.gif)
Featured Destinations
Savannah
Millions visit the “Hostess City of the South” every year and most find this bustling port more than capable of handling the crowds — both on the water and off. In fact, mariners aboard both globe-trotting ships and the most modest recreational boats agree: It’s worth spending more than a few days in Savannah. Sports teams, restaurants, cultural activities and art displays join a walkable, well-preserved downtown in a way that’s bound to attract the curious. We think counting yourself among them is a smart move.
With most of the Savannah River devoted to the daily comings and goings of huge cargo ships, there’s still room for more modest vessels. Because of its seagoing nature, Savannah is decidedly cosmopolitan, with a population of some 147,000 representing ethnic groups and nationalities from all over the world. And even though there are plenty of decidedly urbanized portions of the local economy, the pace here is noticeably slower than life in major ports much farther north. So it’s always worth stopping in to see what’s new in the oldest city in Georgia.
With one of the largest historic districts in the United States, along with 22 park-like squares near the waterfront, Savannah is primed for lingering. As might be expected, there are plenty of diversions and palate-tempting establishments all over the downtown. Moreover, the greater Savannah metropolitan area includes plenty of suburbs that make it easy to reach downtown from marinas outside the city, and thereby avoid contending with deep-sea traffic and exposed waters. A good mass transit system helps, too. In any case, we think you’ll enjoy Savannah’s manicured parks, its lovely 18th and 19th century architecture and a modern history that stretches back nearly 400 years.
Although early Spanish explorers poked around the waters surrounding what is now Savannah, the port’s colonial life began in earnest in much the same manner as other major Southern harbors. In 1733, the English sailing vessel Anne anchored near a bluff overlooking the Savannah River. With General James Oglethorpe and 114 hopeful settlers aboard, and a land grant issued by King George II in hand, the British went ashore and were met by a contingent of the Yamacraw, a tribe that had been living on the land for centuries.
A subsequent parley between tribal leader Tomochichi and the new arrivals was apparently amicable enough, resulting in the beginnings of the city of Savannah. Oglethorpe named the larger land area “Georgia” in honor of the king, with Savannah to be its capital. Oglethorpe then laid out the city in a grid, with homes, shops and churches built around 24 squares, 22 of which survive today as charming pocket parks, with decorative fountains and benches shaded by massive oaks draped with Spanish moss. The British maintained control of the city during much of the Revolutionary War.
During the Civil War, Savannah was spared widespread destruction, surrendering to Union troops on Dec. 20, 1864. Pleased with the lack of destruction, Major General William Tecumseh Sherman then presented the captured city to President Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas present. Earlier, Sherman’s markedly destructive campaign through Georgia precipitated the beginning of the end of the Confederacy. Historians disagree on whether the city was spared because its residents were so gracious upon Sherman’s arrival or because the Union had already won control of Southern ports and Confederate forces had withdrawn. At any rate, a well-preserved Savannah prospered economically into the late 1800s, and its population increased steadily.
In the mid-1900s, many historic buildings were demolished to accommodate increased vehicular traffic and urban renewal programs sponsored by the federal government. But local officials began to recognize the value of tourism, and preservation efforts took root. Gradually, Savannah’s image changed from what locals referred to as “the pretty lady with the dirty face” to an architectural gem. The historic district stretches from the river south to Forsyth Park, with an impressive 1,200 historic buildings in a 2.5-square-mile area.
Today, the city’s economy is devoted to shipping, manufacturing and associated industries, with more than 35 million tons of cargo moving through the port annually. Media conglomerates, paper manufacturing, aerospace companies and tourism all chip in to a city that is clearly growing. It’s hard to imagine a stop along the ICW that offers more than Savannah.
Cruise with Confidence with Maptech Chart Products
Embassy Cruising Guide: Chesapeake Bay to Florida & the ICW
Chesapeake Bay to Florida & the ICW, 9th Edition Cape May and Delaware Bay through the Chesapeake and Intracoastal Waterway and offshore to Fernandina Beach in northern Florida. Packed with detailed listings for marinas, local navigation advice, aerial photos, and an Intracoastal Waterway Bridge Table. 570 pages.
ChartKit® Region 6, 15th Ed. - Norfolk, Va. to Florida and the Intracoastal Waterway
ChartKit® Region 6, 15th Edition Norfolk Va. to Florida and the Intracoastal Waterway Norfolk, VA, to Fernandina Beach, FL, inside and outside. Includes ICW navigation advice and Bridge Table. Full-color charts, GPS waypoints, courses and distances, and Yeoman reference points. Save hundreds of dollars on charts. Chartbook Companion Software included free with continental ChartKit® books. 22" X 17", 84 chart pages. Download Companion Software
Things to See and Do
Because there is so much to see and do here, you may want to narrow your options by checking out the Savannah Visitors Center (301 Martin Luther King Blvd.; 912-944-0455), which is a short walk from the waterfront. The center shares space with the Savannah History Museum (303 Martin Luther King Blvd.; 912-651-6840) in a restored 1860 railroad shed in Tricentennial Park, at the edge of the historic district. In addition to exhibits highlighting Savannah’s past, you can browse through the scores of brochures detailing tours and attractions. There are five additional satellite visitor outlets at various locations around town.
