While Savannah and Charleston are gorgeous in photos, it’s when you’re really there that the cities come to life. When the Spanish Moss covered trees are blowing in the wind, when the fountains are gently bubbling water as a jazz musician plays a sweet tune in the air, those are the moments that make the South feel like another world. So since you couldn’t all come on our trip to the South with us, here’s a little video guide of Savannah and Charleston so you can feel like you were there too!
After our first day in Savannah, we felt like we had explored most of the city on foot and were looking for a spontaneous day trip somewhere in the area to explore a new area for the day. Initially my thought was Hilton Head, South Carolina, however upon further research most people suggested that Hilton Head is great for a vacation but not necessarily a day trip – they did recommend however the cute little South Carolina town of Beaufort. So upon a couple quick image searches to see what it looked like and seeing the incredible little town full of old houses and Spanish Moss, we jumped at it and headed to Beaufort, South Carolina for the day.
We started our day with a drive through the Old Point neighborhood stopping at every chance we got to gawk at the incredible old Southern houses and amazing oaks lining the streets covered in hanging Spanish moss. Beaufort is the Southern small town of your dreams and that’s no exaggeration – it’s gorgeous.
After an hour or so of driving and stopping, driving and stopping in the neighborhood, we headed for the main street in town on Bay Street. We parked the car and wandered up and down the street, popping into the stores and buying a few things. Finally we headed to Q on Bay for some lunch and had amazing Southern food, including my final indulgence of shrimp and grits of the trip.
Only about an hour from Savannah and an hour from Charleston, Beaufort is the perfect day trip if you’re in either city and looking to explore more of the area. This little magical town was a treat and we were really glad we gave it a chance on a spontaneous decision!
While in Charleston, one of Nick’s colleagues from the area recommended for us to a ghost tour while in Savannah, as it’s known as the most haunted city in the USA. He recommended Ghost City so we went with them, but there are a lot of companies that do these tours so you could look into other options too. I love supernatural natural stuff like that and have always been sensitive to the supernatural in my personal life, so this was right up my alley. We actually booked only a day in advance and even though last minute, it was one of our favorite parts of our time in Savannah!
Tour Guide – We had KB as our guide and we loved her! She was the perfect mix of great story telling and information along with great insider knowledge of the city.
Tour Route – We did a big loop around the downtown area of Savannah and got to see some spots we hadn’t seen during our day wandering around the city which was nice. It’s a nice couple hours of getting to see the city and understand it better.
Meet Up Organization – We did our tour on a Saturday night and they had a lot of different groups going and where we met in Johnson Square there were a ton of people and it got a little chaotic. I wish they would have told us to go to a specific corner of the square or something to meet as it got a little crazy before we got going. They did do their best to manage it, it just was a lot of people!
Group Size – I’d say there were probably 12-15 people in our group and I wish there had been about half that so we got a little bit more of an intimate feel. It wasn’t a huge deal, but if I did it again, it would be nice to have a smaller group.
Wear Comfortable Shoes – It’s a 1.5-2 hour tour so wear comfortable shoes to walk around that whole time!
If you’re supernaturally sensitive, be ready for some weird vibes – I’ve always been sensitive to the supernatural and since I was little have always felt supernatural presence around me in certain locations so if you lean that direction, just be aware that I definitely got some weird vibes and feelings in certain locations on this tour. One square in particular (the last one on the tour), gave me a really negative feeling and presence and I was really ready to get out of that location, so just know that if you’re sensitive to it, you will definitely feel it on this tour. Just be ready for it so it doesn’t throw you off. And if you aren’t sure if you really believe in the supernatural (like Nick), don’t worry either, you’ll still have a great time and learn a bunch of history of Savannah.
Upon arriving in Savannah, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t super thrilled with the city. First off, it was completely different than I was expecting in my head which always throws me off. It also seemed a little gritty for me and a bit more of a party city than I generally like. But I will admit, after spending 2 days there, by the time we left, it had really grown on me. I came to love the old gritty-ness, the historic mansions, the tiny squares within each little neighborhood full of old oak trees and Spanish moss. I came to love the history of the city and the spirituality of the most haunted city in the US. I came to love the old brick warehouses by the river and appreciate the history of this part of the world. I came to really like Savannah when we finally headed back to Charleston, I had really come to appreciate the city.
Savannah is best explored on foot to be sure to park your car somewhere and just wander. There aren’t a ton of true tourist spots, instead what makes the city so unique is how it’s laid out with old historic neighborhoods and their subsequent little squares full of trees. You can’t really go wrong just wandering the city for hours and taking it all in.
I won’t lie – I’m a huge fan of Southern food and always have been. I’ve also leaned in the direction of this type of food for comfort in my life and I’ve long sought out Southern restaurants in Portland to get in my cravings. We’re actually really lucky to have a few great Southern restaurants in my home city but there is nothing quite like the real thing when actually in the South. So if you’re like me and crave comfort Southern food – don’t miss the foods on this list while you’re in the American South!
There is nothing better than Southern Fried Chicken and while totally unhealthy, it really is so incredible and tasty.
