You have one day in Savannah, Georgia- what do you do? Everything. You can still do everything. We had such a blast this week exploring one of the oldest cities in America, and spent less than twelve house there. It is such a beautiful city, full of historic southern charm.
One of my goals for 2020 was to travel more, but the coronoavirus threw a huge wrench in that plan. South Carolina is on so many travel bans, that international and even cross country travel is just no longer a possibility. After wallowing in self pity for a while, (Click here to read how I stay grounded) I decided to start a new series of day trips.
First up: Savannah, Georgia! Savannah is less than two hours by car from Charleston, which makes it a great day trip.
Although it is generally brutal in the summer, the weather for out day trip was absolutely perfect. The temperature was in the mid to high 80s, but with a slight overcast of big fluffy clouds, and a breeze. The humidity even stayed at a decent level, where you didn’t feel as though you were swimming through the street. It was hot, don’t get me wrong, but that’s southern living in the summer.
Unfortunately I don’t have as many photos as I would like. My phone has been glitching with storage, and disabled my camera entirely for periods of time. But at the same time, this was advantageous for us, because we were able to enjoy the trip without the pressure of photographing every moment.
I was able to share some moments on Instagram, so check out my Savannah, GA highlight here. And don’t forget to follow me, if you aren’t yet.
Parking in Savannah
Point blank, there is almost no free parking, so plan to pay to park. We decided to take advantage of the parking garage and have access all day. Street parking is available, if you can find it, and requires you to pay at the meter. But the parking garage was similar in price, centrally located, and shaded. I can’t street park for my life, so generally plan to park in the garage either way.
Coffee at Forsyth Park
No adventure can begin without coffee, to fuel us through the day. We headed straight to the Sentient Bean located directly across from Forsyth Park.
Usually I would bring my own tumbler, but lately we’ve been using single serve cups to limit cross contamination. Thankfully, the “plastic” was biodegradable. Even though it felt strange, not like a regular plastic cup, it held the coffee just fine without spilling or leaking. And it greatly reduced the guilt of single serve coffee cups. Although indoor dining was limited for social distancing reasons, the few tables available were used with people doing work or families enjoying breakfast.
But, on the plus side, being right across the street from Forsyth Park, we could knock out two check marks on the itinerary in one swoosh. This park is absolutely gorgeous. Think, the perfect place for a wedding proposal. There was a small yoga class happening when we arrived, and people running or walking through the shady oaks covered in Spanish moss. Dogs (on leashes) were enjoying the sights and smells. There was absolutely no problem with sitting there for coffee, instead of staying inside the coffee shop.
Savannah River Front/River Street
Walking around without a plan is one of my favorite ways to explore a city. I knew the first place I wanted to explore was the river front, and it didn’t disappoint. The cobblestone path is exactly how I expect to step into a historic area, and the brackish scent of the river (though some may not enjoy it) instantly takes my mind into tourist mode.
Social distancing from covid-19 didn’t interfere much, we just peeked in the windows instead of going in every store. This actually saved us time, and probably money. We didn’t take the ferry ride, this time, because of the risks, but we will definitely take advantage next time.
The best part of the conversation when when Sassy explained how to use the lifesaver flotation device if one of us was to fall off of the dock. Obviously no one was going to fall, even though it wouldn’t be hard if someone was intoxicated (the rails are not very high). Four year old logic is such a sweet joy, and she amazes me more every day.
River Street Sweets
Obviously we popped into River Street Sweets for some praline samples (not me, still have that pesky pecan allergy) and some chocolate covered goodies. Most of the time we follow a low or now sugar lifestyle, so the occasional treat is high on my list whenever we go out. Especially house made treats, or hand dipped chocolate delicacies. Having been to New Orleans, it is hard to find pralines that compare, but supposedly these the pralines in Savannah are just as good as those in Louisiana.
If you’re a fan of casual strolls, Liberty Street is another beautiful, historic area with cute shops and cobblestone. If you want a tour, without the steps, take advantage of the trolley tour or even rent some bikes. The Trolley Tour tickets include admission to multiple places, so if its in your budget I definitely recommend taking advantage of the tour. We are not a fan of the horse carriage rides, for ethical reasons, but those are available as well.
Savannah City Market
Whether or not you want to shop is irrelevant. The City Market has so much to look at, from all of the local vendors. There are local artists, sweets and treats, and drinks, and entertainment. You can easily spend hours here, or just walk through it on the way to your next destination.
Prohibition Museum
One of the places I was most looking forward to was the Prohibition Museum, which is the only museum of its type in America. It is right next to City Market, so you can pop over after you snag your goodies there. Keeping up with tradition, the museum has a speakeasy for adults of drinking age. We obviously didn’t take advantage, since we had Sassy, but its something to consider if you’re without the kiddos.
Bonaventure Cemetery
I really wanted to take a tour of the cemetery, where you can see the gravestones of notable local past residents. But Sassy fell asleep. There are golf cart tours, or you can purchase the app for a self guided tour. This cemetery is huge. We drove through, peeping gravestones and mausoleums, and ducking beneath the Spanish moss covered trees.
Ending the Day on Tybee Island- Beach
To be perfectly honest, Savannah and Tybee Island should each have their own day. But we promised Sassy the beach, so ended up cutting our Savannah trip short to take a twenty minute drive to Tybee Island. Since we went on Tuesday, the lighthouse was closed. But that would be a great adventure right on the island for another day.
Pro Tip: Unless you get to the beach early, like 10am early, it is going to be crowded and hot. There is no shade at the beach, and the southern sun is much more direct than in the Northeast. Sunburns are inevitable midday, and the crowds make it difficult to enjoy the water (or to social distance). The secret to enjoying the beach is to go later in the day, around 4pm. There is still plenty of time to enjoy the sand and the water, the sun will be working its way down the horizon, and most beach goers have already left for the day.
We chose an area near 14th street, and parked behind Tybee Hotel. Parking was readily available, and costed $7 for 2 hours at the meter. A mobile trailer with bathrooms and shower was available, so we took advantage of the restrooms to change into our suits.
The sand at Tybee Island fluctuates across the island. Where we landed, the sand was full of broken shells. Sandals are definitely required, between the shells and the heat.
Also, there was literal litter everywhere, despite trash and recycling bins everywhere. That was very discouraging. On another day I would have gone around and cleaned up, but I was too tired by this point in the day. Sassy, however, collected some trash and threw it into the bin. She’s my little mermaid baby, and an absolute gem.
Special Surprise: At one point a man (probably a local) came through with a handful of sand dollars, and gave one to Sassy to hold. Although there were signs that said not to take them home, I’m sure others collect and keep them. We observed and touched, but then released it back into the water. This was the first I had seen a live sand dollar.
Dinner at Spanky’s
We decided to snag dinner to go on Tybee Island. After a busy day, and beach time, we were starving and not willing to wait for a table. Takeout at the bar took 15 minutes, and we ate in our car. Sassy got cod fingers (and devoured them). She may never eat frozen fishsticks again. Although frenchfries are an option for a side, I opted for “spuds” instead, which are deep fried potato slices. Definitely choose that if you ever stop in.
Since we left before dark, and had a kiddo in tow, we skipped the ghost tours. But these are one of my favorite pass times. Even if the entertainment factor blurs with the education, ghost tours are a great way to experience a historic town without the boring monotonous tour guides we try to avoid.
Is Savannah on your travel bucket list? Let me know in the comments below. Or, if you’ve already been there (or if you live local) let me know if I missed anything. I already can’t wait to go back. Be sure to subscribe if you want to receive a part two.
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