#TravelTuesday Link Up #1// Our Georgia Adventure Part 1: Savannah!

We loved our first big, out of state trip with Flo!! As I was making the video (it took multiple tries, this whole Vlogging thing is very new to me), Babe said, " You say you LOVE every trip we've done! You can't LOVE every trip!" Au contraire, my dear husband, but I can! I really have loved every Flo trip we have ever taken! Georgia was no exception. 

We started the first leg of our journey in beautiful Savannah! The southern charm, the amazing food, even a few friendly haunts... it was great!! 

Where we Stayed

We arrived mid-afternoon on Monday and the visitors center was crowded!! We got a little worried, because that is where were planning to spend the night and we were hoping to park Flo right away. Thankfully we got lucky and there was an RV leaving just as we were pulling in, so we were able to slide right into the two spots they just left, but it was tight. The lot was mostly crowded with cars there for the day, but it does make it difficult for those with campers to meander through looking for a good place to park. We went inside and paid to get our parking permits for the two nights we were staying. We headed out to explore a little bit, but when we got back that night (after the visitors center had closed for the day) it was just Flo and a handful of other RVs/ camper vans left in the lot, so we moved to a spot along one of the curbs so that we could put the slide out. We didn't move our little home on the road again for the 2 nights/ 3 days that we were in the city. 

Cost: $14 for two nights, per spot= total cost of $28 ($8 per spot, per night if you stay just one night)
*You could totally car camp it for a night or two. We were literally only back to sleep and that was it. Also, if you have an actual motorcoach, there are a handful of longer spots reserved just for that purpose so as long as you fit in one of those spots you are only paying for the one spot, not two the way we had to. 
*The visitors center closes at 5, so you need to get there by then to pay for your spots. It is first come first serve, but there were never more than 5 or 6 other travelers staying overnight. If you do get there after 5 the parking and traffic office is open later (I think until 7:30 and they can issue you a parking permit). Once you have your permit(s) you can actually park at any of the public paid parking spots in the city. 
*The visitors center lot backs up to the Savannah College of Art and Design. There was a security guard routinely patrolling, we slept with the windows open and in no way felt unsafe. 

What we Did 

A LOT of walking...
We walked everywhere. We started on Monday night with a half history, half ghost tour. We ended up being the only ones of the tour, so we got a really up close and personal history of the city from our tour guide. It was neat to hear the history of the squares and buildings! Babe loved the history flare and I loved the spooky stories, so it was a good mix for us. Our guide, Jackie, really knew her stuff and made it interesting and engaging for both of us. She also took us to this great little place (17hundred90) with wonderful margaritas (though the locals know them as Martharitas), which we then enjoyed while we finished our walking tour. 
Cost: $25 if you buy online, but we called and saved $3 a ticket. We did tip $20, but we were also the only ones in the tour. 

On Tuesday we knew we wanted to tour some of the older houses and we ultimately decided to go with the package deal for the Andrew Low house, because it included another house tour (the Davenport House) and a trip to the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. There was another house we had really wanted to tour, but the package of options that came with it didn't appeal as much to us and we didn't want to pay for both. The history and architecture of the homes was amazing! Each home came with a tour guide who knew the house inside and out. It was really cool to hear about the restoration work being done and those that are working to keep the history of Savannah alive. Babe really loved the Maritime Museum; I hung in for as long as I could and then found my way out to the garden to enjoy a quiet minute outside! 
*The package does not have to be enjoyed all at once, you have 30 days to use it and we split ours up between two days. 
Cost: $40 ($20 each); they do offer discounts for military, students and seniors 

I had to work on Wednesday morning before we headed from Savannah to the state park, just in case we couldn't access wifi once we left the city. So while I worked, he toured the train museum that is right there at the visitors center. I am actually a little sad I missed this one! It sounded awesome!! They toured old trains and got a history of the railroad in Savannah. I kind of wish I had done that with him and sent him to the Maritime Museum while I worked instead. The train museum even had an awesome playground area for kids (and adults with kid hearts!) and I am so sad I didn't get to do the maze or the slide. #Willbrakeforcoolplaygrounds! However, I did get to enjoy a reenactment show while I was working that the children's museum (also there at the visitors center) puts on for the kids. Working to the sound of drums and gun fire was definitely an interesting treat. 
Cost: $10 (kids are $6) 

On our way out of town we stopped by Old Fort Jackson; it is definitely close enough to the heart city to make it part of your trip if you aren't going elsewhere afterwards. While he was busy reading and learning the history of the fort, I was busy exploring and wondering what it might have been like to live there when it was an active fort. I imagine, he learns... are you catching a trend here?! I also usually explore for areas that haven't been discovered or are hidden for some reason (some day I will tell you about the time I snuck out of the designated tour line in the Biltmore)! They also put on a great little show about the history of Fort Jackson, its purpose in protecting Savannah and then fire off a cannon! A pretty neat spot for sure!
Cost: $14 ($7 per person)

FREE THINGS!! 

