Summer in Savannah: where to stay-cation

Column by Kendall Shepard

With the pressures of working and taking classes over the summer, it can be hard to get away from the city. Here are a few things to do in Savannah when you need a mini-vacation.

Tours

Tours are one of the top activities tourists will do when visiting Savannah. Savannah provides many options such as trolley tours, walking tours and carriage tours.

The Old Town Trolley Tours is the easiest way to see the city, and allows guests to sit on the trolley and learn new facts about Savannah. There’s also the chance to hop on and off the trolley tour at 15 different stops. These stops vary, so even someone who stays in Savannah year round can find some unseen places.

For those who live in Bryan, Effingham, Liberty and Chatham counties in Georgia, and Jasper County in South Carolina, sign up on the Old Trolley Tour website for a Hometown Pass. With a valid drivers license or voter registration in one of these counties, guests can get a free pass for the tour with a full-price-paying adult ticket.

For those trying to get spooked, check out the Hearse Ghost Tour or late-night walking tours. Moon River Brewing Company offers a ghost tour of their building called The Haunting every Thursday evening.

Museums

Museums are great for Savannah’s unpredictable weather during the summer because nobody wants to waste a free day from work or class stuck inside.

The SCAD Museum of Art is free to all students and faculty. Students from other colleges or alumni receive discounted rates.

Buying a ticket to one of the Telfair Museums means that you have a week to visit all three locations. You can do all in one day or spread out into multiple trips. Students can also get a discounted ticket with an I.D, so head over to the Jepson Center for the Arts to see the ever-changing exhibits. Just across the street is the Telfair Academy, where the personal collection of art from the Telfair family is displayed. The Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters are located a few blocks away on Abercorn, where the tour guides through one of the oldest urban houses in the city.

Farmer’s Market

Every Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Forsyth Park, head out to the Farmer’s Market. Local growers and merchants sell produce, flowers and other goods near the south end of the park.

To enjoy all the Farmer’s market has to offer, take time to peruse each stand. Just picking up a few items such as bread, fruits and cheeses can become a picnic in the park. Depending on the week, vendors might be selling juice or coffee, but both Brighter Day Natural Foods or The Sentient Bean coffee shop are close by to pick up any picnic additions.

Tybee Island

Going out to Tybee is the easiest way to take a proper stay-cation. There’s nothing like the sand and ocean to get into vacation mode.

Over the summer, Tybee Island can be crowded with people. To take full advantage of the time out there, plan to leave fairly early in the morning to make sure you can find parking close to the beaches.

There are two different beaches to go to at Tybee, depending on what you’re looking for. North Tybee, which is near the lighthouse, tends to be quieter and less crowded. This area is surrounded by rentals and residents of the island with one restaurant on the beach, North Beach Bar and Grill. So spend the day sitting on the beach or tour the lighthouse and battery.

South Beach is located by the pier which calls for more traffic by vacationers, and for good reason. The area around South Beach is full of hotels, restaurants and vacation rentals. It’s especially important when heading to South Beach to arrive early in the day to find parking.