Benjamin Payne
@benjaminpayne.bsky.social
storyteller / husband / cat dad / Cubs fan / from Rock Island, IL
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Here is Tsawwassen, British Columbia, overlooking Mount Baker in Whatcom County, Washington. The first east-facing beach I've been to since Tybee Island, Georgia.
October 13, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Here is Tsawwassen, British Columbia, overlooking Mount Baker in Whatcom County, Washington. The first east-facing beach I've been to since Tybee Island, Georgia.
Going to share some more photos from my time in Savannah. This is my favorite. Forsyth Park fountain, February 2023.
August 8, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Going to share some more photos from my time in Savannah. This is my favorite. Forsyth Park fountain, February 2023.
So long, Savannah. It was a joy to serve as GPB's Savannah-based reporter for the past three-and-a-half-plus years. I'm now returning to my wife's hometown of Bellingham, Washington, where she's begun an exciting new position. A couple parting shots of the Hostess City of the South:
August 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
So long, Savannah. It was a joy to serve as GPB's Savannah-based reporter for the past three-and-a-half-plus years. I'm now returning to my wife's hometown of Bellingham, Washington, where she's begun an exciting new position. A couple parting shots of the Hostess City of the South:
I visited the iron repair shop in Alabama where Savannah's Forsyth Park fountain is getting restored. More to come!
July 14, 2025 at 4:03 PM
I visited the iron repair shop in Alabama where Savannah's Forsyth Park fountain is getting restored. More to come!
And here's what Forsyth Park looks like without its fountain:
June 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
And here's what Forsyth Park looks like without its fountain:
Some scenes from Savannah's Forsyth Park, where crews this week disassembled its iconic fountain for offsite restoration in Alabama. This is the first time in over 100 years that it's been removed from the park, and is the fountain's first major restoration since 1988.
June 25, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Some scenes from Savannah's Forsyth Park, where crews this week disassembled its iconic fountain for offsite restoration in Alabama. This is the first time in over 100 years that it's been removed from the park, and is the fountain's first major restoration since 1988.
Tina loves her outdoors time
May 28, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Tina loves her outdoors time
What do you call a group of Benjamins?
May 9, 2025 at 9:22 PM
What do you call a group of Benjamins?
Once again: my supremely talented wife, tearing it up on Tybee Island 🏝️🤘
May 1, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Once again: my supremely talented wife, tearing it up on Tybee Island 🏝️🤘
Behind the scenes at a taping of PBS's Antiques Roadshow today at the Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah. More to come!
April 29, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Behind the scenes at a taping of PBS's Antiques Roadshow today at the Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah. More to come!
biiiiig stretch from Tina
April 6, 2025 at 3:24 PM
biiiiig stretch from Tina
The old fountains downtown get all the attention in Savannah, but the others deserve love too. Daffin Park:
April 2, 2025 at 3:19 AM
The old fountains downtown get all the attention in Savannah, but the others deserve love too. Daffin Park:
Managed to pick all the men's Sweet 16 winners in my March Madness bracket. Naturally, I expect the Elite 8 to derail it all.
March 29, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Managed to pick all the men's Sweet 16 winners in my March Madness bracket. Naturally, I expect the Elite 8 to derail it all.
Meanwhile in neighboring Bryan County — one of Georgia's fastest-growing, and home to Hyundai's huge new electric vehicle factory — voters rejected a similar sales tax referendum for public school funding. The margin? <1% (35 votes!) of ballots cast. Preliminary election results from the county:
March 20, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Meanwhile in neighboring Bryan County — one of Georgia's fastest-growing, and home to Hyundai's huge new electric vehicle factory — voters rejected a similar sales tax referendum for public school funding. The margin? <1% (35 votes!) of ballots cast. Preliminary election results from the county:
My supremely talented wife, seen here bringing down the house over the weekend on Tybee Island 🏝️🎶
March 17, 2025 at 10:20 PM
My supremely talented wife, seen here bringing down the house over the weekend on Tybee Island 🏝️🎶
Spring has sprung early in Savannah: it was plenty warm this evening to take my rickety Peugeot for a relaxing ride in short sleeves.
March 13, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Spring has sprung early in Savannah: it was plenty warm this evening to take my rickety Peugeot for a relaxing ride in short sleeves.
While reporting this story, I was reminded of a quote from John Berendt's 1994 nonfiction bestseller "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." It comes from a longtime Savannah resident, explaining the city to Berendt after he arrives from New York:
March 11, 2025 at 1:26 AM
While reporting this story, I was reminded of a quote from John Berendt's 1994 nonfiction bestseller "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." It comes from a longtime Savannah resident, explaining the city to Berendt after he arrives from New York:
Savoring the waning hours of Eastern Standard Time before tomorrow's cruel spring forward 🫠
March 8, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Savoring the waning hours of Eastern Standard Time before tomorrow's cruel spring forward 🫠
A tulip tree abloom at Tiedeman Park in Savannah
March 6, 2025 at 12:06 AM
A tulip tree abloom at Tiedeman Park in Savannah
G8 Summit mosquito chopper…now that's a non sequitur, if I ever heard one.
March 1, 2025 at 3:51 AM
G8 Summit mosquito chopper…now that's a non sequitur, if I ever heard one.
Spring is nigh: Chatham County mosquito control helicopter doing the rounds (literally) tonight in Savannah
March 1, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Spring is nigh: Chatham County mosquito control helicopter doing the rounds (literally) tonight in Savannah
Also: peering outside the windows to the Savannah Convention Center's rooftop, you could see some of the port's massive ship-to-shore cranes standing behind the Talmadge Bridge.
February 27, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Also: peering outside the windows to the Savannah Convention Center's rooftop, you could see some of the port's massive ship-to-shore cranes standing behind the Talmadge Bridge.
Pretty slick 3D animation at today's State of the Port event in Savannah. The Forsyth Park fountain was a nice touch. However, I feel compelled to point out that, in reality, it is a mile south of the river and not, as the animation suggests, smooshed between the Talmadge Bridge and City Hall.
February 25, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Pretty slick 3D animation at today's State of the Port event in Savannah. The Forsyth Park fountain was a nice touch. However, I feel compelled to point out that, in reality, it is a mile south of the river and not, as the animation suggests, smooshed between the Talmadge Bridge and City Hall.
Seeing City Hall's gold leaf dome lit up at night makes me think of Savannah as "the shining city on a hill." Problem is…Savannah has no hills.
February 16, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Seeing City Hall's gold leaf dome lit up at night makes me think of Savannah as "the shining city on a hill." Problem is…Savannah has no hills.
Wasn't expecting rooftop seating at the restaurant my wife and I went to last night for Valentine's Day, but it was a pleasant surprise. The patio heaters helped keep us toasty, and Savannah City Hall made a charming cameo appearance.
February 15, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Wasn't expecting rooftop seating at the restaurant my wife and I went to last night for Valentine's Day, but it was a pleasant surprise. The patio heaters helped keep us toasty, and Savannah City Hall made a charming cameo appearance.