Charleston/HiltonHead/Savannah
 

Hello all...
My friend and I are traveling to New Orleans next week and staying at the W French Quarter for three nights.(any thing we should know?)Then 2 nights at the Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston.(worth the money?) Next we are booked one night each at the Westin Hilton Head and in Savannah. My long overdue question is, I fear that is not enough time in Savannah and maybe we should skip Hilton Head all together? We are mostly interested in fabulous food and wine and seeing unique cities with culture and history...I have read the extensive posts and have found good restaurant and touring recommendations in all 3 places, but does anyone have anything we ABSOLUTELY cannot miss? We are willing to spend as much $$$ as we need to have a very memorable vacation.
Thank You, Sarah

Sarahjaneb,
Charleston Place Hotel is elegant, personally I thought it was worth the money. Savannah and Charleston are both extremely charming, you will find plenty of charm, culture, and especially history in both. And great restaurants - my favorites in Charleston are Poogan's Porch and Sticky Fingers, and Boathouse at Breach Inlet, but there are many others. For me, Hilton Head does not begin to measure up, but that's just my opinion.

Just spent three nights in Charleston and two in Savannah (with a night in Beufort in between.) We liked Charleston much better than Savannah and agreed that our two nights in Savannah were just about fine.

In Charleston we would recommend Hank's for great seafood, High Cotton and Magnolia's for great dinners. The bar at High Cotton is a great place to go after dinner--jazz and a very congenial crowd. Also ate at McCrady's and were disappointed but it may have been an off night. In savannah we ate at the Old Pink House and found it stuffy and overrated. I'm sure there are better places in Savannah. Have a great time.

Thank you so very much for your speedy replies...This is the most amazingly helpful group of members. I will still be open to any other sugggestions...

hey guy....definately skip hilton head. It is a pretty but "plastic" town. Spend more time in Savannah. I am from Savannah and I can tell you now you will be enchanted by the city. Post again if you want more specific info.

definately post again in you want restaurant/pub ideas. also if you want to spend one day/night doing the tourist thing and one day night doing the "real" savannah experience..post I'll give you the "down low" on the "low country"
Have Fun either way!!

You definitely can't go wrong with Charleston and Savannah, and I second the votes for Beaufort -- at least for part of a day. However, I wouldn't rule out Hilton Head, either. Your trip sounds like a whirlwind, and you might appreciate a day of "down time" on the beach or tennis court or golf course. Lots of dining options in Hilton Head as well -- we had a fabulous dinner at Red Fish this spring. They focus on innovative preparations of seafood, with a Latin flair, and have an extensive wine list; reservations are a must.

I don't understand the comment of HH being a "plastic" town. It's not a town at all. It's a collection of beachfront resorts and very little else.

HH is a totally diff experience from Charleston/Savannah. I never take my husband to HH 'cause he can't appreciate doing nothing. Unless you golf, HH is for sunning, playing in the ocean, sleeping on the beach, drinking frozen stuff on the pool deck, and maybe a little bike riding (and I mean on the sidewalk, like a little kid riding) if you get energetic. No sightseening at all. No shopping. Just "time to turn over and get another Pina Colada".

I agree with the consensus thus far, NO, Charleston and Savannah are more similar cities and HH is a different type of place.
I think on your first visit to Savannah I think you could enjoy two nights there. I would skip HH.

I love the Westin in Savannah as well as Charleston Place in Charleston! At the Weston, ask for either an upper floor or Club level facing the river. The site of the tankers eye level is mind blowing.

The only downfall (for me) of the Westin is the water taxi. I could never quite catch it and always had to wait for the next one.

The only downfall of Charleston Place is that it is too close to great shopping! Spent too much money. Make sure you go to Bob Ellis Shoes but be prepared to drop $$$$.

This is the best...I am getting so very excited for my trip! I would love more specific info on Savannah. The "real" Savannah experience as opposed to the tourist thing sounds perfect. A couple of pubs would be helpful as well.(The same for Charleston) We really just want to eat and drink and take it all in. Being from California, we are starving for a bit of the South especially the food and history.
At the Charleston Place, we are staying on the Club Level and I am hoping it is worth it, and I will try to get Club Level at the Westin Savannah. I really appreciate all of your help and fantastic suggestions ~ Sarah

Tommy Condon's in Charleston (www.tommycondons.com) is my all time favorite pub. It is an Irish pub but has lots of lowcountry flare. The location (Church Street, Downtown) is wonderful and the outside eating area is even better. They run ceiling fans pretty much all the time and it is covered so if it is raining you can still feel like you are outside. My husband and I sit and watch people walking and taking carriage tours while relaxing with a drink. Their she crab soup and shrimp grits are delicious.