The churches!! Oh my goodness!! The churches!! We went into both the Lutheran church and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. I actually think these were my favorite things we saw on the whole trip. The Lutheran church isn't as well known as the cathedral, but it was still breathtaking. We had the whole building too ourselves, besides the guy who was there taking in food for the homeless, who told us to go take a peek and then gave us some historical background. It was such a humbling experience to be in the church, with the lights low and sunlight pouring through the stained glass and to stand in the quietness of it all and soak it in. 

The cathedral, was definitely less quiet and much more popular; there were people everywhere, but it took nothing away from the beauty inside that space. It was stunning! I really don't have any other words for it. It has to be seen, not described! Babe compared it to the cathedrals he saw in Italy. I am so glad we were there right after Christmas, because they had the most beautiful nativity scene that I have ever seen! I was so in awe, I probably could have stayed there all afternoon!

But alas, we left, and we made our way to Forsyth Park. The park was nice and open, the fountain was really cool and if you have kids with you there are two awesome playgrounds (an older one and a newer, adaptive playground for kids of all abilities). 

While I am going to include the Savannah Bee Company in free things, you probably will be dropping a dime or two! I couldn't wait to get here and it did not disappoint. In fact, we went back three different times. I honey sampled, I lotion applied, we mead tasted and then I adopted a bee!!! Seriously, when you check out they ask if you want to adopt a bee for $1. $1 for my very own bee?! #takemymoney You get to name it, you get an adoption certificate and then you give them your email address so they can send you updates on your bee! Oh my honey-drenched heart was happy!! 

Ferry rides are also a fun, neat way to put your feet up for a spell and get a different few of the city. It is technically part of Savannah's public transportation and is free to enjoy! 

Where we Ate

EVERYWHERE!! 
The food may as well have been included in what we did, because I think we spent more time eating than anything else. 

Mornings
The Coffee Fox- YUM! We got coffee and then these stuffed roll things! 
Savannah Coffee Roasters- Coffee was good and I tried Pavlova for the first time, oh MMMMM g!! So good! (however, this place was a little on the expensive side in our opinion)

Lunch
Lady and Sons- We opted for Paula Deen's buffet, scheduled ahead and made reservations (thank goodness, holy people overload) and we were extremely satisfied with our choice! Yummy!!
Leopold's Ice Cream- Ice Cream is totally a lunch choice! I got the honey and almond (yummy, but too many almond chunks) and Babe got a peanut butter something. A lot of people had recommended Leopold's too us and we tried both nights we were there to get it after dinner. The line was out the door and down the next block!! No way were waiting that long for ice cream! Go during the day! There was still a short line, but only right past the door. Do I think it was really any more special than any other ice cream?! Ehh, probably not! But it was yummy! 

Dinner
          
Jazz'd- Tapas style and soooooo yummy, other than oysters (they are a category to themselves) this was the most delicious food on our trip! I didn't care for my drink much though; but it was mostly my fault in ordering poorly. Should have known to stay away from watermelon flavoring (fresh fruit all the way please?!) 
Ampersand- This was our favorite spot for drinks!! We had been planning to try The Grey, but when we got there we realized we really weren't dressy enough and found this on a whim. It was dead (I guess if you go early in the week like we did a lot of spots are either closed or a lot less crowed), typically they have three floors open and she said they get crowded after Wednesday, but we didn't mind it at all! Being one of only 7 people at the bar is just fine by us! Their signature cocktails were unbeatable! Muddled some strawberries in anything for me and you have won my heart! 
Fiddler's Seafood- Our first time trying Georgia Oysters! Yum!! They were smaller, but had a meatier texture than Florida oysters and with the boat load they gave us we were one satisfied set of travelers! 
McDonough's- Irish pub we ate at because of the fact that it was where we were supposed to meet for the ghost tour. It was decent, Babe liked the Philly Cheesesteak, but we probably wouldn't have gone if we hadn't been meeting there for the tour. Pretty much pub food you could get anywhere. 

Overall we loved Savannah!! We loved being there earlier in the week before crazy crowds rolled in and we really enjoyed taking things slow and at our own pace.

Happy Travel Tuesday, y'all!! 

Traveled anywhere lately? 

Link up and let's adventure together! 

Starting today I will be hosting a monthly #TravelTuesday linkup. 

~On the 2nd Tuesday of every month I will be sharing a new travel destination and would love to see where you have been exploring! 

~Any linked posts will be pinned under Travel Tuesday on my Pinterest. 

~No real rules, as I am not a huge fan of those sorts of things! Just add your link and I encourage you to peek around and see where everyone else has been.

~Feel free to copy the image and add it to your post so others know where to link up. 

Excited explore the globe with you all!!

An InLinkz Link-up