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Savannah, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia

  • Author: Meg Jerrard
  • Date Posted: Sep 27, 2013
  • Category:
  • Address: Savannah, Georgia

News just in; Disneyland may no longer hold the title for the happiest place on earth!  It’s competition? Savannah, Georgia!

Savannah was our first stop on our recent road trip from Florida, and what a way to start the trip! It’s beauty and charm is something straight from the pages of a fairytale.  It’s more romantic than Paris, it’s more friendly than Australia, and with more character than London.  It’s seen a colorful past of pirates, cotton, slaves and civil war; a site of many famous Revolutionary & Civil War Battles.  It’s historical preservation is beyond anything I have experienced in the United States, but then again it is the largest National Historic Landmark District in the country!

Savannah is the most beautiful city in the world and I’m in love!!

Savannah Georgia

Savannah: Largest National Historic Landmark District in the United States

I’m not kidding about being in love – walking the streets of Savannah puts you on a natural high.  Our exhaustion from having driven 8 hours from Florida was instantly replaced with a buzzing sensation and a need to take in this whole magical place.

From the moment we walked out of our hotel music filled the air.  Cobblestone streets led us to the City Market where musicians provided live outdoor entertainment to those enjoying a relaxing Sunday evening.  We passed more horse and carriages and trolley tours than we did cars.

We passed historic mansions, houses and buildings; each which had it’s own individual character and each which had a story to tell.  Each street leads to a different town square, all of which are decked out with fountains, park benches and different monuments celebrating the heritage of the area.  Hundred year old gnarled and twisted trees line the streets, parks and squares, drizzling a canopy of Spanish Moss.  It reignited the feeling of romance.

Savannah Forsyth Square

Walking under a canopy of Spanish Moss in Forsyth Sqaure

Savannah

Savannah re-ignites romance! Myself and Mike.

The town plan was completed in 1733, and it’s by far one of the most well planned towns I have encountered to date!  Being so pedestrian friendly, we spent the whole evening exploring the historic district on foot and quickly made it to Forsyth Park – where do I even begin?!

It’s absolutely beautiful.  There is no shortage of Spanish Moss, nor is there a shortage of park itself. The area is HUGE and on a Sunday afternoon was the hub of all sporting and social activity.

Savannah is a melting pot of ethnicity, but there is no racism.  Not in Savannah. The city has a way of turning strangers into friends, and making visitors feel right at home.  People from all walks of life mingle in the parks – music fills the air as a gentleman strums his guitar.  A Sunday afternoon football game is played on one side of the park while dogs chase Frisbee’s on the other.  A street basketball game is in session and tennis courts are packed.  The outdoor recreation facilities available to the public are unbelievable.

Sports and

Sunday night basketball.

Forsyth Park; Social Hub of Savannah

Forsyth Park; Social Hub of Savannah

A woman is sprayed out on the grass with her school books in a deep concentration.  An older gentleman is sitting on a park bench enjoying his favorite read.  Children play together – black, white, Asian, Caucasian – no-one cares about the color of your skin.  Everyone is smiling, everyone says hello.

I start feeling a pang of guilt every-time a jogger runs by me, trying to remember the last time I exercised!  Everyone is outside – everyone is active, and how can everyone in a town be so good looking…seriously…EVERYONE!!

Each person is incredibly well presented too.  There’s no grunge about Savannah – there is no dirt or grit.  There are no gangs, there is no graffiti; just an incredible sense of community.  It’s the kind of town where you would feel safe leaving your car unlocked. Even the homeless were friendly and social and clean.

Very family orientated city.

Savannah; the happiest place on earth!

Don’t let the town’s historic facade fool you – Savannah is a vibrant and progressive town which is fast becoming one of the top tourist destinations in the United States.  It’s an old town with a young crowd.  Savannah is a creative town; art galleries are everywhere; musicians can be found in every park square and there are street artists nearly everywhere.

So what’s the number one thing to do in Savannah?  Experience it on foot!

Walk through the historic district and admire the architecture.  Make your way to each town square and read the plaques to appreciate the history of the area. Visit Chippewa Square to say you’ve been to the park bench where Forrest Gump was filmed!  Take a horse and carriage ride around the cobbled streets.  People watch in Forsyth Park.  Dine on the waterfront.

