When you envision Savannah, maybe you envision the numerous squares with oak trees, Spanish moss, and beautiful flowers. Maybe you are thinking about Forsyth Park, and its famous fountain at its heart. Maybe you are envisioning the beautifully preserved Victorians, or the famous Independent Presbyterian Church in Forest Gump. But it is all of that and more. My husband and I visited back in 2004 when we were young and engaged and got the chance to return 20 years later for a romantic getaway. Come along as I talk about Savannah and how to enjoy a couple reconnection in one of the most historic and romantic cities in the South.
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- How to Get There
- How to Get Around
- Where to Stay
- Where to Eat
- What to Do
- What to Bring
- Other Important Tips
How to Get There
Savannah is a smaller city in Georgia on the East Coast and not as much as a destination, so its access points are also smaller.
- Train – Amtrak is just outside the main part of the city, and it is serviced by two lines, Floridian and Silver Meteor/Palmetto.
- Flight – Savannah is serviced by the Savannah/Hilton Head Airport. It is a smaller, much more navigable airport. It is serviced by major airlines Delta, American, United, and JetBlue. It is also serviced by lower cost airlines such as Southwest, Allegiant, Frontier, and Breeze.
- Driving – Savannah is ten miles off the I-95 corridor, on Interstate 16. Once you get into the historic portions of the city, the streets are small and some are cobblestones. It is best to drive in, park, and then enjoy walking in the beautiful city.
How to Get Around
When around Savannah, you want to enjoy the Spanish moss, the oak trees, and the beautiful Victorian era buildings. There are a few ways to get around.
- Walking – In my opinion, this is the best way. The Historic area and Riverfront are fairly self-contained. Walking lets you avoid the narrow streets and slowly enjoy what is quaint in the city. It is all fairly flat until you get to the Riverside. If you want to avoid the stairs, there are public elevators that you can use to get up and down.
- Free Downtown Shuttle – The DOT is a free shuttle offered to visitors and residents for downtown Savannah. It has eighteen stops and operates every day. The one downside is it stops around 7pm.
- Free Ferry – The Savannah Belles Ferry from the riverfront across the river to the convention center. It is a fun way to get to your conference and see the city from the river. It is free, so you can just ride across and back if you wish. The free DOT shuttle stops at the Riverfront.
- Rideshare – Savannah has its fair share of Lyft and Uber drivers. It is affordable to get around using this service, and it is a great way to get back to your hotel at night after a few drinks when checking out the bar scene.
Where to Stay
Savannah is a quaint historic city, so you want to stay in an area that exudes that southern charm. In addition, if you stay in one of these areas, you are in an area where you can walk and have access to most of the amazing food and historic places to visit.
- Historic Landmark District – This is the area of Savannah with the twenty-three park squares that the city is famous for. Just a block from your hotel you will have a gorgeous square with oak trees, Spanish moss, and benches to sit and observe. Plus, you are nearer to the best restaurants that the city has to offer as well as access to the riverfront. We stayed here in the DeSoto hotel.
- Victorian District – This is the district that hosts the rows and rows of historic and colorful Victorian houses, as well as the famous Forsyth Park.
- Eastern Wharf – Walk East on the Riverfront and you will hit the Eastern Wharf. Here is a more modern Savannah. You will get nice modern hotels, cool vibes, but still just a short walk from the historic area of the city.
Where to Eat
If you are not coming to Savannah for the historic homes and plazas, then you are coming for the food! Southern food is the highlight of the city, but there are lots of modern restaurants and chefs who are taking a twist on the food. This is not a city where you want to Airbnb and eat at home to save money. This is a city where you want to go out for each meal and enjoy everyplace you can.
Breakfast
- Café M – This place right on the riverfront has the most amazing baked goods (especially croissants) and good coffee. This place is super popular, and they have slow service, so be prepared to come early or stand in line for a long time. I was ready to just not come back after the wait, but it was so good we went back a number of times.
- Franklin’s – This small unassuming coffee shop in the historic district has some of the best lattes for your morning.
- J. Christopher’s – This place has the most amazing brunch. You can sit inside or outside, and you can have amazing grits, eggs benedict, or decadent pancakes or waffles.
Lunch/Dinner
- Lady and Sons – This is a Paula Dean Restaurant right in the heart of the historic district. You can either eat in the restaurant, or access through their quick service counter outside for takeaway. We visited as part of a food tour and had the most amazing fried chicken and biscuits.
- PS Tavern – A relaxed sports bar with the typical bar eats, this place has some amazing beef brisket and is right on the riverfront. However, many come for their famous Pickle Shots (if you like that sort of thing)
- Savannah Taphouse – Right in the shopping district and in the historic Avon Theater is the Savannah Taphouse. This is a restaurant that has over forty beers on tap. We got to try some of the food as part of the food tour, but my husband and I also got to enjoy the unique beers that the Taphouse offered (Over forty beers on tap).
- Hitch – Further into the historic district is Hitch, southern food with a twist. I got the Peanut Butter and Jelly Wings, and the Georgia Salad that had pecans and a dressing with the heat.
- Fiddler’s Crab House & Oyster Bar – In all fairness my husband and I love oysters, so when we saw they had a special for 6 and 12 oysters, we had to go in. They show in the window what oysters they have for the day, and you can mix it up and get a few different ones. This is right on the riverfront so you can people watch as you enjoy your fresh oysters with a good beer.