I could not stop eating Shrimp and Grits while in Charleston and Savannah and this amazing meal quickly became my go-to while in the South mostly because I don’t get much of this in the NW. I bought some Southern grits to bring home with me to replicate at home but it tasted so good while on our trip.
There is nothing quite like a down home Southern biscuit. For some reason, this easy little morsel if often really done horribly but in the South, the buttery biscuits are one of a kind.
Perhaps my favorite food on the planet, okra is really hard to get here in the Pacific North West. My dad used to make it for us growing up and while it’s not a widely used vegetable in my neck of the woods, I crave it a lot! And nothing is better than fried okra which you’ll find on a lot of menus in the South.
Ahh this post is making me hungry and thinking of hushpuppies is making me hungrier. These little fried dumpling type things are delicious and easy to just snack on for a while.
And while not a type of food, Waffle House is a Southern tradition and shouldn’t be missed while in that part of the country! It’s your typical diner but oh so good and oh so Southern!
Immediately upon arrival in Charleston I knew I was going to love it. In truth, Charleston has been at the top of my US travel list for a long time and for whatever reason, we just never could make it work. So when we worked it into our travel calendar this year, I was super excited. I had big expectations for Charleston and in person, this city did not disappoint. From the colorful houses to the charming narrow cobblestone streets, this city is everything and more that you expect it to be.
We spent 2 days in Charleston at the front of our trip and then headed on to Savannah before returning for a day at the end, and while our time there was short, we had enough time to really get a lay of the land and explore the city. From amazing food to serious charm everywhere you look, I loved Charleston and can’t wait to head back!
Before our recent trip to Charleston and Savannah, two cities that have been long been at the top of my travel list, I was feeling a bit uninspired, a bit down and a bit just overwhelmed with life. And for months I’ve been attempting to slow down, to take each and every day and live in the moment, to lessen my long list of responsibilities and to start saying No to more that I really don’t need to say Yes to. And so, this trip came perhaps at the very perfect moment in my life. The American South is known for its slow leisurely pace, romantic whispy oaks full of Spanish moss just gently blowing in the breeze and sipping sweet tea on porches. It’s known for its hospitality and charm and that was exactly what I needed as we landed in Charleston and started to explore South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. I needed slow, I needed a romanticized version of every day, I needed a serious change of scenery.
This wasn’t my first foray into the American South, and in actuality I spent a decent amount of time as a kid in Mississippi where my grandparents lived for a while and where we had family. Nick and I also traveled to New Orleans a few years ago and while it wasn’t our favorite spot we’ve visited, after this trip I’d actually like to visit again and do the city differently. But long story short, I have family from the South and I’ve always gravitated toward Southern Food – so I think this trip just pulled out what is already somewhat in my blood.
But this trip, it was different than any I’ve had for a long time. This trip was slow and leisurely, it was eating amazing food and wandering charming historic towns and learning their histories. It was sitting on benches in parks and lingering for hours. On this trip to Charleston and Savannah, I fell hard in love with the South. I fell in love with the diverse groups of people, the architecture, the incredible food. I fell in love with the idea of a part of my own country that I left this trip knowing so much more about. As a West Coast-er, we often sometimes forget the deep and immense history on the East Coast of the US. And while it’s not all good and wounds are still healing from the atrocities done before, during and after the Civil War, we must learn the histories, we must see it to fight to make sure that inequality and abuse never happens again.
All in all, at a time in my life when I desperately needed something different than I see everyday, our escape to the South was exactly what I needed and I fell hard for this part of the country. This trip also was a good reminder that you often don’t need to go far to completely envelope yourself in a different place, and while I often crave an escape outside the US, there are so many amazing places within my own country that are still worth exploring. I left this trip inspired so see more of the South and to keep my mind open to places that I might not immediately think are worthwhile to explore. So if you’re looking for a place to inspire you and don’t want to leave the US? Head to the American South and I promise, you won’t be disappointed.
A couple weeks ago when Nick and I were enjoying a morning walk in our neighborhood, we were talking about our trip to Charleston and Savannah, which we just got home from. I was saying how excited I was for this trip as it was the first new spot we’d traveled to in a while. And as we got to thinking about it, we had done all repeat destinations or places we’ve been to a lot for the past six months of our travels. Our last “new” location was Provence last July, but even then, we’ve been to France a lot and were somewhat comfortable there. The more I thought about it, there is an excitement different than any other when you’re looking forward to exploring a new destination and traveling someplace new.
I’ll be honest with you, this last year I’ve been seriously lacking in inspiration. And for a number of reasons, what I used to gain in inspiration from travel has somewhat died down, mostly due to the fact that our schedule has been crazy and our time in new places pretty slim as of late. And while I loved all the places we traveled to last year, there is just something different and inspiring about a new place that you fall deep in love with.
I do like to be a proponent for going back to places you love when traveling and I’ve written about that in the past, but there is just something really inspiring about traveling someplace new. While visiting old favorites is great and I think as travelers we need to promote that more, instead of just checking places off of a list, the true intoxication of a new place to a traveler is truly a feeling that you can’t compete with.
