Savannah, founded in 1733, is the oldest city in the State of Georgia. It was once the capital of Georgia and played an important part in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
A few years ago, Jackie and I flew into Charleston, South Carolina, spending a few days in the area before driving the short distance (2 hours) to Savannah.
We found a cozy apartment on the third floor overlooking Forsyth Park through Airbnb. The 30-acre park has a wide walkway around the perimeter, enjoyed by walkers, runners and bicyclists. Classic mansions surround the park and the gorgeous fountain, built in 1858, is the centerpiece.
One of the city’s highlights is River Street, which is on the water and includes several blocks of boutiques, galleries, artists’ studios, restaurants, and pubs, housed in one-time cotton warehouses that have been restored to their rustic beauty. We loved wandering through old buildings and stone storage tunnels in this section of town.
The downtown Historic District has been renovated to capture the authentic atmosphere and character of the city’s old open marketplace. The market features art galleries, restaurants, open-air cafés and unique stores.
One of our favorite stops was Leopold’s Ice Cream, an ice cream parlor that has been going strong since 1919, 100+ years old. Much original décor adorns the shop, including a soda fountain, back bar, sundae holders, banana split boats and a malted milk dispenser that is still in use. Many of the original family recipes continue to be made in-house. Don’t miss the Hollywood memorabilia from Stratton Leopold’s 45-year career in the movie industry!
I couldn’t resist checking out a couple great antiques shops – Jere’s Antiques is two floors in an old warehouse packed with southern furniture – almost overwhelming in its immensity. My favorite was Alex Raskin Antiques, a classic, four-story mansion crammed with anything and everything imaginable. It is worth stopping just to see the place.
Savannah was originally laid out in “Squares.” There were 24 at one time with 21 still remaining. Each square has houses surrounding a park-like setting with a garden area, fountain or statue as a centerpiece. This area is now the largest National Historic Landmark District in the U.S.
We were told by Jackie’s daughter-in-law to go to Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room for lunch and to get there early. This well-known attraction began in 1943 and is only open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. We arrived at 10:30 a.m. and found about 60 folks already standing outside along the brick and mossy oak lined Jones Street. While waiting in line, some folks from Baltimore shared with us that the phrase, “Keeping up with the Jones” came from the wonderful homes on this street and was once the dividing line between the good homes and the GREAT homes.
We were seated at about 11:30 a.m. at one of the nine tables that hold nine guests per table. The table is shared with others and is adorned with a dozen or more southern specialties, including homemade biscuits and corned bread, fried chicken, collard greens, peach cobbler and sweet or un-sweet tea to wash it all down. The cost is $25-30, depending upon the day and worth every penny!
Another dining highlight was the Saint Bibiana in the Mansion on Forsyth Park, just down from our room. The restaurant and lodge looked like a large castle with hallways adorned with large pieces of artwork, combining classic architecture and modern art. The food and service was excellent.
While exploring Savannah, we stopped into a handful of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) buildings. This prestigious art school has restored 70 local buildings – among them a former hospital, a railroad complex and a department store, transforming them into state-of-the-art academic buildings and residence halls. One of their buildings was built around a full size double decker bus, selling coffee and light snacks.
Take a trip to Savannah and take advantage of the amazing history, art, food and more!
