What's the must-see thing in Savannah?

Forsyth Park has been here since 1840. The fountain at its center dates to 1858 and sprays a fine mist you can feel from the nearest bench on a warm morning. Head north through the grid of 22 squares that Oglethorpe laid out when he founded the colony in 1733. Each square sits under live oaks draped in Spanish moss so thick the light underneath turns gray-green at noon. Monterey Square, five blocks north, holds the Mercer House (built 1868). You might recognize it from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The walk from the park to the river takes about 25 minutes at a slow pace. Do it before 9am in September, when the temperature sits near 26°C but the humidity is already at 90%. The air thickens by 10am.

Bonaventure Cemetery, 3 miles east of the Historic District on the Wilmington River, is the thing that separates Savannah from Charleston or any other Southern city with squares and Spanish moss. The grounds were a plantation until the house burned during a dinner party. The guests carried their plates outside and kept eating while it collapsed, or so the story goes. The cemetery dates to 1846 and spreads across 160 acres of live oak alleys where the branches form complete tunnels overhead. The light filters through in broken columns. You'll hear mockingbirds and the occasional boat engine on the river, nothing else. The most photographed grave held the Bird Girl statue until 1997, when foot traffic forced its move to Telfair Museums downtown. Go in the late afternoon when the river breeze picks up and the moss sways. No admission fee, open daily 8am to 5pm.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Lafayette Square is Savannah's best indoor sight and the counterpoint to all that outdoor humidity. The original went up in 1873. A fire in 1898 forced a rebuild, and the replacement holds stained glass windows from Innsbruck, Austria, and a painted ceiling that rewards several minutes of sitting with your neck tilted back. The nave runs cool even when the pavement outside feels like 31.5°C at the skin. Worth noting, it's a working parish, not a museum, so Sunday morning means Mass, not sightseeing. Free admission during non-service hours. The benches under the oaks on the square give a clear sightline up to the twin spires. If you only go inside one building in Savannah, this is the one.

Skip River Street on your first morning. It's the first place every visitor walks toward, and it's the least representative part of the city, converted cotton warehouses filled with candy shops and T-shirt stores. Shrimp and grits runs $22 down there. You can get the same plate for $14 at B. Matthew's on East Bay Street or $12 at Clary's Cafe on Abercorn. The cobblestones are original ballast stones from 18th-century trading ships, which is interesting for about two minutes before your ankles remind you to wear flat shoes. Fort Pulaski, 15 miles east on Cockspur Island, is the strongest half-day trip. The 1829 fortress is where Union rifled cannon first proved brick fortifications obsolete in April 1862. That said, it needs a car and a separate morning, so keep it off your first-day priority list.