Tag Archives: historic hotel

Attractions, Family Travel, Hotel/Resort, Restaurants, Road Trip

Family Fun in Savannah

Rich in history and beauty, Savannah is a no-brainer as a fun family destination if you live in the southeast. It ranks right up there close to St. Augustine, if you are making your way south or north on I-95 and need a good overnight spot. Now, I may be a little biased since I lived in Savannah for two years when I was single, but it was always on my must-visit list with my husband and son. We went over President’s Day weekend, and it was unseasonably warm ( like 80 degrees!).

Our first stop was Fort Pulaski. Since it’s a national park, admission is reasonably priced. On the day we were there, admission was free in honor of the holiday. Now there’s a great “See 3 Pass” where you can get discounted admission to your choice of historic or educational sites, and it includes Fort Jackson in its range of choices. However, Fort Jackson is much smaller and doesn’t have the history that Fort Pulaski does. Fort Jackson might be closer to downtown and have daily cannon firings, but Pulaski saw actual battle action and offers a lot more to see and learn. Especially if you’re only in town for one day, I would opt for the slightly longer drive to Pulaski (located on the road to Tybee Island) and choose one of the “See 3” destinations, depending on the ages of your children.

The Georgia State Railroad Museum is also a a great stop for your kids who like transportation. I think it’s fun even for someone who isn’t that much into trains. You might find a new hobby or passion there, because the place is so interesting! Be sure and catch one of the guided tours of the old passenger cars that happen throughout the day. My son and I spent a good hour and a half at this museum but could have easily spent longer. If you’re interested in visiting the Savannah Children’s Museum , be aware that it is adjacent to the Railroad Museum. If you have kiddos interested in both, you should definitely go ahead and buy admission to both. It makes sense.

A walk down River Street is a must. The cobblestones and the steep, uneven staircases can be treacherous, but knowing that you are climbing the same stairs that pirates and merchants used hundreds of years ago is pretty fun. Your children might convince you to board one of the riverboats for a tour or a meal. You have been forewarned. If you’re lucky, you might get to see a freighter ship coming or going. It’s quite the close encounter and pretty neat.

If you have any Brownies or Girl Scouts in your family, you can’t miss the Juliette Gordon Low house, of course. Otherwise, I would save that for a grown up trip, unless your children are way into historic home tours.

As for trolley tours, the green and orange trolley never does us wrong. This is one of those hop-on-hop-off affairs and can be quite handy for seeing as much as possible without moving your car a lot.

Where to eat? Definitely Pirates’ House. This is an experience, even apart from the dining aspect. Check the website for menu choices and times, because you might prefer to go for the lunch buffet while you’re already walking around downtown. This building has been a restaurant for a couple of hundred years, but served as a place for pirates to gather back in the days of yore. Kids get a special hat (that also serves as their menu), but what will entertain them more than anything is the ghost stories and staring down into the old tunnel under the restaurant. There is said to be an underground tunnel that leads all the way down to the waterfront. Legend has it that unsuspecting drunks would pass out at the bar, then be carried through the tunnel to the pirates’ ships. By the time they woke up, they would be out to sea, kidnapped, and enslaved.

If you’re looking for a good pizza, don’t pass up Vinnie VanGogo’s. It was one of my favorites when I lived there, and it’s still the hip place to go for a pie.

Where to stay? If you’re looking to save a few dollars, try a Southside chain hotel. You will be near all the malls and chain restaurants, but with the Truman Parkway, you won’t be terribly far from downtown. There are a few good chains in great downtown locations, too, such as Hampton Inn or Doubletree. But if you’re going to stay downtown, the fun places with ghost stories and local charm are River Street Inn and East Bay Inn. Parking costs in downtown Savannah, whether it’s at your hotel, metered places on the street, or garages.

One more thing – I downloaded the ePass app on my phone, and I do recommend it for a weekend or more. It provides you with discounts and specials all over town for dining, activities, and more. I only used it once – at the Pirates’ House – but it paid for itself after one use.

Contact Azalea Travel to assist you with your travel plans including cruises, group travel, and Disney!

Beach, Hotel/Resort

Heaven is a Cabana Room at The King and Prince

20141122_164706

Let me begin by saying that I will probably have to blog about The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort more than once, because one blog post will simply not be enough to do it justice. This has become my favorite hotel, and I hope to return frequently. That being said, I’ll just focus for now on their exclusive and fabulous Cabana Room. Now, back to where it all began . . .

Once in my twenties, I visited a friend at her family’s beach house on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. As we struck out to do some shopping one day, my friend drove me past The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort. Elegance and luxury just seemed to spill out of its gates. I thought, “I want to go there.” There was something so glamorous about it, in an early 20th century way. At first glance, I could almost see the decades of elegant parties and merry vacations that had taken place there.

20141122_133322

(The Cabana Rooms are lined up on the first floor, with other ocean front rooms above.)

I finally made it there for my 42nd birthday, and my only regret is that I didn’t go sooner. Since it was a special occasion and I had waited nearly 20 years to make my first visit, we sprang for the Cabana Room. I thought the notion of being able to step out on to my own patio, then walk straight to the ocean sounded quite wonderful. And it turns out I was right. It couldn’t be more magical and serene.

20141122_164639

(A wonderful room in every way.)

The first thing you should know about the Cabana Room is that it is a room for two. All Cabana Rooms have a king bed, due to the size. Size is not where the grandeur of the room lies. The space is, however, impeccably appointed and optimally arranged. From the bedroom area, you step down, with the assistance of a short yet stylish wrought iron railing, into the sitting area. Here, you will find a comfortable sofa for viewing the second flat screen television (the first being in the bedroom area) and a large coffee table. The tile floor in the sitting area is quite practical for sandy shoes, as there is also a set of French doors with a screened door which leads to your own patio. And the ocean is just feet away. From your patio, you are free to step right down the brick stairs and walk out to the beach or to another part of the resort. You room key will give you access from either this door or the interior hallway. So when you’re returning from the beach, from the pool, from dinner, or anywhere else, you have the option of entering through your patio door.

20141122_133211

(Our patio.)

20141122_133329

(The walkway to the beach access in front of the historic building.)

I fell in love with this room at once. Sitting with the French doors open where I could hear the pounding surf and see ships go by, it occurred to me that I could live right here and be quite happy.

20141122_133152

(View of the swing and the ocean from our patio.)

Of course, everything at The King and Prince is top notch, and you can’t go wrong with any room category. And just like you would expect from any modern hotel room of this ilk, you will find the hairdryer, the in-room safe, and all that jazz. No comfort is missing. The service at the hotel is unmatched, and the room service staff and front desk staff were particularly fantastic when we were there.

I came home from that first trip raving about the Cabana Room so much that my parents visited a couple of months later. It wasn’t long before we all went back at the same time. Since my husband and I had our son with us this time, we took a partial ocean view room in the historic building. That room was much larger and had two queen beds, but it was more than sufficiently fabulous, as well. Our second floor balcony had a view of the ocean across a parking lot, but tall palmetto trees shielded us from the cars quite well.

Now, as I said before, there’s too much about this dreamy spot to tell in just one blog post. But history buffs will love this hotel in particular, as it played a role in protecting our coast during World War II.  It’s just a fascinating place. When you’re ready to book your stay in a Cabana Room or any other type of room, give me a call. I love to talk about The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort!

Click above or use one of the Azalea Travel links.