Went back in time for a few weeks as we traveled on an Excellent Adventure to Savannah, Georgia. It's a place we had never visited, but always wanted to. One of my former co-workers lived there for a few years and she sent us an insider's view of this wonderful city.
Architecture, History, Southern Food, Trees, 22 Park Squares, Southern Hospitality, Gardens, Food, Food and more Food. Did I mention Food? Such a treat to experience all these amazing sites. There are too many to fit into one page, but here are some of our highlights.
And yes, I picked up my old southern accent in just a few hours - how ya'll doing today?
13 Things to See & Do & Eat in Savannah
Wormsloe Historic Site
400 Live Oak Tree Canopy 1 1/2 miles long. Planted over 100 years ago to celebrate the birth of a baby. They're called Live Oaks because they only shed a portion of their leaves twice a year. The "Spanish Moss" you see hanging from the trees actually isn't Spanish, nor a moss. It's part of the pineapple family (so weird) and gets its nutrients from the air and rainfall. Both the trees and the moss are protected.
Davenport House
A favorite tour with a very knowledgeable docent who shared great stories of the history and remarkable architecture. Look at the curved staircase and newel post. The floor you see is actually a "floor cloth". To protect their wood or marble floors, they would commission an artist to duplicate the floor on a waxed canvas cloth that was put over the actual flooring.
Bonaventure Cemetery
Eerie and beautiful at the same time. For any of you who saw the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, this is where part of it was filmed. The famous Bird Girl of Savannah Statue has since been moved to a museum.
St John the Baptist Cathedral
The oldest Catholic Church in the country.
Forsyth Park
30 acres inside the Historic District.
Historic District
In 1955 much of Savannah was in danger of being demolished. Seven women got together to form the Historic Savannah Foundation and made it their mission to protect and restore over 350 homes.
Look how these houses have two staircases. The ladies went up one side and the gentlemen, the other. (So no one could see the ladies ankles).
Mrs Wilkes Dining Room
If you want a taste of true southern food, this is the place. One of our favorite experiences. Like an old fashioned Sunday dinner on steroids. They're only open 3 hours each day during the week and they don't take reservations or charge cards (say that with a southern accent). What a memory - we waited in line for almost two hours (and it was so worth it). We chatted with our neighbors in line and we all ate family style. We "passed" the bowls and bowls and bowls of food for the first 10 minutes of the meal and still didn't get to everything.
Paula Dean Store and The Lady & Sons Restaurant
Fried Green Tomatoes, Shrimp & Grits and SWEEEEEET Tea.
(that's my sweet momma next to Paula's picture)
Picked up a "Gooey Butter Cake" chapstick - fun!
Rocks on the Roof
Some friends from my California days took us to this rooftop restaurant/lounge on top of the Bohemian Hotel with great views of the Savannah River. And we got to experience a true East Coast storm - haven't seen one of those in ages.
Mercer House & Museum
Famed home of musician, Johnny Mercer, who wrote songs such as Moon River, Too Marvelous for Words, Baby, it's Cold Outside, Tutti Fruiti and many more. Also featured in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil based on a shooting in the house (they refer to it as the "incident").
The Olde Pink House
Build in 1771, this 16,000 sq ft Colonial home survived several huge fires in Savannah. It's been a home, a bank and also housed Union General York during the Civil War. It's called the pink house as the color of the bricks leaked through to the stucco causing it to turn pink. It's now a restaurant and was featured on the TV Show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. And it's also haunted!
Great Food & Shopping
Zunzi's, Leopold's Ice Cream, Green Truck Pub, B & D Burgers, Byrd's Famous Cookies, Savannah Candy Kitchen, City Market & River Street and SO MUCH MORE>
A Trolley Tour
A hop on/off trolley tour is the best way to see the Historic
District as parking is very limited and very crazy. We got a two day
pass so we didn't have to rush and could eat at different restaurants,
take time to explore the museums and homes and just hop on the trolley
when we were done.
This visit is already a treasured memory.
Happy Exploring!
Love, Steph