More than a dozen tour companies vie for attention in Savannah, offering everything from bus and trolley excursions to riverboat rides, horse-drawn carriage trips and specialized walking tours to graveyards, ghost haunts and Civil War sites. Among the more popular is the Old Town Trolley Tours (234 Martin Luther King Blvd.; 855-245-8992). You can hop on or off at any one of 14 stops, with the freedom to explore the city in whatever order you wish.
If you prefer to explore on your own, Savannah is a great city to see on foot (be sure to pick up a free map at the visitors center) or you can catch a free Chatham Area Transit (CAT) shuttle (912-233-5767) for transport throughout the historic district, the greater city and suburbs. Look for the red CAT signs that mark each of the stops. For two-wheel enthusiasts, check out Savannah on Wheels (405 W Hall St.; 912-777-4620), which has rentals for the day or week, electric and non-electric bikes, plus mountain, traditional and single-gear rigs. Tours are also available as are children’s bikes.
Savannah has scores of historic attractions, but before you head to a museum or a restored home, walk the city streets and soak up the atmosphere in either or both of Savannah’s liveliest neighborhoods — the waterfront and City Market. Starting along the waterfront, River Street, which is paved with centuries-old cobblestones once used as ballast in the ships that sailed here, emphasizes the city’s seafaring ambiance. The sailing ships are gone, of course, but Savannah still hosts tugboats, freighters, container ships, ferries, tour boats and pleasure craft that constantly ply the river’s waters. This street, parallel to the river, is lined with shops, restaurants, bars and nightspots of various kinds, many housed in timeworn former cotton warehouses. You can buy everything from postcards to original art and dine on anything from fried fish to the finest steaks and seafood. And don’t miss the pralines. Several sweets shops offer free samples of fresh pralines and honey-dipped pecans that are irresistible.
Two blocks inland from the waterfront, Savannah City Market (219 West Bryan St.; 912-232-4903), which calls itself “The Art and Soul of Savannah,” is a delightful hand-me-down from 1755. That’s when farmers and fishermen began selling their products at an open market here. The merchandise has changed through the years, but 19th-century buildings, horse-drawn carriages, a pedestrian promenade and sidewalk merchants keep its heritage alive. Boutiques, galleries, restaurants and clubs make it one of the city’s trendier places. There’s live music in the courtyard most nights and a party-like atmosphere most days.
Back on River Street, you’ll eventually come to the statue of the Waving Girl, depicting Florence Martus, who lived with her brother at the Cockspur Lighthouse, downriver near Tybee Roads. As the story goes, in 1887, Martus fell in love with a sailor who asked her to marry him when he returned from his next trip to sea. As he set sail, she waved goodbye with her handkerchief. He was lost at sea, and for the next 45 years Martus waved her handkerchief at every ship that passed the lighthouse.
The Savannah College of Art and Design (342 Bull St.; 800-869-7223) has added color and culture to the city, helping Savannah become an internationally-known center for the arts, with 40 galleries and a venerable historic museum. The Telfair Academy & Museums (121 Barnard St.; 912-790-8800), which opened in 1886 and is the oldest art museum in the South, houses a superb collection of American and European paintings and sculptures in an early 19th-century mansion (the Owens-Thomas House). Its Jepson Center for the Arts is a stunning contemporary building with galleries filled with art, photographs and sculpture.
A visit to Savannah would hardly be complete without seeing a few historic homes, starting with the Mercer-Williams House (429 Bull St.; 912-236-6352), which played a major role in the film “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” It was built in the 1860s for the great-grandfather of singer-songwriter Johnny Mercer. The ground floor and garden are open for tours.
Dozens of other restored homes, some of which are open for tours, line the streets. The Davenport Entrance & Shop (323 E. Broughton St.; 912-236-8097), a brick Federal-style mansion on Columbia Square, was close to destruction in 1954 when a group of dedicated women saved it. This led to creation of the Historic Savannah Foundation, which launched a large-scale preservation effort.
Another house-tour favorite is Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace (10 E. Oglethorpe Ave.; 912-233-4501). Now owned by the Girl Scouts and recently revitalized, the house has been furnished to depict the 1870s, when Low was a girl. The Andrew Low House (329 Abercorn St.; 912-233-6854), where Juliette lived with her husband, is also open to visitors.
The Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum (41 MLK Jr. Blvd.; 912-232-1511), in the restored 1819 William Scarbrough House, has exhibits that include an exquisite replica of the sinking of the Titanic as well as an extensive collection of scrimshaw. Scarbrough was a successful Savannah merchant and shipowner.
