Day Trip: Savannah, GA
During our time in Kiawah Island, we took a day trip to Savannah, Georgia. Alex and I have been to Savannah twice before to celebrate New Year’s Eve when we lived in Charlotte. It is only a two-hour drive from where we are staying in Kiawah and after going back and forth on whether or not to stay the night, we opted to just go for the day. I’m still hesitant about indoor dining and as it gets pretty chilly in the evenings, we figured we might as well make the most of the sunshine hours and then head back as it starts to get dark.
After leaving Kiawah around 7:30am, we arrived in Savannah by 9:30am and immediately headed to one of my favorite brunch places, The Collins Quarter. The restaurant is a mash-up of the owner’s Australian background with some Southern flair! It was delicious and the prefect way to fuel up for a full day of sightseeing and wandering around!
I think Savannah may be my favorite Southern city. It is super walkable and you can’t beat just meandering through the gorgeous historic district. Known for its squares, the city was originally designed with 24 squares and now 22 remain for people to enjoy. These grass and tree-filled green spaces are the perfect place to rest or stroll through. Also, can we talk about the trees?!?! That Spanish-moss (which I learned from a previous trip is neither Spanish nor moss!) is just so dang charming.
Forsyth Park is the largest park in the historic district of Savannah and marks the boundary between the downtown historic district and the rest of the city. The bright white, Forsyth fountain, is more than 150 years old and a perfect place to stop and people watch.
We spent a lot of the afternoon just wandering the historic district and exploring some of the shops and neighborhood.
Independent Presbyterian Church - This church was in the movie Forrest Gump as he waits for the bus and a white feather floats through the picture.
This carriage house was built circa 1858
We lucked out with sunny and warm weather with temperatures in the mid-60’s. For the latter part of the afternoon, we enjoyed beers on the patio at Two Tides Brewing Co. The brewery is owned by a husband and wife team and is located on the second floor of a 100-year-old house! It was so nice sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine.
We wrapped up our day trip with dinner at Cotton and Rye. Thankfully, the outdoor patio had heaters and we enjoyed a meal of southern classics including: mac and cheese, chicken wings, brussels sprouts, and corn bread.
It was a full and fun day re-exploring Savannah! One of the things I miss most when we used to live in Charlotte is the ease at visiting nearby cities. I’m so glad we were able to take advantage of traveling to this beautiful town while in Kiawah Island.
There are so many shops and restaurants in Savannah and although we were limited in time this trip, I’ve listed a few of my favorites and others I hope to try on another visit!
Restaurants (been to and LOVED): The Grey, Leopold’s Ice Cream, and Soho South Cafe
Restaurants (on my list to visit): Bull Street Taco and Big Bon Family
Shops: Paris Market and Brocante, Savannah Bee Company, and Hygge