lynni

For many years, I have wanted to travel to see both Savannah Georgia and Charleston South Carolina and it seems I may finally get my wish but I need your help in narrowing down the many choices!

We are flying from Santa Barbara to Charlotte, North Carolina on November 16 ( for the purpose of seeing my boyfriends sister for Thanksgiving in Statesville) and returning home on November 24, the day after Thanksgiving. After we land, we will stay two nights at my love's sisters home and then will have four nights to travel before heading back to Statesville NC to help with Thanksgiving preparations.and another few nights with family.

I am town between spending all of the extra time in Charleston, splitting time between Charleston and Savannah or perhaps seeking out smaller, charming historical towns along the coast and staying away from the larger cities.

Will you share your favorites with me? We like to walk, see historical sights, have good food but usually small plates and cocktails rather than elaborate meals. Lodging should be under $300.00 per night and vrbo is fine if its a "sure thing." I'm hoping for some wonderful "off the beaten path" suggestions!

Thank you in advance!

Gretchen

You will not be disappointed by spending your time in Charleston and a day or so in Savannah. It's about a 4 hour drive from Statesville down the interstate. There is much to do and enjoy and the weather will be well nigh perfect that time of year.
While in Statesville you could run over to Winston Salem and do a little sightseeing at Old Salem and there are wineries in that area also.
YOu should be able to find plenty of lodging for that level. Stay in the historic district.
There are innumerable threads about Charleston and Savannah. And there is also Beaufort to poke around in between the two cities.

gmoney

You will find that some prefer Savannah and some prefer Charleston. We prefer Savannah. Although we enjoyed Charleston a lot, there is just something about Savannah that I can't even put into words. You said you like to walk and see historical sights, Savannah is meant for strolling. Just walking the streets and the squares is Savannah's main attraction IMO. There is a certain warmth and homeyness that Charleston seems to be lacking.

thursdaysd

Gretchen pretty much covered it, although you might pick up a guidebook. I used to hate Savannah because the mother-in-law from hell lived there, and driving across SC on I-95 is mind-numbingly boring, but when I finally went back as a tourist I loved it.

In Savannah I stayed at the Planters Inn and ate at the restaurant next door. Haven't been to Charleston in ages, we always used to stay on Kiawah Island, but with such little time you would want to be in the historic district.

http://www.plantersinnsavannah.com

lynni

So after reading many, many threads here, I pulled the trigger on tickets this morning and changed my flights a bit! We will fly from LAX to Savannah and then fly home from Charlotte to LAX.

That eliminates some long drives and gives us more time with family and to sight see!

Still hoping for personal recommendations from those who have been recently!

Thank you all.

progol

After reading your post, I realized I never posted my own trip report, so thank you for the inspiration! Here is the recent trip my husband and I made to Charleston to celebrate his birthday:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...charleston.cfm

Gretchen

That is a good plan I think. As for "recent", one thing about Charleston and Savannah is that they have real long time "favorites" that stand the test of time.
What are your time plans now? And really don't forget to stop by Beaufort on the way up to Charleston. Someone here posted a great place for lunch which I cannot remember.

lynni

Thanks for these suggestions and observations. As of now, our flight gets into Savannah late on the evening of November 16, which is a Thursday and I'm going to call to book a room at the Steven Williams House, if possible, which is at 128 W. Liberty Street. We will see the sights in Savannah Friday and Saturday and leave for Charleston, with a stop in Beaufort late afternoon on Saturday, checking into the Vendue Inn when we get to Charleston. Planning to head to Statesville Monday afternoon, in time to arrive Monday evening.

I know it's a very quick trip but it's all the time we have!