As you enjoy Savannah, be warned: Folks in the city take their ghosts seriously, and many people we talked to described personal encounters with the supernatural. Consider, for example, the city tourism official, heretofore a skeptic, who took some Japanese visitors out to dinner. One woman, who spoke no English, started shaking and pointing at a window, then bolted from the restaurant, telling her host through a translator that she’d been frightened by a wailing woman in a ball gown begging for help. Later, the Savannah host discovered that several women in ball gowns had died in that same space during a 19th-century fire. “It was very spooky,” the official told us. “Before that I thought ghosts were just a fantasy, but now…”
If you’d like to see for yourself, several companies offer outings, including Savannah Ghost & Folklore Tours (201 E. Oglethorpe Ave.; 912-604-3007), which has both walking and non-walking tours, as well as a haunted pub crawl. Several other agencies offer a similar approach, but for a more personalized style, try Genteel & Bard (203 E. York St.; 912-373-6651), which is an award-winning touring couple who offer audio-enhanced commentary as you visit both scary and historical sites.
On a more down-to-earth note, Savannah is home to no less than eight professional sports teams, including four minor league baseball clubs playing at historic and funky Grayson Stadium (1401 E. Victory Drive; 912-712-2482), home to the Savannah Bananas, an exhibition barnstorming team of college players whose antics are more like a circus than baseball. Some compare the Bananas to the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. They’re a lot of fun to watch, and games at 4,000-seat Grayson Stadium sell out well in advance.
Featured Marinas
Delegal Creek Marinas
912-598-2520Safe Harbor Savannah Yacht Center
912-443-6888The Landings Marinas
912-598-1901
Restaurants and Provisions
Diets often get thrown overboard when visitors see the vast variety and number of eating options available in Savannah. Historically, the city’s been well-known for its indigenous seafood, regional soul food, Lowcountry classics, highbrow fine-dining and no-frills pub grub. That sweet tooth may also get a little out of control here.
Near to the downtown docks is Huey’s Southern Café (115 E. River St.; 912-234-7385), which features New Orleans style cooking and is known for an ideal bloody Mary and brunch. For local color, you can’t beat the Pirates’ House (20 E. Broad St.; 912-233-5757), just a block from the waterfront. Opened in 1753 as a seafarers’ inn, the restaurant makes the most if its heritage with many small dining rooms, each with a story (and possibly a ghost). One oft-told tale is that Robert Louis Stevenson, who visited Savannah many times, based the character of Captain Flint — the pirate who buried the booty in the book “Treasure Island” — on a seafarer who died in an upstairs room at the inn. (There are some who claim that Flint still haunts the Pirates’ House.) The food, a combination of Lowcountry and American fare, is also good, as is the occasional musical entertainment.
If you’re a craft beer enthusiast, you might want to try Service Brewing Co. (574 Indian St.; 912-358-1002), which serves up a wide variety of suds in a pet-friendly atmosphere. If you call ahead, you can also get a tour of the operations, which are near the waterfront.
In the historic district, American cuisine can be had an interesting story can be heard at Alligator Soul (114 Barnard St.; 912-232-7899), Boar’s Head Grill & Tavern (1 Lincoln St.; 912-651-9660), or Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room (107 W. Jones St.; 912-232-5997). For Asian food, try Flying Monk Noodle Bar (5 W. Broughton St.; 912-232-8888) or Fire Street Food (13 E. Perry Lane; 912-234-7776), both within reasonable walking distance of the waterfront.
The Fiddler’s Crab House (131 W. River St.; 912-644-7172) is known for local seafood. An alternative is to dine on the water aboard one of Savannah’s Riverboat Cruises (9 E. River St.; 912-232-6404). The menu features prime rib, Southern fried chicken and crab cakes; there’s also live entertainment and dancing.
The City Market area offers a smorgasbord of feasts. One of our favorites is Belford’s (315 W. Saint Julian St.; 912-233-2626), a fine restaurant with an eclectic menu and an excellent wine list, housed in an old brick building that still bears the faded paint of the Belford Wholesale Food Company. Nearby is Garibaldi Café (315 W. Congress St.; 912-232-7118), an elegantly casual Italian seafood restaurant. It might be hard to believe that the beautiful building was once a fire house with a second-floor ballroom.
If you want to watch your favorite sports team from afar and check out an astounding collection of beers, try Savannah Taphouse (125 E. Broughton St.; 912-201-8277). We counted no less than 36 local and imported beers on tap. It’s housed in a classic theater building, with decor to match.
If the sun is shining with a blistering heat, an ice cream may be the only solution, so try the landmark (circa 1919) Leopold’s (212 E. Broughton St.; 912-234-4442), where locals say the reason for this ice cream parlor’s long life in business is self-evident. You can also get deli-style sandwiches and hot drinks on cold days.
The historic district has many high-quality restaurants separated only by a short walk. Churchill’s (13 W. Bay St.; 912-232-8501) caters to pub-seekers in search of British fare and atmosphere. The city’s oldest tavern is now an excellent spot for breakfast, lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch — the B. Matthew’s Eatery (325 E. Bay St.; 912-233-1319).
For pure elegance and superb food, Elizabeth on 37th (105 E. 37th St.; 912-236-5547) tops most of Savannah’s best restaurant lists. Set in a 20th-century mansion in the Victorian district (a cab ride from downtown), it is known for its gourmet take on Lowcountry cuisine, with a strong emphasis on seafood. Prices are among the top, too, but it’s worth a splurge, and reservations are a must.
