Day 170 - April 1, 2013: Final Savannah sights

Despite some threat of rain, the sun is out and it finally feels warm like spring. After I washed the boat and Anne did some interior cleaning, we took a ride on the water taxi to take pictures of the city. Here is Great Laker along the River Street Dock in front of the Cotton Exchange buildings. The gold domed building is the city hall.

Great Laker on the River Street dock

The taxi dropped us off just west of Fort Jackson, authorized by President Thomas Jefferson in 1808 to protect the city during troubled times with Britain. We passed The Pirate's House, just off the river's edge, that has been serving food and drinks since 1753 when it was popular with seafarers and bloodthirsty pirates. The homes in this area reflect the Colonial Period, and many still exist from the 1700s.

The Pirate's House (1753)

Having read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, we wanted to tour the Mercer Williams House, where the leading character, Jim Williams, lived. Construction of the home began in 1860 by General Hugh Mercer (great grandfather of Johnny Mercer), and Williams eventually purchased the property in 1969. He restored and decorated the house with antiques he purchased as a world renowned antique dealer. It is now maintained as a museum, filled with items from his amazing and unique collections.

Mercer Williams House Museum

We were joined on our dock this afternoon by the Independence, a small cruise ship traveling the east coast. Despite its size, we think our experiences with Great Laker might exceed what a cruise ship can provide, since we can go many more places!

The Independence ahead of us on the River Street Dock