2 Days in Savannah!

After all of the solo and couple traveling we have been doing lately, I thought it was about time I took a trip with my mom.

She and I haven't been on a trip together since we went to Philadelphia about 10 years ago, so it was more than time.

For some reason, we decided on Savannah during the height of summer. While she currently lives in Houston (and I grew up there) we thought we were more than prepared for the heat and humidity. Typically, we would have been, but the weather gods decided to throw us a curve ball the week we were there. Daily averages were 108 degrees with a humidity index of roughly 50% every day, so it felt more like 120.

That didn't stop us though, just made sure we popped into every shop along the way to partake in some free AC!

Day 0...

We got in rather late, so by the time we got to our hotel, Planters Inn (click this link for a 15% discount on your stay) not much was open.

We did however manage to find the River Street Sweets candy company.

Besides this display, they have a full on candy counter and a viewing spot so you can watch salt water taffy being pulled and apples being dipped in candy and caramel. I bought my weight in turtles and some peanut butter cups the size of my entire palm!

Day 1

We woke up early and drove roughly 2 hours to Charleston, SC for a day trip. A post will be dedicated to this side trip shortly.

Day 2 - Tybee Island and Bonaventure Cemetery

We started off with a drive down to Tybee Island. Which is about 25 minutes from downtown Savannah.

Our first stop was Fort Pulaski. Home to Robert E. Lee after graduating from West Point, and the Immortal 600. This is the view walking up the pathway to the Fort from the parking lot.

The entrance into the Fort.

The fort has several under ground bunker areas, which held gunpowder and ammunition to kept them away from the heat.

The madre getting her explore on in the underground tunnels.

You have to cross another drawbridge to get from the munition stores to the main part of the fort.

A glance out from one of the gun holes to the entrance ramp of the underground bunkers.

Just a few of the many cannons that once lined the entire inside walls of the fort.

The entry cost is $7.00 for adults, while children under 15 are free. The fort is open year round from 9a.m. to 5p.m.

After Fort Pulaski, we stopped at The Crab Shack for lunch.

I ordered the devils crab cakes. Which were amazing, and came with potatoes and coleslaw. But the real show stopper at the Crab Shack is the seafood platter.

After a filling lunch, out next stop was the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum. Which is open Wednesday - Monday 9am - 5:30pm (closed Tuesdays)

It's around 180 steps to the top.

There are several landing spots on the way up, where you can stop to catch your breath.

The light at the top and the views are pretty beautiful.

The caretaker buildings below the light house.

The battery.

The inside of the caretakers house. This hole in the kitchen floor leads to the cistern, where they stored fresh water for drinking, bathing, and cooking.

The tiny little bathroom and tub.

Master bedroom.

One of the kids bedrooms, with the playroom in the attic.

Our last stop of the day was Bonaventure Cemetery Which is free and open daily from 8am to 5pm.

All of its pathways and roads are lined with oaks, and shade abounds here.

Our initial reason for going was to see the bird girl statue from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. After walking around for quite a bit, we learned that the statue had been removed by the family in order to preserve it due to vandalization. We did however find the Jewish quarter of the cemetery.

Once we got back to out hotel and had a little rest from the sun, we went down to River Street for dinner. We stopped at Tubby's Restaurant. The food was good and the view of the river with the sun setting was a nice sight from the balcony.

Day 3

We started bright and early with a trip out to Wormsloe Plantation. The main entrance is lined with Oak trees for about 1.5 miles.

The plantation is the former home of Noble Jones, one of the original Savannah colonists. The building which was constructed in the 1700’s, was surrounded by 8 foot walls and 822 acres of forest. It is considered a tabby house, which is a mixture of sand, water, lime and oyster shells.

The remains of the walls and the cellar (above).

The walls were there to protect from invasion by local Indian tribes and the Spanish. The house was built right next to the river, which provided food and a way to travel into nearby Savannah.

There is also a Colonial Area on the property, which has a replica of the house Noble Jones and his family lived in while waiting on the tabby house to be completed.

The site is open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m, and closed Monday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Price is $8 Adults, $7.50 Seniors (62+), $4.50 Youths (6-17), and $1.00 Children (5 & under).

After Wormsloe we decided to walk around Savannah. Our first stop was Chippewa Square, where Forest Gump was filmed.

Followed by the birthplace of the founder of The Girl Scouts - Juliette Gordon Low. Where they sell Girl Scout cookies year round :-) Admission fees vary depending on the type of tour you choose. The basic tour is $15 for adults, $12 for students age 5-21, $10 for registered girl scouts, and $12 for seniors and active military.

Forsyth Park

The Mercer Williams House

We stopped to do a little shopping at the Paris Market & Brocante,

which houses a cute little cafe with drinks like lavender mocha's...

And the Savannah Bee Company. We LOVED this place. Not only is the staff educated on bee keeping and conservation (which was right up my moms alley as she keeps bees also), they have tons of different types of honey to choose from; lavender, orange, rosemary, and wildflower are just a few off the top of my head. They also have chocolate whipped honey, grilling honey, raw honey comb, and an entire section of bath products. I purchased the orange honey bath gel (which smells divine) and some of the royal jelly face moisturizer. My face has never loved me more!

There is also a Mead tasting station.

It was a short walk back to our hotel from the SBC, where we stumbled upon one of the older theaters in Savannah.

That night we had dinner at The Olde Pink House.

The menu changes daily, but the food we had was great. However we were so hungry we inhaled it before I remembered to take any picture. We split several appetizers, and salads. Every single one was noteworthy. You can't go wrong with anything here. I did manage to to get a picture of our drinks, the Pink House Lemonade and a Savannah Sunrise.

We finished off out last night in Savannah with another walk down by the river, to see the waving girl statue.

We also got to see a tug boat on the river.

Day 4

Before we left, we stopped at Back In The Day Bakery Holy jesus this place was so good. If we had gone on day 1, I would have made sure we went back every morning. Get there early. We got there with no line, but as soon as we ordered, it got packed.