A weekend in Savannah, Georgia

We recently traveled to Savannah, Georgia for a long weekend. This was our first time visiting Savannah and we anticipated Southern charm and hospitality. Savannah certainly met our expectations. With the romantic Spanish Moss in the trees and the beautiful historic homes we were instantly captivated by the city. While there are too many attractions and eateries to cover in a single weekend, I have a few of the highlights from our trip below:

What to Do

1. Start your trip with one of the iconic hop-on-hop-off trolley tours. Both the Old Town Trolley and Old Savannah Tours offer similar options. Both tours have live narration that allow you a nice overview of the city. We have learned that this is a good way to get introduced to a new city and it helps us to decide where we want to spend our time. Online admission is $30-31 for adults and $13-15 for children under 12.
2. Visit Forsyth Park. This iconic park is full of Spanish moss-covered trees and is home to the Forsyth fountain. It is worth spending some time just to stroll through and do some people watching. The parks hosts concerts, festivals, movies, and farmer’s markets throughout the year.
3. Visit the Sorrel Weed House. Named after two of the home’s historic residents, the Sorrel Weed House is supposedly one of the most haunted places in Savannah. Although they do offer evening ghost tours, we opted for a daytime architectural tour. The Historic Savannah Foundation has worked to restore this home to its original state- despite the fact that it served as a department store for several decades. Admission is $10 per person.
4. Visit River Street. Admittedly some of the shops on the riverfront shopping arcade are filled with touristy knick-knacks, but several – including the candy shop – are quite iconic. There are also several restaurants along the riverfront.
5. On our second day, we decided to venture out to the coast to visit the Fort Pulaski National Monument on Cockspur Island. This American Civil War fort is in remarkable condition and is full of remarkable stories and history. I recommend participating in one of the free park ranger-guided tours. You can find the times posted at the visitor’s center. Admission is $10 for individuals over the age of 16.
6. Although we didn’t get a chance to visit, the three Telfair Museums come highly recommended. The Jepson Center houses the Bird Girl Statue that was featured in the film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil but I was especially interested in seeing the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters as we are big fans of historic homes and history in general.

What to Eat

1. Cotton & Rye. Our favorite meal in Savannah was at Cotton & Rye. The restaurant feels hip but relaxed and the food was amazing. We started with a ceviche which was a special and then we both ordered the hanger steak. My husband chose to have macaroni and cheese as his side and I believe it is the best macaroni and cheese I have ever had. The steaks were cooked perfectly and I even asked for additional garlic aioli because I enjoyed it so much.
2. Daniel Reed’s Public Kitchen and Bar was a great place to grab a quick lunch while strolling through the streets of historic Savannah. It is a farm-to-table restaurant with casual vibe and the food was delicious. My Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwich was fresh and very filling. My husband ordered the Hot Ham and Cheese sandwich and commented on the generous portion and the bold flavors.
3. You can’t visit Savannah without hearing about Leopold’s Ice Cream. When we visited on a dreary day in February, there was a long line out the door. We had some time before we had to be to the airport, so we decided to wait. I tried the lemon custard and my husband tried the Savannah Socialite (chocolate ice cream with pecans and bourbon-infused caramel). Both were quite good, but the aspect that stood out was the creamy texture of the ice cream.
4. Although it wasn’t open when we visited due to a fire, the Olde Pink House is also highly recommended. We saw the outside of the restaurant (it is certainly pink) on our trolley tour and heard that reservations can be difficult to get.

If you are looking for more travel inspiration, check out my posts on Nashville, Tennessee and New York City.

We really enjoyed our visit and hope to go back one day. What are your favorite things to do in Savannah?

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