Southern Charm | Our Short & Sweet Savannah Stay

A bit overdue, but what can I say? I still want to share a few of our Savannah trip highlights with you!

You might remember me mentioning after attending the Haven conference in Atlanta in mid-July, we jetted down to Savannah for a couple nights. Our stay was too short, but it was oh-so-sweet! I absolutely fell in love! After spending 4 nights in Atlanta and meeting some phenomenal ladies throughout the conference, I already felt like I wanted to adopt a southern accent and stay awhile! Savannah was no exception…the people were incredibly kind, the city was fascinatingly historic and the food was de-licious!

What was not to love?!

We arrived at the Mansion on Forsyth Park where we spent both nights, around 2 pm on Sunday. With so much we wanted to see and do, we still allowed for plenty of time to take in the beauty of the old mansion turned hotel, which was a lovely experience in itself. Super funky & eclectic décor – gorgeous furniture welcomed you into the lobby and the pool was just beyond the check-in desk.
Bright colored paintings lined the hallway walls and the room was warm and inviting with unique and fancy flare.
The cute and quaint little shops stole my heart (and my money) and the ambiance in the bars and restaurants were so perfect. For such a quick visit, I managed to take several hundreds of photos, so I’ll try to convey our wonderful experience with just a few more of my favorite snapshots. (I’ll apologize in advance, some are with my phone and others were taken when I had my Canon with me!)

Day 1 [Sunday]:

After check-in, we took the shuttle from the Mansion to the Bohemian Hotel on the River. From there, we walked around and popped into anything & everything we saw that looked appealing and open. We unfortunately got stuck in the rain with so many shops and restaurants closed on a Sunday evening… but made the most of it!

Saw Paula Deen’s Restaurant, but didn’t stop to eat… really neat corner building…
Then…

…Pre-dinner cocktails & appetizers at Moon River Brewing Company – delicious beers and a super cool outdoor patio area. At least it looked cool since it was so rainy we couldn’t hang out there – bummer!
The brewery is supposedly one of the most haunted places in Savannah. They are very into ghosts & spirits down there 🙂 There are even haunted trolley tours…we just stuck with the historic tour.
Dinner next door at Churchill’s…
After-dinner drinks at Rocks on the River… a bit brisk, with lots of wind & rain so we snapped a few quick pics on the rooftop & then headed back inside to take in the coolest décor from the bar while listening to some live tunes…

Those lights!!

Day 2 [Monday]:

We started off with a gorgeous trolley ride through the Historic District…
After hopping off the trolley, we walked around City Market …
Then we popped into the cutest little shops recommended to me by new friends at Haven 🙂Paris Market had such neat home décor & a cute little bakery inside.
Another fun little shop on Boughton Street – One Fish Two Fish.
And if I learned anything from my new southern girlfriends, they love a monogram! Number Four Eleven is a shop that does custom vintage monogrammed gifts and accessories. Reese Witherspoon’s new company, Draper James has even collaborated with the shop – so adorable!
  Ended up having lunch at a little corner restaurant – very unassuming from the street – Crystal Beer Parlor…
But when we went inside, I of course went ga-ga over the gallery walls – amazing, old black & white photos…so classic.
…their bloody mary wasn’t too bad either!

After lunch, we did some honey sampling at the Savannah Bee Company – so yummy…
Then back to the Riverfront…It was a hot day, obviously, but we strolled up and down River Street right on the Savannah River and saw some beautiful monuments and a ton more gorgeous old brick buildings filled with shops & restaurants.
A spectacular World War II Monument – “A World Apart” – more commonly known as the “Cracked Earth” monument – depicting the conflict of the world divided, sits on the Riverfront. The metals sparkled in the sun…so pretty.
Back to the hotel for a quick dip & some relaxation…Drinks at the mansion bar…
Then off to one of the most fantastic parts of the trip…
Bottle of wine + sunset horse-drawn carriage ride = perfection.
We toured around the historic district on the carriage for a bit just before dark…
Lucas Theater…more mansions…and more graveyards!

We ended the night having with the most fabulous dinner at the Olde Pink House – an absolute MUST if you ever visit! We made reservations 2 days in advance and lucked out with a 9 pm opening!
There, they helped us celebrate our (early) anniversary and since the trip was a birthday gift to me back in February, we celebrated that, too! Our waitress insisted 😉
Excellent food – we devoured their fried green tomato! – spectacular old-fashioned décor…great service and on-staff soloist who made her way around table-by-table singing old classics.
SUCH a memorable day & night. We even took a pedicab back to the mansion – our driver cheerily chatting away about growing up in Savannah as he pedaled us up and down the dark & quiet streets. Slightly different than a pedicab ride home in Chicago.

Day 3 [Tuesday]:

We left Savannah at noon this day, but we decided to head out for a quick breakfast back in City Market at Goose Feathers Café. Their breakfast sandwiches and sticky bun is TO DIE FOR!
After arriving at the Bohemian hotel to wait for our shuttle back to the mansion, I couldn’t help but take in the beautifully decorated lobby…
Isn’t the gray-washed brick so pretty? funky leather chairs and wooden ball sculptures make for a quirky, but gorgeous look.
Then, we ran into this guy…
Since the movie, Forrest Gump was filmed in Savannah, “Forrest” pops in and out of the Bohemian lobby and greets the various trolley tour buses in the circle drive as they come and go. Such a look-alike! Hilarious!

Just before heading back to the Atlanta airport, we walked across the street from the Mansion and walked around Forsyth Park, which sits on 30 acres and houses one of the most recognizable landmarks in Savannah – this gorgeous Parisian inspired fountain.
Quite a stunning site.
One last look at the incredible old, swooping trees that are literally everywhere in Savannah – gorgeous White Oak trees which are hundreds of years old.
We were told that the fine is up to $5,000 for cutting one down and the old, old ones are marked, numbered and heavily monitored!
I know there were A LOT of photos in this post, but I just couldn’t help it. Looking through these images (and the 6,000 others 🙂 ) makes me want to go back again someday. It was the perfect short and sweet southern getaway.

Did you fall in love like I did? Seriously!!

We didn’t make it around to nearly enough, but we were fortunate to have received so many wonderful recommendations from family, friends and my readers – so thank you!

If you ever have the chance to go, GO! My sweet friend, Amanda of Dixie Delights is a native Savannah girl and has a ton of great places to add to your Savannah hit list – you can check them out here!

That is all for today, but I will be back a couple more times this week with a few projects and updates. Please come back soon!