Our first night in Savannah involved walking through town on our way to dinner. Within the few blocks walk to Collin's Quarter, we found several parks featuring monuments like the few pictured below to Revolutionary War Gen. Nathaniel Greene (below, far left) and William Washington Gordon, a 19th century businessman and politician (far right). Tip: Exploring the city by night was cool and offered a different view of the historical markers. Charge your camera or phone battery before stepping out to explore, because there are A LOT of markers to document!
Next, we headed inside the fort to explore life as a solider in the 19th century. Several large guns were on display throughout the fort. Small observation windows allowed troops to see what might be heading towards the city, while the interior areas were used for things like supply storage, a brig and barracks. Based on the overall size, privacy must have been a rarity! Tip: If you're more interested in learning about the fort's Civil War history, call ahead and ask what's on the schedule. The site alternates their programs between War of 1812 and Civil War, but the standard adult admission ticket allowed us three days of admission. The small entrance fee (less than $10 per adult), which is used to help with preservation efforts, was well worth it considering the fort also offers some great water views. All together we spent about 90 minutes at the site, but easily could have spent another few hours if we weren't desperate to hit the road for our next destination. 10/10, we recommend you visit!
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[Side note: As I type this, Washington, DC is currently in the middle of a bit of a blizzard (ok, maybe not exactly a blizzard, but it's snowing pretty hard out my window right now!). I'm kind of thinking we should have stayed in the 80-degree weather in Savannah! This is fine. Everything is fine.] When we were planning our trip and deciding where to stay, we really wanted to try one of the beautiful B&Bs in historic homes. But with the uncertainty of travel lately, we decided to book a room at a location we knew we could cancel within 24 hours of our intended arrival date due to the uncertain conditions we now live in. So we ended up at the Hyatt Regency Savannah, right on the water. The hotel was beautiful, and we paid a little extra to be on the Garden Terrace floor - our room led to a fantastic shared outdoor space with amazing views of the Riverside District! We got in a little later than expected (thanks I-95), so after checking in and admiring the view, we headed straight to dinner. We had made reservations at The Collins Quarter on Bull Street. Hot Tip: a lot of the restaurants fill up fast, so we definitely recommend making reservations in advance if you can. Even one month in advance was considered short notice. Open Table is your best friend here.
The food was great too - we ordered the pan roasted scallops and the braised short rib, and both were delicious. The martinis paired perfectly with the scallops, and the Blood, Lust and Diamonds cocktail (rye, bonal, cognac, amaretto, and bitters) was a great pairing with the short rib.
River Street was great - tons of art, shops, and restaurants in old warehouses, plus great views of the water. The JW Marriott has built a whole new section of riverside shops and restaurants, and they even offer free outdoor shows every night - you can ask the hotel concierge for a schedule! There's also a beautiful World War II memorial along the river walk, honoring all veterans from the area who gave their lives during the war. We stopped at Tubby's for a quick drink - great, casual place with outdoor deck seating and perfect riverside views. Then we headed to Vic's on the River for a fancy lunch. I can't say no to scallops, so that's what I ordered, and they were delicious. We also tried the Savannah Peach Martini - a perfect afternoon treat! Hot tip: we actually entered on River Street - through Vic's Coffee Bar - and took the elevator up to the restaurant. The coffee bar looked so great, and is definitely on our list to try next time. After shopping we were ready for dinner. When we first started planning our trip, we had our hearts set on eating at The Olde Pink House, a Savannah staple and even a national landmark - a fancy restaurant housed in a stately Georgian mansion facing Reynolds Square. As we started trying to make reservations (several weeks before our trip), we were so disappointed to learn that the restaurant was booked solid for many months - no chance of getting a reservation during our stay in Savannah. So on our first night in town, we decided to walk by to at least see it... and we're so glad we did!
We got the cheese plate that came with fresh Savannah Bee honeycomb and homemade grits chips (so good). The "Pink Lady" cocktails (lemonade and raspberry vodka) were delicious and perfect for the occasion, and the grilled pork tenderloin with bourbon molasses was to die for. The food was great and we felt like sitting at the bar was the perfect setting - upscale casual, and really fun. The bartenders were amazing, and made us realize why Savannah was named one of the "world's friendliest cities" by Code Nast Traveler readers. We ended our trip with a breakfast on the terrace of the hotel, overlooking the river and the Georgia Queen riverboat (also on our list for next time - riverboat cruise!). Truly this town was so friendly and fun - and the perfect mix of history and southern hospitality. We're already talking about planning a return trip to see more.
And speaking of history, stay tuned for another post about some of the historic sites we visited on this trip... including a 207-year old landmark, Georgia's oldest standing brick fort! |
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