Visiting Savannah, GA
I had an opportunity to visit Savannah, Georgia from July 2 — July 4, 2021, and it is a great weekend get-a-way if you need a change of scenery.
Flying to Savannah, GA is a relatively quick trip if you are on the East Coast. The flight from Baltimore to Savannah/Hilton head on Friday, July 2, 2021, was just under 90 minutes. Once again, the team at Southwest got things off to a great start! For those of you that are new to the Baltimore area, the parking spots that are off-site are run by The Parking Spot company. Upon booking your Parking Spot, VERIFY which address you want to book! The Parking Spot company now has two locations, called North and West. The North location is closer to the airport than the West location. Remember to download the app and book early for The Parking Spot company.
Upon arriving at the Savannah/Hilton Head airport you will have a 25 minute trip to the downtown area. I waited for a taxi and did not use the ride-sharing apps to get to my hotel which was the Marriott Courtyard on West Liberty St, across from the Civic Center, NOT The Convention center. (On a side note, in 2022, a new hotel will open behind the Marriott Courtyard called The Cambria.) Although I did not drive a car in Savannah, a parking garage is across the street from the hotel that the guests were utilizing.
The Marriott Courtyard hotel on West Liberty St is approximately a 10-minute walk to the “center” of attraction in Savannah, GA which is the Plant Riverside. The Plant Riverside is the traditional boardwalk with restaurants and shops anchored along the waterfront. The first adventure out of the hotel was the walk to Fiddler’s Crab House and Oyster Bar. Upon arriving at Plant Riverside, lunch was the priority and that meant Oysters at Fiddlers, Red Snapper and a delicious Shrimp dish. The Oysters at Fiddlers were served nice and cold and if you get there at the right time you can enjoy a nice spot on the deck outside and see the people on the River Walk who are oddly enough, “walking by”.
Now that you are nourished with lunch, you can start the journey down the River Walk. This is some great exercise. For a “first time” visitor, the water route was taken to the end and then the inside route was taken which was closer to the shops. Once again, this is a nice walk and a great way to get some exercise.
One of the popular attractions on the Plant Riverside included “Tubby’s”. Now I am not sure what made Tubby’s an attractive dining option but based on the crowd there at any time, it would be a restaurant to investigate for your trip. I missed out on the experience this time.
After you have completed, the walk on the River Walk, you can head “inside” and stroll through the nice parks that run for several blocks through the city. The parks have benches for relaxing from the Savannah heat and weepy willow trees for those majestic photo shoots. During one of the walks, the park was closed off and an event company started to wheel out chairs for a wedding. Therefore, if you want to get married in Savannah, check out the ability to close the park for your ceremony. One of the interesting parks is Chippewa Square where Forrest Gump had his moment on the park bench.
Savannah is also known for museums and their college called the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The school produces a promotional video and tour of their college that is free. It is an interesting review of the SCAD history and the passion that an elementary school teacher pursued to bring art and design to Savannah. The city has buildings for SCAD activities and they are scattered throughout the city. In addition to the SCAD institution, one of America’s greatest organizations also got started in Savannah and that is the Girl Scouts. Take a moment to drop by and pay homage to the first headquarters for the Girl Scouts
Having completed your walk through the city parks and attractions, you can head back to the Plant Riverside and find a place for dinner. If you enjoy the traditional “outdoor” bar scene, the waterfront has options. If you do choose to dine on the water, check the menu for your preferences, especially if you like your Oysters cold. If you did not have a big lunch, you can consider taking in an early “bites” dinner at the Myrtle and Rose Rooftop Garden. Although I did not eat here, this appeared to be a place with a great view and some bite-sized appetizers. The establishment gets busy in the evening and It did not look ideal for small children.
After a full day of walking in Savannah, your next day should start with a great breakfast. This can be achieved through a visit to “Treylor Park”. It is VERY important to note, that Treylor Park has two locations in Savannah, GA. The one that opens the earliest is the “Double Wide” location on 135a West Bay Street. This should NOT be confused with the other Treylor Park restaurant that is located at 115 E Bay St! Make sure you confirm the restaurant and time that you want to eat at.
Armed with a good breakfast, take a walk back to the Georgia State Railroad Museum, but take your route through the “City Market” to see the shops you may want to visit ater in the day. Upon arrival at the Georgia State Railroad Museum you will find a fun history of the railroads in Georgia. It has an interactive “hand car” activity and a small “linear” train ride. Please note the word “Small”. You will go up and back, but get to experience the “Roundabout” of a railroad. The museum has other events, so plan efore you go and see if you can hit the museum when they have a lot going on.
The visit to Savannah, GA surprised me with the following items:
- Walkability: It was fun to walk from one location to another and I enjoyed the exercise. The city is set up in city blocks and left and right turns are easy to make and follow. It is easy to walk from a hotel that is ten minutes from the “main attraction” of Plant Riverside.
- Cleanliness: The city is doing a great job to keep the “Tourist” area clean and safe. Walking in the daytime felt completely safe to and from the hotel and the RiverWalk has lots of people which created a safe feeling as well
- Parks: I had no idea that Savannah had great parks, It was fun to just walk straight through them.
- Plant Riverside: I enjoy walking along the water and Savannah has built a nice walk to get some exercise and do some thinking.
- Friendliness: Wow! The Savannah community is welcoming. I was standing outside of a church and a wonderful local struck up a conversation with me and asked about my visit to Savannah. The people make this city great!
Summary
A visit to Savannah, GA is worth it for several reasons:
- If you need a “change of scenery” and you are on the East Coast, it is a quick trip down there. I also saw cars from New Jersey and South Carolina that had made the trek. A visit to Savannah to get a feel for the community and take in some activities can be accomplished in two days, but there is more to do outside of Savannah with a car. My summary is focused on visiting Savannah, GA without a car.
- If you are looking for a place to meet a group of friends for a quick weekend, I believe you can have some great laughs in Savannah. Depending on your age demographic, you could spend some time at the J.W. Marriott hotel with the great service, or take in something as simple as the Marriott Courtyard with some friends. I did see a bachelorette party making their way through Savannah, therefore the group “meeting” spot is alive and well.
- If I were visiting Savannah on a weekday, I might spend some time to see if a tour of the Gulfstream Jet factory is available. I am an aviation fanatic, so this activity will not apply to all, but Gulfstream has a huge presence in Savannah.
Once again, I am glad I saw Savannah. The walking helped me with some thoughts. The change of scenery was great and the price for the trip was lower than expected.