This past week exploring Charleston and Savannah, two places that I’ve been wanting to get to for a really long time and places that I feel hard for, the highs of seeing new things, new buildings, new restaurants, new streets, new cultures, new people… that is what travel is about for me. It’s about feeling uncomfortable but taking advantage of it, it’s about taking in all the new things and adding those memories to your story, it’s about trying new things and getting a little bit lost and finding inspiration in the newness around you. The sensation of seeing a place for the first time is a powerful thing and is what propels many of us to keep traveling, to keep seeing new places and meeting new people because it keeps us alive and ignites that fire inside of us to see this beautiful world we call home and take home a little bit of inspiration from every new place we see.
So the next time you book a trip, maybe don’t go to that place you always go – branch out a little, find someplace new, get out of your comfort zone and explore more of this planet. Be inspired, push your boundaries and get out of your normal routines in spots you visit often. And while sometimes, going back to old favorites is well worth our time and efforts for the feelings of comfort, the excitement of seeing some place new will always leave you feeling as if you have discovered the world’s greatest treasure, plus you’ll bring back a sense of fulfillment that will inspire you even further.
From the survey so many of you guys did for me a few months ago, one of the things you wanted to see more of here on Land of Marvels going forward was actual budget posts for trips. And while in the past, I’ve shied away from these a little bit, I realize that it’s super helpful to get an idea of how expensive travel is and how much you should budget for a trip. So before I jump into today’s post and future budget posts, let me preface this by saying that I don’t really try to stick to a strict budget when traveling. Of course we have a general budget for the whole trip, but we’re not pinching pennies by any means, so if you need to be on a stricter budget for your trip, then adjust as needed for your own situation.
Charleston and Savannah have been high on my travel list for years and this year when we had a few days open in February, we jumped at the chance to get to these beautiful Southern US cities. Below is the total budget for this trip, which included a total of 5 days in Charleston and Savannah. Hopefully this will help you plan your own escape to these amazing cities and give you an idea of how much you might want to budget for your own adventures!
This section includes everything we spent once on the ground in the destination like food, public transportation, museums, etc.
I’m a big believer in organized trips, having things planned out (to a certain extent) and being prepared for what lays ahead. And while sometimes, you just have to be spontaneous and figure things out as they come, I like to be prepared as best I can be before we travel, especially internationally. This allows us to have a less stressful trip and not have to spend so much time while on the ground figuring things out. Religiously, before a trip, I make a trip itinerary outlining everything from how we’ll be getting places, where we’ll be staying and what activities we might do on each day while away. Having an itinerary with researched information helps us get the most of out our trips and it helps to keep us organized so we have to think less while we’re on the go. I spend a lot of time on our trip itineraries in the months ahead of a trip and here today I’m sharing my secrets on how to make a trip itinerary for your next adventure.
I generally start an itinerary as soon as we book flights for a trip. Once we have our big flights booked to and from our destination, I start a Pages document with each day laid out in bold and then add in our flight info including confirmation numbers and such to keep track of it all in one places. Since we’re usually planning our travel months ahead of our travel dates, I start our itinerary that early. Then in the months before a trip as I have time to book more or research more, I’ll add it in to the itinerary. But doing all your research early is the key to a good itinerary – don’t wait until the last minute.
Make sure with each day you actually add the dates as well on your itinerary – this will help you stay on top of things when you’re booking hotels and activities and you won’t have to constantly go back and look at your calendar. I usually have something like “Monday, March 19” as my day and date on my itineraries to keep track of which days we’re traveling.
One of the easiest ways I can keep track of bookings on my itinerary is to write down things that I’m thinking we’ll probably book, but keep them in red if they haven’t been booked yet. Things like hotels that I want to stay at but we haven’t booked yet or flights we think would work for us but we’re waiting to book – those stay in red until they get booked so I can quickly see what I have left to book.
I do a lot of research before a big trip, mostly because I don’t want to have to do it while we’re traveling. I like to be aware of cultural items and how to get from place A to B so that when we’re there, we know what we’re doing and we can just enjoy the destination. Research before hand will give you all the information you need about a destination to get you going and then you can really take it all in easier when on the ground. So add suggestions in your day by day itinerary for where you might go. Sometimes for us, this changes when we’re on the ground, but it’s nice to have some semblance of a schedule going into a trip.
For us, we often have certain things that are at a certain time during the day that we have to stick to, and so that’s important to have in your itinerary. Things like when you have to return rental cars or when you have tickets to a show, those things are pretty stationary and must be adhered to so it’s important to put that in your itinerary to make sure you remember.
Sometimes if I’m not sure how we’ll be feeling or where we’ll exactly be a certain day, I might just make a list of options for us and then when we get to it, we can decide in the moment. This might include things for a couple options for activities for the day and then depending on how we feel that day we can decide between them. But this also might include options to get from the airport to our hotel and offer a couple ways to do that. Sometimes we might be in the mood to do public transport and save some money, but other times if we’re not feeling well or exhausted, we might just do a taxi. So it’s nice to have the different options researched and shown in the itinerary so it makes it easier for you in the moment to make a decision based on how you feel.
I also print a copy of our finished itinerary before a trip and usually also send it through my email as well so we have multiple copies while on the go.
