Tell me all about the Savannah, GA area....

[pixiedustaholic]

DH and I have chosen this area to spend a week in June to celebrate our 15th anniversary. We would like to spend some time in Savannah and a nice beach nearby....any suggestions on a decent place to stay either in Savannah or a nearby beach? Also, any tips on what to see and do or where to eat would be appreciated. We will definitely try out Paula Deen's rest. while we are there. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[pixiedustaholic]

bump...anyone?

 

[kilee]

I spent a week in Savannah last July. I was there on business, but still did a lot. I stayed at the Hilton De Soto, it was beautiful. The rooms had all the modern amenities but the decorating, furniture, and decor of the room was done perfectly to reflect the "feel" of Savannah. It had a great location too, I did not have a car and could walk to anything and everything. The river front was a decent little distance but still walkable and I did it several times during my trip.

Remember if you want to eat at Paula's you have to line up in the morning. You can plan on setting aside a good solid 2-3 hrs (depending on the day) to wait in line just to get a reservation for that night.

The co-worker I went w/ and I did a horse drawn carriage tour. It was supposed to be history based, the guide told us more about herself and she had not even grown up in Savannah, so that was disappointing. I also did several of the ghost tours by myself. I wouldn't recommend any one over another because they were all "okay". Learned more about the fun little history facts than anything else.

The large cemetery (the name escapes me now, but you'll know which one) has a lot of interesting facts surrounding it. A great place to visit.

I really enjoyed my time there and would really like to get back there in the next year or two and take my dh this time. It was truly beautiful. I spent 2 evenings just walking around looking at the houses. The architecture isn't like anything you see around here.

 

[webprinter]

We lined up about 30-60 minutes before they started taking reservations and were barely able to get a late lunch reservation. We wanted lunch because it is less expensive. We had to sit in the bar and had the latest reservation for lunch.

 

[descovy]

We are planning a trip this summer that includes a stop in Savannah. We have 3 girl scouts, so a stop at Juliet Gordon Low's birthplace is a must!

I have heard poor reviews about Paula Deen's buffet over there... that it is over-rated and over priced, not very good, et., locals refuse to eat there, ... take that with a grain of salt, but maybe look into more reviews about it if you are still considering investing precious time and money over there. We will not be going there...

I frequent the forums at city-data.com for my hometown (Houston) and I've found it helpful to pop in on city-data forums for towns that I am visiting. It gives you a view of the city from the residents perspective, not the glossy tourist magazines. Savannah has a pretty active forum on city-data... worth a look.

 

[amyren]

I love Savannah but the local beach Tybee island isn't the best. I haven't been in a few years but last time I was there it was really crowded and dirty

As far as Tybee is concerned, in my opinion: The Breakfast club is great http://www.tybeeisland.com/dining/brclub/Default.htm and the Tybee island light house is worth checking out http://www.tybeelighthouse.org/

I would stay in Savannah and make a day of Tybee. I also stayed at the Hilton DeSoto and enjoyed it. I haven't done this but dinner on a riverboat might be fun http://www.savannah-riverboat.com/ Have a good trip

 

[pixiedustaholic]

Thank you all for your replies. After watching this week's episode of "Ruby", I'm not sure if I want to go there or not. They kept talking about how the crime had really increased....but keep those tips coming just in case!

 

[duketennisgal]

I've been down there a lot over the past couple of years for business. I usually stay at the Doubletree, Holiday Inn Express or the Courtyard. All three were perfect and within walking distance to everything, I never pulled my car out of the garages.

I did not eat the buffet at Paula Deen's restaurant because I can't stand buffets but I did have the chicken pot pie. It was amazing, but I would never pay that much for pot pie ever again! I still think it's worth once though just to say you did it. You should also try the Pink House if you get a chance, I think it's the best meal I've had in Savannah.

 

[kristilew]

If you've got a week, you might consider hitting the beach at Hilton Head either on your way down or on your way home. That is a much nicer beach (and great outlet shopping, just saying...) When we lived in Savannah, that was our beach of choice. It's not a far drive, less than an hour.

