SHANDY POCKETS: TRAVEL GUIDES
Mini travel guides featuring tried and tested hotels, restaurants, bars, and attractions.
A Weekend in Savannah, Georgia
I always tell people that there’s a sliding scale of Deep South vacation destinations, with Charleston being the most buttoned-up, and New Orleans the most louche. Savannah is somewhere in the middle, with the high culture of the Savannah College of Art and Design, a good dash of interesting local history, a very decent food and cocktail scene, plus a great choice of dive bars for more boozy nights out (only the very brave should venture there for St Patrick’s Day, it’s complete anarchy). There's a rich literary history (including the lore around the novel and movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), and the historic squares give the city a bucolic character.
Where to stay in Savannah, Georgia ($-$$$)
Thompson Savannah ($$)
This boutique hotel leads the city's geographic expansion, opening recently in a new development just outside downtown (easily accessed via a scenic riverside path). Modern art gallery Laney Contemporary helps them curate a rotating local art program at the hotel, and it’s a lovely mix of tradition and contemporary aesthetics.
Perry Lane Hotel ($$$)
An upscale, elegant property on the southern side of Savannah’s historic district here—away from the occasionally noisy waterfront. It’s close to Forsyth Park, some of the city’s most beautiful squares, the design district, and favorite attractions such as the Mercer Williams House and Flannery O'Connor's childhood home.
The Cotton Sail Hotel Savannah ($$)
A 56-room property that pays homage to the city’s riverside commerce. It sits in an enviable location directly overlooking the Savannah River. Its riverside location, historic details, and views are the main selling points.
The Drayton Hotel ($$)
You'll feel the history and grandeur immediately as you approach. The large, stately, gray bricks are part of the building's original 19th-century facade, but as you enter the lobby, you're hit with a tide of modernity. Bright blue sofas and light wood paneling create a whimsical space that’s as welcoming as it is colorful.
Galloway House Inn ($-$$)
The huge, two-story pillars and immaculate topiary give visitors the impression that they're about to experience something very special. This is an evocative, all-suite property and each is different; some filled with antiques and others more bohemian. If you’ve seen the delights of downtown before and want a different Savannah experience, this is the place.
This boutique hotel leads the city's geographic expansion, opening recently in a new development just outside downtown (easily accessed via a scenic riverside path). Modern art gallery Laney Contemporary helps them curate a rotating local art program at the hotel, and it’s a lovely mix of tradition and contemporary aesthetics.
Perry Lane Hotel ($$$)
An upscale, elegant property on the southern side of Savannah’s historic district here—away from the occasionally noisy waterfront. It’s close to Forsyth Park, some of the city’s most beautiful squares, the design district, and favorite attractions such as the Mercer Williams House and Flannery O'Connor's childhood home.
The Cotton Sail Hotel Savannah ($$)
A 56-room property that pays homage to the city’s riverside commerce. It sits in an enviable location directly overlooking the Savannah River. Its riverside location, historic details, and views are the main selling points.
The Drayton Hotel ($$)
You'll feel the history and grandeur immediately as you approach. The large, stately, gray bricks are part of the building's original 19th-century facade, but as you enter the lobby, you're hit with a tide of modernity. Bright blue sofas and light wood paneling create a whimsical space that’s as welcoming as it is colorful.
Galloway House Inn ($-$$)
The huge, two-story pillars and immaculate topiary give visitors the impression that they're about to experience something very special. This is an evocative, all-suite property and each is different; some filled with antiques and others more bohemian. If you’ve seen the delights of downtown before and want a different Savannah experience, this is the place.
Things to do in Savannah, Georgia
Telfair Museums
A collection of three sites in Savannah’s Historic District. Telfair Academy is a fascinating historic mansion; the Jepson Center for the Arts is an expansive modern building offering educational programs, traveling exhibitions, and an expanding collection of contemporary art; and the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, which relates the experiences of the enslaved people who worked in the home up to the end of the Civil War.
SCAD Museum of Art
The United States’ oldest railroad depot is the setting for one of the city’s newest art museums. The building features sculptural representations of city skylines, group exhibits and showcases with a diverse range of artists represented.
Forsyth Park
Savannah’s most attractive green space, Forsyth Park is the boundary between the downtown historic district and modern Savannah. On the north side is the familiar Forsyth fountain, more than 150 years old. On the south side, the Forsyth Farmers’ Market takes over every Saturday, but there’s a kids’ playground for kids and an iconic bandshell. The north end has beautiful trees and shade for picnics.
Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home
The great American writer was born in Savannah in 1925, and spent her childhood in this row house. Her eccentric spirit and work abounds in the museum today, a weird, quirky, restored Depression-era writer’s home. They run a schedule of activities including free lecture series’, an annual holiday reading of Truman Capote’s short story “A Christmas Memory,” and a celebration of O’Connor’s birthday each March, with a parade and street fair.
A collection of three sites in Savannah’s Historic District. Telfair Academy is a fascinating historic mansion; the Jepson Center for the Arts is an expansive modern building offering educational programs, traveling exhibitions, and an expanding collection of contemporary art; and the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, which relates the experiences of the enslaved people who worked in the home up to the end of the Civil War.
SCAD Museum of Art
The United States’ oldest railroad depot is the setting for one of the city’s newest art museums. The building features sculptural representations of city skylines, group exhibits and showcases with a diverse range of artists represented.
Forsyth Park
Savannah’s most attractive green space, Forsyth Park is the boundary between the downtown historic district and modern Savannah. On the north side is the familiar Forsyth fountain, more than 150 years old. On the south side, the Forsyth Farmers’ Market takes over every Saturday, but there’s a kids’ playground for kids and an iconic bandshell. The north end has beautiful trees and shade for picnics.
Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home
The great American writer was born in Savannah in 1925, and spent her childhood in this row house. Her eccentric spirit and work abounds in the museum today, a weird, quirky, restored Depression-era writer’s home. They run a schedule of activities including free lecture series’, an annual holiday reading of Truman Capote’s short story “A Christmas Memory,” and a celebration of O’Connor’s birthday each March, with a parade and street fair.
Tours to Take in Savannah, Georgia
Architectural Savannah
90-minute walking tours that feature several memorable houses, including the oldest cottage in Savannah and the wonderful Kehoe House (now a bed and breakfast). The standout, though, is the Owens-Thomas House. Anyone who wants to understand how Savannah developed and learn more about its main architectural styles will love these tours. The buildings reflect changing demographics and politics, and the guide brings charisma and zeal to the subject matter.
Bonaventure Don: History in Headstones
A one-man operation and the passion project of Don, the guide, who embraces a conversational style over lectures. Fans of "Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil" will love just being in this cemetery, which features heavily in the novel (and movie). Don brings to life the city’s history through the graves of its most famous residents, from Savannah’s founding through the Civil War and beyond.
Savannah Taste Experience: First Squares Food Tour
Among the plethora of food-focused tours in Savannah, First Squares Food Tour is one of the longest-running, with an emphasis on fun and variety. The three-hour jaunt takes in downtown Savannah’s favorite eats, with quirkier dishes and a focus on international flavors. Half-a-dozen stops include Southern classics, British savory pies, and gourmet raw honey.
Ghost City Tours: Beyond Good and Evil Tour
Savannah claims to be the most haunted city in America, so it is the perfect place for a ghost tour. Its brutal history and Southern Gothic atmosphere make for a perfect storm of weird and macabre. Along a 90-minute walk, you'll learn about people being buried alive in a graveyard, a "killer boy giant," and a haunted house known simply as "The Dark Place." If nothing else, it’s hard to pass up the chance to take a guided walk around Savannah’s beautiful squares on a moonlit night.
40 Acres and a Mule
This is a specific tour that looks at the lives and politics of the white elites throughout Savannah history as well as the struggles of the slaves in the area. The company sprung from the long-held passion of the guide, Fritz, a playwright who has studied and written about this subject for many years. The 90 minutes of walking through Savannah's downtown squares is for people that want to delve deeper into the city’s history than the trolley-type tours will allow.
90-minute walking tours that feature several memorable houses, including the oldest cottage in Savannah and the wonderful Kehoe House (now a bed and breakfast). The standout, though, is the Owens-Thomas House. Anyone who wants to understand how Savannah developed and learn more about its main architectural styles will love these tours. The buildings reflect changing demographics and politics, and the guide brings charisma and zeal to the subject matter.
Bonaventure Don: History in Headstones
A one-man operation and the passion project of Don, the guide, who embraces a conversational style over lectures. Fans of "Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil" will love just being in this cemetery, which features heavily in the novel (and movie). Don brings to life the city’s history through the graves of its most famous residents, from Savannah’s founding through the Civil War and beyond.
