Savannah, GA - A City of Charm, History, Eats, and Beauty
This year, thanks to a great suggestion from a friend, my Husband and I decided to forgo most of our Christmas presents to each other, and instead start a new tradition where we plan a mini vacation. We love to travel, so we thought this would be a great idea - you know create memories instead of collecting material things that clutter up our shelves.
This year, he chose the location and surprised me with....SAVANNAH!!! He planned a 4 day weekend trip which was perfect. A 2 hour flight from New Jersey was a hop, skip, and jump to the warmer southern weather that we were so craving to be a part of.
After a 5 hour delayed flight *UGH* we finally arrived in Georgia. I really didn't know what to expect...I had never been to this state before. But one of the first things I noticed when we were waiting for our uber at the airport were the rocking chairs placed next to benches. ROCKING CHAIRS - now this is my kind of town. Call me an old soul, but I could sit on a rocking chair for hours - airport setting, backyard, porch - you name it.
Driving into the city, you could tell that it had a lot of charm. Big, huge trees with spanish moss lined the streets, old architecture emulated from the buildings, and as my husband would say, you could feel the history and supernatural energy everywhere you turned.
Throughout our four days there, we did a lot of exploring, eating, drinking, and more eating. *Look for restaurant reviews in other blogs to come* There are so many cool things to see and do, so in case you ever find yourself in Savannah, I wanted to make some suggestions. **Savannah is like New Orleans - you can walk around with alcohol beverages all throughout the city. So keep that in mind. Sometimes exploring with a beer in your hand makes the adventure much more interesting.
~Savanah has a ton of tours you can partake in. There are haunted pub crawls, carriage tours, ghost tours, and a food tour (which we did). But in terms of exploring the history of Savannah, we picked up a walking guide which offered 4 walking tours that we did ourselves. I like being adventurous with my husband without having to follow someone else timeline. It was almost like a scavenger hunt, finding the places the map was leading us to and reading about all of the history this town had to offer. I highly suggest doing it this way.
~River Street is a famous street that lines the Savannah River. There are tons of great restaurants and bars on this street as well as art galleries and shops. Take a stroll during the day and check out the different monuments and markets, or take a stroll at night and enjoy the countless amounts of bars providing live music and entertainment.
~City Market is a section in Savannah where the street is blocked off and open to pedestrians only. Here you'll find the famous Vinnie Van GoGo's Pizza Place known for their New York style pizza. Being from New Jersey, we had to try this spot out. It was pretty good...their slices were huge, and their crust was thin. There was always a live band in the middle of City Market, so you would often catch people dancing in the street which creates a lively, fun atmosphere. There are some great art galleries in this section of the city as well.
~Broughton Street is where most of the upscale shopping is. You will find name brand stores here but also some really cool finds as well. Nour*ish is a bath and body place that sells handmade soaps and bath bombs. Savannah Bee Company has tastings for different honey that they manufacture (which are amazing). They also have mead tastings there. Mead is the oldest fermented beverage whose key ingredient is honey. *YUM* There is a really awesome furniture store called 24e which has a restoration hardware type feel to it. They will ship anywhere which we learned very quickly when we were looking at some beautiful pieces including a huge hanging swing bench. I also suggest taking a look at The Paris Market. This store has a small cafe in it which makes french press coffee, cappuccinos, small macaroons, and other pastries and drinks to suit your mood. The ambiance made you feel like you were somewhere on the streets of France while drinking your coffee and browsing cool little knick knacks and trinkets. Another cool store to check out is The Spice and Tea Exchange. Being a foodie, having access to fresh spices is a dream come true!
~Jones Street is one of the most scenic streets in America. Covered in cobble stone and lined with trees, the architecture of the houses and buildings on this street is breathtaking. This is definitely a stroll you don't want to miss.
~Tybee Island is Savannah's top beach to visit. I have heard it is absolutely stunning, but due to a little bit of a cooler climate, and our shorter time in GA, we didn't get to see it. This just means we will have to go back. But be sure to check this historical hot spot out!
~Forsythe Park is the largest park in Savannah, covering 30 acres of land. We walked around here on our last day, and the weather was beautiful. There are monuments and fountains to see, and lots of places to explore. You can sit on a bench and people watch, or bring a blanket and set up a picnic. There is a cafe in the middle of the park to grab lunch, so you can spend a greater part of your day here.
~Mata Hari is a secret speakeasy located in an alleyway off of River Street. You need a password to get access (we got it from the concierge at our hotel). Upon arriving two girls were trying to get in with no avail. *They are really serious about this password thing** Once you enter, you are transported into a 1920s style bar where pool tables and comfy couches greet the patrons. There is a small stage for performances, or you can buy tickets to their burlesque show. **The emcee was the best part. Definitely don't expect to see any Pussycat Doll performers here** But the performance was entertaining nonetheless. Finish off the night with a shot of absinthe and let the green fairy take you home!
~The Grey is a restaurant that came highly recommended by many sources. Built in a 1938 art deco Greyhound Bus Terminal, this atmosphere is classic and beautiful, serving up high scale Southern cuisine. I cannot vouch for the food because we ran out of time, and didn't get to go *on the list for next time,* but I have heard it offers up some of the best Savannah has to offer.
~The Olde Pink House is a well known restaurant and tavern which is located in an Gregorian Mansion which was built in 1771. It gets its pink color from stucco which was laid over the original red brick. Serving up American and Southern Cuisine, this is listed as one of Savannah's must eat at restaurants.
~Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room is an old boarding house turned family style restaurant. We didn't get to eat here, but stopped in just to check it out. They were serving up 3 different kinds of meat, and 18 different sides. "You have to come back," the owner said. "This is the best southern comfort food in all of Savannah!" And I have a feeling he wasn't lying.
~Leopold's Ice Cream is the well known ice cream shop in Savannah. It has been around since 1919, and is now owned by Stratton Leopold, a well known film producer. Movie posters line the walls and old film memorabilia can be found all over the shop. This is a place NOT to be missed. They are the originators of tutti fruitti ice cream (which my husband tried), and I had their pistachio flavor, which was the best pistachio ice cream I have ever tasted.
~The Pirate's House is the oldest standing house in Savannah, and the tavern is where the old pirates used to hang out. It is now turned into a restaurant/bar, but it is truly a cool site to see. Go in and ask for a tour. They will take you around and show you the ins and outs, and also talk about the ghosts that reside there.
~Don't forget to stop by one of the candy stores famous for Savannah's Pecan Praline's. We went to River Street Sweets to check it out. Candy dispensers lined the walls, they were making fresh water taffy in the window, and were roasting pralines on the other side of the store. Huge rice krispie treats lined the glass cases, and it seemed that there was a little something for everyone in there. They served us a warm pecan praline as we walked out the door. Delicious!
~You will see SCAD sprinkled throughout city. This is Savannah's Art and Design College. Check out the galleries which present students' works of art. They are beautiful and creative all in their own right.
It feels like we saw and did so much, but I honestly could have spent way more time in this charming city. It has the right amount of history, art, and culture paired with amazing eats and entertainment. Who could ask for anything more? I can say that my Husband and I cannot wait to go back.
<3 P.S.
McDonoughs is known to host Karaoke every single night and is voted "best karaoke in all of Savannah." Go grab a beer or two, belt out a tune and let Savannah hear your song.