For the last two years that we’ve been married, I’ve tried to make it a goal (that we will hopefully keep) to go on a trip with just Tim and myself. It hasn’t ever really been on our ACTUAL anniversary, but I’ve tried to make it a point that this is our vacation for us to spend time together without any other family or even our two stinky dogs.
Last year we went to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada (Banff and Jasper Travel Guide), and this year we decided to go to the Deep South. I had been to New Orleans previously with my sister and cousin for my 23rd birthday (quite a while ago), but this time we opted for somewhere neither of us had been.
I snagged a decent price for this airfare for this weekend (I wanted to go the prior weekend but the Labor Day prices were through the roof!), and since Tim had a flex Friday, this weekend worked just as well.
We flew a red-eye on Thursday night (after class for me), had a quick layover in Atlanta, and then continued on to Savannah. Savannah Airport is fairly small (think ONT or SNA), so there aren’t very many direct flights. The flight was a short 36 minutes (during which Tim and I promptly passed out on).
We landed at about 9:30 AM, picked up our rental (Costco Travel is always cheapest without fail), then headed out to Wormsloe Historic Site. Since we only had 3 full days, I wanted to split the trips outside of downtown Savannah to a minimum. It was an easy 30-minute drive from airport to gate.
Wormsloe Historical Site
Allocate about 1.5 to 2 hours (less if skipping the free guided tour)
The entry fee is paid at the small cottage to the right of the entrance gate ($10/person plus tax). Then it’s about a 1.5 mile long drive down a gravel dirt road lined with roughly 440 live oak trees about 120 years old. Their branches meet halfway in the middle in an arbor across the road, and the trees are draped with this soft and fluffy-looking Spanish moss that hangs down. It’s both magical and breathtaking at the same time. These trees are out of every Southern romance you’ve ever read or seen.
Continuing down the road until it ends leads you right to the Visitor Center and a small but ample parking lot. There are set times for a guided tour (no extra fee – it is included in your ticket) that leaves from the Visitor Center every few hours or so.
The Visitor Center has a small gift shop (A for effort but nothing interesting to purchase) and has a small museum that has some points of interest about the Wormsloe-De Renne family that owned (and still owns) the plantation. There are several smaller pathways within the area that you can meander on your own, but we stuck with the tour guide as she golf carted her way around and we followed her for an interesting hourlong history about the plantation, early history of the state of Georgia, and about the Wormsloe-De Renne family.
After the tour was over, Tim and I moseyed our way back to the Visitor Center via a loop that went by an observation deck that looked over the neighboring marsh and some replica houses.
Forsyth Park Inn
We headed to our bed and breakfast for the first night, the Forsyth Park Inn. Although our room wasn’t ready for check-in, the concierge was incredibly helpful. This inn had all the charm you would expect of a Victorian, pre-1900s hotel, and everyone was full of Southern hospitality. Booked through Expedia, it was a piece of cake to find parking and get our bearings.
The inn offers a social cocktail hour from 5-6 PM with appetizers and complimentary wine, a dessert after hours (that night was tiramisu), and a breakfast that is part-service, part-continental (ours was waiter-served croissant French toast with turkey sausage with homemade yogurt parfait with self-served hotel breakfast staples).
Downtown Savannah
After getting some recommendations for lunch, we hit the streets of Savannah in search of some Southern vittles. The streets of Savannah are planned out in such a way that it has a very small town and cozy feel despite being such a large city. The downtown area is lined with houses that look exactly perfect for what you’d expect, and the area is peppered with parks and squares and so much greenery you feel like you’re in nature.
We walked about 0.6 miles to the Crystal Beer Parlor, Savannah’s oldest restaurant located in what used to be a grocery store. Starving as we were, everything looked delicious. We started with fried mushrooms stuffed with cheese (nothing is low-calorie), then Tim opted for a veggie burger with a hazy IPA, and I had a “favorite”–hamburger steak with cole slaw and smashed potatoes, followed by a complimentary mud pie due to a kitchen mix-up. Not only was the food tasty and decently priced, but the mud pie was, as Tim put it, “quite possibly one of the best desserts I’ve ever had… in my life.” Ha! Maybe because it was free 😜
After lunch, we rolled ourselves out of the parlor moaning and groaning with stretched bellies to wander the downtown Savannah streets.
