O Savannah

The first time I went to Savannah, Georgia was with a friend who had a timeshare on Tybee Island. Tybee is about a 20-minute drive from Savannah, right on the ocean. Tybee is a beautiful, peaceful place. We got a chance to go into Savannah a few times that trip. Ever since, Savannah has become one of my favorite American cities to visit.

The main attraction of Tybee is the beach. There are a few tourist attractions, the Lighthouse and Fort Pulaski, which is reputed to be haunted. Hauntings are an extremely common theme throughout the Savannah area.

My favorite restaurant on Tybee is the Crab Shack, definitely a must-try. AJ’s Dockside is also very good, try the crawfish cake sandwich – sounded strange to me, but it is so good. The Breakfast Club is a cute place. Sting Ray’s is good. As far as nightlife, the Quarter is a decent sports pub-type place.

On the mainland in Savannah, my two favorite hotels are the Doubletree in the Historic District, comfy beds and free warm cookies, and the Hyatt Regency on the water front, incredible views. There are many charming bed and breakfasts in the downtown area. There’s also a Marriott on the river front.

There’s a lot to see and do in Savannah proper. The City Market is a cute area that houses charming shops and places to eat. The Café is a good place for breakfast or lunch. The Wild Wing Café is fun, a military hang-out, although the crowd was a bit young for my 40-something taste. This area is also where you can board a carriage tour of the city. This is a lovely way to see the city and get an overview of its rich history. Savannah is filled with stories of the American Revolution, the Civil War and the slave trade. There are Gone With the Wind-type homes still intact to give you an idea of what life was like in the day of Southern belles.

The river front area is a must-visit. The cobblestones make you feel like you’ve stepped back into the 1700s. Kevin Barry’s is a popular tourist attraction. It’s a pub-restaurant with Guinness on tap. They have good pub grub and live Irish music some nights. Many interesting photographs of Kevin Barry and events of the Irish Civil War.

Other notable mentions for dining: Moon River Brewing Company, Chart House Restaurant, Mrs. Wilkes and the Pirate House.

There are several enjoyable night spots around the Congress Street area: Murphy’s Law, Molly MacPherson’s, a Scottish pub/restaurant that serves the best Scotch eggs I’ve ever had and some mean burgers, and of course, The Lady and Sons, Paula Deen’s restaurant. I would highly recommend getting a reservation way in advance for Paula’s restaurant. There’s always a big line and even with reservations, you’ll often end up waiting a bit. She’s worth it! The Velvet Lounge is a very cool place to have a couple drinks. Club One is where the Lady Chablis performs. She’s the drag queen who played herself in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”

For those in search of fine dining, the Pink House is my favorite. I have had some of the best meals of my life at that restaurant. There’s a piano bar in the basement and the house even comes with a ghost (hard to find a place in Savannah without one). The Mansion at Forsyth Park is lovely. Check out the fountain at Forsyth Park as well. Savannah is a great city for just walking around.

Last but not least, a trip to Savannah is not complete without taking a ghost tour. There are several carriers and I have found that different tour guides, even if they’re with the same company, will take you to different locations. There are so many ghost stories in Savannah to choose from, I think the individual tour guides just pick their personal favorites. I would recommend taking a ghost tour that includes Colonial Cemetery. This is a location that, on one trip, I returned to the cemetery again during the day. There are graves dating back to colonial times, many with detailed descriptions of the deceased person and how they lived their life. Fascinating stuff.

The “Bird Girl” statue, made famous for being on the cover of the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” as well as on the poster for the movie of the same name, used to stand at a family plot in Bonaventure Cemetery. The photograph was taken by Jack Leigh. He has a studio in town with superb photos on display and prints for sale. The statue became such a popular tourist attraction, it was removed to the Telfair Museum of Art, where it is now on display.

To sum it up, Savannah is a city I stumbled across several years ago which has become one of my favorite places to visit. There’s something for everyone and the Southern charm of the locals is unmatched and unforgettable.