Featured Writer: Zack Godfrey

It’s very easy to enjoy a weekend in the beautiful coastal city of Savannah, Georgia.

It’s also very easy to do it completely wrong.

One wrong way, often executed with great success by visiting college students, consists of the following:

1. Drive to Savannah and get settled in your hotel room
2. Make your way to River Street
3. Drink Get Drunk Get Wasted Get completely schwasted (schwasted-adj: A term describing the ultimate stage of inebriation) at one of the many restaurants, clubs, and bars along River Street
4. Somehow find your way back to the hotel
5. Repeat for the next two days

Sadly, it’s not uncommon to find people partaking in this form of entertainment when you visit Savannah. They talk of all the fun they had there, when they could drink all they want anywhere else. There’s too much to do in Savannah to spend your time drinking it away. And, quite frankly, it’s a disservice to that wonderful city.

For starters, there is more than one street in the city of Savannah.

Yes, River Street is wonderful. Shops line the street as it weaves alongside the Savannah River, Hutchinson Island visible just a few hundred feet away. You’ll find candy shops, delectable seafood restaurants, art galleries, and stores with all sorts of odds and ends.

Savannah’s Candy Kitchen

But that’s not all there is to Savannah. This is just the touristy area of the historic waterfront. It is the thick skin of the modern city. The heart of Savannah, beneath the skin, lies further inland from the river.

Founded in 1733, Savannah was the first city established in Georgia. It served as the colony’s capital and became an extremely important port alongside Charleston. That importance has diminished somewhat, but it is still an extremely important port city. You’ll often see huge carriers filled with cargo, often stacked higher than the city’s buildings, coming into or leaving the Savannah River.

There’s plenty of history behind Savannah. Whether it’s historical Revolutionary War battles, ghost stories (since Savannah is considered to be extremely haunted), or beautiful squares sprinkled throughout the city, everyone can find something to love about Savannah.

City Hall

Here are 10 tips to get the most out of this coastal wonder in just a couple of days:

1. Go with friends- It’s way easier to enjoy Savannah when you’re constantly coming up with inside jokes and relaxing with your friends.
2. Get a hotel close to River Street- There are plenty of fine establishments within walking distance of the street. Find one and split the cost with your mates.
3. Spend half a day on River Street-You can make your way through all of River Street in a few hours. Visit a little bit of everything, and be sure to enjoy lunch along the river. You might also want to come back here for a little late night fun, if you wish.

An Open-Air Market

4. Walk through the city-Once you start pushing inland, you’ll find some real treasures. Visit the squares found throughout the city, including Chippewa Square (where Forrest Gump sat when he recited his story); see Juliette Gordon Low’s house; enjoy the quiet streets filled with Spanish moss.

5. Take a look inside cemeteries and St. John’s Cathedral-There are plenty of cemeteries in the city limits, and they all have lots of history behind them. And although the outside of St. John’s is beautiful, be sure to go inside if you can; it’s a real treat.

Inside St. John’s

6. Don’t eat at Subway- There are too many fantastic restaurants in Savannah to eat more of the same. Try the Lady & Sons (Paula Deen’s restaurant) or Anna’s on Congress Street. Although you may be waddling when you go out the door, you’ll definitely leave satisfied.

7. Drive out to Tybee for a fun-filled day- You can stop by Fort Pulaski, visit the Tybee Island Lighthouse, or hit the beach; there’s plenty to do.

8. Don’t miss special places, like Bonaventure Cemetery- This is where the famous “Bird Girl” from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil used to be. Although she’s moved to the Telfair Museum, you will still find plenty of good ol’ Southern Gothic vibes in this cemetery.

An Angel over a Bonaventure Tomb

9. Take photos- There are lots you’ll want to take with you from this incredible city!

10. Don’t do everything on this list- This isn’t a set itinerary for you to follow. Yes, it’s similar to my most recent trip last month, but you probably have other things you want to check out in Savannah! Do it!!! Enjoy it; don’t set a strict time schedule.  When you give yourself the freedom to explore, you’re more likely to find exactly what you want from your weekend.

Remember, you’re there to have fun…just be sure to get as much out of Savannah as you can. Trust me, it’s a place that will keep drawing you back.

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