There may not be a more beautiful place on the planet for a wedding than Savannah, Georgia. The landscape is breathtaking, the people are about as friendly as any you’ll ever encounter and the entire vibe is positive. I was excited to attend the wedding, but felt a bit of regret that there would simply be no time to move around a bit and get to know the area. That all changed early on Sunday morning when I got a text that my flight was cancelled. I would not be able to catch a flight until the next morning. I got excited, as that opened the possibility of getting at least a day to see Savannah. I already had a rental car, so I could easily extend that contract by a day. The only potential problem was finding a Savannah hotel. I really wasn’t sure where to start.
I grabbed my phone and found HotelTonight. It, like many other outlets, was offering several choices for Savannah hotels. Thinking this would be a long process, I checked it out. Almost unbelievably, I had my hotel room in Savannah booked and ready to go within a few minutes. I packed my things and put them into the rental car, drove to my new hotel and asked the folks there what I should do if I wanted to get a sense of living in Savannah. They gave me some really helpful information, so I was off on a day of exploring.
If you want to seemingly go back in time, spend some of it in the Historic Downtown District of Savannah. You’ll see a lot of old-time town squares and vastly varied housing and building styles, all of which look like they could have been built well over 100 years ago. One thing all of the homes have in common is that they are clearly high-end. It’s rare that a city in the United States has its downtown as a desirable neighborhood for families, but this is one of them. I walked around a bit and talked to some people, all of whom were happy to share their perspectives on living there.
If you want to see a truly residential neighborhood in Savannah, the Isle of Hope will have what you’re looking for. A lot of young families seem to live here, and while it’s not technically an island, 75 percent of the area is surrounded by water. The Skidaway River presents quite a bit of extra scenery, only adding to the unique quality of this mysteriously beautiful town. I spent quite a bit of time just watching families out doing family-type things and thought about what it would be like to live in this neighborhood. These were happy thoughts.
If you want to spend some time in a place that seems to have sprung up during a more recent era in our history, spend that time in Habersham Woods. This is a neighborhood like the Isle of Hope in that it’s dominated by family living. It was at this point that I noticed that I was extremely hungry, so I asked someone for a lunch recommendation. They told me about a beloved seafood restaurant nearby, which sounded perfect to me. What sounded perfect became a reality when my lunch arrived, as it was a plate of fresh, flaky and tasty fish. I was quite satisfied as I thought about what to do with the rest of my day.
I started my afternoon in Ardsley Park, and this is the area of Savannah that most people who are vaguely familiar with the city will picture in their minds. The neighborhood is full of gigantic, old homes, enormous, old trees and Spanish moss seemingly everywhere. You can see how a place like this could serve as such an inspiration to so many artists and authors. You can also see why Savannah is such a desirable city for people to live in, as it’s quiet, beautiful and comfortable in just about every way imaginable.
I made my way back towards downtown with a stop in the Victorian District. Much like the previous two neighborhoods, this area was full of classic old homes and family-driven southern living. I was also hoping there would be some dinner options, as it was about that time and I was ready. Fortunately, there were plenty of options nearby, so I chose a locally owned place that had a lot of choices on the menu. I chose my food wisely, so it seemed, as I had a thoroughly enjoyable meal with a level of service that was a great example of Southern hospitality.
Ultimately, as I made my way back to my hotel, I was thankful for the day I had to look around the city. I have always wondered what made Savannah such a desirable place, but now I knew. I was also thankful that I had found HotelTonight. Their options for Savannah hotels was fantastic, but the ease with which I found a hotel room was even better. What could have taken me hours online and on the phone took only a few minutes. I want to come back to Savannah some day and spend more time here, and when I do I will with the help of HotelTonight.
