This past Labor Day weekend, my husband and I spent a quiet early morning hour on River Street in Savannah, Ga. River Street is a hopping place from mid-morning until late night, filled with people, music, and vendors selling hand-crafted items. It's the home of the second largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the world, and while all the activity, restaurants, and shopping can be fun, we welcomed the peace and quiet as we read placards along the riverside that detailed Savannah's history and watched the river.

As we watched, a barge filled with cargo containers stacked several stories high came into view. From our perspective, it eclipsed the hotel and convention center across the river. We wondered aloud how it would maneuver around the ships docked alongside River Street and clear the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge that spans the river. It didn't appear to be all that easy. Others out for an early morning stroll also stopped and watched the event unfold.

Now, many in the Northwest U.S. and other areas of the globe are on the lookout for some containers that have the potential to deliver much more than goods and entertainment. (more...)