Things to Do in Pooler

The array of glazes at Starlight Pottery puts a rainbow’s paltry six stripes to shame; 70 different hues await artists within the studio. Conversation drifts beneath full shelves of bisque pottery, centering on the mugs, plates, and figurines available for painting. Paintbrushes hush quietly in freehand curls or stencils on the pottery, and hands working with unformed clay make the gentle slapping sound of two scuba divers fighting. Experts fire creations in a kiln, and parties for adults and children fill the studio with laughter and artistic banter.

Anyone active in Savannah’s theatre community in the 70s and 80s would likely have encountered Tom Coleman III, a director who began his career at the Savannah Young People’s Theatre. He produced and directed more than 200 shows in the ensuing 35 years, culminating in the founding of the Savannah Community Theatre. The company often produces shows by local playwrights, along with a weekly, pirate-themed murder mystery dinner show.

The opening scene of Forrest Gump follows a feather as it floats above Savannah's rooftops, a view seen from the Sorrel-Weed House, where the scene was filmed. Completed between 1839 and 1840, the now-iconic building was distinguished as a state landmark in 1954—only the second house in Georgia to receive that honor. Today, during historic tours, guests patter down the same corridors where onetime houseguest General Robert E. Lee once practiced hacky sack, or track spirits during ghostly explorations of the home's creepy quarters. Southern history pervades each visit as guests catch glimpses of the house’s antique decor and Greek revival architecture.

A group of 15 people sit at the bar socializing, then simultaneously they all put their drinks down and the bar begins to slowly roll down the street. These people are sitting aboard a combination custom-built bicycle and bar, which features built-in coolers and 15 pedal stations plus an optional beer tap. A company-provided driver controls steering and braking to ensure absolute safety as riders pedal along sightseeing and pub-crawl routes. Because the pedaller is only allowed on certain streets and yellow brick roads, Pedals Eco-Entertainment recommends their planned routes but can also work with groups who want to create their own.

Groves of oaks and georgia pines reflect off the glassy surface of strategically placed water hazards at Southbridge Golf Club’s 18-hole course, the grassy brainchild of renowned course architect Rees Jones. Soaring above the 6,922-yard layout, wayward golf balls may carom off of the dense population of timbers, nestle into the pillowy sands of deep bunkers, or sink into the abyss of ponds, streams, and lava pits that come into play on nearly every hole. Large greens await at the end of each hole, eager to befuddle golfers with breaking putts and a fast, well-maintained surface. An onsite driving range nurtures golfers relationships with their clubs, and a menu of fresh meat, seafood, and salad at the genteel diner of Vickery’s at Southbridge curbs hunger that may sap strength from drives or preempt post-round putter-jousting competitions.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by Rees Jones

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Length of 6,992 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 74.1 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 134 from the farthest tees

• Four tee options

As a kid, Shannon Scott wasn’t interested in Disney World; he wanted to vacation in Colonial Williamsburg. He had an unabashed love and voracious appetite for history, preferring the drama of true stories to that of fairytales. Since 1995, he has translated that passion into a viable career sharing the rich history and lore of Savannah.