Savannah, A Family Vacation

"Don't go in the Warehouse"

I heard these words as my family and I searched for a restaurant Saturday night. We had heard of the awesome Ghost Tours that various tours services offered but we were running out of time. Nearly 3 nights is just not enough to see all that Savannah and the surrounding areas have to offer and we knew we would have to come back some day. Savannah is one of those places that inspires artists, captivates historians, and offers so many dining options it could keep a foodie occupied for years. I'll blame it on my wife, after all it was her idea. She had always wanted to see Savannah and after some debate I finally relented and for once, took the road more traveled. If you look up great vacation locations in the U.S., Savannah is sure to be in the top 20 and Trip Advisor has them in the #14 spot and US News has them at #20.

 Making Plans

After we had decided that Savannah was our destination, we next started figuring lodging. Desiree of course, always on the lookout for deals started looking at cheap motels and we did find some in the $75 range. Now we spent a month in one of the nicest Motel 6's I have ever seen in 2012 and to be honest, it was still a Motel 6 with 3 people in it so I decided to look at a different path. I knew a hotel suite was out of my league but I wanted 2 divided rooms for privacy, and a little room to stretch, I wanted a vacation rental. After looking around online I finally contacted Savannah Dream Vacations (savannahdreamvacations.com ) and talked to Marcia. Ever talk to a travel agent of any kind that truly gets what your after? That's exactly how I felt after talking to Marcia and then our subsequent emails proved just that. We had discussed locations and amenities and even price and I was asked if I was a little flexible in my travel dates as the weekend we had originally chosen was a very busy weekend of rock concerts that I had not known about before. We settled on their E. Park Ave location for $99/night your normal charges when renting a vacation home. Marcia went above and beyond by helping us plan our trip as well, filling us in on the local hotspots and even offering to set up tours and reservations. If you want to vacation is Savannah, Marcia at Savannah Dream Vacations is the one to talk to for sure.

Savannah at Last!!!

We arrived in Savannah Friday around 1:30pm and we were all very hungry and a bit tired from the drive up. We decided to stop down on River St for a bite and to look around real fast. None of us had ever been to a Joe's Crab Shack so we picked that for our first meal in Savannah. The food was good but I did have one issue with the way they prepare their shrimp. Now if you have ever been shrimping or cleaned whole shrimp you know that when you pinch the heads you can get the top vein 99% of the time without shelling and the bottom vein is easy enough to get before hand as well. As it turns out the only deveined shrimp that have is their fried shrimp which is shelled and butterflied. I am a firm believer in properly cleaned shrimp so this was a bit of a turn off for me. They did make it right by bringing me some fried shrimp and I have to say, they were amazing and it took me back to when I was a kid helping clean shrimp at my grandfathers restaurant in Vina Ca. Sierra enjoyed her lunch as well and even continued to pick through after she declared she was full.
After that we walked around a little and checked out River St. while most were running for cover to get out of the rain. We made it to our rental and were fortunate enough to meet the owners. The location was nice and away from the hustle of downtown Savannah. The decor is simple and relaxing and the modern appliances were new and very clean. Of everything in the rental I only had a couple complaints. First the most comfortable bed ever sits in a room to small for its size. The headboard could be reduced to make a bit more room. The other thing was that the showers hot water seemed to oscillate and did not hold an even temp. Not a deal breaker but could have been better. The last thing is not really a complaint but rather something that was not disclosed. The house as it sits is not the entire rental. Guests rent the upstairs portion of the house, while the bottom is a book binding shop. Not a huge deal as the upstairs is more than adequate 
room for 2-4 people

The Adventure Begins

Saturday found us well rested and excited to get the vacation rolling. One of the best parts of a vacation rental is the full kitchen. While we did not cook, we did use the kitchen for fast cheap breakfasts which brought our out of pocket costs down significantly. Today was planned to explore the historic district or Savannah and learn some of the rich history, creepy legends, and stories right out of Hollywood. Sierra wanted to ride the trolley really bad so that's what we did first. We went with Old Savannah Tours for a 90 minute ride. Not bad I have to say, the areas covered are vast and the guides are very knowledgeable. While you do get to see a lot on these tours it is mostly a glimpse as you make your way to the next stop.

