On The Road Again: Savannah Or Bust
John and I had a blast on our secret trip to Savannah, and the ride from Katie Bower’s lovely casa in Atlanta was somewhat uneventful except for this hysterical happening:
We try to eat fresh, local and organic for the most part when we’re at home, but sometimes on vacation we can get a little lax… and before we know it the dog’s head is in the french fries.
We stayed at the Comfort Suites hotel for three blissful days (great location, sweet deal on Expedia) and once we arrived we hit the ground running (although we must admit that we spent about 3 hours holed up in our hotel fixing the ZGallerie contest comment debacle since over 1000 entries in about an hour froze things up like you wouldn’t believe). But other than attending to some bloggy business here and there, we spent every moment seeing the sights and eating our way through Savannah for all three glorious days. The weather was perfect and the moss-draped oaks, cobblestone streets and picture perfect trolleys made for some pretty charming scenery. There was also an abundance of horse drawn carriages, which reminded us of New York’s Central Park minus the crowded streets and crazy taxis.
And speaking of Central Park, there’s actually a huge park in the middle of Savannah called Forsyth Park where people walk their dogs, lay out, and do other parky things.
Burger had a blast sniffing his way through the entire park, and we had fun walking around the perimeter to snap photos of some pretty amazing houses that overlooked the luscious lawn. We were especially inspired by the soft cloud-like gray paint on the exterior of this lovely abode. Doesn’t it look dreamy with the moss that drips off the towering oaks above?
We also loved this sage green house with black shutters and white porch and door trim (who knew black and white accents could come together so seamlessly with sage?):
Then we ventured over to Desposito’s Seafood, a famous dive known for bad lighting, peeling linoleum, newspaper covered tables and absolutely amazing fresh seafood. Here I am embracing the bad lighting and doing my best crab impression:
When it was John’s turn to take on the roll of the crab, and he was quick to remind me that crabs have claws and poky things, so my impression was more octopus-ish than anything else.
But enough terrible crustacean impressions. Here’s the grub. We ordered a heaping portion of shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn (called the Low Country Basket) and also got an order of steamed snow crab legs and potato salad. And true to neighborhood lore, the peeling paint, duct-taped windows, and Little Shop Of Horrors-esque plants fell away and we were in heaven as soon as we took a bite.
Savannah also had it in the bag when it came to dessert. There were so many drool-inducing candy shops with amazingly diverse offerings like monstrous candied apples and gargantuan peanut butter cups (yes, they’re as big as the humongous apples). We also dropped in on LuLu’s- a famous little dessert spot with a lounge-y atmosphere, live music, and magical peanut butter chocolate cake. Yeah, that baby didn’t last long (but we did have to tip it over to eat it).
We also loved walking around the restaurants and shops in the Historic District at dusk. Savannah really is one of the most charming cities we’ve ever visited.
And on our last day there we took a quick twenty minute drive over to Tybee Island, a beachfront area just outside of Savannah where we perused these cute little shops at Tybee Oaks (stay tuned for more shopping photos to come).
Our favorite place in Tybee Island was a quirky outdoor junk market with tons of diamonds in the rough. We loved this sweet little aluminum boat (wouldn’t it make a cool sunroom coffee table topped with plexiglass or even wood?) and that awesome metal stool base (which would also make a killer accent table topped with a round of wood and painted black, white or anything in between).
Then it was back in the car for our drive back home. Burger didn’t fail to provide more entertainment along the way. In his defense, I would do this too if my head would fit.
Oh and you know we did a lot more window shopping, right? Savannah had a slew of amazing decor stores and we raided them all, camera in hand. Stay tuned for all of our favorite shops and finds coming soon…
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Comments
Wow what an amazing place! I adore BURGER! So much like my dog Bailey that tends to enjoy Pop Rocks and Peanuts more than anything else and of course Salt and Vinegar Chips! I love the idea about the stool and turning it into a table. Sounds like the perfect thing for you to tackle with that painting obsession!
BTW The sage green is killer!!!!!
Burger is too cute!
Ive always found that the best sea food is from the little hole-in-the-wall places like that. mmm crab legs.
oh, and of course i put in my daily vote! I really hope you guys win!!
