Savannah for Every Speed

Ah, Savannah: The best thing about the south, second only to sweet tea. My stance may be sweeping when it comes to this city, but it’s one that can certainly be defended by its relaxed atmosphere, alluring history, and fascinating sights. A modern-minded city with rich history is inviting enough, but the addition of nearby Tybee beach is just that much more enticing. Whether you’re a touring retiree or an adventurous youth, you will find your hopes for a Savannah vacation magically met. While one can say that just about any city has “something for everyone,” today, I am determined to deliver to you a truly well-rounded, wide-ranging, handy dandy list of personal recommendations for Savannah must-sees that will pique your interest, in any way that interest is inclined.

Without further ado, let me begin with the more refined and up-scale locations I have to offer before walking you through to my more active, adventurous, and unique experiences.

✦ Belford’s

If a classy meal more than worth its price sounds like the perfect way to immerse yourself in Southern charm, look no further than Belford’s on Julian St. While I myself have only ever visited during its evening hours, I can confidently say that both a mid-day break from and an endcap to a day of sight-seeing would be perfectly completed by the lovely service and even lovelier fried potatoes of Belford’s Seafood at Steaks.

✦ JW Marriott and the Plant Riverside District

It’s not every day that a hotel lobby is recommended to you as a free but still classy tourist attraction, but it’s also not every day that a hotel lobby is a full on museum! Practically walled with crystal slabs, lined with geodes and fossils, and peppered with other magnificent artifacts, this JW Marriott is the jewel of the Plant Riverside District, and will no doubt be the highlight as you peruse the district’s high-end bars, restaurants and shops. To be frank, shopping aside, the life sized chrome dinosaur skeletons will make the visit well worth your while.

✦ Baobab Lounge

To be franker still, not every restaurant along the Savannah River front in this district will provide you with a snacking experience beyond the American or Mexican classics. If a more elegant culinary stop on your journey is what you seek, then look no further than Baobab Lounge within the JW Marriott. Stunning artistic decor meets African based small plates in this intimate offshoot from the hotel’s museum space, and the lounge’s theming stands to celebrate the equatorial origins of humanity in tandem with the fossils and artifacts just next door. Anyone with an art or history fanatic in their party is recommended to find time for these stops during their Savannah visit.

✦ Prohibition Museum

Speaking of history, this surprisingly family-friendly museum tour will surprise you with its multiple levels of engaging storytelling, wax-figure scenes, and even real-life speakeasy as the story of the 1920s Prohibition Era unfolds before you. Although the speakeasy entrance does cost extra, I assure you that the dynamic entrance and delicious drinks are worth the literal and figurative price of admission, even for those staying sober! Each alcoholic item on the menu is a recreation of Prohibition-era recipes, like the Mary Pickford: a tropical rum drink named for the famous 1920s film star! My one word of caution? The wax figure display of the murder of one of the bootlegging gangsters is quite startling, so do be prepared for a little bit of fake blood during your tour.

✦ Old Town Trolley Tour

This hop-on-hop-off guide through all the most iconic Savannah sights is my personal recommendation for anyone looking to get to know the whole city in a day. The comprehensive journey from stop to stop is narrated by a host of friendly and knowledgeable guides, yet the open-air framework of the trolley and calm vibe of the city makes for a tour that’s as relaxed as it is educational. You can beat the heat as the breeze carries the city’s sensations to you, all with a sweet snack from Byrd’s Cookie Company in hand.

✦ Treylor Park

When it comes to ambiance and quality eats and drinks, all the Treylor Park locations promise a retro-casual delivery of just that. I can only speak for the Double Wide location in Savannah (with Beach Party being on Tybee Island, unvisited by me), but if the uniqueness of sitting down under the metal dome of a vintage trailer paired with mini chandeliers doesn’t pique your curiosity, then I’d be surprised. The theming of both locations is playful but not over the top, landing it place on the more fun-loving end of my recommendation spectrum.

✦ West Congress Street

A parallel to the finer energy of the Plant Riverside District, West Congress Street is a center of lesser-known home of nightlife endcapped by unique and inviting bars, with the colorful edition of a famous escape room (which, pssst, includes a secret bar too)! The Escape Company offers rooms themed perfectly for the culture of Savannah (such as The Savannah Speakeasy and A Night in Graveside Manor) with an assortment of other exciting options. On the food and drink front, Boomys is an often seasonally decorated pub with a Thai menu that I personally have fond memories of, even though it was overrun by Halloween clown animatronics at the time. Such is the exciting energy of West Congress Street!

✦ Ghosts and Gravestones Tour

I don’t often recommend experiences I have not, to some degree, participated in myself, however when the shrieking of tour-takers from within the haunted attraction managed to sneak out the opening door of one particular stop, I knew it had found its place on the most adventurous end of my list. Tales of Savannah’s dark history—which, as one of the older American cities, it has plenty of—are dramatically recounted as the outdoor landmarks are visited and passed by, culminating in the far more frightening indoor monument walkthroughs. To make up for my lack of experience with this recommendation, I briefly interviewed some of the passing groups as they returned to their trolley from the indoor portion of the tour. When asked if the attraction had been scary, a majority of every group gave an enthusiastic yes, with one individual replying in the negative, and the rest of the tour-takers too stunned by the attraction to speak... or too far away from the balcony I was interviewing from to hear me, but who’s to say?

And there you have it: my spectrum of personal recommendations, spanning from fine dining and sightseeing to “spirited” nightlife (see what I did there?). If you, a loved one, or an acquaintance happens to take any of my many suggestions on board during a trip to Savannah, don’t hesitate to write us a review of your experience! Or better yet, if you yourself have an addition to fit into this list, don’t hold out on us and feel free to share your suggestions. And remember: if Savannah isn’t your speed, you can always try Tybee!