As we made our way uptown, we stopped at Chippewa Square (the location of the Forrest Gump bench – which has actually been relocated to the Savannah History Museum) to check it out. There is a big statue of James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, right in the center of the square, as well as people walking their dogs or just sitting for a breather.
A lot of the houses in downtown Savannah have porches and verandas or wrought-iron railings that make you feel like you’re in a whole other place and time. I can’t say that many places in California have this nostalgic feeling that makes you wonder what life would have been like way back when.
Our next stop was the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters. This is a very interesting historic home that you can tour and see what a slave’s living quarters were like in the city, as well as tour an antebellum home that was an architectural marvel at the time (built in 1816, it has running water before the White House did!), and then have a chance to learn a little more about slavery.
Part of the Telfair Museums, the admission was $24/person plus tax, but also includes entrance to the other Telfair museums for up to one week after initial date of admission.
The Owens-Thomas House was really fascinating to tour (the tour guide was very knowledgeable and educational), there is a small courtyard garden to see, and we were really happy we did it. I would allot at least 1.5 to 2 hours for both the tour and for the unguided tour of the basement that had a lot of fascinating infographics.
After the tour, it was around 5 PM and we ran out of gas. Having had a prior poor night’s rest, we took the DOT back to the hotel–the DOT is a free-of-charge trolley that runs up and down in a counter-clockwise manner around the downtown are and loops all the way around Forsyth Park. It has several stops along the way and is extremely convenient for transit in the downtown area.
When we got back, we both passed out, woke up to snack a little and get ready for bed, and then fell asleep again.
Forsyth Park
Allot about 30 – 45 minutes
After we got up, we headed downstairs to have breakfast on the veranda with a few of other hotel patrons. Breakfast included mini muffins, the usual staples of hotel breakfast, as well as homemade granola with yogurt and french toast made out of croissants. As a side note, this is something that I’m going to need to try at home–the croissant french toast was buttery, rich, and had a crustiness to it that add a depth of textures that was DELICIOUS (and I’m not really a french toast kind of person!).
The day before we had peeked a little into Forsyth Park, but today we were able to really take it in. Located across the street from our inn, Forsyth Park has two parts–one that is more forested with all kinds of live oaks and other trees interspersed with hedges and paths that lead in a star-shape to the centerpiece of the park–the fountain in the center. This is definitely an iconic image to Savannah (while doing my research, virtually every single blog post or photographic article mentioned or depicted this fountain), and it is very easy to see why everyone talks about it. After we finished breakfast and checked out, we headed into the park.
The fountain is this large white structure that is framed by trees and plants on all sides, and when standing far down the path, you are rewarded with wedding-quality views of dramatic mossy branches hanging down around the fountain. It was surprisingly not too crowded on a Saturday morning, but there were plenty of joggers getting their runs in around and through the park.
Bonaventure Cemetery
Allot about 30 – 45 minutes
After we got our fill of the fountain (and some good pictures for our Christmas cards this year), we left Savannah for Bonaventure Cemetery. This cemetery has been around since for more than 150 years, and has been portrayed by many local artists and more famous artists because of the beautifully somber setting that the cemetery is located it. It became more famous in recent years, however, since the book and then movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil came out depicting the garden.
The garden is open daily from 8 AM – 5 PM, and we wanted to go early to get a head start on our day. In retrospect, I probably would have done a little more research (and found a map, perhaps) on the garden, as well as the “can’t miss” spots, because when we got there, we had no idea where to go or what to see. We pretty much drove into the center of the cemetery, pulled over, and started walking around.
I had really gotten too many mosquito bites, but this place was SWARMING. It is located right next to the Wilmington River, and thus had jillions of little bloodsuckers flying around looking for a tasty meal. We wandered around and actually stumbled on one of the main sites to see–little Gracie. Gracie (according to the placard… and Wikipedia) was a 6-year old girl that was the daughter of a hotel manager in Savannah. She was beloved by all but was struck down with pneumonia one winter and died. Her parents gave a photograph of her to a sculptor, who then carved a life-like statue of her for her grave, which eventually because famous. People apparently still leave presents for her at Christmastime.
We continued to wander around the gravesites just looking at dates and incriptions. Some of the stones had dates of decease around the mid-1800s, and some were as recent as 2008. After a little bit longer, we had our fill of graves (and mosquito bites), and we were off to Charleston!
Charleston, South Carolina
The drive to Charleston was not too bad of a drive–we went back through downtown Savannah, caught the 17N, then the 95N, then the 17N again until we arrived at downtown Charleston.