Just 3 years ago I moved AWAY from Savannah–the first place my husband and I lived after we were married. It was magical. I cried for almost 2 weeks when we arrived in Indiana. But I sport a Tybee magnet on my car & remember it fondly through myriad memories, photos, and small souveniers-many free right from the beach! Savannah will remain my favorite place to live–and vist–we got to attend a wedding there in February and leave the snowy cold and head to the South where it looked like spring. Aaah…don’t try to bring th Spanish moss home–it has bugs!
Ha! It’s a burger with fries! Wonk wonk wonk (bad joke music)
This is fun to see Savannah through the eyes of a visitor. I grew up there and it’s interesting to see what you miss/don’t do in your own city when you live there.
I’m so glad you loved Savannah! Isn’t it the best? We live in Atlanta and go there about 2-3 times a year and it never gets old. There are some great old homes in the burbs there too- such pretty neighborhoods!
Next time, you should try the “Ghost Tour” by Trolley at night – pretty freaky!
Our dog has a small head too and loves to stick her face in greasy chips bags as well. hilarious. I like these types of posts! I’ve never been to Savannah and it looks like a great city.
Voted! Fingers crossed for the contest!!
We’ve lived in Savannah for about 3 years, and I’m finding amazing new places everyday! There is a HUGE antique mall on Bay Street that has some amazing (and surprisingly cheap) finds. Glad you enjoyed the Hostess City of the South!
Savannah looks like such a fun city! And Burger cracks me up! My dogs have tried that as well, but their heads are a bit bigger, so it’s a little more difficult! Doesn’t stop them from trying, though!
Welcome to my lil corner of the world. I live a few hours south of Savannah and it is one of my favorite places in the world. I’m glad you guys got to check it out.
That low country boil looks so good….I’m going to have to make that soon.
what a GREAT post about Savannah and what a cool blog! I’m going to share your post with my readers…sometimes it take someone visiting to point out the most beautiful parts of savannah and tybee!!!
kim
My cat tries to do that in our tall water glasses. They’re clear. It’s hilarious.
I’ve been voting for you guys!
Second off, Savannah and Tybee Island are now on my list of must visit places because they look so beautiful. I love charming places like that! Little Burger, so funny… something Ries would do as well!
I love Savannah! I grew up visiting there (especially the waterfront) and spending weekends in Tybee Island. What a blast from the past!
My husband and I went to Savannah on our honeymoon. We loved looking at all the houses as we walked the streets during the day. We also love the millions of Azaleas we saw when we went (in March).
We vacation in Tybee every year! It is so chill and relax, glad you guys liked it!! :o)
I know this is not a pet care blog…but you take Burger on trips to strange hotel rooms and he does ok? I have a dachshund and I am terrified he would bark like a fiend at every little noise. Actually, strike terrified. I am confident that he would bark like a fiend and I would be evicted in the middle of the night.
Thanks,
Meredith
Hey Meredith!
Burger does have a habit of barking if he hears a strange noise sometimes, so we’re sure to only stay at pet-friendly hotels where they know he’s there. Some still say you’re not supposed to leave them alone in the room, but we try to avoid those that are that strict. Our trick for keeping Burger quiet is to try to prevent him from hearing noises – so we usually put him in his crate, and place his crate close to the TV or radio (which we leave on and somewhat loud). We also tend to drape blanket(s) over the top of the crate (leaving the front open for air). That helps muffle noise, but Burger also seems to find it quite cozy and he’ll just fall asleep. If we’re actually in the room he’s pretty good about not letting out more than a couple barks (or growls, more likely).
We haven’t been kicked out of any hotels yet, so it seems to be working for us so far. You can also offer to leave your cell phone number at the front desk so they can call you if there’s a problem.
-John
Oh man! I LIVE in Savannah! If you ever get back here there are a few more places you should check out… Vic’s on the River (you have a picture of it’s awning, so you were close! If you g ask if you can go up to the top floor where they have weddings, the view is crazy beautiful.), Five Guys Burgers and Fries (but I think they have that in your state too), The Mansion on Forsyth is the MOST beautiful hotel, seriously (my hubby proposed there), and Shopscad is a great little store on Bull street with a bunch of handmade items from Savannah College of Art and Design students.
I am so glad you went down to Tybee, it’s so much fun there!
What a beautiful park!
Oh and who says there is anything wrong with a dog named ‘burger’ eating some fries? That seems perfectly logical to me! :D
Thanks for the list of hot-spots, Summer!
