Our most recent family vacation took us into historic Savannah where we fell in love with the Spanish Moss, the cobblestone roads, the 18th and 19th-century architecture, and the food! From there we meandered up the coast to visit Charleston to spend our days at Folly Beach and enjoy our Duck Clubs from The Tattooed Moose and seafood dishes from Nigel’s Good Eats. Finally, we wound down our journey on Edisto Island where we took in Botany Bay with its driftwood desert and spent the rest of our hour’s swimming and sunbathing at Edisto State Park. On the way home, we managed a detour to Cypress Gardens which made for the perfect grand finale.
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Today we want to share with you the highlights of this trip! We think these coastal destinations make for a perfect family-friendly vacation! I’m dividing this up into three posts starting with Savannah, Georgia.
Savannah, Georgia – What To See and What To Do
It rained all day until we arrived in Savannah. While we were ordering our Chicken Thyme Pie from The Little Pie by Crown Society it finally stopped. Everywhere we went the clouds were threatening but not a single drop of rain actually fell as we explored the city. By evening, it was bright and sunny. Our previous trip to Savannah was so hot that we recognized the previous rain as a blessing.
Forsyth Park, 2 W Gaston St, Savannah, GA 31401
Spanning more than 30 acres, Forsyth Park is Savannah’s largest and oldest public park. The fountain is over 150 years old! We also loved all of the architecture lining the park.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, 222 E Harris St, Savannah, GA 31401
The Cathedral remains in the top 10 historic sites to visit in the United States. And you can see why. Pictures only share a bit of it though. The peaceful feeling you encounter inside can’t be captured.
We were amazed at the size of the church and the attention to detail was breathtaking. We enjoyed this stop so much and highly recommend you include it in your next trip to Savannah.
At the time of this writing, the church is open for self-guided touring Monday-Saturday – 9:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M and 12:45 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Donations of $3 per person are welcome but not required.
Skidaway Island State Park – 52 Diamond Causeway Savannah, GA 31411
Skidaway Island State Park was our favorite part of the day in Savannah! We loved walking the trails along Georgia’s Intracoastal Waterway and taking in the maritime forest and salt marsh! It was absolutely beautiful!
Just around the bend in the scene above was a beautiful picnic area with a giant fallen driftwood tree and waters ready to explore.
The little crabs playing peek-a-boo from holes spotting the floor of the marsh were almost as cute as these crabs who seemed to be racing each other from left to right and back again.
Good to know... ***The DOT is a fare-free service to help visitors and residents get around downtown Savannah.***
I have to recommend you grab some pizza from Squirrel Pizza – 2218 Bull St, Savannah, GA 31401 – before heading out of town. We would like to personally recommend the Benny Blanco and The Primo! Think thick gooey cheese, perfectly caramelized onions, super fresh toppings and herbs, wood grilled to crispy perfection. So good! We ate it all in one go! So much for leftovers…
More Savannah Food Recommendations
T made a big list of places to eat in Savannah and I thought I would share that with you too! Here it is:
The Olde Pink House
23 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 232-4286 https://g.co/kgs/zXHL4d
Squirrel’s Pizza
2218 Bull St, Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 335-7873 https://g.co/kgs/8Lm3Ze
Halal Kennedy Fried Chicken
924 Pennsylvania Ave, Savannah, GA 31404
(912) 233-8396 https://g.co/kgs/8ZmJYt
Loc’s Chicken & Waffles
7360 Skidaway Rd, Savannah, GA 31406
(912) 692-1114 https://g.co/kgs/mZEgBT
Cuban Window Cafe
1116 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 777-5042 https://g.co/kgs/PGBdp5
(Coffee)
Bar Food
4523 Habersham St, Savannah, GA 31405
(912) 349-6350 https://g.co/kgs/d53VVQ
Oyster House Seafood Restaurant
35 S Market St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 723-1151 https://g.co/kgs/1kkbiY
Le Farfalle
15 Beaufain St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 212-0920 https://g.co/kgs/jqgYYF
More Attractions Worth Seeing
River Street – Parking 117 W River St Parking Savannah
River Street was one of our first stops eleven years ago when we visited Savannah on our honeymoon. More than 75 boutiques, galleries, artists’ studios, restaurants, and pubs are located on Savannah’s River Street. We loved the food at The Shrimp Factory best!
Savannah Botanical Gardens – 1388 Eisenhower Dr. – Savannah Ga 31406
The Botanical Gardens consists of 10 acres, which include, magnificent rose gardens, winter, fall, herb, children’s garden, vegetable gardens, camellia, perennial, shade and fern gardens. Nature trails run around a lovely pond. The gardens also include an amphitheatre and archaeological study site. The Wildlife Federations have recognized the Botanical Gardens as an official wildlife habitat.
There’s so much to see in Bonaventure’s 100+ acres. The statues in Forsythe Park are remarkable but the markers in this cemetery are exceptional. Go for the tour.
Old Fort Jackson is a must-see National Historic Landmark offering daily cannon firings and exciting interactive programs for adults, kids and families! Only minutes away from historic downtown Savannah, you can experience unique views of Savannah’s riverfront and walk on the grounds of one of the oldest brick fortifications on the East Coast.
Savannah’s City Market – By day, stroll the shaded courtyard between two Savannah squares, surrounded by bistros and galleries, serenaded by local musicians. By night, join the genial crowds for concerts and cuisine. Explore our shops before catching a trolley or carriage tour from the heart of the market. Savannah’s historic center, City Market is still the place to be—where fun is delivered fresh daily.
I could go on. But I honestly think I’ve included the best of the best! Our Savannah vacation was amazing. It’s one of those places you know you will return to once you’ve experienced it. It has a special kind of hold on you. Like a hug. And you just need more.
I’ve previously shared with you our favorite places in Charleston so I won’t go into that again but do check out this post to see what we discovered on Edisto Island and see all about our stop in Cypress Gardens. These areas are all within a few hours of each other and combine to make the perfect family vacation destinations.
Happy Travels,
Gwen
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