After our ride we stopped for lunch at The Pirates' House. To say we were all very hungry would be an understatement and we delved into our food like there was no tomorrow. One recommendation on this place, have the soup!!! While all of the food was good, you just have to have some of their She Crab Soup. 

 We had a walking tour scheduled for 3pm with Savvy Savannah Tours (www.savvysavannahtours.com). The meeting spot just happened to be outside of the restaurant so that was convenient. Cindy was our guide for this tour. A very nice, informative, and patient guide she told us of historical homes, the historical squares and their significance, and even put up with my constant stop and go of picture taking. I would recommend them to anyone for a nice detailed tour of Savannah. One thing I would say is that while the trolley tours are nice and show you more, the walking tours are far more detailed and informative. If you are a history buff or a photographer, the walking tour is for you. You may need multiple tours to see the city but it is my opinion that it would be worth it. I would recommend Savvy Savannah Tours to anyone wanting to explore the city
and get great detailed information.
After our tour we decided to try to get into Forsyth Park and try to get some photos. Forsyth is a very popular park with both tourists and locals and so it is quite busy. There were multiple "festivals" going on in the park when we were there. basketball, football, kids playing in the playground. It is a busy, busy place. We only stayed shortly and although the pictures I did take turned out ok, there was just too much commotion going on to stay to long.

Saturday Night found us at the Shrimp factory down on River street again. First off I am going to say that this was my favorite meal of our trip. While it is in the tourist area, the food is exactly what you expect from a coastal river front restaurant, It's good!!! I had their signature dish which was a hearty seafood stew. This stew had everything you could think of for local seafood. The story goes that when fishermen returned from a day out they would toss whatever they got into this stew, fish, clams, mussels, crab, shrimp, you name it. Add some veggies, spices, in a light creamy base and you have one heck of a meal with 3+ bowls of the stuff. After having a few bites of this stew, Sierra declared she wanted to have this stew for her birthday dinner the next night. It was also the only dinner that Desiree opted to take her leftovers back to the house. After dinner we walked around the river front and listened to an amazing sax player while I took some pictures. The girls both received ornamental flowers made from some kind of long grassy leaf. Very cool to see made.

Get out of Town

Those that know me know I am a photographer through and through. They know I do not mind getting up at the crack of dawn to get the shot. I had made a deal with Desiree to let them sleep in and I would pick them up for breakfast after I got my pictures. My destination was clear but my timing was not, as t turns out the area I had planned to visit and get my images does not open until 9am, well after the photo mark so I had to improvise.

Desiree and I had agreed that Sierra deserved to have a good birthday breakfast Sunday morning and our awesome waiter from the Shrimp Factory had mentioned Goose Feathers. While Goose Feathers is not by any means what I had expected, the somewhat limited menu proves that quality is much more important than quantity. Sierra got a chocolate waffle and we met with the manager for a bit who turned out to be one of those laid back sorts that is also a traveler. Super nice guy!

The rest of the day had been planned to get out of town and see the surrounding areas, primarily to visit Tybee Island and the Wormsloe Plantation. The Avenue of Oaks, rarely have I been to a place that caught my attention like Wormsloe. Starting with the entry way it is like opening the doors to some fantasy world. The long oak lined lane is such an attention grabber that paying the $22 only stings for a brief second. I say stings as you can visit any of the major National Parks for $25 a car. The price though quickly fades as you start down the lane and realize just how magnificent these trees are. While not the largest Live Oaks I have ever seen, they are huge and they are plentiful. The visitor center and trail system is neat as well, we seen 2 whitetail deer and many bird species on our walk. Just be warned, if you visit with intent to get family photos as we had, take comfortable shoes as well. I admit I was wrapped up in family picture taking and forgot to grab my sneakers or hiking boots. An amazing place in my opinion and one well worth the visit. If you ever visit Wormsloe Plantation, do yourself a favor, regardless of what others are doing, take it sloe!!!