We’ll definitely have to tap some of you locals for more advice next time we’re there. We did hit up ShopSCAD, which was awesome as you noted. We passed on Five Guys because we do have those up here, they actually started right around where I grew up. It was one of my favorite places in high school before it hit the big time. And next time we’re in Tybee we’ll actually bring our bathing suits and beach towels!
-John
I have a bichon frise named Luna and she does exactly what burger does except she sticks her head in my tea cup every morning!
thanks so much for posting about savannah! my husband, daughter and i are heading to tybee island for a week long vacation (and my 30th birthday celebration). if you have any quick ideas of places to eat or shop in tybee i would love to hear them. i also want to let you know how much i enjoy your blog- keep it up!
haha Burger is soooooooooo cute! I love those pictures of him grubbing! =) Did you all run into Paula Dean while you were there? =) lol
Hey Kate,
We only briefly skipped through Tybee (so maybe the natives can offer up some better ideas) but we just drove down to the beach and hit up some of the touristy shops nearby (and grabbed a big italian ice). Of course we also stopped in at the shops at Tybee Oaks (which we mentioned in the post) for a bit of browsing before heading home. Hope it helps. Have so much fun on your week-long vacay!
xoxo,
Sherry
I may have the most random question of all! It’s no secret you two only have one car, and if you’re willing to drive it all the way to Savannah, it must be awfully comfy. The question – what kind of car is it? My husband and I are in the market for a new car, and someday I’d love for us to be a one-car family (we’re in the Museum District, so one car is VERY feasible). We readers know about your house, your friends’ houses, your vacations, your eating habits, your cleaning products, your shopping hot spots… time to write a post about the car! :)
Hey Blair,
Good question! The answer is not so glamorous, but it sort of goes with our whole use what you have/live on less philosophy. Our one car household gets by thanks to a black 1999 Nissan Maxima. Yes, she’s ten years old and has over 150,000 miles on her (we got her with 90,000 miles three years ago- can you tell we like road trips?!) but she still runs like a dream (and John washes her with rainbarrel water to keep her looking like new). We have a serious Nissan fetish- those babies live forever- in fact John’s parents have a Nissan Quest with almost 300,000 miles on it! Our true dream car is the Nissan Rogue (it seems family friendly but still a bit more fuel friendly since it’s a crossover). Maybe someday…
xoxo,
Sherry
I’ve been meaning to ask you since I went back and read all of your posts and saw that you took Burger with you on your honeymoon. How do you do it? All the hotels that I’ve found to be dog friendly still require that I be in the room with her (which means I can’t go out at anytime without her). Not all places are dog friendly that I’d like to visit in a city (hotels, plays, restaurants, etc.). So how do you do it? Do you just leave Burger in the room? Spill your secrets.
Hey Tracy,
Scroll up a bit to our comment back to Meredith and you’ll see part of your answer. We try to only pick hotels who allow dogs and don’t specifically spell out that dogs can’t be left alone. If they don’t, we try to practice the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule (but we’d never stay at a place that clearly states they’re not allowed to be left alone for fear of being evicted!). We also do our best to plan vacations that are Burger-friendly, so he gets plenty of time out of the hotel room to roam in the parks or the alaskan glaciers (or wherever else we happen to be).
It certainly is a challenge bringing your pup on vacation with you, but so far we’ve managed to figure it out without trouble. Knock on wood…
-John
I wish my trip to Savannah a while back was as nice as yours…but a really nasty stomach bug really got in the way of that.
The hospital is really nice there too, though! Sweetest nurses in the world. Did I say the stomach bug was nasty? It was EVIL. I can’t think about Savannah without thinking about it.
But really, it’s a great city. I loved Tybee Island, I grew up going to Myrtle Beach in SC and it was good to go to a beach that wasn’t -incredibly over-the-top tacky-.
I LOVE Savannah. My husband and I went there on our belated honeymoon. We got married in November and didn’t have any money so we waited until spring to make the trip. We fell in love with the place. We’d love to go back. That seafood place looks like one to check out! Thanks for the great pics.
I lol’d at “In his defense, I would do this too if my head would fit.” Burger is too funny! Sounds like you guys had a wonderful time in Savannah. And now I have a crazy craving for crab legs–yum!
Savannah is my favorite city!