Historic Cemeteries

Cemeteries might not seem like a likely place to visit as a tourist but they are. Some people visit cemeteries to pay homage to presidents, artist, poets and other influential individuals.  Others go to admire the art and architecture, while still others find the beautifully landscaped gardens a place to reflect.  



1. Arlington National Cemetery: The military cemetery located just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. It is the most visited cemetery in the United States.  It is the grave site of President John F. Kennedy.The Changing of the Guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldiers has taken place every day without interruption since 1937. 

2. Gettysburg National Cemetery: This Pennsylvania site is the final resting place for more than 3,500 Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Gettysburg, considered the turning point in the Civil War. There are numerous monuments including one to President Abraham Lincoln where on November 19, 1863 Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address speech.
3. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans: There are many

tours of this cemetery where, because of the high water table the deceased are interred in above-ground, whitewashed crypts topped with statues. It is a stop on the African-American Heritage Trail. Many noted individuals are interred here including New Orleans’ famous voodoo priestess Marie Laveau.

4. Colonial Park Cemetery: With live oaks draped in Spanish moss it is Savannah's oldest and most haunted cemetery. The Gen. Sherman’s soldiers changed the dates on dozens of headstones indicating that some of the interred lived 100s of year. According to Josiah Muir’s stone he was 11 when he died and his son died the same year at the age of 12.
5. Lakeview Cemetery: The Cleveland, Ohio cemetery is for Tiffany-lovers. It is home to the Wade Memorial

Chapel and boasts of one of the few interiors in the world that was entirely designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his studio. The chapel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

6. Forest Lawn Cemetery: Architecture lovers will enjoy Buffalo’s Forest Lawn Cemetery. It claims to be one of the world’s finest outdoor museums with monuments, sculptures and mausoleums designed by great sculptors and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Blue Sky Mausoleum and Tiffany stained glass. 
7. Woodlawn Cemetery: The Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, N.Y. was one the earliest garden cemeteries in the United States. The curving road through the rolling hills passes by hundreds of mausoleums, many designed by noted architects. Irving Berlin and Herman Melville are just a few of the famous people interred there. 
8. Hollywood Forever Cemetery: Starry-eyed travelers should visit Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the final resting place of many of Hollywood’s greats. It is on the National Register of Historic Sites. Visit and pay your respects to Rudolph Valentino, Cecil B. DeMille, and many more legends of the screen.
9. Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park: Some

cemeteries are under the auspices of a local government while others are military and a few are private family cemeteries such as the Johnson Family Cemetery which is now part of a national historic park. LBJ is buried in the same area where he was raised. 

10. Boothill Graveyard: Those interested in the Old West should head to Tombstone Arizona where about 250 people “died with their boots on.” Lester T. Moore who died in the 1880s has what is probably the most famous epitaph: “Here lies Lester Moore, four slugs from a 44, no Les no more.”

Mysterious and Historic Savannah

Savannah, Georgia, the oldest city in the state of Georgia, is

unique, historic and romantic that never fails to charm visitors. The riverside city has small, interconnected squares and oak-lined streets with dripping with Spanish moss making it perfect for ambling. Before visiting watch “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” “Forest Gump,” or one of the other movies filmed in Savannah. 

1.The history: Start at the beginning. The Savannah History Museum is housed in the old Central Georgia Railway passenger shed, a National Historic Landmark built in the 1850s. It affords an overview of Savannah’s history from its founding in 1733 to the present day.

2.On & off: The best plan is to make one full loop on an on/off trolley tour for a complete overview of the historic district before disembarking. The guides are full of interesting tidbits and local lore. 

3.A walk about: Walking tours abound dealing with a variety of topics from haunted pubs to the Civil War to architectural tours. Movie buffs will enjoy tours that highlight the films made in Savannah including “Forrest Gump,” “Roots,” and “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” 

 4.The traditional way: It is the time-honored way to see Savannah.  Consider a romantic nighttime horse and carriage ride when the gaslights twinkle and homes have their lights on affording glimpses of their interiors. 

5.The river is the thing: If it wasn’t for the river there would be no Savannah.  No visit is complete without taking one of several cruises on a replica paddle wheeler. Besides the traditional daytime narrated cruises there are dinner, gospel, moonlight, and “Whodunit” cruises. Take note of the Waving Girl. The riverside statue honors Florence Martus, who waved at passing ships for forty years waiting for her lover to return. 

6.Dimes for Daisy: Juliette Gordon Low called her friend and said, “Come right over! I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah and the world and we’re going to start it tonight!”  With those words the Girls Scouts began. The Low house is just one of many historic houses open for viewing.  Also open for touring are the Mercer House, the Isaiah Davenport House, and the Flannery O’Connor house.

7.To worship: The newly renovated Gothic Saint John the Baptist Cathedral is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Savannah and inspiring beautiful.  The First African Baptist, built in 1788 by slaves for slaves, is the oldest continuous black congregation in America. It was a refuge for slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad.   

8.To Remember: Colonial Park Cemetery is the historic burial ground where, Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence is reposed.  During the Civil War bored soldiers changed the dates on the stones so it appears that some people lived 100s of years and others died before they were born.

9.The arts: The best artistic expression in Savannah may be the architecture. But not to miss is the Telfair Museum of Art, the oldest public art museum in the south. Made up of three museums, each building offers a distinctly different experience. 