I think the area that we drove in (combined with a weird trash situation – piles of green waste garbage was everywhere all over the streets and some sidewalks) made us have a less favorable impression of Charleston. I had heard about the charming waterfront and the cute houses, and I was a little confused.
We ended up getting some food at an Italian pizzeria called Monza Pizza Bar, which was actually quite delicious (although pricey). Charleston interestingly enough was more costly than Savannah–all the same foods were several dollars more, parking wasn’t free anywhere and mostly $2/hour, and the sales tax was higher (about 9% vs 7%).
Tim got a veggie pizza that he was really into, and I got a vodka tomato sauce pasta. The pasta was so good that I have been inspired to attempt a vodka sauce of my own! Maybe soon if I have a chance I may add a recipe.
Fort Sumter
Allot about 2.5 hours (30 minute ferry ride each way, 1 hour at the fort)
After lunch, we drove over to Liberty Square to get some tickets for the ferry to Fort Sumter. Before this trip, I had no idea what Fort Sumter was all about or what its significance was to the Civil War and American history. I feel much more enlightened now, and more inspired to learn more about the Civil War (since I now realize my knowledge is fairly limited).
We paid for two tickets to the fort ($23/person), then perused the small museum before boarding the boat. The boat ride was about 30 minutes, and actually didn’t have very much information regarding history (I thought there would be more), but I was mostly focused on avoiding seasickness so I didn’t think too much on that.
When we arrived, we disembarked and cross a pier bridge to the actual fort. Since our tour was the last one of the day, we heard a very interesting summary of Fort Sumter’s place in history, as well as assisted the rangers in taking down the U.S. flag (it took about 25 people!). We walked around the top of the fort, read some infographics, checked out the museum, and then it was already time to return. They only give you about 1 hour to explore the area, so you have to move fairly quickly.
After a smooth ferry ride back, we headed to the Waterfront Park to find the famous pineapple fountain and check out the views.
Waterfront Park
Allot 30 minutes if walking very slow pace
Parking was not to hard to find–we parked on Market Street (which was a happy coincidence, because we ended the day at the City Market on that very same street). Walking through the Waterfront Park was such a pleasant albeit humid experience. Charleston really was improving in our eyes (I think we had a bad first impression), and this park was really nice. The path meanders along the shore but is parallel to a treelined brick walkway that makes you feel like you’re in a completely different place altogether. We followed the path until it turned inward and kept walking.
We continued walking until we hit Rainbow Row–this is a series of shops that had been built in the 1600s, but were completely remodeled and repainted in the 1930s and 1940s in pastel shades, earning them the name “Rainbow Row.” It comprised a series of townhome-type buildings that were Insta-perfect and we saw more than one gaggle of girls taking pictures every which way. Although I don’t really blame them–this street was quite photogenic with its hidden courtyards and wrought-iron embellishments.
We turned north on Bay Street, then headed west on Broad Street just wandering around, and then stumbled onto the Blind Tiger Pub. It was PACKED inside, and there wasn’t anywhere to sit but the bar. The pub was really old-fashioned but modern inside and had a really cool brick courtyard in the back that had more seating (but no A/C in 80% humidity..). Tim got a local brew and we shared some truffle fries and cole slaw for a quick snack.
After that, we headed north again on Church Street, passed the St. Phillip’s Cemetery, and then ended at the City Market. Unfortunately for us, the market switches between 6 PM and 6:30 PM from day vendors to night vendors–and it was just about 6:20 PM, so all the day vendors were already gone and the night vendors were still setting up.
I had heard about Kaminsky’s Dessert Cafe as a tasty place for dessert, so we stopped in there for a espresso milkshake (Tim) and a hot cider (me). The cider was just okay, but Tim sucked down that espresso so fast I barely even got a picture of it! They had a huge assortment of pies, cakes, desserts, and boozy milkshakes, but we weren’t really feeling any of it.
After we finished, we strolled through the City Market and saw some of the booths all set up–your typical tourist fare of random knick knacks, weird paintings, homemade jewelry, and some assorted snacks. This was something that was pretty skippable, but also fine to stroll through if you don’t have anything else to do.
Before leaving, I wanted to drive around the “nice” area (translation: million dollar plus homes) just to look around, and I wasn’t disappointed. This was the Charleston that I wish we had seen when we first arrived, because it took our breath away. In the south point of the island (?) is the Battery, where all kinds of antebellum mansions and the White Point Garden is located right next to the ocean, even closer to the water than the Waterfront Park.
