savannah todo

July 5, 2005 3:52 PM

the statistically significant other and i are going to savannah, georgia, at the end of july. might anyone recommend a place to stay (cute, cheap) and things to do?

we're both into tasty stuff, historical stuff, and cheap stuff. bonus points for romantic stuff.

posted by mdpc98 to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

There's a lot of bed and breakfasts.. make sure you stay in historic downtown though. Nothing further south than Gaston Street (if you look at a map, you'll see what I mean). Jones St. has some posh bed/breakfasts, but I've never looked at prices.

As far as things to do, it might be cheesy, but take a carriage ride when you first get there. It'll familiarize you with the area and its history. Take a picnic to Forsyth Park. Relax in any of the squares. Basically take it easy and slow during the day, the Savannah way.

Nighttime, there's plenty of great restaurants down on Congress St. and Broughton St. Broughton is a big shopping strip, similar to Charleston's King St. (although not as nice, or large), and is lined with restaurants from cheap to expensive. Congress St. has great nightlife and bars. I'd post more, but I have to run!
posted by still at 4:53 PM on July 5, 2005

We took a tour too, it was well worth it .

Also you can go sit on what is allegedly the Forrest Gump bench.
posted by fshgrl at 5:40 PM on July 5, 2005

The Lady & Son's on 102 W Congress St is a Savannah institution and darn fine food. Particularly great if you can get in for Sunday dinner.

If you'll be in Savannah during the week of July 18th the Telfair will be free admission.

The Juliette Gordon Low House may be doing gaslight evening tours while you are there. If you can put up with a Girl Scout troop or three the gaslight tour is really nifty.

Tybee Island is absolutely beautiful and well worth the short (20 mins at most) drive from downtown Savannah. It has gotten more touristy in recent years but esp. out on the trails it is just lovely.

There is a wonderful bookstore just across the street from one of the larger chain hotels downtown. I can't remember the name of it but maybe someone else knows.

More than once in Savannah I've happened upon a local happy to walk around with me for a few blocks (or more) and tell me about the city. In my experience the locals are friendly, like the tourist dollar, and are happy to show you around their favorite parts of the city.
posted by smash at 6:29 PM on July 5, 2005

I absoloutely second The Lady and Sons for at least one meal! We drive up there for day trips just to eat there.

Also, there is a Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil tour you can take, if you've ever read the book or seen the movie (the book is much much better).
posted by hollygoheavy at 6:32 PM on July 5, 2005

Here are a few other things we've done that we liked:

Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House which is a fabulous restaurant for lunch and very affordable (around 13 bucks for a huge family style lunch).

To find some cool B&B's try Visit Savannah, they usually have lots of information about places to stay and things to do on a budget.

Basically, you can just walk and walk and never be bored at all, there's so much to see.
posted by hollygoheavy at 6:38 PM on July 5, 2005

I've lived there for ten years, so I can't suggest really anywhere to stay (sorry), but I would definitely check out the link that hollygoheavy suggested.

Restaurants:
- Ms. Wilkes (Jones Street) - Wonderful food, costs $13/person for lunch. It's pretty much a southern-cooked meal, at a large table, with strangers. At the end of the meal (which is usually food like fried chicken, sausage, mashed potatoes, and yams), you take your plate to the kitchen. (Here's a hint: Mrs. Wilkes only takes cash or check, no credit cards.)
- Vinnie Van Go Gos (W Bryan Street, City Market) - Cheap pizza ($2.75/slice, and these are large slices) in the middle of the action of City Market. Operated mostly by SCAD kids, it's the hangout for a lot of younger people and (especially on weekends) biker groups. I'd always suggest afterwards going next door to the candy store (Savannah Candy Kitchen) to get a praline sample and (if your stomach's up to it) some ice cream.
- Crab Shack (Tybee Island) - Expensive food ($80 for four people), but well worth it. Lots of daily-caught seafood, served to you on large platters. Outdoor setting that faces the marsh, so make sure you bring your bug spray, especially in the season you'll be there.
- Lady And Sons (Congress and Whitaker) - Haven't ever eaten there myself, but if you or your significant other are a fan of her Food TV show, then I'd suggest going there. (Otherwise, my mad props are for Mrs. Wilkes.)

To do:
- If you insist, go on a tour. I'd prefer the horse tour over the trolley tour, though it is more expensive. They both give wonderful downtown overviews. (If you're not into that, some of the bigger souvenir shops throughout downtown have tapes and CDs that you can play on your car stereo and take a personal tour. My dad got one for a friend visiting, and they loved it - it told you when to turn and such, and allowed them to go at their own pace, or stop at significant points.)
- River Street. There are a lot of beggars down there, but the night-time is so beautiful there that you can just ignore them and walk through. The same may go through Bay Street, depending on what day of the week you're there.
- Tybee Island. The water isn't as pretty as other beaches (it's somewhat of a questionable brown), but it's pretty for moonlit walks. And during the day, there's always Tybee Lighthouse, which is quite a steep walk, and Tybee Pier. (While at Tybee Pier, if you're hungry, check out Spanky's Restaurant. It's pretty much right next door.)
- Savannah Wildlife Refuge. This is iffy, but if you like spending a few hours looking for alligators this is your thing. Go over the Savannah Bridge (Talmadge Bridge, actually), and keep on going. Turn left (south) on Route 17, and you should run into it on your left. It's a few miles of rocky road and has alligators on either side that are part of the refuge. I'd suggest this if you run out of ideas; some days I've seen 2 or 1, others I've seen up to 30.
- Keller's Flea Market. Open Saturday and Sunday only, it's out on Route 17. Ask any local and they'll tell you how to get there. It's a grimy large flea market, but it kills a few hours time (and has some of the best lemonade ever).

That's all I can think of for the moment. I'm sure to probably update later with more ideas.

smash, the hotel you're talking about is the DeSoto Hilton, I believe, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of it.
posted by itchie at 8:33 PM on July 5, 2005

many thanks for the suggestions. we will def check out mrs wilkes and the lady and sons restaurants.
posted by mdpc98 at 3:51 PM on July 6, 2005