What a wonderful visit to Savannah!
Erin and I have just returned from the genteel old south... Savannah and Charleston. What a delightful week to splurge and explore some fine old homes, cemeteries, eateries, parks, museums, shops, and so on.
I have long wanted to travel to these two cities and explore their finery. I was not disappointed. Savannah in the springtime with the azaleas blooming everywhere was positively glorious.
Everywhere we went we spied these beautiful flowers in pale pink, bright pink, fuschia pink, and corals and whites. So gorgeous. We celebrated in Savannah with the Girl Scouts of America - this week was their 100th anniversary and we saw some mighty cute Girl Scouts too.
These little darlings allowed me to photograph them and their sunny attitudes kept a smile on my face for days. Aren't they cute??
Erin and I flew into Savannah on a Sunday afternoon, mid-March for our spring break. The Delta flight out of Arizona to Atlanta was not bad at all. We had extra comfy legroom in their extended seating area and were happy as can be. The short trip from Atlanta to Savannah was 45 minutes and a piece of cake. The people at National Rental Cars could not have been more pleasant and we began to see that the south truly is a place of gentility and grace. Everywhere we went, there were so many friendly people. Our stay at the Spring Hill Suites in downtown Savannah was very nice indeed. The room was spacious, beds were clean and supportive, and the location was perfect for exploring.
We found all kinds of adventures visiting the Mercer-Williams House (where Jim Williams allegedly committed murder); the Green-Meldrim home where General William T. Sherman spent several months when he captured the city during the Civil War and every last one of the famous squares that line the city. Savannah has several large old cemeteries and you know we canNOT resist wandering through a cemetery. We visited Bonaventure and took some photos there. Here are pics of the Mercer-Williams Home, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and a few gravesites at Bonaventure Cemetery. We did take a walking ghost tour the first evening we visited Savannah and wandered by one of their other cemeteries and saw quite a few haunted spaces.
Now, the food in Savannah is to DIE for. We ate at Paul Deen's "the Lady and Sons" where Miss Erin went back to the buffet for seconds on VEGGIES. Yep, that's right more veggies here in the south where they know how to butter 'em up.
Here's a pic of my plate at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Hall. No sign of Miss Melanie ... but Delish!!
You just don't see plates of food like this back home in Arizona! There were tables for 10 and we ate family style enjoying fried chicken, barbecued chicken, sweet potatoes (so sweet we had seconds!) squash casserole, grits, parsnip casserole, creamed corn, cornbread, black-eyed peas and on and on and on. I can't even remember what all we ate. It was truly yummy.
We also enjoyed the Old Pink House on Abercorn in an old haunted home. The food here was a bit pricier but very enjoyable. We loved eating outside in many of the places we visited where they welcomed dogs no problem. Take a listen to that Phoenix - Dogs on the patios and people enjoying the outdoors with good food and friendliness.
One of our favorite stops was at 17hundred90 to their lounge and wine bar. This old haunted home is now an inn and serves up what looks to be - amazing food. We were stuffed when we got here but enjoyed their hospitality in their wine lounge. I wouldn't miss this place coming to Savannah for sure.
We managed to visit the Jepson - Telfair Museums of Art as well and were quite surprised at the wonderful works displayed here. Shopping in Savannah was fun too. After a bit of tea at The Tea Room on Drayton, we headed over to Broughton Street for some shopping. This major shopping avenue has everything from Birkenstocks (of course I bought a pair) to honey at the Savannah Bee Company to tea shops and antiques and finer stores like Marc Jacobs too. We had a blast wandering along Broughton and then headed down to the riverfront to walk off some of the calories we stuffed ourselves with. The riverfront area had lots of pubs and eateries, and a few shops. There was a Life is Good t-shirt store (thank goodness) and some kitschy tourist shops down here. I could skip that area next time for sure.
One last delightful surprise in Savannah was the Wright Square Cafe Chocolatier. Oh my land.... what delicious chocolatey treats. We had the dark chocolate beehive filled with honey, the lavander chocolate, some salted caramel chocolates, and peanut butter cups as big as the palm of your hand. Yum.
I wouldn't hesitate to visit Savannah again - it had just the right mixture of great weather, history, and delicious food. If you're making a visit check out some of the places we visited and enjoy yourself.
Lady and Sons at www.ladyandsons.com
Mrs. Wilkes Dining Hall at www.mrs.wilkes.com
17hundred90 at www.17hundred90.com
Cobblestone Candlelite Walking Tours at www.ghostsavannah.com
Wright Square Cafe at www.wrightsquarecafe.com
Mercer Williams House at www.mercerhouse.com
Savannah Bee Company at www.savannahbee.com
Jepso-Telfair Museums at www.telfair.org
Spring Hill Suites, Savannah at www.marriott.com
You can find lots of info at www.visit-historic-savannah.com too. This website was a wealth of information.
Next up - the rest of our trip in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina.
Get out there and play, ya'll!!
Deb :)
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