Savannah is not typically advertised as a family-friendly destination, yet I had wanted to see it for years. We decided to give it a try by visiting Savannah for a couple of days prior to spending a week on nearby Hilton Head Island. We arrived in Savannah on a Friday afternoon. We were staying at the Hampton Inn Historic District, located near the river and about a 20 minute walk to Forsyth Park. After a miscommunication about our room number, we were upgraded to a room with a refrigerator/microwave and a great view of the river. The hotel also offers a complimentary breakfast and a rooftop pool.
We began our tour at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist where we admired the beautiful stained glass windows and ornate interior. Next we walked through a few of Savannah’s famous “squares”, small parks filled with greenery, flowers, historical monuments, and an occasional gravestone. First we stopped at Lafayette Square, where the pretty three tier fountain surrounded by peach colored azaleas was practically begging for photographs. We also walked to Monterey Square to see Mercer House, the building where the main plot of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” unfolded. Many of Savannah’s historic houses, including Mercer House, are open for tours but we chose to just admire the exteriors.
We also took a walk down Jones Street, touted as one of the prettiest streets in the historic district. After seeing its tightly packed old homes, winding staircases, and flickering gas lamps, we had to agree. The last stop on our walk was 20 acre Forsyth Park, beautifully landscaped with flowers, magnolia trees, and live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. We took photos by the famous white fountain and let the kids play on the good-sized playground nearby. As were leaving, we met a local woman who instructed the kids in the fine arts of feeding pigeons and squirrels with scraps of tortilla chips and bread. With the birds and squirrels fed we headed back to the hotel, picking up a take out dinner from the popular but tiny Walls Barbecue on York Lane.
After breakfast the next day the kids watched a giant container ship heading up the river. You can’t help but stop what you’re doing just to gawk as one of these colossal ships floats past. Next we headed to the reservation line at the Lady and Sons restaurant, owned by southern chef Paula Deen. Reservations are taken in person only, beginning at 9:30 a.m. for lunch. Waiting in line for half an hour wasn’t exactly amusing for the kids, except when a big red tour bus or horse drawn carriage went by. The hostess took our names for the first lunch seating, instructing us to be across the street 10 minutes before the scheduled time. Hoping the food was worth the wait, we hurried down to the riverfront area.
The Savannah River is a working river and we were able to see tugboats and another giant container ship, as well as several ferry boats plying the water. We wandered the cobblestone street searching for kid souvenirs. True Grits had a nice selection of pirate themed toys; my son chose the set with dagger and hook and my daughter picked gold treasure coins. We also visited the Savannah Candy Kitchen, where you can see taffy and pralines being made and choose from a variety of diet-destroying sweets at the center counter. The kids were entranced by the large selection of old fashioned candies which can be hand packed into plastic bags or decorated tins.
Having chosen our candy, we headed back to the Lady and Sons where the amazing food turned out to be well worth the wait. The big Southern buffet included (among other things) fried and baked chicken, ribs, collard greens, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, red rice, and a choice of three desserts.
Our last stop in Savannah was Bonaventure Cemetery. It was a bit out of the way, but definitely worth the trip. A security guard stationed at the gate instructed us to “Lock your car, take your keys, and don’t leave your purse!” We understood why when we got inside. The whole place had a mysterious, isolated atmosphere complete with dripping moss and carved stone figures standing guard over the gravestones. The cemetery overlooks the river and contains many famous graves including Johnny Mercer, the famous Savannah songwriter and the poet Conrad Aiken. This eerie, yet elegantly gorgeous place made a fitting end to our Savannah stay.