10.Dining: Start the day with breakfast at Clary’s, made famous in John Berendt’s book, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” Have dinner at Paula Deen’s and end the day at Wet Willie’s where high-powered frozen Daiquiris are dispensed like soft ice cream. 

Places to Visit on the Way to Florida

Slow down! There are so many wonderful places in the United States and, of course, the whole world to see. Often we move too fast without seeing what is on the way. Now that we have the time John and I try to travel slow and stay in one place longer than we use to. People travel between New York State and Florida with the aim of getting to their destination as quickly as possible. Other people try to impress by saying, “I drove non-stop to Florida” or “I made the trip in x-number of hours.” Actually it makes me feel sad about all the great things they missed along the way. There are so many great places to stop when traveling to and from Florida. Consider Baltimore, Fripps Island, and Savannah.

Baltimore is one of those wonderful locations that has reinvented its harbor area. What was once an eyesore is now a dynamic inner harbor with museums, hotels, and restaurants. It is the location of one of my all-time favorite museums, The American Visionary Art Museum where there are works of art not seen anywhere else. They are all original artworks created by intuitive, self-taught artists that provoke, amuse, intrigue, and appeal to everyone. They say, “In short, visionary art begins by listening to the inner voices of the soul, and often may not even be thought of as 'art' by its creator.” If art is not your thing, Baltimore is home to the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, Edgar Allan Poe’s grave, USS Constellation, a world-class aquarium, and Fort McHenry of “The Star Spangled Banner” fame.

No less exclusive but not as costly, Fripp Island is often overshadowed by nearby Hilton Head. We were on Fripp Island in October when we were the only people there and we loved it. The best pastime was doing nothing but walking along the beach, enjoying a good book, watching the ever-changing ocean, and spotting a Snowy White Egret catch his dinner. For campers the adjacent Hunting Island State Park is one of the most popular state parks and beach areas in South Carolina. Hunting Island is not just another beach it is a nature and wildlife paradise. The pristine sandy beach, natural setting, and warm Atlantic Ocean makes it perfect for camping or renting a cabin right on the beach. With an historic 1859-lighthouse, lagoon, fishing pier, wide sweeping beach, and nature trails it is a “kick-back” place for the whole family. Just a few miles away is the pretty, historic town of Beaufort.

There are many other places along the Atlantic Coast for an interesting stop when heading south. Savannah, Georgia is a place I would love to revisit. There is something about Savannah’s live oaks dripping with lacy Spanish Moss that makes it seem different from other US cities. I read “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and watched “Forest Gump” which made visiting the city more interesting. Colonial Park Cemetery is the historic burial ground where, Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence is reposed. During the Civil War bored soldiers changed the dates on the stones so it appears that some people lived 100s of years and others died before they were born. Visitors can take a walking, carriage, trolley or river tour to learn about the city’s history. Slow down and enjoy the trip.

Unique Savannah, Georgia

Savannah was unique from the very beginning. When General James Oglethorpe founded Georgia in 1733 he created a city of small, interconnected squares that are now graced by live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. Chris, our trolley-tour guide explained, “Spanish moss is not Spanish nor is it a moss. And, it is not a true parasite. It is an epiphyte that gets its nutrients from the air.”
1. Savannah History Museum: Start at the beginning. The Savannah History Museum is housed in the old Central of Georgia Railway building, a National Historic Landmark. It affords an overview of Savannah’s history from its founding to the present day.
2. On & off: Step on one of the trolley tours of the historic district. With more than a dozen stops the best plan is to take one complete trip for an overview. The guides are full of interesting tidbits of history and local lore.
3. A walk for everyone: Walking tours abound dealing with a variety of topics from haunted pub tours to Civil War tours to architectural tours. Movie buffs will enjoy tours that highlight the many movies made in Savannah.
4. The traditional way: A horse-drawn carriage ride is the time-honored way to see Savannah. It is most ambient in the evening when the gaslights twinkle and homes have their interiors lights on affording glimpses of their lavish interiors.
5. The River: No visit to Savannah would be complete without taking one of several narrated cruises on a replica paddle wheeler. They cruise past the Waving Girl, the riverside statue honoring Florence Martus, who waved at passing ships for forty years – supposedly waiting for her lover to return from the sea.
6. Dimes for Daisy: Juliette Gordon Low called her friend and said, “Come right over! I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah and all America..!” With those words the Girls Scouts began. Low’s Victorian home was restored with the help of dimes raised by Girl Scouts. Many historic houses are open for viewing including the Mercer House and Flannery O’Connor house.
7. To Worship: The newly renovated Gothic cathedral Saint John the Baptist is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Savannah and inspiringly beautiful. The First African Baptist is the oldest black congregation in America. The church was built by slaves for slaves and was a refuge for slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad. Air holes in the Church’s floor are still visible.
8. To Remember: Colonial Park Cemetery is where, Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence is reposed. Bored Civil War soldier changed dates on the headstones so some indicate that the interred lived for hundreds of years.
9. The arts: The best artistic expression in Savannah may be the architecture. But not to miss is Telfair Museum of Art, the oldest public art museum in the south. Made up of three buildings, each of the museums offers a distinctly different experience.
10. Dining and imbibing: From Paula Deen’s to Wet Willies there is no shortage of places to eat and imbibe. Many restaurants feature Lowcountry cuisine with steaming platters of fresh seafood.
Savannah is unique. It is elegant, romantic, historic, and never fails to charm. Before visiting read “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and watch “Forest Gump” or one of the other movies filmed in Savannah.