Vinnie Van Go Go's pizza in the city market area is a must! Also, Girabaldi's does fabulous Italian food. Their crispy scored flounder is famous and rightly so. I don't know if it's still there, but Mary's Steakhouse used to be awesome. It's more on the edges of town. They brought the steaks out a little underdone with hot stone tablets so that every single bite was steaming hot and perfectly cooked. Hard to describe but soooo worth trying to find if you are steak lovers.

Happy anniversary!

 

[suzanna1066@comcast.]

If you want to split your stay with a nice beach, Hilton Head is only 45-60 minutes away from Savannah.

The big cemetery is Bonaventure, BTW.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

We were there last year for about 48 hours and had a great time. We took the trolley ride and had a fabulous guide. They have beautiful parks. We also walked down on the River Walk area and did some shopping. Had a great dinner. We stayed in the touristy area and were fine.
This is some place we definitely want to go back to .
Also, we had Sunday brunch at Paula's. We wouldn't go back. To me if was overpriced southern food. There are some fabulous restaurants in Savannah that I bet we could have found one just as good for half the price without the crap of having to go hours ahead of time just to make a reservation. That's just my 2 cents. Other people have loved it.

 

[duketennisgal]

If you've got a week, you might consider hitting the beach at Hilton Head either on your way down or on your way home. That is a much nicer beach (and great outlet shopping, just saying...) When we lived in Savannah, that was our beach of choice. It's not a far drive, less than an hour.

Vinnie Van Go Go's pizza in the city market area is a must! Also, Girabaldi's does fabulous Italian food. Their crispy scored flounder is famous and rightly so. I don't know if it's still there, but Mary's Steakhouse used to be awesome. It's more on the edges of town. They brought the steaks out a little underdone with hot stone tablets so that every single bite was steaming hot and perfectly cooked. Hard to describe but soooo worth trying to find if you are steak lovers.

Happy anniversary!

I had a calzone from Vinnie Van Go Go's that could have fed 4 people! It was really good.

 

[Golf4food]

We'll be spending our anniversary in Savannah in July and will be staying at the Avia Savannah hotel. Gets great reviews on TripAdvisor. Not going to Paual Dean's. We get southern food like that all the time.

We do plan to eat at some or all of the following: Old Pink House, 700 Drayton, Vic's on the River, Huey's on the River, Back in the Day Cafe, Wiley's Championship BBQ... I'm sure we won't go hungry.

 

[BellvilleDad]

We live too close to have ever stayed in a hotel in Savannah, but I hear good things about the Desoto Hilton, too.

Lots of good seafood and things to see on River St., and in the historic district.

Have a good trip!

 

[damo]

I would head a little north to the Hilton Head/Beaufort area.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

The Pirate House is another interesting restaurant. It is across the street from the river, and they say it had underground tunnels for the pirates to bring their booty in undercover. The food is a little pricey, but good. I like the fried chicken with praline sauce. yumm..

I am a local for 5 years now, and I couldn't tell you one other thing to do here. I won't go to Paula's as I will not stand in line for hours to be overcharged for famous food. Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room is supposed to be good, it is family style southern food. President Obama stopped there for lunch about a month ago.

Tybee is a nice enough beach. It is crowded in the summer, but not so much before and after school is out. It is the only beach in Savannah, so you would have to go to Hilton Head for a different beach. There is a cool restaurant on Tybee called The Crab Shack, lots of things to look at and alligators to feed. I haven't eaten there, but DH said it was good. If you go to the beach that has the light house, there is a great open air grill/bar right there, can't remember the name. They have great food with homecut french fries. If you are going to the beach in the summer, get to the parking lot early (like before 11) and if it's crowded, just start walking and you will find the crowd thins out.

Someone mentioned the crime. Unfortunately, there is some crime in Savannah. If you are walking around at night, stay alert. I wouldn't walk around the squares at night. There is a lot of wealth downtown, and not far away there is a lot of poverty. Just use common sense.