Charleston, SC versus Savannah/Jekyll Island, GA for spring break

[Ceila]

We're taking the kids (DS11 and DD8) and driving down (the difference in driving time isn't an issue). We all love historical sites as well as some beach time. Any suggestions?

 

[BelleWDW]

Subscribing....we were just discussing a similar vacation.

 

[vettechick99]

I've been to both. I grew up near Savannah and love it there. So much to see in the area...Forts, cemetaries, the Savannah River, etc. Charleston is great, but I heart Savannah!

 

[golfgal]

We are thinking about a spring break trip to that area as well. Ideally we want to go to Myrtle Beach for the golf but DS17 doesn't like to golf much so we need some place that would offer golf but then have stuff to do with DS17 (who is a history buff). Any good golf resorts around Charleston or Savannah?

 

[mumto2]

We love both places. They aren't that far away from one another, so you could consider splitting time between the two cities. Some of the things to enjoy in Charleston - the downtown is great - the market, Rainbow Row, the shops, the tours... Another favorite for my family is CharlesTowne Landing - a state park with frequent living history reenactments, a replica of one of the early ships that came from England, and a wildlife exhibit with many of the animals the early settlers would have encountered. There is also a great aquarium, Fort Sumter and fantastic dining. Several beaches are an easy drive from downtown, and there are many hotels on the beach (but they book up early for Spring Break).

Savannah has a lot to offer as well, although the historic section of town is much smaller and not as well maintained (according to one of the tourguides we've had, the city went through a period in the 60s and 70s of tearing down old buildings in favor of newer, modern structures). The beaches are a little further out (for beaches, I'd even suggest Hilton Head, about an hour from Savannah), but still nice. Savannah is the birthplace of Juliet Gordon Lowe, founder of the Girl Scouts, so that generates some tourist traffic as well. River Street is a lot of fun, cute shops and tasty restaurants.

Personally, I would avoid Myrtle Beach during Spring Break at all costs. I live in the Carolinas, and MB is insane during that time of year - hours long waits in restaurants, traffic jams beyond belief, and crowds of kids (HS and college) going crazy. Don't get me wrong, Myrtle is very nice, especially for golf, most of the year. But Spring Break is not for the faint of heart.

You can't go wrong either way, IMHO. Have a great trip!

 

[quentina]

I would do 2 nights in Savannah. Price line a waterfront hotel there....we always get the Hyatt which is amazing. Then head to the beach.

 

[Goofycampers]

I really think Charleston is easier to navigate with kids, its a 4hr drive for us and we've been many times. We stay downtown and walk most places. The beach is a short drive away. Savannah is a great city but IMHO not as easy to get around in. But either one is great honestly.

 

[PlutoPony]

We went to Charleston 2 years ago for Spring Break with DS13 and had a great time . Charleston really had something for each of us along with good weather, even though it was only mid-March (early Easter that year).

In the end, we stayed at Wild Dunes Resort which is a very nice resort community on the beach north of Charleston. This place is your typical East Coast beach resort with pool, tennis, golf, bikes, great beach - all the activities you could want. Even though the water wasn't warm at all, there were kids in the ocean all the time and DS spent a fair amount of time riding waves brrrrr . The adult contingent were content wading along the shore and the weather was fine for that. From the resort we took an environmental tour on a small boat thru some of the estuaries and inland waterways in the area, saw lots of porpoises and other wildlife / waterfowl and spent some time wandering around an uninhabited island. Lots of activities like that are available in the area.

From Wild Dunes we were ~ 20 minutes into downtown Charleston, very easy to get there. We took a tour out to Ft. Sumter, wandered around downtown and did some walking tours and checked out the architecture, and took a horse drawn carriage ride. Also went in one evening for a walking Ghost Tour which was GREAT fun . Another really interesting spot is Patriot's Point Naval and Maritime Museum. Highly recommend this! It's on the Mount Pleasant side of Charleston Harbor. The aircraft carrier Yorktown is anchored there as well as a submarine, destroyer, Coast Guard cutter, and several other military ships - all open for touring. Even if you're not particularly interested in this type thing (and I'm not) it's definitely worth spending some time there. You can't imagine what it's like to wander around an aircraft carrier - talk about a HUGE ship - and going down into a submarine is hard to describe.

We all thoroughly enjoyed Charleston and will probably go back again some time. If you're there a little later, I'd add in visits to plantations and gardens.... azaleas typically begin to bloom in late March and the area is spectacular then!