These homes are EXACTLY what I imagined Charleston to look like. There were huge three-story mansions with balconies and verandas on every level, gaslit lamps, manicured gardens, iron fences, and everything you could want in a house built in the 1800s. Something that I thought was so cool was that some of the houses had a faux front door on the street that would lead onto the first floor veranda, and THEN there was the real front door that wasn’t even accessible to the public. After that, we headed back to the hotel and called it a day!
Downtown Savannah… Take Two!
We had plans to visit a plantation in the morning, but we were just feeling so lazy (and also the one we wanted to see didn’t open until 11 AM). After all, sometimes it’s nice to actually relax on vacation (something that my family is not so great at doing, hehe). We ended up eating breakfast at the hotel, then headed back to Savannah at a casual pace. For some reason, it was only an hour and 45 minute drive (the drive there was 30 minutes longer for some reason despite there being no traffic), and we headed back to downtown Savannah to see the rest of the things we missed.
We parked on Bay Street (one street over from the river), which happened to be right in the center of where we wanted to go. First stop was Leopold’s Ice Cream! The line was out the door about 20 people long. The wait wasn’t too bad since the humidity was down a little from what it was before, but the little lovebugs (these mating flies joined at the butt) kept landing on everyone in a most annoying kind of way.
I got the banana ice cream and Tim got the chocolate chip, and it was worth the wait!! The waffle cone was so crispy and flaky; it was probably one of the best waffle cones I’ve ever tried, and the banana ice cream was super velvety but not too sweet in a good way. We also go a pimento sandwich (had to go Southern), which was like eating a grilled cheese sandwich with cheese in it that wasn’t quite melted (and actually cold). It wasn’t my cup of tea, but Tim liked it well enough!
Telfair Academy
Allot 1 – 1.5 hours
Next stop was the Telfair Academy, which was included with our admission to the Owens-Thomas House ticket. This Regency house really reminded me of certain squares that I have been to in London where all the house face this mini-park in the center, it has columns along the front porch, and a double staircase that meets in the middle with a lawn surrounded by an iron fence. Since Savannah has maintained the same street structure since it was built, this doesn’t really surprise me that sometimes it feels a little bit British.
The Academy itself was quite small, as it only has 3 floors–the first has a few originally decorated rooms, some artwork by 19th century artists I hadn’t heard of, some plaster sculptures, the second has a huge salon that feels very French in style with an interesting replica kitchen, and the third has architectural information about the man that designed the house as well as the Owens-Thomas House and a few other prominent homes in Savannah, William Jay.
The salon was quite interesting, especially this painting. The way the room was designed made it feel like you could imagine some kind of party or ball happening in that very room.
The third floor had a lot of interesting architectural tidbits, as well as a small exhibit dedicated to Bonaventure Cemetery as well as the Bird Girl statue that used to be at the cemetery. This exhibit was fascinating, and I really enjoyed the artwork of Bonaventure Cemetery. Even though it is a resting place for the dead, it doesn’t feel like it at all, and this can be felt in all the artwork that depicts it. It really feels like a peaceful and silent park rather than a huge graveyard.
After the Academy, we walked through the City Market of Savannah. This was essentially the same type of open air market area, but it was actually even less interesting than the one in Charleston. All the stores were kind of meh (though Tim did manage to find a place with a moonshine smoothie), and the market only spanned about 2 blocks. We walked up to River Street down some extremely steep historic steps (I told Tim he had better utilize the handrail since he was still drinking his smoothie), and then checked out the riverfront.
The riverfront was your typical tourist area with random art galleries, clothing shops, seafood restaurants, and souvenir memorabilia, but we WERE able to find an art gallery that had something we were looking for. Tim and I like to find some interesting artwork from our travels, and I knew that I wanted something that showcased the live oak trees. We ended up purchasing a photograph print of oak trees in one of the many squares in downtown Savannah in the early morning mist.
We ened up heading back to the car from there since the day was winding down, and after a quick detour to drive by the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, we headed for our hotel. After a quick check-in and some afternoon football, we had dinner at Sam Snead’s (it was surprisingly tasty and nicer than we expected), returned to the hotel, and that was it!
Returning the car was a piece of cake, and Savannah Airport might be the easiest airport I’ve ever flown out of!
Until next time,
– Sara