Savannah Taste Experience: First Squares Food Tour
Among the plethora of food-focused tours in Savannah, First Squares Food Tour is one of the longest-running, with an emphasis on fun and variety. The three-hour jaunt takes in downtown Savannah’s favorite eats, with quirkier dishes and a focus on international flavors. Half-a-dozen stops include Southern classics, British savory pies, and gourmet raw honey.
Ghost City Tours: Beyond Good and Evil Tour
Savannah claims to be the most haunted city in America, so it is the perfect place for a ghost tour. Its brutal history and Southern Gothic atmosphere make for a perfect storm of weird and macabre. Along a 90-minute walk, you'll learn about people being buried alive in a graveyard, a "killer boy giant," and a haunted house known simply as "The Dark Place." If nothing else, it’s hard to pass up the chance to take a guided walk around Savannah’s beautiful squares on a moonlit night.
40 Acres and a Mule
This is a specific tour that looks at the lives and politics of the white elites throughout Savannah history as well as the struggles of the slaves in the area. The company sprung from the long-held passion of the guide, Fritz, a playwright who has studied and written about this subject for many years. The 90 minutes of walking through Savannah's downtown squares is for people that want to delve deeper into the city’s history than the trolley-type tours will allow.
Where to Drink in Savannah, Georgia ($-$$$)
Peregrin ($$)
Located on the roof of the Perry Lane Hotel, so enjoy those views of the Talmadge Memorial Bridge and St. John the Baptist Cathedral. A great place for a sundowner cocktail.
Savoy Society ($$)
One of the city’s nicer cocktail bars with a nice, 50’s era retro aesthetic - vinyl records provide the soundtrack, house cocktail play tribute to the classics, etc.
Peacock Lounge ($$)
A cozy, subterranean lounge with a good beer and cocktail list, and a vaguely decadent ambience thanks to the red velvet and leather accents to the interior. Feels intimate and personal.
The Original Pinkie Masters ($)
A good little dive bar that’s famously cash only and has a great history, including the fact that Jimmy Carter once made a speech there.
Located on the roof of the Perry Lane Hotel, so enjoy those views of the Talmadge Memorial Bridge and St. John the Baptist Cathedral. A great place for a sundowner cocktail.
Savoy Society ($$)
One of the city’s nicer cocktail bars with a nice, 50’s era retro aesthetic - vinyl records provide the soundtrack, house cocktail play tribute to the classics, etc.
Peacock Lounge ($$)
A cozy, subterranean lounge with a good beer and cocktail list, and a vaguely decadent ambience thanks to the red velvet and leather accents to the interior. Feels intimate and personal.
The Original Pinkie Masters ($)
A good little dive bar that’s famously cash only and has a great history, including the fact that Jimmy Carter once made a speech there.
SUMMARY
Where to Stay in Savannah, Georgia
Thompson Savannah ($$)
Perry Lane Hotel ($$$)
The Cotton Sail Hotel Savannah ($$)
The Drayton Hotel ($$)
Galloway House Inn ($-$$)
What To Do in Savannah, Georgia
Telfair Museums
SCAD Museum of Art
Forsyth Park
Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home
What Tours to take in Savannah, Georgia
Architectural Savannah
Bonaventure Don: History in Headstones
Savannah Taste Experience: First Squares Food Tour
Ghost City Tours: Beyond Good and Evil Tour
40 Acres and a Mule
Where to Eat in Savannah, Georgia
Cotton & Rye
The Grey
The Olde Pink House
Husk Savannah
Pie Society
Where to Drink in Savannah, Georgia
Peregrin
Savoy Society
Peacock Lounge
The Original Pinkie Masters
Where to Stay in Savannah, Georgia
Thompson Savannah ($$)
Perry Lane Hotel ($$$)
The Cotton Sail Hotel Savannah ($$)
The Drayton Hotel ($$)
Galloway House Inn ($-$$)
What To Do in Savannah, Georgia
Telfair Museums
SCAD Museum of Art
Forsyth Park
Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home
What Tours to take in Savannah, Georgia
Architectural Savannah
Bonaventure Don: History in Headstones
Savannah Taste Experience: First Squares Food Tour
Ghost City Tours: Beyond Good and Evil Tour
40 Acres and a Mule
Where to Eat in Savannah, Georgia
Cotton & Rye
The Grey
The Olde Pink House
Husk Savannah
Pie Society
Where to Drink in Savannah, Georgia
Peregrin
Savoy Society
Peacock Lounge
The Original Pinkie Masters
