Savannnah/Charleston September 2011
 

Starting to think about a trip that would involve a couple of days in Savannah and 4-5 days in Charleston in September 2011. Any recommendations on B& B or Condo in Charleston. First time for both areas. Should we allow more time in Savannah and is 4-5 days in Charleston enough to relax and yet still see sights. DH is a real history buff. Advice.....

i too have been researching places to stay in Charleston. Have a timeshare in Hilton Head & want to go to Charleston a few nights before. Wow-the hotels in Charleston are pricey. While in Hilton Head we will probably do a day trip to Savahhah. Have fun planning-Chris

Dates will make a difference in hotel prices. If it is during an "event"--Spoleto, College or Citadel events, spring azalea/home tours, etc. Also more expensive on the weekends than during the week. What are you calling "pricey", just out of curiosity.

I just did a little test for May/June on Hotwire. The difference in the top hotels on the weekend as opposed to weekdays was about $50/night.

Gretchen's question is important.

There is a very nice Hampton Inn across from the tourist center. It did not seem expensive except in comparison with Hampton Inns along the interstate. Lodging in destinations always costs more than lodging along the highway. Lodging during events costs even more.

Right. The Historic District is on a peninsula and the real estate there is valuable. If it's your first visit I always recommend you stay there so that you can walk right out your door into the heart of things. The weather in May/June is gorgeous and many people visit during that time. Do avoid inexpensive motels in North Charleston. If it's really cheap there's a reason for that.

There are lots of B&Bs. My recommendation, if you want a place in the HD with full kitchen facilities, is Restoration on King. It's a great location. For condos look at vrbo.com.

Will echo all who are recommending that you stay in the Historic District. It's worth it to be close by everything. Staying outside the area may or may not put you in either a bad area or away from public transportation.

Will definitely echo suewoo's recommendation not to stay in North Charleston, regardless of cost savings -- with the exception of the small area immediately surrounding the airport, all the parts of North Charleston I saw while taking a city bus from the Historic District to the airport ran through a long stretch of significantly "bad part of town."

Exactly. If it's cheap you do NOT want to know why, lol! There are a couple of OK places near the Convention Center up there, but again you take a chance. If there's a concert at the center lots of partiers will be there too. While throwing down can be good, it's not conducive to a good night's sleep.

Public transportation can be unreliable, so keep that in mind. If you stay in the HD you can walk everywhere, which is fun. I do it all the time. It's especially beautiful right now with all the decorations.

I'm also thinking of a Charleston/Savannah trip, and wondering about Shar's question of how to split 6 or 7 days between the two cities... I'm thinking more of March or April 2011... Linda

We have stayed in the Hampton Inn and it is quite nice--breakfast included. It is right across from the /vistiors center so you can get a trolley to the Historic District. The other reason it is expensive is that there are not a whole lot of hotels and Charleston is definitely a "destination".

BowenLinda, I was able to see most all of what interested me in Savannah in two days and Charleston in three days. With two extra days, I'd consider adding a day to each place.

bachslunch... or would you consider a third destination? I don't have my guide book in front of me, but does a third destination spring to mind? I'm sure I could find lots to do in both cities with an extra day but I occasionally get itchy feet and want to keep on exploring.

BowenLinda, depending on your interests, Beaufort and Hilton Head might be options to consider -- haven't been to either, though, so I can't comment one way or the other. Both are located between Savannah and Charleston.

If you have itchy feet visit the plantations outside Charleston. You could go to Hunting Island, near Beaufort. It's between Savannah and Charleston. It's a beautiful undeveloped beach. Have lunch in Beaufort. It's a cute little town.

Thank you for your suggestions, I'll check them out over the next week or so.

Hey what about me...I posted the questions B & B's or VRBO in Charleston and Savannah, historic sightseeing. Everyone seemed to be answering BowenLinda!D

SueWoo gave you some addresses to look at.
There are COUNTLESS threads here on sightseeing and food in Charleston and Savannah. Maybe a little culling and then a specific question?

As for a "third destination", in addition to the plantations you could head up the coast to Georgetown--a lovely small Revolutionary War town, and then a bit further up Pawley's Island where the rice planters spent their summers to escape the malarial mosquitos.
Brookgreen Gardens is there also--wonderful sculptures and gardens. The Huntington's "home" across from Brookgreen is worth a visit if nothing for wonder at the architecture and how they lived there!! It is NOT opulent!

Right. If I listed ever single thing there is to do and see it would take me all day and I actually have a job. I too love Brrokgreen and Pawley's. Shar, there are Revolutionary War sights, Civil War sights, plantations, forts, all kinds of things to see. So start with this:

http://www.charlestoncvb.com/visitors/

And go to vrbo.com. Then let us know when you find something that appeals to you and we can give you great advice re: locations and restaurants close by.

thanks for the website

Shar, sorry for highjacking your thread. Gretchen and Sue, thank you for those additional ideas.

Oh one other thing. September is high hurricane season, so make sure you get trip insurance in case of mandatory evacuation. We haven't had one since 1998, but it's still a good idea to get the insurance.

Spend 2/3 nights in Savannah and 3/4 in Charleston. Be sure to stop in Beaufort, SC lunch on your drive. Tour the town. It's very nice. Planters Inn is a nice place in Savannah.

