On my recent business trip to Savannah, GA, I was really impressed by the cobblestone pavement and granite curb along the river. A lot of these square or rectangular stones were quarried in Europe and used to ballast sailing ships on the way West. When they arrived at a Southern port to take on bales of cotton, or bags of rice, or whatever else, they unloaded the ballast stones, which were subsequently used for construction.

I loved Savannah. Many of the businesses along the river are converted cotton warehouses which survived the Civil War. They have brick walls several feet thick, and exposed floor joists that look like 12x3s on one foot centers. See [id=285798913].

Here's a panorama generated from three separate pictures, which shows the cobblestone street quite well, especially if you use "view original." And they still use the streetcar tracks! Be patient – it's a big picture

The beer at the Bayou Café was just what the doctor ordered while we waited for an afternoon shower to pass. This picture of it was taken from the porch of the restaurant across the alley where we took shelter from a second shower.