Going back to Charleston for a week meant that I would have time to hit up some other places on that side of the country. So many people told me that if I loved Charleston, I would also love Savannah. With a two hour car ride between the two cities, we rented a minivan and made the short trip over to Savannah to see what this Southern city had to offer. It was a short visit, but I wanted to be sure to recap my Savannah Day Trip
What to See
We booked this trip about a month before leaving me little time to plan out an itinerary like I normally do. For this trip, I depended on the little Insider’s Guide that just happened to be in our hotel room when we arrived. It shared the must see spots in Savannah and we went from there.
Savannah’s Town Squares
Within the city you will find squares or small parks on what felt like every few blocks. It gave me Pollyanna or small town vibes, but I loved how it encouraged people in nearby homes to get out in the fresh air.
It was in a town square that we caught a glimpse of the setting for Forrest Gump! Everyone’s favorite quotable movie happens right in Savannah on a bus stop in Chippewa Square. While the actual bench is no longer there, the square is really pretty and worth the visit.
City Market
The City Market in Charleston is AMAZING, so I figured Savannah’s would be comparable. Notttt really. It has more of a toursity feel, with bars, and loud music. While we did not find unique local goods here, we did find some good drinks and pizza. Go here for fun, not souvenirs.
River Street
With just 24 hours in Savannah, we did not get to spend too much time down on River Street. On a return visit it would be on the first places I would revisit. The cobblestone streets remind you that you are in a historic American city.
Shopping on Broughton Street
As much as I did not care for the shopping in City Market, we did enjoy the nice shops along Broughton Street and in that area. There were unique local shops here and of course brands we have all heard of.
Wormsloe State Historic Site
While I take issue with the name, (it was a PLANTATION) the property is vast and is one of the best places to see the famous Spanish Moss Trees. Be sure to walk the paths to see the historical markers that provide context to the land. These types of sites must always be viewed in FULL context and that includes acknowledging the horrors that occurred on the land instead of just admiring its current beauty.
Bonaventure Cemetery
We came to the Bonaventure in search of the bird girl statue from the movie/book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Welp, they statue is now in a museum, so much for that! But the cemetery is haunting yet beautiful and another good place to see the Spanish moss trees.
Where to Eat
Crazy enough, we really did not do much eating in Savannah. In fact we only had one sit down meal, although I did stop through Publix and grabbed one of those overhyped sandwiches y’all keep telling me about. Honestly, truly, Kroger and Sprout’s offer the same thing!
While at the City Market though we grabbed slices of pizza from Vinnie Van Go Go’s. They offer large personal slices that you can pile on with toppings. I truly did not expect much in this toursity type area, but it was a decent slice so do not shy away from grabbing one if you are in the area. We also grabbed frozen drinks from the George Tasting Room. There you could do wine tastings, shop for wines and grab a drink to walk around with. Highly recommend!
Finally, on our way out of town we decided to grab a brunch/breakfast. Because we needed to head back to Charleston early, we were not able to visit some of the black owned restaurants folks recommended like the Grey Restaurant, or the famous Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room. Instead we went to the Funky Brunch Cafe, which was still a GREAT choice. Here guests can sit at a stove top and make their own pancakes with their choice of toppings. Obviously great for kids, but our table full of adults decided to try it too. They weren’t too pretty SO enjoy the photos of the pancakes they made for us in the back!
The PRETTY pancakes they made at the Funky Brunch
The Takeaway
We stayed at some basic hotel that was not too far from the popular attractions, so I do not have too many recommendations on that front. But what I will say there are tons of cute boutique hotels in Savannah that would be great options. We also rented a car while in Savannah and found parking to be pretty easy around the attractions. This was such a small sampling of what Savannah has to offer so we will be back for a dedicated trip!
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