Planter's Inn @ 29 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 912 - 232 - 5678.
http://www.plantersinnsavannah.com/

ttt

Shar:
Don't get to the US board very much...but when two of my favorite destinations are mentioned, I've gotta chime in.
Last there in 2006...in Savannah, you may want to try the Savannah B and B...perfect in-town location. We had the carriage house rooms..great. The breakfasts are southern and superb. Easy walks all over the compact downtown. Walking through the 23 rectangular parks so beautifully cared for is charming.
Start out by taking the Savannah trolley-bus tour which begins close to the B and B..just ask. It's a hoot and will give you a good overview.
For a fun, unusual family-style dining place, Mrs. Wilkes is one block away. Paula Deen's Mother and Sons is close to the river and a fine experience. More elegant is the Olde Pink House, where my grandson worked as a waiter for a few months during a cross-country trip. There are so many other choices...look them up in a Savannah guide book.

http://www.savannahbnb.com/

For Charleston, the Anchorage Hotel is a good bet..in the historic district...but better yet, let me share a copy of an itinerary I did for some friends some years ago (2006)...this covers Savannah and Charleston, plus some other destinations they wanted...but for Savannah and Charleston, this will help you get started. You're in for a great treat in these two marvelous towns. (They ddn't want a B and B in Savannah, so I recommended another place we had stayed ...anyway..this will help, I hope.

[email protected]

Stu Tower
(send me an email and I'll email back with that
itinerary called, "Sampling the South"..anyone else want that itinerary, I'd be happy to share. Heck, the other Stu (Dudley) does this all the time with his detailed Provence itineraries, so why not Savannah and Charleston.

Thanks all for the great suggestions on places to stay. I will check them out. Also thanks for the tip on Hurricane season. Never thought about that living in CA

I wouldn't add a third destination, I don't think. Maybe Beaufort on the drive up from Savannah... that is an afternoon's wander. Along the bay front there is a little bookshop which sells a book about the various movies shot in the Low Country, that might be fun to pick up and then trace your steps. Although if Beaufort is the halfway point between your two destinations you will already have left one. E Shaver in Savannah might have the same book, I wouldn't be surprised. It's more of a "local publication" kind of book. Also in Beaufort, on Bay Street, is the Low Country Winery. The "wines" are made from various berries - these are actually pretty good mixed with champagne, kind of like a Kir Royale or Mimosa.

Hilton Head isn't really a place to "do in a day", it's more of a place to settle in for several days/weeks and just relax. Walk the beach (or sun bathe), eat along the waterfront, bike ride, horse back ride, go parasailing, kayaking, boat rides, some shopping. There aren't really things to "see" per se but more to "do". By this I mean it is more residential with lots of outdoor activities.

ps. for Paula Deen, don't wait in line like all the tourists. Wait until 1045-11 AM, go directly to the podium where they are taking reservations and ask if you can be seated at the bar. By this time the line will have dissipated and you can walk right up. Bar seating is usually open and sometimes you won't be at the "bar" but on the top floor at a regular table (bar table, I guess it would be...).

I'd take Mrs. Wilkes or Pink House over PD's any day.

Didn't try the Pink House when I was in Savannah, but will definitely second suewoo about choosing Mrs. Wilkes over Paula Deen's place (The Lady and Sons). Mrs. Wilkes has short hours (M-F 11 am to 2 pm) and dishes food up family style, but it's worth making the effort for the amazing eats. Deen's place was okay, but just not in the same league.

By the way, it's Lady and Son's..not Mother and Son's... I agree on comments regarding Paula , Wilkes and Pink...we got a kick out of the classic Cleary's Cafe on Abercorn...root beer floats, generous sandwiches and salads and hamburgers...(as shown in the flick of Berendt's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" ..a good read before visiting Savannah). All of these places are included in my "Sampling the South" itinerary. Strange sight in Beaufort....we were stunnned to see the Chicago Cows all over town...I knew they were seen in many cities, but in a small town like Beaufort!!
stu

Another reason to avoid the hotels near the Charleston airport is the close proximity of the Air Force base. They actually share the runways with the commercial airport.

We stayed at the Homewood Suites there for a bit while DH was transferring with Boeing. The rooms were ok, and the staff was great, but the C17s shook the place day and night!

bachslunce,

The Pink House has cheesstraws just like my grandmama used to make. I think you'll like it!

tower, Cleary's on Abercorn moved up on Habersham. it's great but just not the same.

We love both cities. I have a file on each that I put together when planning our trips. We did them separately, but you may find some info useful. If you would like copies e-mail me: [email protected]

<i>tower, Cleary's on Abercorn moved up on Habersham. it's great but just not the same.</i>

Thanks Sue, for the heads up on the move. The Abercorn store looked like it came right out of a Rockwell painting in 1930-40's

I know! I loved it too. It's just fine now, but you know how that goes....

Hey, rascat, OT, but how's it going?

Hey suewoo! Not bad. We've rented a townhouse in Mt. Pleasant. Getting to know the area. DH is on second shift, which makes it hard to have a normal social life! We are spending the holidays in FL with family. The cats are getting used to making the drive back and forth...

Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!