Traveler: Danielle Gervalis
When: October 2018
Overall Experience
Ah, Savannah! I’d been wanting to visit this charming southern city for some time but and I hadn’t found a free weekend to get here. Serendipitously, the stars aligned when I got engaged and my sweet friends agreed to travel here for my bachelorette weekend!
Savannah is a perfect city for group outings as well as quiet weekends away. It offers historical tours, delicious southern food, a popular arts scene and a rowdy nightlife. What I’m saying is Savannah isn’t a one hit wonder, there is such a variety of experiences in this city it’s perfect for any traveler! They don’t call it the Hostess City for nothing!
Welcome to Savannah!
Things to Do
Ghost Tour
Savannah takes their ghosts seriously! The
Dead of Night Tour by Ghost City Tours is part spooky, part dark history and part architectural lesson. It was the perfect way to spend two hours navigating the city and learning about some of its seedy past. It turns out there are lots of old cemeteries here as well as troubled spirits who are not ready to give up their favorite haunts.
One of the more memorable stories was about the Marshall House Hotel. Apparently, there is a ghost in one of the lower floor rooms who bites guests’ ankles. Beware if you have a reservation!
Spooky evening for a Ghost Tour!
Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)
Founded in 1978, SCAD has been preparing students from all over the world for professional careers in the arts. The tree lined campus wouldn’t be out of place in its own movie scene. It houses a large contemporary art museum featuring rotating works from established artists and permanent exhibitions including the SCAD costume collection. Since you’re already in the area, check out the store and show your school spirit for the SCAD bees! They have some unique gear as well as tall columns made of books for all the bibliophiles out there!
Outside the Museum
Exhibit inside SCAD
Finally, SCAD runs a large and popular film festival for over 20 years drawing over 60,000 attendees. We just so happened to be in town over festival weekend and really enjoyed taking advantage of the glamorous set ups and seeing all the celebrities in town! If you can time your trip for the end of October to catch this festival, you won’t regret it!
SCAD Film Festival
Walking the Red Carpet
Pounce Cat Cafe + Wine Bar
Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by fuzzy, adorable and adoptable kittens?! Head to the south’s first cat cafe, Pounce, and make a new best friend! You can make a reservation online and when you arrive enjoy a drink and snack before you get to purr with the best of them.
Cat ears at Pounce!
Forest Gump Bench
Head to the shady Chippewa Square to reenact one of the most memorable movies (and books) in American film history. While the famous Forest Gump bench was input specifically for the movie scene, the park itself is leafy and quiet. It’s the perfect place to enjoy your morning coffee and newspaper and plan the rest of your day in Savannah.
Greenery for days!
River Walk
Savannah’s River Street is one of the highlights of the Hostess City. Lining the river are giant hundred yard old buildings which have been converted from cotton warehouses to bars, galleries, shops, hotels and restaurants. Walking along the cobblestone streets you’ll get to see the massive river boats churning away and enjoy some great people watching.
Riverboats
Historic buildings on the River Street
One of my favorite shops was the
Savannah Bee Company which sells a variety of home goods, food stuffs and beatuty products while also raising awareness and funds to save bees worldwide. Finally, the city has allows open containers so feel free to enjoy your cocktail or slushy from Wet Willies while exploring the historic district.
Places to Eat and Drink
Treylor Park
Located near the river walk,
Treylor Park has indoor and outdoor space for parties large and small. We had a lively fun time on the back patio hanging out with other bachelorette party groups. My favorites were the tire swing cocktail and the PB&J wings!
Outdoors at the Treylor Park
The Collins Quarter
This casual Australian import serves up a decadent brunch and will set you straight for a full day of sight seeing in Savannah. The Collins Quarter serves up generous portions at reasonable prices in an adorable cafe atmosphere. Make sure to order yourself a Bloody Mary!
Perfect atmosphere for brunch at Collins Quarter
Lulu’s Chocolate Bar
If you are a chocolate lover, then
Lulu’s is your happy place. Their menu is dedicated to all things sweet ranging from cheeses to brownies, cheesecakes and hands down the best dessert martinis. The bar is a cute locale for you to indulge in and definitely a must stop for those with a raging sweet tooth!
Cheers!
The Olde Pink House
Named after the pink hued stucco that covers the brick mansion, the
Olde Pink House is an upscale restaurant serving delicious low country Southern food. The mansion was built in 1771 by James Habersham Jr, one of the Savannah’s founding families. He’s rumored to still haunt the establishment on quiet evenings. If you stop in for dinner, be sure to check out the dimly lit and romantic basement bar.
The historic Olde Pink House Restaurant
The Grey
I nibbled on boiled peanuts at the bar while admiring this beautiful restaurant which was restored to its original art deco design Greyhound Bus station. It may sound like an odd place to put a restaurant but I can assure you the owner’s passion for comfortable, pretty spaces translates to the superb dishes coming from the kitchen!
The Grey was my favorite stop for dinner and cocktails, as well as celebrity spotting during the SCAD film festival. We were lucky to get a spot at the diner bar area but it would be wise to make a reservation on the weekends!
Serving up southern deliciousness at The Grey!
Have you traveled to Savannah? Tell your favorite places in the comments!
32.080899
-81.091203
Savannah, GA, USA
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