Troop 13405 Trip to Savannah – Part One
When people ask why our troop went to Savannah, Georgia out of all the places they could have gone, I liken the historical southern city to Girl Scout Mecca. Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts of America, was born and raised in Savannah. We explored an incredible amount of this city I could probably create a post for each day. Instead, I’ll split it up into three entries. I will try to be more descriptive with pictures than words.
We drove two days from Houston to Savannah, arriving on Sunday. We hit the grocery store to get lunch and dinner supplies, then off to a ghost tour in the middle of the night!

The Pink House where a younger son died in the basement and now wanders the lower level scaring people who need to use the restroom.

The girls in front of the Nathanael Greene monument where his ghost keeps the square free of the ubiquitous Spanish moss.
After sleeping in a bit, we ventured on to Girl Scout Day. The girls visited the First Headquarters where Daisy met with the original Girl Scout troops (called Girl Guides then) along with her volunteers. They earned the Black History badge by learning about signals on quilts, the Underground Railroad, and Savannah’s role in the movement.
The tour was only a tiny little room with creaky floors. The memorabilia on the walls were priceless for an old Girl Scout like me: old uniforms, hand sewn badges, pictures, badge books, dolls, camp memories, pins, etc. It was truly overwhelming seeing the uniform I used to wear pinned to the wall. Unfortunately, pictures are not allowed.
The adults took a vote and decided we would eat lunch in the Colonial Park Cemetery where the first grave was dug in 1750. In Houston, we see tons of Civil War sites and memorials and much history about the war of independence with Mexico. To explore the gravestones from the American Revolution was a completely different experience.

We ate with Button Gwinnett, one of Georgia’s representatives who signed the Declaration of Independence.
The afternoon was spent at the Birthplace, Daisy’s childhood home. We learned about her family and proper southern upbringing. She came from a top 1% kind of family and still dedicated her life to the arts and helping others. I love it. We WERE allowed to take pictures in the historic building, but without a flash. So, none of my pictures turned out well.
Tuesday was Fort Jackson Day. The original building was established during the Revolutionary War, but all that’s left comes from the Civil War. The girls learned to march, some history of the fort as well as some fun facts about Daisy (no spoilers), and participated in a mock firing of a period cannon before the tour guide fired it for real. Loud is not a descriptive enough word. Cacophonous maybe. Anyone else?
Pirate House for lunch. The oldest house left standing in Savannah attached to the oldest tavern still in business. We were lucky enough to have a lady pirate give us a tour and tell us about the history of the establishment. (Again, I’d LOVE to share, but that would be cheating. YOU need to go!)
Last adventure for Tuesday was a ride in a trolley to earn another badge. We answered questions while getting a whirlwind tour of the gorgeous city. We disembarked at The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist . Wow!
What a first few days! More to come in the next post!