Savannah Part 2

So I’ve discussed the tours to take and the food to eat but what about the places to see? Well you have plenty of options. First, I’d like to talk about the picture at the top of my blog. This statue is known as The Waving Girl of Savannah. The Waving Girl statue overlooks the Savannah River from the bluff at the eastern end of River Street. It was created by the famous sculptor Felix De Weldon, who also created the United States Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The Waving Girl Statue honors the  life of Florence Martus, Savannah’s legendary waving girl. Florence, who was known far and wide, welcomed more than 50,000 ships to Savannah throughout her lifetime.

The Waving Girl of Savannah

One of the more popular things to do when you’re in Savannah is to take tours of historic homes. Savannah has PLENTY of them for anyone who enjoys architecture and history. I toured two of these homes while in Savannah. One being the Mercer Williams House and the other being the Owens-Thomas House. The Mercer Williams House is probably one of the most toured homes in Savannah. It was designed in 1860 for Hugh W. Mercer, Johnny Mercer’s great-grandfather. The construction was interrupted by the Civil War, and the house was not completed until 1868. The house’s most famous owner, Jim Williams, a preservation and restoration expert, as well as a lavish host became famous as the central figure in the book turned movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Jim Williams was accused of killing Danny Hansford in the study of the mansion in May of 1981. Williams was found not guilty of the murder after his fourth murder trial, but died of pneumonia just six months later at the age of 59. The movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, starring Kevin Spacey features scenes filmed in the house. Jim’s sister now owns the property and has turned the mansion into a museum with daily-guided tours.

The Mercer Williams House

The Owens-Thomas House was built by William Jay in 1816 and is considered the nations finest example of English Regency architecture. The house takes up a whole block and features a columned entrance portico, handsome cast iron balcony, winding double stairway, and arched second story windows. The interior has a gorgeous stairway of mahogany, cast iron, brass and elegant furnishings. The foundation of the home and garden walls are built of tabby, a regional material made of sand, shells and lime. One of the most famous guests of the house was the Revolutionary War hero, Marquis de Lafayette who visited Savannah in 1825. It is said that he reviewed Savannah’s militia from the south balcony of the house and addressed the thousands of cheering citizens who gathered below. It is currently owned by Savannah’s art museum, the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences and is a National Historic Landmark.

Another must-see is the Savannah History Museum. The Savannah History Museum is located in the old Central of Georgia Railway passenger shed, which is a Natural Historic landmark built in the 1850s. The museum has more than 10,000 artifacts, including the famous bench from the movie Forest Gump. The famous bench scene was actually filmed in Savannah.

The Famous Bench

 

That is about it for Savannah. I hope you enjoyed my Savannah blogs. I will updating with places I’ve been, places I’d like to go, and the latest travel deals.

First Post! Savannah Part 1

Welcome to my blog! I’ll be updating this pretty frequently with all things travel related. The content will range from travel deals, hotels, food, places to see, and things to do. I hope you find this blog helpful and even entertaining at times.

On to the second order of business. The last place I traveled to was Savannah, Georgia. I went at the end of March for about 5 days. The good part about going somewhere close like Savannah is that the plane ride is relatively short. The decision to go to Savannah was made by my parents who had heard how beautiful it was and that it was a must see. The first thing I noticed when I got there was how many older people there were. So Savannah is obviously a destination for retired couples, but don’t write it off just yet…Savannah really has something to offer to everyone.

When staying in Savannah, it’s best to stay on or near Bay Street.  Bay Street and River Street are right near the water and that’s where you have the most access to everything Savannah offers. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency on Bay St., but there are numerous hotels and Inns around the whole city which vary in price range. One of the first things you’re going to want to do in Savannah is take a trolley tour. We decided to take a tour with the trolley company that the concierge suggested. The tour cost $30 dollars per person and went all around town. Right after we bought the tickets we went to the Visitor’s Center and the man there suggested a different company that costs $10 dollars per person and hits the same spots. This is why you should always go the visitor’s center first because the hotels have deals with local companies and they make a portion of the profits. So if you’re looking for a thorough and cheap tour, choose Oglethorpe Tours.

One demographic that Savannah definitely caters to is the foodie. First and foremost, I want to recommend THE  BEST place to eat in Savannah, Mrs. Wilkes. It was definitely a different dining experience than what I was used to. First of all, Mrs. Wilkes is only open for lunch and there WILL be a line. The line could range from just outside the door to literally around the block. The wait is worth it. Lunch will cost about $16 dollars. Again, worth it. Secondly, you’re seated at a large table with a bunch of strangers to eat. Third, there is no set menu to chose what you’d like to eat at Mrs. Wilkes. Instead, numerous bowls of food are put on your table and everyone gets to treat themselves to what they’d like…(sort of like a Thanksgiving dinner). They will bring out as much food as you can eat.  Their specialty is southern home style cooking. Some of my favorite items included fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, beef stew, and the dessert, which is always banana pudding. Lastly, when you’re done your meal, they ask you to take your dishes to the kitchen.

Outside Mrs. Wilkes

Another place I would recommend is Huey’s on River Street. They serve New Orleans’s style food in the heart of Savannah. It has a nice ambiance as well because you face the river and there are often street performers with trumpets or saxophones that frequent the area at night. We went to Huey’s for a couple of meals because of the proximity to our hotel.

Finally, you cannot go to Savannah without seeing the face of Paula Deen literally EVERYWHERE. Most people know Paula Deen from her Food Network show Paula’s Home Cooking. She and her sons own a restaurant in downtown Savannah named The Lady and Sons. This restaurant is probably one of the most popular places in Savannah and you definitely need a reservation ahead of time. I did not eat at the restaurant but I heard many good things about it.  I have also heard that Paula Deen is seen at the restaurant fairly often. There is a store attached to the restaurant where you can buy her cookbooks and cooking supplies.

The Lady and Sons

Hope you found this helpful so far. On my next blog post I’ll talk more about the historical sites and activities that are available in Savannah.