For Spring Break this year we took an action packed trip to Savannah, Georgia. We had a fabulous time and truly embraced our role as tourists. We experienced everything Savannah had to offer and came back with such fun memories.
The logistics of getting to, and around while in Savannah were super easy. Savannah is a quick 1 hour and 40 minute direct flight from Grand Rapids, the city’s downtown is a short 20 minute Uber ride from the SAV airport, and once you’re there, the city is extremely walkable. We brought the kids scooters knowing we’d be on our feet a lot during our visit and the kids crushed it.
We booked our accommodations at the Hotel Kimpton located in the Riverwalk District. The Kimpton is right in the heart of it all and was the perfect launching point for all of our many activities. They had a great outdoor pool area, a lovely restaurant where we dined for brunch during one of our leisurely mornings (they bent over backwards with service there), and we thoroughly enjoyed the free coffee in the morning, as well as the daily happy hour each afternoon. We recommend!
The Savannah Hop on Hop Off Trolly Tour was the perfect way to spend our first day in town because it covered everything, allowing us to scope out all the things we wanted to explore more of in the days that followed. The trolley was open air and the drivers were knowledgable and entertaining. I think we all got a kick out of riding the trolley around town.
Forsyth Park was beautiful and is the shining jewel of the city. We learned from one of the trolley drivers that the iconic foundation was purchased out of a catalog more than 150 years ago and each St. Patrick’s Day they turn the water in the fountain green to celebrate.
The tour also took us past many of the 22 squares (originally 24) located throughout the city, all designed geometrically by founder James Oglethorpe. Our favorite square was Johnson Square because of the ghost story about Nathanael Greene. We took a late night ghost tour where the guide (a young SCAD student named Prism who was awesome!) shared the alleged haunting of the square by Major Greene, explaining why no Spanish moss can be found growing in that particular square. The ghost tour was a highlight of our trip and both kids named this as one of their most favorite parts.
The sunset Dolphin River Boat Cruise tied as their second favorite. And looking back, Jeff and I both agree it was great. But going into it, we had low expectations - the website listed BYOB in its description and a photo of what appeared to be just a large pontoon boat - and it was. And BYOB we did! We saddled up with our bottle of wine and burritos to go, ready for adventure. Not only did we have a stellar time, but we saw tons of dolphins!
The Savannah River is a sight to be seen. I had no idea how industrial the city and its river are. Lining the shores both north and south of the Riverwalk District are entire yards full of shipping containers being loaded on and off of massive ships. Ones that we watched from roof top patios throughout our stay. They were extremely impressive.
Another highlight for me personally was brunch at Collins Quarters at Forsyth Park. They have a lovely outdoor dining area that happens to be next door to the parks playground. We felt right at home enjoying our coffee and mimosas while the kids bopped in and out after eating their pancakes. It was one of those mornings where we had things we wanted to do, but no set agenda. It was magical.
That same day we toured the Savannah Children’s Museum and let the kids go wild. It’s an all outdoor play space with interactive exhibits. They had a blast and we all got sunburnt.
Our proudest touristy moment was visiting the American Prohibition Museum which included an authentic adult beverage with entry at their speakeasy bar inside the museum. The kids got a kick out of the two way mirror where folks outside of the speakeasy couldn’t see that they were being watched until they came inside, joining in on the joke.
We also enjoyed our lunch at The Olde Pink House. The kids devoured their fried chicken and had fun drinking root beer from a real bottle, and I was quite delighted myself with my Gin Sangaree: gin, sauvignon blanc, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, topped with soda water. It was so refreshing - coming to an Ottawa Hill front porch near you! The place was adorable and the service was excellent.
Savannah was fabulous. We ate pralines, got our hands messy with a low-country boil. We toured cemeteries, walked a million miles (and loved every minute of it), and took in the beautiful Savannah sites. It was a very memorable Spring Break that I know we’ll all look back fondly upon.
