A long weekend in Savannah, GA!

Okay, I love Savannah! My motivation to work remotely from Savannah in the winter of 2021 was to escape the frosty New England weather at a time when all of the gyms were closed due to Covid restrictions.  As a planned city (by an early settler named Oglethorpe) Savannah is easy to navigate and very walkable.  I enjoyed long walks through quaint Savannah admiring the architecture, with so many beautiful front stoops leading to elegant and colorful old houses. Savannah is also well-known for its 22 squares, with Spanish moss trees overlooking all of the public parks, enhancing its Southern-Gothic feel. For me, the thing that set Savannah apart from other charming southern cities like Charleston or Beaufort, SC was that Savannah is far funkier. It is home to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), one of the largest art universities in the US. The city is known for its antiques, boutiques, and lively characters. 

I highly recommend watching the film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which captured the vibe of this captivating southern city, while telling the true story about some memorable residents.

Getting there: The Savannah/ Hilton Head Airport is about a 25 minute drive from downtown Savannah. For those looking for nearby day trips, read my article about some of the neighboring towns. 

Accommodations: I recommend booking accommodations at a downtown hotel or airbnb. I recommend staying within the geographic rectangle between the River, East Victory, Montgomery, and East Broad st. By no means is this restrictive and you can find great accommodations outside of those limits but for the most comfortable stay, I recommend staying within those parameters. 

Here is my weekend itinerary for Savannah:

Friday evening:

Fly in and get settled into your accommodations. I recommend starting your night with a Haunted Tour which is a great way to get a lay of the land and know some of the spooky history that Savannah has to offer. There’s many restaurants but maybe the most famous is called The Olde Pink House (23 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401). Which has an amazing menu and fabulous ambiance and service. It’s very popular so you definitely need reservations.

Saturday:

Grab coffee and some tex-mex breakfast fare at the Foxy Loxy Cafe (1919 Bull St, Savannah, GA 31401). I recommend renting a car (or get an Uber) to Bonaventure Cemetery. It’s spooky especially with the weeping willows and moss on the graves. It’s featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. At the entrance they have a $1 audio tour online that you can download. Also located just outside of Savannah proper is Pin Point Museum, Wormsloe Historic Site, and Tybee Island. The Pinpoint Museum is the location of the black community and is a great way to experience the robust Gullah/ Geechee culture. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is from here! The Geechee (known as Gullah in South Carolina), both a culture and an English-based Creole language spoken by the people formerly enslaved from West African. The Wormsloe Historic Site, which is instagramable but overall the site is underwhelming at its entrance fee of $10. If the weather is warm you could also go to Tybee Island and Fort Pulaski, while down there I would recommend The Original Crab Shack (40 Estill Hammock Rd, Tybee Island, GA 31328) for local seafood.

Return back to Savannah proper and enjoy a day just sauntering around the mystical streets. Enjoy a sunset cocktail at one of the many rooftop decks, Peregrine (256 E Perry St, Savannah, GA 3140) is a favorite. I happen to have gone to Service Brewing Company (574 Indian St, Savannah, GA 31401) which is a brewery owned by veterans and they hire mostly veterans. Try another local favorite of either Husk (12 W Oglethorpe Ave, Savannah, GA 31401) or low key The Green Truck Pub (2430 Habersham St, Savannah, GA 31401).

Sunday:

I love to start my day with a run. Forsythe Park which is the largest of those 22 squares is beautiful and it’s one mile in circumference. At the center of the park is an iconic and photogenic fountain. Within the park is also a Collins Quarter, (621 Drayton St, Savannah, GA 31401) a popular brunch spot in Savannah. Please note that one of the most popular brunch spots, Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room is only open on weekdays.

Enjoy the morning walking around and window shopping in some of the many antique shops. I recommend walking along the river. The Port of Savannah is one of the largest in the USA and sees a couple million containers each year, which results in a surprisingly bustling port (and great for boat watching.) While walking around the city, I recommend trying some of the famous Leopold’s Ice Cream before heading home!

Itching for more ideas for Southern Charm? Check out my article on 5 Southern Coastal Towns worth a visit!