We arrived in Savannah, Georgia to live out one of my dreams: to see the home of eccentric art dealer Jim Williams, who was the main character in the 'nonfiction novel' 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'.

John Berendt's book painted such a vivid picture of life in wacky Savannah that book nerds have flocked to the riverside city ever since.

When I read the book I was totally caught up in the magic of 'the Southern belle' and I knew I would one day visit Savannah to walk beneath the pretty Spanish moss in Bonaventure Cemetery.

I didn't expect for us to be the youngest tourists 'doing the circuit' by about 40 years, but I still felt at home with my fellow book geeks when we went to the Mercer Williams House, which was turned into a museum in 2004.

Guided tours operate daily and our guide Alex was fantastically knowledgeable, giving us an insight into the zany Jim Williams and his wonderfully decorated rooms.

Even those who had not read 'Midnight' (like my poor boyfriend, who was sort of dragged along to this attraction) the tour was fascinating.

It was the 'poshest' home I'd ever been in and Jim Williams' kooky art pieces were just as Berendt had so passionately described them.

I had expected Savannah locals to be a little bitter that one book had created such a craze of tourism in their incredibly beautiful city but I was so very wrong.

The locals were some of the friendliest people I've come across and we were met with smiles everywhere. It was a slice of that famous southern hospitality.

My only regret is that we foolishly steered clear of all that much-loved Southern food - fried chicken, grits and peach cobbler.

Next stop: There's nothing spookier than an authentic Savannah ghost tour. I'm still shakin' in my boots.


Check out more photos from my trip in my Flickr album.

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