Help us maximize the awesomeness of our week in Savannah

January 30, 2012 4:45 AM

Help us have an awesome (and vegetarian friendly) vacation in Savannah!

My girlfriend and I, and another couple, are spending a week in Savannah, Georgia this March. They've been there, though not for years, and I never have, so I'm just looking for awesome ideas as to places to go, things to see, pretty/striking things to take pictures of, and foodstuffs to consume!

Difficulty: said foodstuffs must be vegetarian friendly, 3 out of 4 of us are veg.

Thanks!

posted by Aversion Therapy to travel & transportation around Savannah, GA (5 answers total)

I don't know if you already have a place to stay, but when we went to Savannah last spring we stayed at the Ziegler House Inn. It's on Jones Street, which is just on the edge of the historic district. It's also a gorgeous, quiet street, and there are a few other B&Bs there if Ziegler House isn't what you're looking for. Ziegler isn't a traditional B&B; instead of waking up to a full breakfast, you get several kinds of pastries each day plus a fridge stocked with juices, yogurt, milk, fruit, etc. It worked perfectly for us because we could grab a quick breakfast and be off, or linger in our room without worrying about missing meal time.

Savannah has beautiful gardens and parks in nearly every square in the historic district. Grab a map when you arrive. The city is extremely walkable and easy to get around. Forsyth Park is probably one of the most well known parks in Savannah; it has a beautiful fountain and it's lovely to walk around in the early evening.

There are lots of historical homes that you can tour. If you're interested in that, I recall there being a pass that let you tour 3 or 4 of them for one reduced price, so make sure to ask. If any of you was a Girl Scout growing up, you can also tour the Juliette Gordon Low house.

My husband was a sailboat captain once upon a time and loved the Ships of the Sea Museum, though I honestly wasn't as interested in it.

The Telfair Museum now houses the Bird Girl statue, made famous by the book & movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. There are all sorts of movie tours you can take if you're interested - it's all based on a true story, which I didn't know until I went to Savannah! There are also scads of walking tours, ghost tours, carriage tours - yes, they're a little cheesy, but they can be a fun way to see the city if you're looking for a change of pace.

As far as restaurants, hmmmm. I'm a pescetarian and devoured seafood like it was my job in Savannah. That said, Alligator Soul is a great local place that does a vegetarian tasting course. Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room is the place everyone will tell you to go. For $16, you're served a family-style dinner of about 20 different items. Plenty of them are meatless, but you might want to call ahead to see which are vegetarian - some may be seasoned with ham or bacon, or made with chicken stock.

Your best bet for food is probably to ask a local. If you do end up staying at a B&B, they should be able to give you some good suggestions. We liked Vics on the River and Elizabeth on 37, but I can't speak to veggie options.

I hope you have a wonderful time!
posted by pecanpies at 8:06 AM on January 30

Happy Cow is a good resource for finding veg restaurants while traveling. It provides some info on what items are vegan, but of course, check with the wait staff.
posted by oxfordcomma at 1:11 PM on January 30

I would suggest Green Truck. They have yummy veggie burgers. Also, if you are doing something further afield like going to Fort Pulaski or Tybee Island then you should stop at Thrive along the way. For photo ops, Wormsloe's oak avenue is a great place to take pictures. Really, anything in the historic district in Savannah is photo-worthy.
posted by jihaan at 1:17 PM on January 30

Thanks, folks. Pecanpies, you rock, that's almost a FPP right there :)
posted by Aversion Therapy at 5:25 AM on January 31

Other food stuff:

Sweet Potatoes & Toucan Cafe: Delicious and eclectic southern cuisine. Some veggie options .

Sammy Greens: Great home cooked food, plenty of veggie options

Zunzi's: Lovingly crafted home made South African/Swedish food, with incredible veggie options. Seriously, you gotta try this place!

Goosefeather's Cafe is excellent for Breakfast, Lunch and Brunch with plenty of delicious veggie stuff under Cafe Sandwiches.

Saigon is excellent Thai place located downtown

Are you coming for St. Patrick's Day? If so, be prepared for crowds and madness and a Rugby tournament. At the end of March is the Savannah Music Festival. Near the beginning of March is the Savannah Stopover, a four day music festival of bands (mostly) on their way to SxSW.

Check out Bonaventure Cemetery, a glorious old piece of history with marvelous statues and headstones amidst the moss drenched oaks Savannah is famous for. Seconding Fort Pulaski, one of my favorite historical spots in town. There's also the Oatland Island WildLife center, a sort of outdoor zoo and the Skidaway Aquarium, which isn't huge, but is fascinating.

Want to check out the nightlife? There's The Jinx, Livewire Music Hall, Congress Street Social Club, The Wormhole, The Boiler Room and Poor Larry's, to name a few.

Want a bit more culture, i.e. arts and culture? Check out what's happening at the Lucas Theatre, Muse Arts Warehouse or the Savannah Civic Center. For weird, offbeat films and music, look at the Sentient Bean's Calendar.

Finally, browse through the local arts and entertainment weekly newspaper, Connect Savannah, for more details about what's going when you're in town.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:23 PM on February 22 [1 favorite]