I decided to make the 2 hour trek down to Savannah on Sunday. I have to be honest, it was no Charleston.
I’d like to finish on a positive note, so instead of “cons”, let’s begin with what I will call-
CONcernS:
The parking situation was insane. I drove around for 45 minutes just to find a parking spot. I had wanted to visit a few shops a few minutes drive away, so I didn’t want to park in an all-day garage.
Downtown wasn’t as historic as I thought it would be. The city plan is actually really beautiful, however, I kept wondering if I was in the right downtown. The main strip’s buildings had more of a 1950’s feeling than 1850’s (which I happen to prefer) Maybe there were more historic neighborhoods if I had walked around side streets, but without being familiar with the area, I didn’t feel comfortable walking around like I do in Charleston. I did take a few photos of some of the older buildings I passed by on my circling to find parking 🙂
Most of the shops and restaurants were closed because it was Sunday. This was just poor planning on my part. I tried to follow this guide on 24 hours in the city, but most of the places weren’t open. (Including the author’s place, Back In The Day Bakery)
I ended up going to Goose Feathers Cafe, because it was one of the only places that was open and I read about it on a review site. It was an “express cafe”, which means you order at a counter and then they bring your food to you. This would have been fine on any other day, but I had really wanted a different experience. It felt a little too college cafeteria for my mood. But I was so hangry, that I knew I needed to eat something. Immediately. Upon describing my experience to Iron Man, he said, “I’ve experienced you being hangry, first-hand. You just needed to be fed fast!” The sandwich was fine and the service was good-They were so friendly. It has great reviews, so don’t judge it based on my gnaw-my-arm-off attitude at the time 🙂 If I hadn’t been so discouraged, I would have stayed around for a fancy dinner at The Olde Pink House at Planters Inn, which was written up in all reviews, and happened to be open.
There weren’t any plantations to visit. However, I stopped by Wormsloe Historic Site, which has “Tabby Ruins”. I walked through the whole museum, and I’d hoped they would have a description of what exactly “tabby” is. I just looked it up now, and apparently it’s a kind of concrete from shells, sand, and water…but the real showstopper was the beautiful oak allee with Spanish Moss in all of its Southern glory 🙂 In hindsight, I should have walked through the cemeteries, which are supposed to be beautiful…
This photo was taken AFTER I ate 🙂 And yes, The Charleston Dress made another appearance!
PROS:
The shops that were open were lovely! One recommendation was The Paris Market. It was SO cool in there and really reminded me of one of my faves, Terrain at Styers.
Also downtown was 24e Design Co., which was pretty cool, as their sign proclaims…
This ;little “loft” was on the landing between the flights of stairs. It had a low ceiling and reminded me of an adult tree house 🙂
And finally, I did a quick run-through of 2 Women and a Warehouse (which was also recommended in the 24 hour guide). I was a little skeptical, because of the kitschy things outside, but it ended up holding a few treasures.
Another narrow dining table 🙂
The ice cream was quite possibly the best I’ve ever had. If you ever find yourself in Savannah, please, please, please stop at Leopold’s Ice Cream. The line was out the door and I know why. As always, I was torn between two: Lemon Curd vs. Rum Bisque, both 2 of the original flavors from 1919. I’m usually a caramel/mocha girl, as opposed to a lemon/raspberry girl, but they recommended the Lemon Curd and it really was the right choice. It was just a tiny bit lemony, a lot a bit sweet, and very creamy! It may have made my trip worth it!
The drive was really relaxing. The scenery on the way down was really beautiful. Lots of open fields with flowing grass. The weather was perfect and featured clear blue skies and lots of fluffy white clouds. The clouds were so perfect and low, they looked like cotton candy and something out of a movie. It really reminded me of the trips my cousins and I used to take to our grandmother’s house in Canada. She has since sold the 75 acre property, but the memories stay.
There was a sweet country shop that sold cider. I passed the Carolina Cider Co. on my way down, and noticed that they had another location across the highway on the other side, so I stopped on my way home. Secretly, I was hoping it was alcoholic…but they let me try it and it was SO tasty. I bought the Peach AND the Black Bing Cherry! Not pictured is the Moscato that was purchased later to top it off!
Although it wasn’t what I expected, it at least confirmed that Charleston is my favorite southern city!
❤