Celebratory Dinner
- Olde Pink House – If you want a classic Southern Meal at a top tier restaurant, then you need to make a reservation at the Olde Pink House. My husband and I ate there when we were engaged over 20 years ago, so we had to go back. We unfortunately were not able to make a reservation, but the concierge told us of a hack. The bar area does not make reservations and first comes, first serve. We were able to be added to a list and be called when two spots opened. The seating is mostly bar, but it serves the same menu as the restaurant. We were able to enjoy fried green tomatoes, the most amazing scallops, and grits, as well as fancy drinks and cocktails made and served in front of us.
Other
- Parker’s Market – This is a “convenience store” but think more like Buckee’s but with better ready to eat food options. It is right in the historic area of town, and it is a great place to grab a picnic lunch of some snacks or late-night drinks for your room.
- Leopold’s Ice Cream – This place has some of the most amazing, creamy ice cream, and is all locally made. But the main location is popular and usually has a long line, so get there early. A trick we were told, there is a Leopold’s in the airport, so if you want to avoid the line and are flying, make sure to hit it up in the Airport.
What to Do
I love historic towns, parks, and quaint boutiques so I could spend all day just walking around Savannah and enjoying the ambiance and shopping. But there is so much you can do in Savannah, especially if you are here on a couple’s trip like we were.
- Eat – As I keep mentioning, the food in Savannah is just amazing. You will get some of the best restaurants and some quality southern food. We actually decided to take a food tour through Southern Flavors. We stopped at six locations, and got an amazing taste of fried chicken, brisket, beer cheese, beer, and of course peach cobbler!
- Drink – Savannah is known for its open container laws, and so you can expect that the bar scene is hopping in Savannah. You want to visit a bar and just check out the scene. You can visit Rocks on the Roof which has rooftop bar and Happy Hour Specials, or Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos which has a great dueling piano show.
- Riverboat Cruise – We decided to tour with Savannah Riverboat Cruises. Offered at 1PM an option for a tour with dining, or just the narrated harbor cruise which has a cash bar. We chose the latter and had hurricanes while watching the city of Savannah go by.
- Walking tour – Savannah offers free walking tours that are fairly easy to book online. The walking tour is about 90 minutes and covers the history of Savannah all the way through the Historic district and goes all the way down ending at Forsyth Park in front of the historic fountain. Finally, the tour guide does take tips, generally recommended at $20 a person. It is well worth it.
- Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Museum – If you have been around any length of time, you know that we are a Girl Scouts family. When I realized that the home of the founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low, was in Savannah I had to visit. The home, now owned by the girl scouts, has exhibits on the Girl Scouts, but also gives tours on the home, which is preserved from when Juliette lived there, and you learn her history and how she came to create this organization. Plus, there is a store where you can get Girl Scout merch only available there.
What to Bring
- Sun Hat and Flowy Dresses – Savannah is not a city where you want to dress like a tourist. It is a Southern place with a class and you want to dress the part. I love having a beautiful sun hat that compliments all my outfits. I packed this dress from Target to be stylish. I had a jean jacket that was my layer for the whole time.
- Good walking shoes – You will be walking way more than you expect, mostly because it is just easier to get around. Make sure that whatever shoes you bring are not only stylish but will stand the test of hours on your feet. I wore my Rothy’s sneakers for days walking, and my Rothy Mary Janes for evenings out. My husband wore his Sketchers Go Walk Sneakers the whole time.
- Tripod – I am always nervous about hanging my phone to a stranger to take my picture. I have found that the selfie stick, while annoying, can help us get a nice background in the distance. But I really like this Self-Stick/Tripod, that allows you to set up your phone with a tripod so you can take pictures from a distance with a Bluetooth remote, and it does not feel as intrusive as a selfie stick.
- A Good Day Bag – You need a bag that will carry all the essentials for the day (hand sanitizer, your phone and wallet, snacks, etc.) I used the Pincnel backpack. It fit everything I needed to explore the city and usually had room to hold my purchases.
Other Important Tips
- This is a weekend getaway – I do love Savannah. I love walking the squares, checking out the shops, and all the fabulous restaurants. But in reality, this is a long weekend trip at best. Once you are there for longer, you are looking at renting a car and going further afield.
- This is not the most kid friendly trip – There is a nice playground in Forsyth Park. There are some zoos and museums further afield. But in the historic district it is a lot of looking at the sights. The boutiques are not always kid friendly. But the biggest deterrent is the open container laws. Once you get into the night and weekends, you will see a lot of behaviors that you may not want the kids to see out in the open. If you are bringing kids, like I mention in my Vegas Guide, it might be best to do this as a mid-week trip and avoid the weekends, evenings, and especially Saint Patrick’s Day.
- Bring your appetite – Food is not where you want to save your money in Savannah. Resist the temptation to stay in an Airbnb and cook all your meals. Go out and explore the food scene.
- Stay in the Historic District – Our first night our hotel was sold out, so we had to stay at a hotel in Midtown. We had to Uber in and out and couldn’t go back to our room at midday to rest because it was so far away. Once we were able to move into the DeSoto, it was nice to have the ability to walk everywhere. Plus, we were able to rest at midday in the hotel. That is what you want on a romantic weekend away.
It was wonderful to return to the beautiful city we had visited briefly in our youth. Now, coming up on 20 years of marriage, we know each other and our likes and dislikes more than we did during our first visit. But we both still love the city and were able to use it as a chance to fall in love with it and each other all over again. If you need a break from the kids, and want to enjoy some time together, Savannah is a great place to do just that.
Edited by: SKS