What are the top things to do in Savannah?
Residents of Savannah pride themselves on their Southern charm and hospitality. Famous Southern chef Paula Deen hails from Savannah, and author John Berendt gave the rest of the country a taste of the city’s allure in his 1990s novel (and later movie) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Experience the city’s grandeur and historical significance for yourself by taking a stroll down the riverfront, climbing lighthouses and spending time at the seacoast destination Jekyll Island.
1. Take a stroll around the city. Savannah’s historic district comprises just two-and-a-half square miles, but they’re packed full of historic structures, shops, inns, gardens and culture. Take a stroll down the riverfront or catch a ride on the Savannah Belles Ferry that’s designed to resemble century old vessels. After exploring the area, indulge in some Southern cooking and seafood for lunch or dinner. Take a stroll down the riverfront or catch a ride on the Savannah Belles Ferry that’s designed to resemble century old vessels.
2. The Tybee lighthouse. The Tybee lighthouse is one of the oldest active lighthouses in the U.S. Visitors may climb to the top for a scenic view of Tybee and historic Fort Screven. A museum tracing the history of Tybee from colonial times to 1845 is housed in a coastal artillery battery built in 1898. Exhibits and a gift shop are located in an 1880s lighthouse keeper’s cottage. The St. Simon lighthouse stands at 104 feet high and has been in continuous operation, except during wartime, since 1872. Visitors may climb to the top here also.
3. Jekyll Island. Enjoy seeing dolphins and sea turtles and experiencing salt water activities on Jekyll Island. Picnicking, biking, observing wildlife or visiting Summer Waves Water Park are just some of the things you can do at this seacoast destination. Once used as an exclusive retreat, Jekyll Island still gives historians and families a taste of that gilded age.
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On September 21Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are the best things to do on a romantic trip to Savannah?
Everywhere you turn, you’ll see lush vegetation and towering trees in the city of Savannah. Naturally, the city is sometimes called “The Forest City,” as it has a history of planting many trees along parks and streets, dating back to 1891. Based on scenery alone, couples have much to look forward to when they visit. But there’s much more to the city than Spanish moss. Savannah is a purely Southern destination — one that oozes charm, hospitality and historical richness.
One of the best examples of this is Savannah’s historic waterfront district, which comprises just two-and-a-half square miles packed full of historic structures, shops, inns, gardens and culture. When you visit the area’s museums, historic mansions and gardens, you’ll get a real taste of where the city has been and how preserving said history creates a palpable sense of Southern pride — an intellectually-driven date for history buffs.
Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Cloister is fit for a king — or a couple with phenomenal taste. This 80-year-old resort is an icon of world-class resort luxury. Personal service, kids’ programs and an array of amenities leave visitors with a regal experience. An impressive $350 million renovation included the addition of a magnificent spa, replete with 23 elaborate treatment rooms and exclusive product lines. The resort features wood-beamed rooms decorated with rich, jewel-toned Turkish rugs and plush, pillow-topped beds. Six dining options abound, including the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Georgian Room — perfect for a night out with your special someone. The restaurant’s décor is grand, with bas-relief details, gilded chandeliers and a carved stone fireplace. Tables are set with crisp white linens, hand-painted china and silver flatware. Dishes highlight seasonal, fresh ingredients and might include Wagyu New York strip with sweetbreads, creamer potatoes and horseradish juice. A chef’s tasting menu changes every season and vegetarian dishes are available as well. The staff is polished and attentive, and an extensive wine list rounds out the experience.
At The Cloister, you’ll also find a casual raw bar and grill, where after-beach oysters and cocktails are the specialty. The five miles of private beachfront is the ideal setting for an afternoon stroll. If, after that, you’re anxious for some more beach time, head to one of Savannah’s famous eastern islands. Jekyll Island, in particular, makes for the perfect getaway, where you’ll spot dolphins and sea turtles, and enjoy a plethora of salt water activities. Once used as an exclusive retreat, Jekyll Island still reminds visitors of that gilded age. -
On September 20Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are the best things to do on a romantic trip to Savannah?
Everywhere you turn, you’ll see lush vegetation and towering trees in the city of Savannah. Naturally, the city is sometimes called “The Forest City,” as it has a history of planting many trees along parks and streets, dating back to 1891. Based on scenery alone, couples have much to look forward to when they visit. But there’s much more to the city than Spanish moss. Savannah is a purely Southern destination — one that oozes charm, hospitality and historical richness.
One of the best examples of this is Savannah’s historic waterfront district, which comprises just two-and-a-half square miles packed full of historic structures, shops, inns, gardens and culture. When you visit the area’s museums, historic mansions and gardens, you’ll get a real taste of where the city has been and how preserving said history creates a palpable sense of Southern pride — an intellectually-driven date for history buffs.
Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Cloister is fit for a king — or a couple with phenomenal taste. This 80-year-old resort is an icon of world-class resort luxury. Personal service, kids’ programs and an array of amenities leave visitors with a regal experience. An impressive $350 million renovation included the addition of a magnificent spa, replete with 23 elaborate treatment rooms and exclusive product lines. The resort features wood-beamed rooms decorated with rich, jewel-toned Turkish rugs and plush, pillow-topped beds. Six dining options abound, including the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Georgian Room — perfect for a night out with your special someone. The restaurant’s décor is grand, with bas-relief details, gilded chandeliers and a carved stone fireplace. Tables are set with crisp white linens, hand-painted china and silver flatware. Dishes highlight seasonal, fresh ingredients and might include Wagyu New York strip with sweetbreads, creamer potatoes and horseradish juice. A chef’s tasting menu changes every season and vegetarian dishes are available as well. The staff is polished and attentive, and an extensive wine list rounds out the experience.
At The Cloister, you’ll also find a casual raw bar and grill, where after-beach oysters and cocktails are the specialty. The five miles of private beachfront is the ideal setting for an afternoon stroll. If, after that, you’re anxious for some more beach time, head to one of Savannah’s famous eastern islands. Jekyll Island, in particular, makes for the perfect getaway, where you’ll spot dolphins and sea turtles, and enjoy a plethora of salt water activities. Once used as an exclusive retreat, Jekyll Island still reminds visitors of that gilded age. -
On September 20Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are the best things to do on a romantic trip to Savannah?
Everywhere you turn, you’ll see lush vegetation and towering trees in the city of Savannah. Naturally, the city is sometimes called “The Forest City,” as it has a history of planting many trees along parks and streets, dating back to 1891. Based on scenery alone, couples have much to look forward to when they visit. But there’s much more to the city than Spanish moss. Savannah is a purely Southern destination — one that oozes charm, hospitality and historical richness.
One of the best examples of this is Savannah’s historic waterfront district, which comprises just two-and-a-half square miles packed full of historic structures, shops, inns, gardens and culture. When you visit the area’s museums, historic mansions and gardens, you’ll get a real taste of where the city has been and how preserving said history creates a palpable sense of Southern pride — an intellectually-driven date for history buffs.
Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Cloister is fit for a king — or a couple with phenomenal taste. This 80-year-old resort is an icon of world-class resort luxury. Personal service, kids’ programs and an array of amenities leave visitors with a regal experience. An impressive $350 million renovation included the addition of a magnificent spa, replete with 23 elaborate treatment rooms and exclusive product lines. The resort features wood-beamed rooms decorated with rich, jewel-toned Turkish rugs and plush, pillow-topped beds. Six dining options abound, including the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Georgian Room — perfect for a night out with your special someone. The restaurant’s décor is grand, with bas-relief details, gilded chandeliers and a carved stone fireplace. Tables are set with crisp white linens, hand-painted china and silver flatware. Dishes highlight seasonal, fresh ingredients and might include Wagyu New York strip with sweetbreads, creamer potatoes and horseradish juice. A chef’s tasting menu changes every season and vegetarian dishes are available as well. The staff is polished and attentive, and an extensive wine list rounds out the experience.
At The Cloister, you’ll also find a casual raw bar and grill, where after-beach oysters and cocktails are the specialty. The five miles of private beachfront is the ideal setting for an afternoon stroll. If, after that, you’re anxious for some more beach time, head to one of Savannah’s famous eastern islands. Jekyll Island, in particular, makes for the perfect getaway, where you’ll spot dolphins and sea turtles, and enjoy a plethora of salt water activities. Once used as an exclusive retreat, Jekyll Island still reminds visitors of that gilded age. -
On November 12, 2011Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are the best things to do on a romantic trip to Savannah?
Everywhere you turn, you’ll see lush vegetation and towering trees in the city of Savannah. Naturally, the city is sometimes called “The Forest City,” as it has a history of planting many trees along parks and streets, dating back to 1891. Based on scenery alone, couples have much to look forward to when they visit. But there’s much more to the city than Spanish moss. Savannah is a purely Southern destination — one that oozes charm, hospitality and historical richness.
One of the best examples of this is Savannah’s historic waterfront district, which comprises just two-and-a-half square miles packed full of historic structures, shops, inns, gardens and culture. When you visit the area’s museums, historic mansions and gardens, you’ll get a real taste of where the city has been and how preserving said history creates a palpable sense of Southern pride — an intellectually-driven date for history buffs.
Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Cloister is fit for a king — or a couple with phenomenal taste. This 80-year-old resort is an icon of world-class resort luxury. Personal service, kids’ programs and an array of amenities leave visitors with a regal experience. An impressive $350 million renovation included the addition of a magnificent spa, replete with 23 elaborate treatment rooms and exclusive product lines. The resort features wood-beamed rooms decorated with rich, jewel-toned Turkish rugs and plush, pillow-topped beds. Six dining options abound, including the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Georgian Room — perfect for a night out with your special someone. The restaurant’s d�cor is grand, with bas-relief details, gilded chandeliers and a carved stone fireplace. Tables are set with crisp white linens, hand-painted china and silver flatware. Dishes highlight seasonal, fresh ingredients and might include Wagyu New York strip with sweetbreads, creamer potatoes and horseradish juice. A chef’s tasting menu changes every season and vegetarian dishes are available as well. The staff is polished and attentive, and an extensive wine list rounds out the experience.
At The Cloister, you’ll also find a casual raw bar and grill, where after-beach oysters and cocktails are the specialty. The five miles of private beachfront is the ideal setting for an afternoon stroll. If, after that, you’re anxious for some more beach time, head to one of Savannah’s famous eastern islands. Jekyll Island, in particular, makes for the perfect getaway, where you’ll spot dolphins and sea turtles, and enjoy a plethora of salt water activities. Once used as an exclusive retreat, Jekyll Island still reminds visitors of that gilded age. -
On November 12, 2011Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are the best museums in Savannah?
The city’s many rich, green parks — it has 16 in the historic district alone — are blooming legacies of the brilliance of its founder, General James E. Oglethorpe. Savannah quickly took its place as a major city first in the settling of America and later in the wealth and grandeur of the Old South as the leading market and shipping point for tobacco and cotton.
Reconstruction was painful, but 20 years after the Civil War, cotton was king again. By the 20th century, Savannah turned to manufacturing. With more than 200 industries by World War II, the city’s prosperity has been measured by the activity of its port, which included ship-building booms during both world wars.
The evolution of this working rice plantation, from 1807 to 1973, is depicted through tours of the plantation house, museum and trails at Hofwyl-Broadfield Historic Plantation Site. Mansions and federal buildings that once housed military leaders such as Davenport House and Owens-Thomas House have preserved artifacts and colonial furnishings, serving as museums and reminders of the city’s past.
Savannah History Museum traces Savannah’s history from its founding in 1733 to present day. It is housed in the Georgia Railway Passenger Shed, a National Historic Landmark. There, you’ll find the bench that Forrest Gump sat on and an exhibit on the Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah, among other things.
Then there’s Telfair Museum of Art, which is coined as the oldest public art museum in the South. What was once a mansion opened by wealthy art collector Mary Telfair in 1880, has transformed into three buildings with different showcases of art. Today, the museum houses 4,000 works of art from Europe and America ranging from the 18th to the 21th century. The late Lebanese writer and visual artist Kahlil Gibran, known for being the author of The Prophet, has more than 80 of his paintings and drawings on display at this museum — the most of his that have been shown at any one institution. -
On November 12, 2011Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are the top things to do in Savannah?
Residents of Savannah pride themselves on their Southern charm and hospitality. Famous Southern chef Paula Deen hails from Savannah, and author John Berendt gave the rest of the country a taste of the city’s allure in his 1990s novel (and later movie) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Experience the city’s grandeur and historical significance for yourself by taking a stroll down the riverfront, climbing lighthouses and spending time at the seacoast destination Jekyll Island.
1. Take a stroll around the city. Savannah’s historic district comprises just two-and-a-half square miles, but they’re packed full of historic structures, shops, inns, gardens and culture. Take a stroll down the riverfront or catch a ride on the Savannah Belles Ferry that’s designed to resemble century old vessels. After exploring the area, indulge in some Southern cooking and seafood for lunch or dinner. Take a stroll down the riverfront or catch a ride on the Savannah Belles Ferry that’s designed to resemble century old vessels.
2. The Tybee lighthouse. The Tybee lighthouse is one of the oldest active lighthouses in the U.S. Visitors may climb to the top for a scenic view of Tybee and historic Fort Screven. A museum tracing the history of Tybee from colonial times to 1845 is housed in a coastal artillery battery built in 1898. Exhibits and a gift shop are located in an 1880s lighthouse keeper’s cottage. The St. Simon lighthouse stands at 104 feet high and has been in continuous operation, except during wartime, since 1872. Visitors may climb to the top here also.
3. Jekyll Island. Enjoy seeing dolphins and sea turtles and experiencing salt water activities on Jekyll Island. Picnicking, biking, observing wildlife or visiting Summer Waves Water Park are just some of the things you can do at this seacoast destination. Once used as an exclusive retreat, Jekyll Island still gives historians and families a taste of that gilded age. -
On November 11, 2011Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What is the restaurant scene like in Savannah?