Don't be fooled by the historical facade.  Savannah is a young town.

Don’t be fooled by the historical facade. Savannah is a young town.

Historic Savannah,

Historic Savannah

Having lost all sense of time we arrived at the cobbled waterfront (River Street) very late into the evening.  The atmosphere was still electric regardless.  The water glistened against a backdrop of ships from all over the world (Savannah is fast becoming one of the busiest ports in the USA).  The air was filled with laughter, chatter, music (street performers were out with trumpets!) and that amazing smell of fresh seafood.  We grabbed fish & chips and watched the magical scene that was Savannah’s nightlife.

Sadly we had only allowed ourselves one day before driving onwards, however one day was all it took to ignite an incredible love for the city which will no doubt see us back there.

Savannah.

One of Savannah’s many squares.

Forsyth Park, Savannah.

Forsyth Park, Savannah.

Next Post: Where to stay in Savannah.

 

 About Megan Claire

Megan is an Australian Journalist who has been travelling and blogging around the world for the last 7 years to inspire others to embark on their own worldwide adventure!  Her husband Mike is an American travel photographer, and together they have made the world their home.

Follow their journey on FacebookGoogle+ and Twitter.

    8 Comments

  1. We will be visiting Savannah this November, as our planned Mexico trip is cancelled due to Hurricane Odile. With flight credits needing to be used we figured we’d check this city off of our list. Looking forward to it!

    • On one hand, sorry to hear that your Mexico trip was cancelled, though on the other hand, you’ll absolutely love Savannah – it’s a fantastic little spot which is highly underrated!

      Have a fabulous trip, and stay safe from those hurricanes!!

  2. Hello Megan!

    Loved reading this! My boyfriend & I will be visiting Savannah next month and are both so excited about the trip. I reside in Georgia, but he is coming from Scotland (yes, ldr for a year now) :) He showed me such a lovely time when I visited him in Scotland, so I can’t wait to do the same for him. You have given me a lot of good ideas on how to enjoy Savannah together! Thank you,
    Ali

    • Hi Ali! So glad to hear you’ll be visiting Savannah soon! Seriously, I wish we could go back, have just THE fondest memories of our time there, you’ve picked a great location to show him a fantastic time!

      Congrats on your LDR – Mike and I did LDR for two years with him in the States and me in Australia, so I know exactly how special these meet ups are!! Let me know if you’re after any hotel recommendations – we stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton which was fab and I just posted a list of the best historic hotels in Savannah if that’s something which interests you too :)

      Have a wonderful time!

    • Hi Meg,

      Thank you so much for responding! I will definitely check out the hotel links. I found this neat Scottish pub online called The Six Pence in Savannah that I think he may find amusing. Did you by any chance visit it?

      Yes, I read your post about your ldr after searching online for individuals in the same situation. Congrats by the way for having a successful one! You are absolutely correct, the meet ups are soo special. On another note, if you have any advice on Visa’s, I would really appreciate it! Our main goal is for him to move here with me. After doing some research, it seems as though our best bet would be the fiancée k-1 Visa. Thank you again & take care!
      Ali

    • Hi Ali

      Six Pence in Savannah sounds really fun! We didn’t visit it while we were there, but I’ve just checked it up online and sounds like it’d be a fun night out :)

      If you’re looking for advice on Visa’s, the K-1 Fiance Visa to the States is exactly what we did, so shoot me an email to meganjerrard@gmail.com and I can shoot you through some of our stuff like the cover letter we used and some tips and advice etc. I’ve been meaning to get a post up about it but just havent sat down to do it yet. It’s a LOT of paperwork and hoops to jump through, though if you’re meticulous about it you can get it all done without the need to pay for a lawyer.

      Shoot us an email whenever you’re ready and I would be happy to help out from our experience.

  3. Oops, make that the “Molly Macpherson’s Pub”, the other is a British pub I was looking at ;)

    Ali

    • Didn’t really hit up any of the pub scene while there sadly. We ended up buying some fish and chips and just sitting on the harbor’s edge each night. Street atmosphere there is awesome!

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