Savannah, GA Road Trips

Savannah, the historic riverside birthplace of Georgia, was settled in 1733 by British colonists led by General James Oglethorpe and Colonel William Bull. In 1864, when General William Tecumseh Sherman and his Union Army marched in, the mayor of Savannah gave Sherman's men run of the city in exchange for leaving it untorched. As a result, Savannah is one of the few major cities in the South with antebellum charm and architecture remaining intact. Southerners joke that in Atlanta, the first thing locals ask you is your business; in Charleston, they ask your mother's maiden name; and in Savannah, they ask what you want to drink. It's partly that ethos that keeps the city tourism industry flourishing, along with a little help from what locals call "The Book": Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (also a feature film). The local art school, Savannah College of Art and Design, also keeps the city awash in accessible, affordable art. Savannah's climate is classified as humid subtropical. Winters are short, and summers are long, hot, and humid. The typical summer heat index averages around 99 °F (37 °C) during the day and 77 °F (25 °C) at night. Periods of high heat and humidity can see heat index climb upwards to around 110 °F (43 °C), not going below 81 °F (27 °C) at night. Parts of Forrest Gump were shot in Chippewa Square. Visit Savannah website

1 Bonaventure Cemetery. Fans of "The Book" will find Johnny Mercer's grave here, along with those of Conrad Aiken and other Southern notables. The view of the river is wonderful, and the Spanish moss creates a delightfully spooky atmosphere. 2 City Market. City Market is a mixed-use project in the northwest corner of the Historic District. The rehabilitation of the four-block area began in 1985. The result is a facility that economically could not be replicated today. City Market has established itself as a destination for entertainment, dining, and retailing in downtown Savannah. To create an anchor attraction that would attract both tourists and Savannah residents, the developer emulated its successful Torpedo Factory project in Alexandria, Virginia and established the Art Center at City Market. This group of working studios for artists occupies approximately 19,000 square feet (1,800 m2) of space and has created an opportunity for other tenants of City Market to establish and operate viable food, entertainment, and retail businesses. In addition, City Market has three apartments and approximately 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2) of office space. Ellis Square is immediately west of City Market and has an interactive fountain, information kiosk & an underground 1,100-space parking garage making it very easy to park in the heart of the historic & tourist area. 3 Forsyth Park. This large public park, which marks the southern edge of the Historic District, is ringed with bed and breakfasts and crowned with a beautiful fountain.

Take a Riverboat Cruise on the Savannah River Queen or the Georgia Queen. Visit the Savannah Visitors Center and the Savannah History Museum. Ride the free Savannah Belles Ferry across the Savannah river to Hutchinson Island. Watch the show at Club One Jefferson (home of the Lady Chablis-Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) Walk the Bull Street corridor from City Hall (at Bay St.) to the fountain in Forsyth Park. Take a picture with a statue in one of the historic squares. Walk down River Street, see the Waving Girl, and shop in one of the local candy shops. Shop at City Market. Check out the local art galleries, where you can often pick up great student art for prices easy on the wallet. Visit the Telfair Museum of Art and the Jepson Center for the Arts. Stay at a Savannah B&B historic mansion inn for high drama and beautiful scenery. Children will enjoy following the "Savannah Safari," a coloring book of Savannah's wildlife typically depicted in dolphin rain downspouts and lion water fountains. Visit Bethesda Home for Boys (the oldest orphanage in the USA) 9 miles south of Savannah. Buy cookies at the Byrd Cookie Company. Take a trolley tour or one of the many ghost tours. Visit the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace and the beginning of the Girl Scouts. Tour the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Picnic in Forsyth Park. Attempt to find Forrest Gump's bench at Chippewa Square (it's not there). Visit Flannery O'Connor's childhood home. She played in the square and kept chickens here, and for Southern literary buffs, the small house is a must.

1 Saint Bibiana, 700 Drayton St, ☏ +1 912-238-5158. In the Savannah Bardo Hotel. A fine Italian cuisine restaurant and cocktail lounge located in historic downtown Savannah, adorned with chic artwork, stunning chandeliering, and the full restoration and artistic touches of the original 1888 Savannah Mansion. B&D Burgers. Local chain with excellent burgers. Four locations: two downtown, off of Ellis Sq and further west on Broughton; one near Southside on Abercorn; and one in Pooler in a heavy retail area. (updated Dec 2024) 2 B. Matthew's Eatery, 325 East Bay Street (on the bluff overlooking the River), ☏ +1 912-233-1319. 3 The Collins Quarter at Forsyth, 621 Drayton St. The only restaurant inside Forsyth Park. Great brunch menu and atmosphere. $10–$20. (updated Sep 2022) 4 Desposito's, 3501 Macceo Dr, Thunderbolt, GA, ☏ +1 912-897-9963. Tu–Sa 5–10PM. One of the few surviving family-owned shrimp shacks from a previous era, with the same secret-recipe dipping sauce that they've used for more than half a century. Go for a taste of old-timey Southern boiled shrimp. (updated Jan 2019) Gallery Espresso (Corner of Bull and Perry Streets). Outside seating on Chippewa Square makes this arty coffee shop even more appealing to locals and tourists alike. A large, almost daunting, menu of coffees, teas, sweets and sandwiches is sure to satisfy your hunger, while the abundant local art on display feeds the mind. Goose Feathers: An Express Cafe And Bakery, 39 Barnard St, ☏ +1 912-472-1832.

