Savannah First Timers
 

March 19-21, first time to Savannah, 2 nights.
Have been to Charleston, so don't need to do plantations (if there are any neaby.) Would like to hit the tourist highlights before heading to Hilton Head.
Staying at East Bay Inn. Any suggestions for must see/do activities?
Thank you!

1) Savannah's main attraction is, like Charleston, the Old Town. Stroll through the streets, under the canopy of the trees and look at those wonderful old mansions. Some of the mansions can be visited, which would probably not add something new for you since you have visited plantations.

2) Second comes Forsyth Park, which is a beautiful, peaceful park.

3) Third comes River Street - a lively scene with crowds of tourists, bars, restaurants and souvenir shops.

4) Another "must-do" is Bonaventure Cemetary - one of the world's most beautiful graveyards, with wonderful sculptures and a most peculiar atmosphere. Be sure to sit on Conrad Aiken's tombstone and have a drink of Madeira - do not forget to spill a few drops for the deceased.

5) You may drive to Tybee Island - has a nice beach,a lighthouse and a row of seamen's houses.

6) Fort Pulaski - not too spectacular, but historically significant.

7) Walking through the marshes of Skidaway Island State Park.

Beware: Do not use the free CAT shuttle - it is not safe. Better walk through the good neighbourhoods or take a taxi for a short ride.

We were just there for the first time and had a wonderful time. One of the best things is to just walk around the historic district - the squares are wonderful.

We also toured several houses on one pass. One of them was the Juliette Gordon Low house (founder of the Girl Scounts). Not only was the house interesting but I learned some things about her that gave me a new appreciation for what she did during her time in life. The other houses on that tour pass were also very good and different from each other so you got a flavor for several different periods of time in Savannah and also some history on restoration efforts.

Eat at Noble Fare - the experience was so good - we went back for a second night!

THank you! I've put all your suggestions on my list.

There are tons of historic houses to tour and small museums to visit -- would recommend doing some research here in this forum and at Fodor's and Frommer's websites for more details. Much of what you'll want to see (except forts) is in the Historic District.

Would highly recommend Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room for weekday boarding house style Southern cuisine lunch -- a line starts forming around 10:30 AM for their 11 AM opening time, but it's worth the wait. Paula Deen's place (The Lady and Sons) is certainly okay, but Mrs. Wilkes is notably better.

You can see a plantation at Wormsloe on Savannah's southside, where movies are filmed and heritage is preserved.

Went took our first trip last June and loved it. The best parts for us were an architectural walking tour
(http://www.architecturalsavannah.com)and a cooking class at the Mansion at Forsyth Park. Great city -- I hope you have a wonderful time.

We drove to Tybee one day... nice drive.. we also did a tour of Savannah when we first arrived, helped us get around ourselves later... I would do Mrs. Wilkes over Paula Deans place in a heartbeat... There was a cafe we ate at.. it was painted black at a corner and used to be a Pharmacy..great food.. also ate at the Conch on the water side..