savannah
HILTON HEAD’ S
SOUTHERN CHARM
BY JENNY PETERS
Visiting Savannah and nearby Hilton Head Island are two very different experiences, yet they share the same well-honed ideal known as Southern hospitality. Savannah, Georgia’ s oldest city, is a regal place filled with buildings that date back to 1733 when General James Oglethorpe founded the state and brought settlers to the protected riverfront land where the city remains. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, which is just 20 miles northeast of Savannah, was named in 1663 by English captain William Hilton and was actually settled first, in 1717.
Both places benefit from the temperate climate along the Atlantic Ocean and both have fascinating histories that intertwine with the development of America. These days, Savannah is an elegant city that has preserved much of its Colonial culture and architecture, while Hilton Head is known as a resort community island, chockablock with places like the original Sea Pines Plantation that opened in 1956 and remains home to four world-class golf courses, over 100 tennis courts, a massive marina and five miles of beaches.
See one or see both on a visit to this beautiful coastal Southern area, and know that there will be plenty of welcoming Southern charm in each unique American destination.
Savannah has a whole list of must-see spots to take in, so be sure to allow enough days in this breathtaking city to take it all in. It’ s a place where ghosts are known to haunt the streets, moss hangs from giant live oak trees in a network of shaded squares and parks that dot the city. The smell of magnolias permeates with every step.
Catch the DOT hop-on-hop-off free trolleys( they are purple buses) and ferries to make it easy to get around the Historic District, which is where you’ ll want to be. Or pay to take a guided hop-on-hop-off bus tour or a horse-drawn carriage tour, where the history and local legends are part of the ride. Start at Forsyth Park, where the famous white cast-iron fountain is the centerpiece of this busy 30-acre park. You’ ll find concerts, playgrounds and a farmer’ s market on Saturday to explore.
Be sure to tour some of the architectural wonders here, by visiting the Pirate House, the oldest structure in town( it’ s a tavern, naturally) as well as the many historic homes open to the public, including the Green-Meldrim House, the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace( she founded the Girl Scouts), the Owens-Thomas House and the Isaiah Davenport House. For some scary fun, do a ghost tour, for Savannah has often been called“ America’ s Most Haunted City.” Be sure to see Bonaventure Cemetery even if you don’ t believe in ghosts, for it has been a part of the city’ s history since 1846, and visit the stunning old churches that dot the downtown area, including First African Baptist Church( built in 1859) and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist( 1799).
Savannah is full of fun for children, from allowing them to run and play in the many parks to helping them soak up some history at Fort Pulaski, the Civil War era fort filled with moats, cannons, tunnels and more. If trains are your tot’ s favorite mode of transport, add the Georgia State Railroad Museum to the list and have lunch in the restored dining car nearby.
Tybee Island is just outside of the city and is famous for its beautiful beaches, old lighthouse and dolphin-watching boat tours. Rent kayaks and explore, try surfing and stand-up paddleboarding or simply jump into the warm ocean waters and have a blast. Save time for a trip back to town and a visit to the Savannah Children’ s Museum, where handson interaction displays are designed to fire up children’ s imaginations.
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SUMMER 2018 41 FLYWASHINGTON. COM