Savannah, I love you! To celebrate Dan’s birthday, I surprised him with a weekend trip to Savannah, Georgia! This was my first time visiting this beautiful city and I absolutely loved this! This South Carolina girl was so happy to be back in the South (Ok, I know Florida is considered “South” but I am talking about the real South!) I love the accents, the people, THE WEATHER!! If you’re looking to visit a destination in the United States, definitely consider Savannah!

Savannah is the oldest city in the state of Georgia. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, this city full of so much history and has one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States! I love how old the city is and how the people of Savannah have done a wonderful job keeping the charm and to feel of the history in the city.

We visited Friday- Sunday, so our trip was short but so worth it! We made the 4-hour drive to Savannah from Orlando on Friday morning. We arrived around 12:30 PM and checked in to our hotel. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront Hotel, located right on the Savannah River! Check-In time is officially 4 PM, but we were very lucky and got not only got to check in early but also got upgraded to a River view! I was so excited to have this view from our room! Hyatt Regency is located in the Savannah Historic District. You are within walking distance to monuments, restaurants, and shops, so it is the perfect place to stay while you are in Savannah! There is even an outdoor patio overlooking the Savannah River to enjoy drinks! The hotel was clean and was adhering to COVID protocols, so I was very happy and satisfied with our stay at the hotel.

View from our room!!

After checking in and freshening up, we were ready for lunch. Located conveniently across the street from the Hyatt Regency is Moon River Brewing Company. There is both an indoor and outdoor seating area, but because the weather was so nice, we opted to sit outside and enjoy it! Choose from delicious drinks wih tons of different beer choices as well as great food options as well.

I’m apparently 6 years old because all I really wanted for lunch was chicken tenders and french friends with ranch dressing LOL. Dan has the smoke pork shoulder sandwich. He said the BBQ sauce was so good and he recommends it to anyone looking for a great sandwich!

After lunch, we walked across the street to Top Deck Rooftop Bar. This rooftop bar is located on top of the Cotton Sail Hotel. It has beautiful views of the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, Savannah River, and Bay Street. You can enjoy drinks or snacks here, but my favorite part of this was the views! This is one of the many rooftop bars you can find along the river to enjoy a drink.

Other rooftop bars to enjoy:

Rocks on the Roof at the Bohemian Hotel (located right next door)

Peregrin: Scenic city views of Savannah

The Perch Neighborhood rooftop bar on Forsyth Park

Myrtle & Rose Rooftop Garde: Rooftop garden exclusive to JW Mariott  Plant Riverside District

Electric Moon Skytop Lounge: Located at JW Mariott Plant Riverside District

After drinks, we walked around Savannah’s streets. You’ll find shops all along the way! Of course, I had to find a Christmas ornament so that I could add a souvenir for our Christmas tree this year.  Be sure to visit A Christmas On the River Shop. This shop is exclusive to all things Christmas,  so you’ll beable to find all Christmas items. This shop is located on River Street, right along the river and is super easy to get to.

After wandering around town, we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Dan’s birthday dinner took place at the Olde Pink House! This was such a great dinner and was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was! There is so much hisotry at the Olde Pink House, and am so glad we were able to eat here. This restaurant is pretty popular, so be sure to make reservations ahead of time! This mansion was build in 1771. This home held many secret meetings which helped secure the independence of the 13 colonies from England. Isn’t that SO coold?! This Olde Pink House also became the Planter’s Bank, which was the first bank in Georgia. It houses all of the money of the colonies. The iron vaults are still in operation today use at the wine cellar. This house is known to be haunted, so you never know who you may see when you visit for lunch or dinner! The food was delicious and highly recommend eating here!

Dan has the filet and I had the scallops. I recommend both of these options. Of course, we had to have a dessert to celebrate Dan’s birthday. Dan had key lime pie and I had pecan pie. SO GOOD!! We finished dinner and walked back to the hotel. (Another great perk of the Hyatt Regency- It is within walking distance to so much which is so convenient!)

The next morning began with breakfast at Huey’s! Huey’s on the River was within walking distance to our hotel. This Southern Cafe has great views with tables sitting right near the Savannah River. Hueys is located inside an 1817 cotton warehouse serving all of your New Orleans classic favorites. HELLO, BEIGNETS! This restaurant does get busy quickly, so try to eat early if you can. We had a table looking right out on the river and it was a great way to start the day. Dan ordered the Eggs Benedict with fried chicken while I had classic eggs benedict. Both were SO good, but if I ever go back here, I will definitely be ordering the fried chicken eggs benedict! It was SO good!!

After breakfast, our personal walking tour of Savannah began! If you are in Savannah, be sure to visit:

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Chippewa Square– Famous from Forrest Gump!

Sorrel Weed House

Jen and Friends for Espresso Martinis

Leopold’s Ice cream

Colonial Park Cemetary

Plant Riverside District: This area is SO cute!! This new plant district is located right on the river. You’ll find tons of restaurants, shops, and entertainment. Even better- during Christmas, you’ll find the Christmas markets! I loved it!! It reminded me so much of Europe getting to visit their Christmas markets, and it definitely made it feel festive and a fun way to spend our evening in Savannah. The Riverside Biergarten had the BEST Bavarian pretzel I have ever eaten in the United States. You can walk up to order food and drinks and then find a seat along the river. When you’re finished and you aren’t staying at the JW Marriott located in the Plant District, be sure to walk through the hotel because what they have done with the old power plant is absolutely amazing. The vision they have created in this area is really cool!

Dinner at Tequila’s Town Mexican Restaurant: We finished out our day with Mexican food from Tequila’s Town. Their street tacos were SO good. You can’t go wrong with chips and queso either. ;)

Sunday was our check out day! We started our morning walking to  Maple Street Biscuit Company for breakfast. The line can look scary when you walk up thinking it will be a while before you can order. Due to social distancing, the line can get longer than it actually is. They move quickly inside and there is tons of seating. I had the chicken and bacon biscuit and it was SO good! Dan enjoyed his waffle as well.

After breakfast, we headed back to the hotel since our check out time was 11 AM. I had other places I wanted to see that were a bit further walking distance from our hotel, so we packed up the car to check out and drove over to Forysth Park and found parking nearby. This park is beautiful and very large, with such pretty willow trees all around. If you have time, you could easily make an afternoon of this enjoying the day and having a picnic in the park.

Forsyth Park

Walk around the Victorian District (Located within walking distance of Forysth Park)

Mercer House: Also seen in the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”

With only getting to spend a weekend in Savannah, there is still so much to see and while if you can spend more time in this wonderful city!

Other Things to Do in Savannah:

Wormsloe Historic Site

Southbound Brewing Company

Coastal Empire Company

Ghost Coast Cocktail room

Collins Quarter for Brunch

The Ordinary Pub for Brunch

The Crab Shack on Tybee Island

The Paris Market for Coffee

Old Town Trolley Tour

Walking Ghost Tours

Savannah Riverboat Cruise

Looking to plan a trip to Savannah? I would love to help you! Reach out to me for more information. Remember, my services are always free!

Love and travel dust,

Molly