Savannah is called the "Hostess City of the South" and as such, there are no shortages of watering holes; from hole-in-the wall joints to upscale bars. In downtown Savannah, it is legal to consume alcohol in public. Ask the bartender or doorman for a "go cup" (a "traveller" if you're a local) to pour your libation in. Churchill's Pub & Restaurant. Circa 1875, 48 Whitaker St. Lots of paneling and atmosphere, this beautiful and cozy bar with an extensive wine selection also mixes great drinks. Becoming the hangout for the intellectual set. Club One Jefferson, 1 Jefferson St. daily 5PM to 3AM. Shows are nightly at 10:30PM and 12:30AM. Club One defines itself as the premier gay bar in a town priding itself on a level of decadence that falls somewhere between New Orleans's and Key West's, and it's the hottest and most amusing spot in town. Patrons include lesbians and gays from the coastal islands, visiting urbanites, and cast and crew of whatever film is being shot in Savannah at the time (Demi Moore and Bruce Willis showed up here in happier times). There's also likely to be a healthy helping of voyeurs who've read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. You pay your admission at the door then wander through the street-level dance bar, trek down to the basement-level video bar for a (less noisy) change of venue, and (if your timing is right) climb one floor above street level for a view of the drag shows. There, a bevy of black and white artistes lip-synch the hits of Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, and Bette Midler. Pinkie Masters, Drayton St. A true Savannah dive.

1 Andaz Hotel (formerly Avia hotel), 14 Barnard St, ☏ +1 912-233-2116. (updated Dec 2020) 2 Azalea Inn and Gardens (Azalea Inn Bed and Breakfast), 217 E Huntingdon St (in the Garden District of the Historic District), ☏ +1 912-236-6080. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Inn with 11 rooms. Private off-street parking, nightly dessert, evening wine and hors d'oeuvres, bedtime cordial, and 3-course breakfast. Swimming pool, renowned gardens and eco-friendly style, on-site produce gardens. 3 The Ballastone Inn, 14 E Oglethorpe Ave (in the historic district), toll-free: +1-800-822-4553. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Bed and breakfast. 16 rooms, elevator, around-the-clock concierge, southern breakfast, high tea, bar and private courtyard gardens. $235-395. 4 Bluff Hotel Savannah Historic District, Ascend Hotel Collection (Comfort Suites Savannah Historic District Hotel), 630 W Bay St (driving north or south from I-95, take Exit 99A, I-16 East which dead ends to Montgomery Street; at 4th light, make left onto Bay Street; th ehotel is 3 blocks on right), ☏ +1 912-629-2001. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Every room is a suite, pet-friendly hotel, non-smoking. 79-199. 5 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Savannah Airport, 50 Yvette Johnson Hagins Dr, ☏ +1 912-965-9595. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. This hotel has a resort style indoor pool and hot tub. 6 Catherine Ward House Inn (Catherine Ward House), 118 East Waldburg St, ☏ +1 912-234-8564. Check-in: flexible, check-out: 11AM.

I-95 and I-16 are readily accessible to the city. 1 Savannah/Hilton Head Island International Airport (SAV IATA). Has a delightful glass-covered square with benches and shops in the center of the terminal, echoing the public squares in Savannah's Historic District. Rental car, Grayline shuttles, taxis, and other ground transportation are on the lower level to take you to Savannah. American: Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Washington Reagan. Delta: Atlanta Airport, Detroit, New York LaGuardia. JetBlue: Boston, New York JFK. United: Chicago O'Hare, Washington Dulles, Houston George Bush Intercontinental, Newark. Amtrak operates a passenger terminal at Savannah. Silver Meteor trains (once daily) run between New York City and Miami, Florida; Palmetto (once daily) runs the same route to the north, but its southern terminus is Savannah. Floridian (twice daily, once in each direction) is a temporary route that combined two older routes while access to New York City is restricted due to tunnel construction; it runs from Chicago to Miami via Washington, D.C. and Savannah. The modernist 2 Savannah Station is located on 2611 Seaboard Coastline Dr, almost five kilometers outside downtown Savannah. Bus 29 offers limited services to the station. Greyhound - The Greyhound station is on W. Oglethorpe Ave. inside CAT's Joe Murray Rivers, Jr. Intermodal Transit Center, about a half mile from River St.

Chatham Area Transit (CAT) has bus services fanning out from an intermodal Transit Center downtown on W. Oglethorpe Ave. It also operates the free dot Shuttle (Route #5) that winds its way around the Historic District, the free Savannah Belles Ferry that runs across the Savannah River between the Historic District and Hutchinson Island where the Convention Center is, and a free streetcar along River Street on weekends. ConnectOnTheDot has information about fare-free transportation in downtown Savannah, comprising an express shuttle and the Savannah Belles Ferry. The major east-west street through the Historic District is Bay Street, and the major north-south street is Abercorn, which begins at Bay Street and extends south through the city. Parking in the Historic District can be challenging but there are several public parking garages including an underground 1100-space parking garage beneath Ellis Square. On-street parking in the city at metered spaces is free on the weekends, but the spaces fill quickly beginning around mid-morning. Parking spaces nearest to River Street are the fastest to be filled. Savannah's Historic District is a good area to see in the daytime by walking. The Historic District is roughly one mile by one mile, bounded in the north by the Savannah River, the south by Forsyth Park, the east by East Broad St., and the west by the Visitor Center and MLK Jr. Blvd. The downtown public squares (see below) provide more than a day's worth of strolling.

Savannah's Historic District is safe for exploring the area during the day, with at least one other person - a normal safety precaution. Outside the historic district crime is prevalent. While exploring the Historic District, remember this is a tourist area and there are those who prey on tourists - be cautious, especially at night. Savannah-Chatham County Police patrol the downtown area frequently on horseback and in patrol cruisers. The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is prominent throughout the downtown area. SCAD's Security frequently patrol areas near their buildings on bicycles and vehicles. River Street area is good for drinking and fun but watch your back on a busy weekend. Anything and everything goes.