For anyone looking for a great little getaway, you can’t go wrong with Savannah and Tybee Island, Ga.
Savannah is a city rich in history, food, and architecture. From the cobblestones, majestic oaks, and grand antebellum homes of Jones Street to the haunting waterfront filled with shops and restaurants, there are several sites to keep visitors interested and entertained for days. From Fort Myers, it’s about a 7 1/2-hour drive, but well worth it.
Tybee Island is a barrier island just a short 40-minute drive from Savannah. The North Beach end includes Fort Screven and the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum. For a mere $14 ($12 for seniors – a.k.a. what my husband Randy would pay) one can climb the 178-step spiral staircase and enjoy the panoramic views at the top. The South end includes a pier and pavilion along with typical seaside shopping. It has been consistently named one of the top 10 beaches is the U.S.
On a recent drive back to Florida from New York, Randy and I decided to spend a few days in Savannah. We were not disappointed. We arrived on a Monday afternoon and stayed right outside the historic district. Savannah was a popular spot for Irish immigrants back in the day so our first night we had a great dinner at Wexford, one of many Irish pubs in the city. Randy had the homemade chicken pot pie, and I had the deconstructed Reuben. Both were outstanding. We spent a few hours wandering around City Market, an area filled with restaurants, shops, music, and more.
BEAUTIFUL SAVANNAH AND TYBEE SITES
Day two we got up bright and early and headed out for an Old Town Trolley bus tour of the city. These tours are a great way to see the city and stop at the places you most want to see or go back to. The tour can be anywhere from two to eight hours depending on how many times you hop off to see a particular area. The tour costs about $45 per person and stops at 15 different areas of Savannah. You can either continue on to the next stop or hop off and walk around until the next bus comes by, which is about every 20 to 30 minutes. For us, the highlight of this tour is the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, arguably one of the most beautiful churches in the world. Other highlights include the narration by the drivers who are well-versed in the history of Savannah, the River District, and Forsythe Park. We spent about four hours participating and then had lunch at Collins Quarter in Forsythe Park, followed by a walk around the famous fountain that we learned was actually purchased from a catalog.
Later that afternoon we did a one-hour golf cart tour of Bonaventure Cemetery, located on the Wilmington River just southeast of downtown. This historic cemetery is the resting place of several Savannah historical figures including Johnny Mercer, Edyth Chapman, Conrad Aiken, and Little Gracie Watson. It was also home to the Bird Girl statue that graces the cover of the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The Bird Girl was a marker for the Trosdal Family Plot but due to the success of the book and the subsequent movie had to be relocated to one of the local museums due to vandalism.
For dinner that night, we decided to go to a local restaurant called the Pirate’s House. First opened in 1753 as an inn for seafarers, it became a meeting place for pirates and sailors. Rumored to be one of the most haunted buildings in Savannah, guests can receive a tour of the house upon request.
Unfortunately, our dinners were incredibly disappointing, but the service was good, and the vibe is pretty cool.
Day three we had a leisurely breakfast at our hotel and then ventured over to Tybee Island. Our first stop was the South End where we walked the pier, took a two-mile beach walk, and did some souvenir shopping. Crowds were refreshingly minimal and the weather was perfect. Our next stop was the North End with another beautiful beach and the lighthouse. After a little more shopping we headed back to Savannah and had a late lunch at Lizzy’s Burger Bar and took another leisurely stroll along the river.
After a trip back to the hotel and a quick nap, we decided since we had such a late lunch that we would skip dinner and go straight for dessert. We headed back to the historic district to the Peach Cobbler Factory and had two of the best desserts ever! Randy had the Caramel Apple Cobbler while I went with the Mango Peach Cobbler. Both were served with vanilla ice cream, and they were delicious. We took one final stroll around the neighborhood and then headed back to the hotel as we were heading back to Florida early the next morning.
There were several other things we would have liked to do. We didn’t really get an opportunity to enjoy the vibrant nightlife of Savannah so we will definitely be going back for a longer visit at some point. For anyone looking for a great place to visit, full of history, fun and even relaxation, Savannah and Tybee Island are the place to be!
