Savannah, Georgia

Savannah, it's known as "Midnight", or simply "The Book". The greater world refers to it as "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". Whatever the title, it's difficult to think of a city that invests more of its identity in a single book. From walking tours to driving tours to brochures through conversations around town, John Berendt's best seller touches everything. If you're going to Savannah, you have to read the book.As important as the book is to an appreciation of Savannah, the city didn't emerge full grown from its pages. The credit for that goes to James Oglethorpe. A solider, member of Parliament, and visionary, he founded Savannah and the colony of Georgia in 1733 as a venture to benefit indebted Englishmen. Among other reforms, the new city was free from lawyers, slavery, and taverns. Although those things did eventually come, Oglethorpe did leave Savannah the everlasting gift of a city laid out around a series of squares. The design gives the city a unique park like atmosphere that is a major element of Savannah's appeal.