Greetings from the Newberry County Literacy Council. We have transitioned into summer as the Saturday Academy, the Weekly Reader Book Club, and the People’s College take a break.
Our summer activities include sponsorship of the youth camp at the Wise Street Park and a summer session of the Saturday Academy at Newberry Elementary School. As our programs were winding down in May we hit the road again. Readers might remember previous columns about our day trip to the Gullah Festival in Beaufort, inspired by our reading of Pat Conroy’s book about teaching on Daufuskie Island, and our visit to Edgefield to see where Dave, the slave potter we had recently read about, lived and worked.
Our road trip in May took us to Savannah. We have not read anything directly related to Savannah, but we wanted to visit this city rich in history, including its role in Civil Rights history, and the birthplace of Flannery O’Connor, some of whose short stories we have read. Savannah was also an attractive destination because it would require us to spend a night, which we had not done before, and because Eric Nelson is living there. Eric is the former director of the Newberry Family YMCA and he and Robin moved to Savannah when he retired. Several of us had kept up with him and he helped us organize our trip. So, we hit the road in a fourteen-passenger van for the three hour drive that took us into downtown Savannah where we had arranged lodging at the River Street Inn, a converted cotton warehouse that featured old hardwood floors, rooms with fireplaces, high ceilings, and tall windows overlooking the Savannah River, and numerous restaurants and shops a short walk away. We had lunch at the grill in the hotel and then embarked on an afternoon of adventures. Our first stop was the City Market, an area of pedestrian malls, galleries, sweets, and squares. One square featured a statue of Johnny Mercer, a prolific song writer from years past who was born in Savannah. You may remember his composition “Moon River.” Another square honored Nathaniel Green, hero of the American Revolution and friend of George Washington. A short walk from the City Market brought us to the First African Baptist Church, organized in 1773, and officially constituted in 1777. It is called the oldest Black church in North America. We sat down in pews with other guests and heard about its history.
Dave Goggins, a member of our group and a noted singer in Newberry, was asked to sing and captivated the audience with an energetic gospel tune. Late afternoon now and time to return to our hotel. Time also, to figure out parking. Savannah is not a van-friendly town. We couldn’t park on the street because the van was too large. Several nearby garages had been full earlier in the day and we weren’t sure we would fit under the barriers or find a large enough space to park. We pulled into a multi-story garage near the hotel, squeezed under the barrier and twisted our way up the decks until we reached the top. And there we found a space big enough to accommodate our van. The hotel had a manager’s reception each night in the hotel tavern so we sat and relaxed and talked about what we had seen and done. We talked to other guests and found that many recommended a restaurant just down the block, along the river, called the Shrimp Factory. We walked over, made a reservation for 45 minutes later and then walked along the river. We passed a ferry landing that offered a trip across the river to Hutchinson Island and thought it might be a good after-dinner excursion. Back to the Shrimp Factory where we ordered a variety of entrees — I had the shrimp and crab au gratin which melted in my mouth. After our fine culinary experience we did indeed take the ferry across the river, stayed on board as some passengers disembarked and others boarded and then crossed back – around a 20 trip with the lights of Savannah providing the backdrop and the cool river breeze invigorating the air.
After a good night’s sleep we strolled along the river in the morning and had a fine breakfast in a café at the hotel. Then we headed out to meet Eric. He is now consulting with a downtown YMCA in Savannah, assisting with the effort to breathe new life into an aging facility catering mainly to inner city housing projects. There was a lot of activity and he spoke of some of the challenges and progress. Then he drove us over to the nearby Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. Named after one of the earlier pastors of the First African Baptist Church who is regarded as the father of the modern civil rights movement in Savannah, the museum houses a variety of exhibits, historic photographs, and educational activities for children. We learned that Savannah had one of the most powerful and successful movements.
Time to return to Newberry. We reflected on what we had done and how much history and exciting tourism can be found close to home. Europe and other distant locales have much to offer but we found all we could hope for three hours down the road. And we shared travel time, good fellowship, fine food and lodging, and historic venues. Soon we will plan our next outing. We will let you know. We may have to change our name to the Newberry County Literacy Council and Travel Club!
Until next time, Happy Reading!