We have been to Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina twice, the first time just the two of us and the second time with friends. These are two historic cities that worked well to see on the same trip.
We flew into Savannah, picked up a car at the airport, and spent three nights there and drove to Charleston for three nights. We drove back to Savannah for a night at an airport hotel and then flew home. It was less expensive for us to fly in and out of Savannah then to fly into Savannah and out of Charleston.
You could easily expand this trip to do four nights in each city as there is enough to do, especially on your first trip. If you go outside the historic districts the cities are just like any other city. The gems are the historic areas and there are good restaurants and B & B’s within walking distance of the main downtowns.
- Savannah
Savannah was originally set up to include 24 “squares” which were separate neighbourhoods with a general store, a blacksmith shop, residences, doctor’s office, farm animals and a park. We were told that lawyers were precluded from practicing in Savannah in the original charter. It seems they expected people to settle their differences without the need for legal counsel.
Some of the squares have now been restored as city parks and the walking is very good in Savannah.
We stayed twice at the Habersham Inn Savannah B & B and we really enjoyed our time there. The room was comfortable and the breakfasts were very good. The hosts were friendly and provided good tips for tourist things to do. The contact information for the Habersham Inn B & B is:
Savannah has water on three sides with the Savannah River, Ogeechee River and the Atlantic Ocean and local legend says that “spirits” get trapped in Savannah. These spirits make for excellent ghost tours that are quite entertaining. We did an evening walking tour and the guide provided some good local history. Sadly, no ghosts jumped out at us!
The downtown is on the Savannah River and is a good place to spend some time. There is shopping and lots of restaurants and bars. The Factor’ Walk is where the cotton, some of which was shipped down the Savannah River, was brought to be sold by the plantation owners. The carts would be brought in an alley and the cotton factors or brokers would walk overhead to view the load of cotton and set the price. Savannah was the centre of cotton pricing for the world at one point.
Huey’s Southern Cafe has really good southern food and the beignets are at least as good as we had in New Orleans. The Pirates’ House Restaurant is worth trying and it has an interesting history dating back to when Savannah was settled.
The squares are wonderful for walking and the scenery is beautiful. From fountains to flowers, the squares have it all. Take your time and soak in the history.
While in the Savannah area, head out to Tybee Island for an afternoon. The long, hard sand beach is easy walking and it’s tough to beat the ocean.
- Charleston
The drive from Savannah to Charleston takes a bit over 2 hours and there are some interesting spots to stop along the way. Take your time and make it a 4 or 5 hour trip.
We stayed at two different B & B’s in Charleston and neither one would make us run back. Best do your research and be sure you are within walking distance to the downtown and the water.
Charleston is absolutely full of historical houses. You can walk the historic district and never get tired of looking at these houses. They have very strict rules for repairing historic houses and some houses are developing noticeable issues if you look close. The cost to repair these houses is significant and not everyone has the money to make the appropriate repairs. It would be a shame to lose these houses as they represent a time long gone.
The restaurants are very good and you can get your fill of BBQ at Sticky Fingers and T Bonz. For some good Irish food check out Tommy Condon’s.
Charleston has a long cement breakwater as it is right on the Atlantic Ocean and is a major shipping port. The breakwater is good for walking around and there is a nice park and, of course, lots of historic houses close to the water.
We did a tour out to Fort Sumter where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. This is a good tour for historic information and for the scenery as you get a good view of Charleston from the water.
Charleston was a major entry point for slaves that were forced to come to the United States. It is estimated about 40% of all slaves entered through Charleston and the Old Slave Mart was near the water. Today, the City Market is a retail place for local artisans and merchants.
We toured two plantations on our visits to Charleston – Magnolia Plantation and Middleton Plantation. Either one of these plantations are good choices for tours. They were easy drives from the city for us and both were rice plantations. They had original historic buildings and fabulous gardens.
The rice farming was natural for the area because of the low, flat land and the proximity to the river. All the canals and ditches were dug by hand by the slaves.
Sullivan’s Island is on the Atlantic Ocean and part of Charleston County. It has a very affluent residential community and the beaches are similar to Tybee Island in Savannah. Fort Moultrie is restored on Sullivan’s Island and you can tour the grounds. Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter guarded the entrance to the Charleston Harbour on opposite sides.
I believe Savannah and Charleston are excellent destinations for a vacation and I don’t think you will be disappointed!
My second cup is now empty………………………………………
