Travel: Savannah, Georgia

Distance from Greenville: 254 miles
By car: 4 hours (or hop a midnight train)

Savannah’s heart is its landmark historic district. Book a night, or two or three, at one of its bed and breakfasts, which themselves are portals to the city’s storied past and offer walking access to its beautiful downtown. Founded in 1733 by English colonist General Edward James Oglethorpe, Savannah’s downtown layout hasn’t changed much. With twenty-two of its original twenty-four squares intact, there is plenty of moss-draped canopy and historic ambience. 

Drop by Pulaski Square, entirely residential, for a quiet moment. After a tour of the nearby Green-Meldrim House, owned by a wealthy cotton merchant who hosted Sherman and helped save Savannah from destruction, make a reservation for a late lunch at the Tea Room on Broughton Street. It offers a vast selection of teas from around the world, all brewed on the spot. If you find one you love, the room will package it by the ounce.

Walk off your lunch by shopping downtown on Broughton Street at one-of-a-kind places like The Paris Market & Brocante, Terra Cotta, and Clipper Trading Company. Then explore the downtown design district at boutiques like One Fish, Two Fish and La Paperie. Do not miss the chance to rummage through drawers and stacks of old maps, advertisements, and postcards at V & J Duncan’s. It smells wonderfully of an attic library. Then stroll down Whitaker to Forsyth Park and its famous fountain.  

For dinner, try the local favorite Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub and Grill in City Market. It is relatively unknown to tourists and they offer hearty eats to complement a wide range of beer and extensive selection of Scotch.

The next morning, have a leisurely breakfast on your porch, then head out to Bonaventure Cemetery. On the way, get a “meat ’n’ three” to go at Sisters of the New South Café—mouthwatering, Southern cookin’—and drive about a mile east to the cemetery. Once there, head straight back until you find a small gravel lot and a grassy area. Have a picnic overlooking the river in the seclusion of the cemetery, then visit Johnny Mercer, Conrad Aiken, and other prominent Savannahians interred there.  

On the way back, stop by Pinch of the Past at 41st and Whitaker. A converted church, the shop’s antiques are unique and varied. Aside from old furniture and objets d’art, there are less-typical curiosities—old doorknobs, light fixtures, dusty keys, and eclectic ephemera.

On your last evening, check out the Roundhouse Museum on MLK Boulevard, a train and railroad exhibition and archive. Across the street, enjoy a traditional Cuban dinner at Rancho Alegre, a locally owned establishment. If you manage to leave hungry, walk up the street to Lulu’s Chocolate Bar for strawberry suspension cake and a chocolate martini—perfect finishing touches to your getaway.

Eat

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar
Elegant and decadent desserts and sweet cocktails.
42 MLK Jr. Blvd.
(912) 238-2012, luluschocolatebar.net

Molly MacPherson’s
Scottish pub eats and single-malt drinks.
311 West Congress Street
(912) 239-9600, macphersonspub.com

Rancho Alegre
Try a lunch special or mojito nightcap.
44 Posey Street
(912) 691-0110, ranchoalegrecuban.com

Sisters of the New South
Authentic, Southern, soul cookin’ at its finest.
2607 Skidaway Road 
(912) 335-2761

The Tea Room
Treat yourself like a queen, and order the Royal Afternoon Tea, with Champagne.
7 East Broughton Street
(912) 239-9690, savannahtearoom.com

Sleep

For a special downtown stay, try StaySavannah.net. The site offers one-to-five-bedroom carriage houses, condos, and homes that are available for vacation rentals.

Seek

Bonaventure Cemetery
Stroll the yard for an impromptu history lesson.
330 Bonaventure Road
(912) 651-6843

Green-Meldrim House
Sherman's Civil War headquarters.
14 West Macon Street 
(912) 233-3845

La Paperie
Delicate, handmade paper and handcrafted journals.
409 Whitaker Street
(912) 443-9349, lapaperie.net

The Paris Market
Browse world-selected wares at this eclectic home store.
36 West Broughton Street
(912) 232-1500, theparismarket.com

Pinch of the Past
Varied selection of antique furniture and ephemera.
2603 Whitaker Street
(912) 232-5563, pinchofthepast.com