Out of all ways to travel, Road Trips are definitely the way to go in 2020. Not only do they keep you within your own personal space bubble, but you get to go at your own pace, you aren’t bound to a strict schedule, and there is a ton of wiggle-room for adventure!

After our stay at Walt Disney World (which you can read about in this blog post), we hit the road and set off on a summer East Coast Road Trip! We began in Orlando and kept driving all the way up to Buffalo, New York. Our first destination was less than five hours away!

Traveling during a pandemic looks very different than traveling in the past. With safety as our main focus, we took great precautions by abiding by these rules throughout our entire trip:

• Wearing Masks (only taking them off for eating and occassional photos)
• Constantly Using Hand Sanitizer
• Staying 6+ Feet Away from Others
• Choosing Locations based on Crowd Levels/The Business’ Implemented Precautions
• Spending Limited Time in Public (2-5 Hours Max)

If you do choose to travel during a pandemic, I highly suggest taking similar actions and discussing a game plan with your travel partners. Be as safe, mindful, and aware as possible!

So, where was our first stop, you ask?

 

Savannah, Georgia

Drive Time from Orlando: 4 hours and 27 minutes

 

Savannah, Georgia is a city that people rave about but I have never actually been to! However, upon arrival, I realized it is just as full of history and charm as everyone says! It was definitely my most anticipated city on the trip and it did not disappoint!

 

Accommodations: Forsyth Park Inn

You can go in many different directions when choosing where to stay in Savannah. (such as choosing a Hotel, an Inn, a Bed & Breakfast, an Air B&B…)

Based on a recommendation, we chose Forsyth Park Inn, which was absolutely perfect for our first stay! It was a beautiful building, had a fantastic location, and a super friendly staff. Even after a mere 3-night stay, it felt like we knew everyone who worked there. I loved how personal and homey it felt!

 

Forsyth Park Inn is located directly across the street from Forsyth Park which is one of the main places to visit in Savannah. The sidewalks are lined with these gorgeous live oak trees that drape over your head and fully immerse you in this picturesque atmosphere.

 

There are 11 rooms in Forsyth Park Inn and each one is a bit different. They have a historic feel, Victorian-style decor, and they are quite spacious! The doors to the guest rooms were so big, they made us feel like the shrunk-down version of Alice in Wonderland! Here are a few photos of the room we stayed in:

 

However, the absolute best part of staying at Forsyth Park Inn was the delicious restaurant-style breakfast that we were served in the lounge/on the patio every morning. It was included with the cost of our stay!

 

 

 

 

 

Savannah Restaurants & Dining

On Instagram, I asked you guys your top dining recommendations for Savannah, Georgia. You gave me a HUGE list and it has now become one of my favorite resources!

If you’re interested in downloading this complete word-of-mouth Savannah recommendation dining list, enter your email address in the link below to get it delivered right to your inbox!

 

Due to limited time on the trip, we did not make it to every single restaurant. (I guess that just means we’ll have to go back!) However, the ones we did go to were fantastic and I am so excited to share them with you!

 

The Crab Shack (On Tybee Island)

Being a big seafood fan, The Crab Shack was Steven’s favorite experience. He ordered a platter for one and was given a mound of food bigger than his head that filled him to his heart’s content. The theming and layout of this restaurant is the perfect post-beach day spot. It definitely has the vibe of being a restaurant people would make a tradition out of visiting year after year.

 

Leopold’s Ice Cream

Leopold’s Ice Cream is definitely well known because there was a line all the way down the street. Rightfully so – they have a huge menu with great variety and fantastic ice cream. We got what was on special that day – Georgia Peach Ice Cream! It had a smooth, creamy texture and chunks of fresh peaches! An absolutely perfect stop for the hot July weather. Still, to this day, I can’t stop thinking about Leopold’s. I would go back in a heartbeat!

The Collins Quarter

Hands down, though, The Collins Quarter was our #1 favorite restaurant of the entire trip. This is the spot that I genuinely would recommend to anyone going to Savannah! Their brunch was out of this world. We got a Thai Coffee, I got a Breakfast Sandwich and a hash brown, and Steven got the Swine Time Beni (which is eggs benedict on French toast with pulled pork – mind-blowing!) We were both overflowing with joy during this dining experience because everything tasted so phenomenal. You won’t regret checking it out!

 

 

Other Savannah Activities

Exploring new cities is one of my absolute favorite things to do. Although we barely scraped the surface on all that Savannah has to offer, here are a few fun experiences that we got to partake in on our trip:

• Walking through Forsyth Park, seeing all of the different squares and statues, and taking pictures with the fountain!

 

• Visiting the Filming Location of Forrest Gump’s Bench – Chippewa Square. There are no remnants of it, but that didn’t stop us from taking advantage of the photo op!

 

• Admiring the architecture – Savannah is a very historical city so many of the buildings have an older style architecture and are extremely beautiful!

 

• Checking out little shops and bakeries! (Mirabelle Savannah had amazing waffles – we tried the Georgia Peach one!)

 

• River Street was a gorgeous walk along the water and it was chock full of restaurants and shops to explore! (we may have gotten a little carried away and bought $13 worth of saltwater taffy at the candy shop… oops!)

 

• Tybee Island was about a 30-minute drive from Savannah, but it was highly recommended to us! They have lighthouses and beaches and restaurants… we did a little half-day excursion out there and really enjoyed our time! (even though we got poured on!)

 

What am I looking forward to on my next Savannah visit?

I think the thing I love about Savannah is that it feels like a place you could take multiple trips to and always have something new to try. The restaurants alone have so much variety, it would take years to try them all! I am definitely looking forward to expanding my dining experience list when I go back.

One thing I would take advantage of on our next trip would be trying out one of the tours! There are tons of different types… historical walking tours, carriage rides, haunted ghost tours, etc! Any and all of those sound like they would be an awesome experience.

However, the top thing I have on my Savannah bucket list for next time is staying at Mansion on Forsyth Park. The very last Savannah stop that was made before hitting the road was a walk through this hotel and I absolutely fell in love. It is so elegant and located right in the park. It truly felt like a magical, luxurious dream and I truly look forward to the day we will cross paths again.

 

So overall, if you’re looking for a getaway, Savannah is a perfect place to visit. It a destination that provides the perfect setup for anything from a romantic getaway to a girls’ weekend trip. We only had 2 full days but I could have stayed plenty more. There is so much to do, see, and eat that you are basically guaranteed to have a wonderful time.

If you’d like to see more of Savannah in video form, please check out my Youtube video below! I created an East Coast Road Trip video series and the Savannah segment is in Part 2! This video truly captures all of Savannah’s beauty in action.

 

 

Make sure to sign up for The Road Jess Traveled email list by entering your email address below! (if you opt-ed in for the dining recommendations – don’t worry, you’re already subscribed!)

Follow me on Instagram to stay connected in real-time @JessicaFaye508, and stay tuned for more blog posts about the rest of our East Coast Road trip!

Until next time… 🙂