Trip report: Savannah, Ga.
 

Recently spent a couple of quick days in Savannah. We were originally supposed to be there last spring on a prepaid reservation, but a family illness forced us to reschedule. The owner of the B&B we reserved worked with us to find a suitable rescheduled date. She didn't want to give us prime time, so we took late-Sept. That worked out fine, as the weather was great.

Eats: two main places to note -- the Pink House and the Crystal Parlor. The PH is a bit of an institution in Savannah. Good food and excellent service. There are several room, and we were given our choice of where to sit. Chose the upstairs room with beamed loft ceilings. Intimate and quiet. Would recommend the PH if you are looking to spend in the area of $25 for entrees. Note: another couple at the B&B said they really liked Elizabeth's, which is a bit of a hike from the historic district.

The Crystal Parlor was recommended by the B&B owner as a local place that serves great burgers, good beer, and hardly any tourists. It lived up to its billing. Good food and service at moderate prices.

We used one of the on-off trolley services. They cost about $25/person/day. It's a handy way to get around the historic district, and the drivers entertain you a bit with some history and factoids.

Recommended tour: the Mercer-Williams House, which was the home featured in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Good tour, good guide. The home was owned by Jim Williams, who was played by Kevin Spacey in the movie.

Not recommended: the riverboat tour. Savannah's harbor and river are mostly industrial, so a ride up the river mostly consists of looking at grubby factories and other processing plants.

The B&B: Stayed at the Olde Savannah Inn on Gaston, on the edge of the historic district. Great breakfasts, typical old Savannah townhouse with lots of charm. We stayed in the ground floor Provence room. We liked it but some might find it a bit claustrophobic -- low ceilings.

Now, about the owner: she was, shall we say, a bit quirky. She ran the whole place (4 rooms) by herself. Did everything. And made sure to let you know about how overworked she was and how some guests didn't" appreciate all she did (blah blah blah). It was a bit much. She had a sort of motherly "this is my house and you will live by my rules" tone to her. We got along fine with her, but if you look at the negative reviews on Tripadvisor (there are many positive ones, too), most are about her.

I enjoyed Savannah for the first time this past December. Good to know about the Mercer-Williams House, which sadly was closed when I visited. Thanks for the trip report!

I'm going for a few days right before Christmas.....thanks for the tips!!

Also, if you have an hour to kill and you're in the neighborhood (it's at one of the trolley stops), take a self-tour of the Heritage School. It's a few bucks to get in. It was one of the first Catholic schools in Savannah, and they have an original classroom and some other displays that are interesting.