave a message to the concierge to have champagne and chocolate roses in our room for us when we returned from dinner.  It was amazing the attention and way others react when they hear it was our honeymoon.  It was surreal to think and say out loud that we were really married.  We walked to dinner at the Olde Pink House where we had a strong recommendation and reservations.  The meal was southern cooking at it’s finest.  The service and atmosphere was beyond what I envisioned.  As we waited for our meal we walked throughout the house to admire each room's charm.  My favorite spot was the bar in the basement.  Many of the buildings in the historic district were built hundreds of years ago which makes for fascinating architecture.

After dinner we boarded our horse and carriage tour.  We were given the choice of any type of tour and decided on a ghost tour. There is something hauntingly romantic about Savannah.  The old oak trees filled with Spanish moss help create that atmosphere.  We were told that the Haitians believe the moss is a sign that innocent blood has been spilled.  Many of the historic squares had public trials and hangings.  The streets and grounds in some areas have also had hundreds buried underneath from revolutionary war battles.  As we listened to more stories, including one of a confederate soldier being buried in between two walls, I was left questioning what more Savannah had to hide.  

As we woke in the morning we had our breakfast served on our private balcony; the crab egg benedict was mind blowing!  We talked of the ghost carriage ride and how we both heard sounds during the night, a loud pounding at 3 in the morning.  By the time we went downstairs we were both convinced of our first ghost encounter.  The concierge told us that unfortunately, the guests above us had checked out early in the morning.  As we continued on our day we walked by the same buildings we had seen the night before. No longer in the ominous glow from street lamps these buildings still had a spooky feel.  We stopped and waited in a long line that went out of building's doors for the legendary ice cream at Leopold's.  Things in the south definitely move slower.

After exploring more of the city we cleaned up and went down for a complementary cocktail hour at the Kehoe House.  We met a Canadian women who had just arrived as well.  She was at a conference in Atlanta and decided to use some more days to visit Savannah.  We recommended places we had stopped and laughed as she mentioned she had booked a ghost tour for the night.  We parted ways, and later we were happy to see she left a note that we had restored her optimism in Americans.  For dinner we went to the 17hundred90 across the street and had bar food.  An Australian man at the bar stated how much he loves Savannah and keeps coming back as he took his drink to go.  That is something common to see with open alcohol containers being legal in the historic district.  We were told this might explain why so many people are seeing ghosts.  We took our drinks to go as we headed for our second ghost tour.  

We met our tour group at a historic square.  Before we started the tour we were asked where we were staying.  A loud gasping sound was made by the others, especially the tour guide, when we said the Kehoe House.   As we walked down the street to Colonial Park Cemetery I felt the temperature change 10 degrees cooler.  I took a picture with my smart phone which had lots of orbs in it..believe what you choose.  As we continued on ward we finally walked by the Kehoe House.  We were told many stories including its use at a funeral home.  According to our guide in the particular room we were staying in on the second floor, there is a ghost who visits frequently.  If you do not believe, we were told to put hair in ponytails by morning it will be undone or pulled upon.  We later decided we did not need to test the ghost on our honeymoon.  As the evening approached midnight, we continued our tour closer to the river.  Using flashlights from our phones, we found holes and spots in the bricks facing the lower walkway which had been closed shut with bricks.  Upon looking through these we could see large spaces.  This is the darker side of Savannah’s past, the slaveholding area.  When slaves were brought in they were placed there until they were sold under the streets.  This was so potential buyers wouldn't have unfair advantages of seeing the next day's 'product'.  It was eerie and shocking to see these remnants of the past.  We finished up the tour and returned back to our bed and breakfast learning even more about this city than we had the night before.  

The next day we departed to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a more traditional honeymoon, beach and sun.  However, I will never forget romantically spookiness and mystery of Savannah.