Of course, Savannah is widely known for serving fabulous Southern fare and fresh seafood, as it’s located on the coast. Along the city’s historic waterfront, you’ll find some of the best restaurants in Georgia, many of them quaint with coastal southern menus and spectacular water views. Elizabeth on 37th, for example, opened in 1981 by chef Elizabeth Terry and her husband, Michael, is commonly referred to as the birthplace of New Southern cuisine. The interior of the 1900 Greek Revival-style mansion exudes a homey feel with brightly painted walls, antique chairs and warm service. Fresh and authentic cuisine draws admiration from across the country with high-end comfort food dishes such as broiled mustard-garlic glazed with Atlantic salmon served with steamed greens and rosemary potatoes.
Another standout is the magnificent Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Georgian Room, which is tucked inside The Cloister. The décor is grand, with bas-relief details, gilded chandeliers and a carved stone fireplace. Tables are set with crisp white linens, hand-painted china and silver flatware. Dishes highlight seasonal, fresh ingredients and might include Wagyu New York strip with sweetbreads, creamer potatoes and horseradish juice. A chef’s tasting menu changes every season and vegetarian dishes are available as well. The staff is polished and attentive, and an extensive wine list rounds out the experience.
But if you’re looking for a more casual restaurant atmosphere with equally as dynamite Southern cuisine, Savannah has that too. Places like family-owned Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room are unassuming gems — perfect for fried chicken, biscuits, collard greens, mashed sweet potatoes and banana pudding. -
On November 11, 2011Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are the most luxurious resorts in Savannah?
Coastal Georgia is home to some Forbes Travel Guide Five- and Four-Star resorts and it’s easy to see why. Lush greenery and views of the water paired with the finest Southern amenities make for a positively delightful stay. The Cloister is made for royalty, and The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club offers high-end sporting facilities and gorgeous views.
1. The Cloister. This 80-year-old resort is an icon of world-class resort luxury. Personal service, kids’ programs and an array of amenities leave visitors with a regal experience at Five-Star The Cloister. An impressive $350 million renovation included the addition of a magnificent spa, replete with 23 elaborate treatment rooms and exclusive product lines. The resort features wood-beamed rooms decorated with rich, jewel-toned Turkish rugs and plush, pillow-topped beds. Six dining options abound, including the Five-Star Georgian Room, as well as a casual raw bar and grill, where after-beach oysters and cocktails are the specialty. The five miles of private beachfront is the ideal setting for an afternoon stroll.
2. The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club. Generations of privileged travelers have made Sea Island their top vacation destination. Created in the spirit of European sporting estates, Five-Star The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club features first-rate tennis and equestrian facilities, three championship golf courses and exquisite dining options. Guest rooms are tastefully decorated with hardwood floors, exposed beam ceilings and private balconies overlooking the rolling fairways of the Plantation Golf Course, St. Simons Sound or the Atlantic Ocean. Complimentary bicycles and 24-hour butler service solidify the top-notch customer service. -
On November 11, 2011Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are the best cultural offerings in Savannah?
Savannah is known for its rich history and stunning, colonial architecture — its downtown area is one the largest National Historic Landmark districts in the county. So it’s only natural that the city offers a solid amount of cultural activities including events and museums to match. You won’t want to miss the Savannah Scottish Games and Highland gathering or their St. Patrick’s Day festivities, and tours of the city’s significant homes and gardens will serve as a wonderful history lesson.
1. Savannah Scottish Games and Highland Gathering. Clans gather for a weekend of Highland games, piping, drumming, dancing and the traditional “Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans.” A way of celebrating celtic culture, Savannah Scottish games and Highland gathering is held in Savannah annually.
2. Home and Garden Tour. A Savannah tour of homes and gardens is sponsored by Christ Episcopal Church with the Historic Savannah Foundation, which offer day and candlelight tours of more than 30 private houses and gardens. Today more than 1,400 historically and architecturally significant buildings have been restored in Savannah’s historic district, making it one of the largest urban historic landmark districts in the country. Fountains, small gardens, intricate ironwork and other amazing architectural details decorate this town and add to its beauty. The Victorian district south of the historic district offers some of the best examples of post-Civil War Victorian architecture in the country.
3. St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Savannah’s version of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade rivals the one in New York City in size and is one of the largest around. The route runs north of Jones Street to the river, west of East Broad Street, and east of Boundary Street and the Talmadge Bridge. So throw on some four-leaf clover inspired garb and hit the Savannah streets when the festival comes to town.