We spent so much time at the Wormsloe Plantation that we were running out of time for Tybee Island so we headed that way with the lighthouse and fading light in mind. Once we got there the photographer in me went into over drive and I was digging out lights, lenses, and tripods as fast as possible. The hour had come and was fading fast. From the beach, the Tybee Lighthouse is a portrait photographers paradise and it shows when you see the number of portrait photographers trying to get the shot. I seen 3 other photographers looking for the shot with their subjects in tow. This is the location to think outside of the box though. If you don't the odds of being different are slim. I even had one lady that had been paddle boarding come over and tell me that if I shot in a different area that I would not get any power lines in the shot. Nice, but comical if you were to look through my viewfinder and see no power lines where I was set up already. That just goes to show how much this area is used and what type of mind set
you need when shooting there. We left after all had gone dark and we were walking by the light of the lighthouse itself. Really, really cool spot and I look forward to trying an early morning shoot there as I know I only covered a small portion or the beach.

By the time we left the beach we were all very hungry and looking for a local hangout to grab some grub. Sting Rays S
eafood had some good reviews so we said what the heck. Sadly though, the only person that enjoyed her meal was Sierra who got her soup and a corndog. Actually the soup was great as we all had some but we would have been better off to go with a corndog than what we chose for entries. My crab cake was way over cooked and under prepared and Desiree did not enjoy her scallops at all. She ended up eating her fries and coleslaw and wasting most of the scallops. It left me dreaming of the what might have been had we visited Mrs. Wilkes Dinning Room like Marcia had suggested.

Until Next Time

Monday was to be our last rendezvous on Savannah, so we loaded the car and headed into town for one last stroll on River Street as well as lunch at Lady and Sons Restaurant. First off, I have to say, it was suggested we skip Lady and Sons and go somewhere else. Oh how I wished I had listened, the service was awesome but the food was mediocre when you are thinking of Paula Deen and the food she makes on TV. The best part of the meal was dessert by far. We each had a different item and each was quite amazing. It is hard to say but the meal itself was not worth it and next time we will just cut to the gift shop to buy the desserts instead.

The walk was nice and Sierra and I split off from Desiree so that she could shop in peace and so that Sierra and I would not be bored out of our minds. Sierra and I found a sweet candy store where we got to watch the candy being made. We sampled a piece or two but mainly watched as it was made. Sierra was enthralled with the process, even asking the man to make more after he had run out of caramel that he was spreading over the pecans. Desiree found us and we made our way to the waterfront for one last look around before calling our trip a success and heading south.

Savannah Georgia is one of those tourist places that you really do not feel like a tourist even as you walk along river street lined with shops and restaurants. Mixed with rich history and a restful elegance the city has something to offer just about anyone. It is a foodies dream come true and a history buffs heaven. We seen artists painting, musicians playing, and watched the ships slip through with the tides. To sit along the river and watch ships come and go it is hard not to get sucked into the life style. I heard story after story of visitors who had come as tourists only to buy a house and settle in. Even the college life is not the rambunctious lifestyle that you might expect in such a place but rather a place where the college, Savannah College of Art & Design, plays a principle roll in taking care of the city and her history. It is not hard to see why tourism is second only to shipping as an industry in Savannah either. To submerge yourself in the lifestyle is a breath of fresh air compared to the hustle found in most cities these days. I must say a big thank you to Savannah Dream Vacations for all the tips, the great price on the rental, and for setting up our day with Savvy Savannah Tours. If I have one regret it was not letting Marcia, set us up with massages from Manderly, also with Savannah Dream Vacations, who is said to be an amazing massage therapist. There is always next time, and there will be a next time. What can I say, I'll just blame it on my wife...