Known for people-scale urban design, restored mansions and a genteel slower pace that allows residents and visitors to leisurely appreciate the finer things in life, Downtown Savannah offers an intoxicating stroll back in time. Victorian and Regency architecture, each rendered with a colorful history that soaks into 200 blocks of downtown. All of them are part of a National Historic District. The near-perfect urban plan, lack of high-rise buildings, hundred-year old moss-draped oaks, and massive church steeples give the city a flavor that is only approached by Charleston. In fact, if you’ll pardon what seems like a cliché but isn’t, Savannah proper looks like a work of art.

    Speaking of art, perhaps no art school in America has such a profound impact on its city as the dynamic Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The artistic flourishes of SCAD students are seen everywhere as they have essentially melded an artistic identity as one with Savannah, a center for art and antiques. And golfers need no reminder that this part of Georgia, so close to Hilton Head Island, is full of great courses.

    Known as one of the two or three best walking cities in the nation, Savannah offers the perfect environment for strolls along historic squares, azalea-laden parks, 18th-century cemeteries, and riverfront boardwalks. A detour down River Street or through City Market may be inevitable, considering the wealth of antique shops, restaurants and nightclubs there. Hollywood movies have been kind to Savannah as well. Perhaps you've seen Savannah in The Legend of Bagger Vance, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Forrest Gump, Glory and Roots. In this case, the picture does not lie and the enchanting views of Savannah are all too real. You'll quickly want to forgive its blemishes.

    Since its founding African Americans here were slaves and free persons of color. Before the 19th century arrived many became religious leaders and wealthy businesspersons. Savannah State University, an HBCU, has also played a role in propelling race relations forward in the city. Brothers and sisters, run, do not walk at the chance to absorb the beauty of this southern belle, Savannah.