Have fun!

Sarah, rent Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Prince of Tides, Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, and Bagger Vance. They were all filmed in either Charleston, Savannah, and the low country. Also, some John Travolta film that has to do with military but I can't remember the name of it.

When you go to Hilton Head, make sure you get in the ocean. Our water warms up to a bathwater 85 degrees in the summer.

In HH, I love The British Open Pub. It is great and cheap. Check out SNOB (Slightly North of Broad), Magnolias, and Carolinas in Charleston.

LiteSpeed Chick...that is what I meant by it being a plastic town. Actually there are a lot of residential neighborhoods all throughout HH. There are also several schools. It is a town. But there is really nothing there unique about it. that is why it is plastic

It's me again...
Sorry to bug, but the Westin in Savannah is sold out for one of the nights we will be there. If money were no object, is there a hotel in Savannah that we absolutely can't miss? With only a couple of nights there I want to really have a memorable time.
Again...this is the best group of people with the best information!!!!!!! I am truly impressed.

Sarah..you probably will enjoy a tour. but don't go on too many. Just grab a drink of your choice in a plastic cup and pick up a walking map. I am a bartender on Tybee Beach @ The Grill Beachside...stop by.my name is Kevin. As for shellfish the best is The Crab Shack on the way to tybee. As for southern "home" cooking. go to the lady and sons but get a reservation the day before you plan to dine. Garribaldi's is great for italian. Tubby's Tank house is a great place to get a bite and a drink and people watch along the savannah river. You definately have to get a slice of Vinnie Van Go Go's Pizza. As for pubs. My fav is The Rail Pub on Congress. also on congress O'Connells Pub, Mercury Lounge are cool and The Bar Bar in City Market. And Savannah Blues for great live music. post again with more specific ques

The Hyatt across the river is my favorite place to stay!

Thanks (Go Travel), the Hyatt looks nice...I will book that. Thank you also for the Charleston Place nod, I was worried that we made the wrong choice, now I can't wait!

Kevin, my friend Dawn and I will definately stop by the bar for a drink...we are in Savannah Sun and Mon 6/15 & 6/16 Do you work then? ~Sarah

Sarajaneb...have you thought about a B&B instead? If you are going for another hotel, I'd definitely do the Hyatt, in fact, their location is far and away better than the Westin (which I otherwise love and think is beautiful). Being across the river, even if it is a lovely hotel, I would think would be a pain in the neck. If you are driving, you take your life in your hands, too, making a left turn from the Westin to get onto the bridge!! Westin is the new boy on the block and I do love their decor--just not their location. For B&B's you've got Gastonian, Foley House (on very pretty Chippewa Square), Ballastone, Kehoe House...just running off the creme de la creme. It might be a nice change from hotel living. (listen to me, a hotelier's wife! :) )

You'll love Charleston Place. We've stayed on their Club level.. and had a really lovely large room. Nice appetizers and wine in the evening. Terrific location too.

Crab Shack is my favorite for seafood too, blueaguave. Anytime we went to the beach at Tybee by the way, we went to "your" beach and did it often enough to have parking passes. Only ate at your place once, and that was in it's very very early stages. Have no idea what it is like now.

GoTravel, in another thread you were talking about drinking with some dentists, fire chief, police chief and bar owner etc and I was ticking off in my head which bar it would be. Here's my list of likely possibilities, based primarily on which bar the owner is most often seen with his customers. Three are in a dead heat for winner...Malones, Kevin Barry's, and Spankys. Beyond those 3, I couldn't guess. We always went to Malones to watch Texas Tech football games, however we began to notice a trend--they lost if we watched, they won if we didn't, so we stopped going. :D

Oliveoyl,
It sounds like you have great suggestions! I have been in the hotel business also, so I am sort of spoiled...we are on the Club Level at Charleston place, so thanks for your recommendation. If you are ever in Carmel, CA come and stay at a boutique resort/winery that I work for, it is beautiful. Thanks again.