Savannah is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in the US. USA Weekend Magazine declared Savannah one of the “top 10 Most Beautiful Places in America.” The New York Times named it one of the “World’s Top Ten Trendy Travel Hot Spots.” Conde Nast Traveler picked Savannah as a “Top 10 U.S City to Visit.” And having seen it now, I can vouch that these awards are well deserved.
Savannah is also the oldest city in the state of Georgia. It is a city that seems to have blended its past seamlessly with its present. In young America, I doubt that there is another city that has such an excellent well-preserved historic quarter. General James Oglethorpe established the colony of Georgia in 1733 and Savannah became America’s first planned city. Oglethorpe laid the city out in a series of grids that allowed for wide open streets intertwined with shady public squares or parks that served as town meeting places. Out of the original 24 squares, 22 still exist and give Savannah its emerald green shady charm and classic old world beauty.
We stayed at the President’s Quarter inn, a mansion in Oglethorpe square built in 1855, where once Civil War General Robert Lee stayed in 1870. We enjoyed our stay at this inn and also their special chef’s breakfasts made each day. The inn was walking distance to almost everything we wanted to see. The main streets where you will find many restaurants are Bull and Broughton Streets.
With an abundance of trees, some hundreds of years old and Spanish moss flaying in the wind, cobblestone streets and architecture dating from the 1800s, Savannah is enchanting. It’s southern hospitality and laid back vibe coupled with it being a college town (It is home to the SCAD Savannah College of Art and Design) give it a vibrant atmosphere. It was graduation weekend when we were in town, so all around we saw graduates celebrating with their families.
And to think that had it not been for a group of 7 ladies, Savannah would have become just another city in America with tall buildings and boring strip malls. Right after World War II, when developers wanted to build parking garages by demolishing abandoned buildings, these ladies started the preservation movement in America. The ladies started the Historic Savannah Foundation, which saved the beautiful architecture and the squares that is at the heart of Savannah’s charm. And thank God, they succeeded. Savannah is a gem among the urban cities of the US. Walk down East Jones street, and admire the beautiful buildings dating to the 1850s.
We walked everywhere in Savannah and took out the car only to drive to Wormsloe estate. The historic quarter is pedestrian friendly and green with shady trees in the squares.
Forsyth Park is a beautiful green oasis in the historic district; the lovely fountain is what folks think of when they remember Savannah.
Chippewa Square is famous for the bench scenes with Tom Hanks from the film Forrest Gump.
Savannah’s history is rich and it involves pirates, colonial struggles, civil war stories and cotton plantations. Legend says that the city’s beauty so impressed General Sherman that he did not burn it like other southern cities he defeated.
Significant historic buildings in Savannah include:
- The Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, built in 1812 as a mansion
- The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (1876), one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in the South
- The Olde Pink House (1789), site of Georgia’s first bank and now an acclaimed restaurant
- The birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (1821), founder of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
- The Lutheran Church of the Ascension (1741)
- The Independent Presbyterian Church (1890)
- The First African Baptist Church was established in 1788.
- Savannah’s Temple Mickve Israel is the third oldest synagogue in America.
- The Pirates’ House (1734), an inn mentioned in Robert Louis Stevenson’s book “Treasure Island,” and the oldest structure in Georgia
We enjoyed seeing the historic Telfair Mansion with the iconic Bird Girl statue and the Owens-Thomas House.
An afternoon escape from the heat outside involved a visit to see the art at Jepson Center. We also visited the Davenport house museum.
The Savannah Riverfront is nice for an evening stroll. At one end is the lovely Waving Girl statue remembering Florence who greeted ships entering Savannah by waving a cloth.
We loved Wormsloe Historic site which was a cotton Plantation in yesteryears and its most scenic entrance drive with the arched trees. I cannot explain how dreamy that drive under the arched trees is at Wormsloe. Be sure to check timings and join the guided tour to really appreciate the history of the place.
Normally I avoid cemeteries, but in Savannah we visited the Bonaventure Cemetery, said to be the most beautiful final resting place in the country. And it is a very unique place enveloped in natural beauty all around.
A Savannah classic from 1912 is the Leopold’s Ice Cream shop on Broughton street. The long line curved onto the street but it was worth the wait. We enjoyed the Savannah Socialite, Butter pecan and Coffee flavors. They have a branch at the airport too if you want a scoop before heading home.
In Savannah, we had lunch at the Olde Pink House, a historic 18th century mansion. Since we did not have reservations we had to wait for a seat in their overflow bar area, but were able to take a look at the upstairs rooms. The desserts at the Olde Pink House were fantastic especially the Peanut Butter & Praline Mousse Bombe and the Praline Basket.
We also dined at the Little Duck Diner (tasty Waffles and Chicken), Savannah Seafood Shack, Naan on Broughton (Indian) and Flying Monk (Asian). On our way back from Wormsloe estate, we stopped for lunch at the Sweet Spice Caribbean on Waters Avenue. This particular location looks shabby but the food was great and in particular the Jerk chicken. So much so that on the way to the airport, going back we stopped at their other location in Pooler and this one was definitely much better in appearance with a drastically better dine-in ambience. The food was served in real plates versus the original location where disposable boxes were used.
We stayed 3 nights in Savannah and then headed out to Hilton Head Island which is just an hour’s drive from Savannah for a 2 night stay at the Beach House Holiday Inn resort. At Hilton Head, we had relaxing walks on the beach and took part in a yoga class on the beach one morning. The hotel had live music at their beach front bar at certain times. At Hilton Head, we had breakfast both days at the Stacks Pancakes which has an extensive brunch menu of various items like French Toasts, Eggs and assorted Pancakes. We tried the multi-grain and buckwheat pancakes with Fruits and Banana Foster French Toast. Portions are generous and food was tasty. We had dinners at Its Greek to Me and Reilly’s Grill.
It was a relaxing vacation despite the heat. We would wake up early and do a lot of the walking and sightseeing early with some even before breakfast and visit museums or historic homes in the afternoon when the heat was at its peak. We highly recommend a visit to Savannah so you can see its unique beauty for yourself.