orewa

In Feb. we are flying into Savannah and the following morning driving up to Charleston (business) then we have 3 days to spend working our way back down to Jacksonville. We are an active, get out and see things couple. Realize it's not much time but want to make the most of it. Any suggestions would very much be appreciated. This is our first trip to the South. Thanks

AuntAnnie

I would advise seeing one place well rather than trying to do more. I stayed a week in Charleston and could have stayed longer!!

tcapp

Make sure on the drive from Savannah to Jacksonville, you go to the Georgia Isles, if you have time, especially St. Simons and Jekyll.
Charleston is a beautiful city with lots to do.

travelgirl_67

Jax is only about a 3 hour drive from Charleston so I'd stay in Charleston for the 3 days and see all there is to see here...or at least as much as you can do in 3 days.

As for things to do here, you could spend a day hitting the 3 plantations on the Ashley (Drayton Hall, Magnolia Plantation and Middleton Place)...if you can only do 2, I'd pick Middleton and Drayton Hall.

You could spend another day taking a carriage tour or walking tour of Charleston and then hitting a couple of the historic homes...2 of my favorite are the Edmonston-Alston House (on East Bay/South Battery) for the glitz and glamour and then the Aiken-Rhett House on Elizabeth Street (near the Visitors Center) for the amazing preservation...this house has been preserved and all the furnishings are original to the family...it is not glitzy but wonderful from the historical standpoint. The Edmonston-Alston House is led by a docent and the Aiken-Rhett tour is a self-guided audio tour with docents on each floor to answer any questions.

On your last day, you could make your way to Savannah (about 1 1/2 hours away) and take a city tour and then end up in Jax that night.

Enjoy your first (of many I'm sure ) visits to the South!

tarasbrats

For an intimate insider's vacation to historic Savannah, even for a brief stop over, I would recommend lodging at a "distinctively Savannah" bed and breakfast like Hamilton-Turner Inn (mentioned in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) on the park at Lafayette Square with magnificent architecture, convenient walking location and hospitality. Slower paces are discovered at for ice cream at Leopold's Ice Cream Shoppe, a chic but casuallunch at SoHo's (a transformed garage on Liberty Street), Savannah Tea Room (for a peaceful haven of clotted cream, lemon curd, scones, sandwiches and tea) on Broughton Street, and Pirates House in the old Trustee Garden (mentioned in Treasure Island), with an upscale dinner at Garibaldi's, the Pink House, Sappire Grill or Gottliebs. Walk or take a pedicab or carriage.

eroz

We are doing a similar trip in early March. We are very active and like to explore. We are doing 2 nights CHarleston, 2 nights Savannah.
Based on research and feedback, I'd rec. spending 2 days in Charleston and 1 day in Savannah. While you can spend more time in each area exploring the outer islands or plantations, make the most of the time you have. Overnight in classic B&Bs, you can find some that are affordable on this site or tripadvisor.com You can easily drive from Savnnah to JAX in about 2 hrs.

orewa

Thanks to all for the help. We are going to spend 1 night in Charleston, 1 night in Savannah and a day trip on Cumberland Island then on to Jax. Does 5 hours seem like the right amount of time to spend on Cumberland in February?

kathleen

Orewa,
Welcome to the south. Cumberland Island is a lovely island, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the five hours there, even though it's not a long time, and getting there is a bit tricky. You reach the island by ferry, as you're probably aware. You then walk across to the ocean side or into the interior, if you prefer. The ferry schedule and other park info are listed on the following link. (But, I'm sure you've already researched the park)
http://www.nps.gov/cuis/pphtml/planyourvisit.html

We were there a few years ago, camping for three days and found it to be a fabulous, beautiful place.

Be sure to take food and water with you.
Kathy