A Day Trip From Savannah
I didn’t mention it in my Savannah post, but while there, I did spend a day outside of the city. I planned on spending a couple hours each at Fort James Jackson, Fort Pulaski, and Tybee Island. It didn’t exactly work out as I envisioned, but you’ll just have to keep reading to find out why. The suspense must be killing you!
Fort James Jackson
[Ticket price = $7 per person]
Since Fort James Jackson (sometimes called Old Fort Jackson or Fort Jackson) is the closest to Savannah, that is where I started my day. I knew I was arriving shortly after opening and it wasn’t a large fort, but I expected more people. When I pulled into the parking lot, there were only 2 other cars. So, I pulled up right in front of the entrance.
To enter Fort James Jackson, you first have to walk through the visitor center. It is currently a small shack with a tiny gift shop and a ticket desk. A new building is currently under construction though, so it might be bigger if you ever check it out in the future. But, anyways, I walked in and bought my ticket. The cashier was super friendly and gave me some history, facts, and tips for my visit.
First up was a brief movie. The movie was beyond boring, but it did provide a lot of history and information about Fort James Jackson. It also informed me on the relationship between Fort James Jackson and Fort Pulaski (the bigger and more well known fort). So, I’m glad I watched it.
Brief history: During the American Revolution, the location was just an earthen battery. But, in the early 1800s construction began on Fort James Jackson to protect Savannah in the War of 1812. Later, another construction project enlarged and strengthened the fort. And, it again helped protect Savannah, along with Fort Pulaski, during the Civil War. Unfortunately (or not) the Union troops captured Savannah in December 1864. In 1924, the city purchased the fort but didn’t restore it until the 1970s.
Fort James Jackson Demonstrations
After I explored the fort and was getting ready to leave, it was announced that a demonstration was about to start. I couldn’t miss that! The poor guy was wearing a full wool suit and dripping in sweat, so staying and watching his demonstration was the least I could do. Plus, I was curious about what he was going to do.
He started out by telling us about the fort, all while fully being in character. It really encouraged us to step into the past. And he scoffed at us for wearing short sleeves and shorts. Didn’t we know Fort Jackson was near a swamp with “bad air”? We could get malaria if we didn’t cover up!
After a brief history lesson, he asked for volunteers for a musket drill. He beat the drums, had them marching, and even shot a musket. The volunteers didn’t have loaded muskets though, just in case you were wondering!
After the musket drill, he took a 10 minute water break. I can’t blame him. The heat index was well over 100F, and I would have passed out standing in direct sunlight wearing a wool suit.
When he came back, he explained about the canons. He even showed us how to move the canons using a lever. Then, we went to the courtyard area and he fired one. So cool!
After his demonstrations, I looked down at my watch and realized it was already after noon! How did that happen? The morning flew by. This small little fort was incredibly captivating and the demonstrations were fabulous and entertaining. I could have stayed longer. I hadn’t even walked down to the pier for views of Savannah. But, I was in desperate need of some AC, so I headed to my car to cool off.
Fort Pulaski
Fort Pulaski is a short drive from Fort James Jackson, but it did provide enough time to cool off. Unlike For James Jackson, here you have to drive through an entrance gate which is also where you pay. I actually don’t know what the fee is because the cash registers were down, so it was free! Yay!
Nisheet had visited before and informed me the guided ranger tour was the best way to experience this fort. So, I went directly to the visitor center and asked when the next tour was going to be. I was originally planning on making the 11am tour, but I obviously missed that. The next one wasn’t for a couple more hours. Bummer. I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for that. So, I started with the movie, just like I had at Fort James Jackson.
This movie obviously had a larger budget, but I was a little dissapointed. No mention of other forts or how they worked together. It solely focused on Fort Pulaski. The biggest and best fort. Fort Pulaski is slightly newer than Fort James Jackson and construction didn’t begin until 1829. It was larger and supposedly more durable. The walls were 11 feet thick and thought to be impenetrable. Invincible. Within 30 hours of Union attack, a corner wall was breached. So much for that war effort.
After the movie, I took a stroll through the fort. It is quite a sight to see. There are all sorts of canons to look at. You can walk along the top walls with gorgeous views of the surrounding areas. And, there are lots of info board scattered throughout to read. Unfortunately, it was just too hot to thoroughly enjoy. After a quick walk around, I headed back to the car’s AC.
Tybee Island
Since I was already so close to Tybee Island, I figured I might as well check it out. It was on my list and I had my beach stuff with me, so I headed that way. Saying it was crowded is an understatement. I drove around and around and never found a parking spot. At least not close to the pier anyway. And honestly, living next to the beach has a draw back. It means I don’t get excited when visiting a new beach. So, instead of making yet another loop around the parking lot and side streets, I cut my losses and headed back to Savannah. I’m sure Tybee Island is great, but maybe I’ll wait until off-season to check it out.
