Category Archives: Restaurants

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!

Events, Hotel/Resort, Restaurants

Basic Intro to Aiken, SC

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I took a recent day trip to Aiken, just after Christmas. I once lived in Aiken and have maintained friendships there over the years that keep me going back from time to time.

If you like horses, then surely you already know of Aiken’s identity as the “Horse Capital of the South.”  Also considered “America’s Polo Capital” due to its establishment as a winter colony for wealthy elites from up north who came to play polo, it is also the training grounds for stellar Thoroughbred race horses such as Dogwood Stables’ Preakness winner Summer Squall and Belmont Stakes winner, Palace Malice.

During times of the year when the horses and jockeys are training, you can drive into the grounds of one of the tracks on Two Notch Road to watch them train in the early morning. Ease up to the rail, without being loud or obtrusive, and you will be able to feel the pounding of the ground underneath you as the sleek, gorgeous beasts effortlessly gallop past you on the track. You will hear and see the puff of their breath as the riders breeze them down the track.  Afterward, head around the corner to the Track Kitchen for breakfast. This is an authentic Aiken experience that has been enjoyed by locals for quite some time. It’s a little green and white building on Mead Avenue that you might miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for. My grandparents lived in this same neighborhood, and my grandfather took me on this excursion on a few chilly mornings, way back when.

My grandparents’ old home, which was also where I had my wedding:

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If you’re up for an actual race event, check out one of Aiken’s Triple Crown events in the spring. Here I am at last year’s Steeplechase.

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Now, moving on to lovely, hip downtown Aiken…

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There’s so much to downtown Aiken in the way of shopping and dining that I can’t really fit it all in here. But that area has been sort of revitalized (if it really needed revitalization) and has acquired some cool, funky spots like the Mellow Mushroom, where I ate lunch.

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I would be remiss if I did not mention the Willcox, a historic hotel where my husband and I spent part of our honeymoon. It is a grand old inn that once hosted Winston Churchill, among others of note. The gorgeous rooms are all very special, but no, I don’t have any pictures of our honeymoon suite. It was before the days of camera phones when taking pictures was a little more of a deliberate notion, so I didn’t think to snap any pics of the room to toss up on Facebook. But think of a four poster bed, luxurious furnishings pointed toward a working fireplace, and a bay window looking out at some of Aiken’s beautiful magnolia trees. There’s also a fabulous restaurant at the Willcox, where I dined many times over the years.  Most notably, I went to the Aiken High School prom with a friend when I was 17, and we had dinner there. It was always an upscale experience, as you would expect by looking at the outside of the hotel.  If you take a look at their website, you’ll see that it’s now part of the Southern Living Hotel Collection, and that Travel & Leisure and Conde Nast are pretty big fans of the place. In fact, a stay at the Willcox, by itself, makes for a nice celebration of a special occasion.

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As always, you can call on Azalea Travel to book your stay there. You won’t be sorry.  And you won’t be disappointed in Aiken. It happens to be one of my very favorite towns in the south. I have not done the place justice with my little hack smartphone pictures in this post.

Attractions, Hotel/Resort, Restaurants, River Cruises, Shopping

Delightful Days in Wilmington, NC

If you live in the Carolinas, the ancient port city of Wilmington makes a great weekend destination. If you have been hitting up the same Savannah-Hilton Head-Myrtle Beach-etc. weekend spots over and over, why not try something different? There’s a little too much to see to just take a day trip. Historic and charming, Wilmington is often overlooked in favor of its southern sisters Charleston and Savannah, I think, but is definitely worth every minute you spend there, and probably many more.

Things to Do

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My favorite spot was the antebellum Bellamy Mansion last time I visited Wilmington. If you are a preservation buff or if you just like grand old homes, this is a must-see. The admission is not steep at all, and the architecture alone evokes a true portrait of life in the past. Back with the Tide is a fascinating little book written by Ellen Bellamy, the last Bellamy family member to live in the house. It makes a nice keepsake from your visit at just around $10 and offers a personal memoir of her days in the mansion.  The picture below is of a little stage on one of the upper floors of the house.  Children who lived in the house would use it as a stage to perform plays.

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A couple of other attractions include the Battleship North Carolina and the Wilmington Railroad Museum.  If it’s a tour you’re looking for, you might want to try the Cape Fear Riverboat Tours or a Segway Tour.  If you’re into ghosts, the Haunted Cotton Exchange Tour can hook you up with chills and a little humor. But call ahead to make reservations. The tour guide will only come out if she has pre-sold tickets.

Shopping

Walking around in downtown Wilmington is just a delight in itself. The buildings and streets remind me of Charleston and Savannah with the charm of the old world and a glimpse into trade in centuries past. (Explore a map of shops here.)  No matter who you are, you’re almost certain to find a shop that suits your fancy. And you know, wherever I go, if there is a good book store, I must find it. I found it here: Two Sisters Bookery.

Dining

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As you can see in the picture, my friend and I enjoyed lunch on a wrought iron balcony at Roy’s Riverboat Landing. The picture is a little dark due to an overcast day and a less than stellar camera, but you can take my word for it that we were very pleased with every aspect of lunch. The little balcony is just the right size for a table for two, and it’s delightful when the weather is right. The picture below is the front of the restaurant. One of the side balconies on the second floor is where we sat.

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Hotels

If you don’t stay overnight, you are cheating yourself.  And the ghost tours happen at night, if that’s one of your objectives. If you prefer a hotel chain, Courtyard by Marriott has a location in the downtown area and offers a reliable product with spacious rooms and suites.  Hilton Wilmington Riverside also has a nice location. But if a more intimate, charming setting is what you seek, then the Port City Guest House is a lovely B&B near the Bellamy Mansion.

For One Tree Hill fans

These stairs were used in at least one episode.

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Okay, I’ll admit to watching a few episodes. I was in law school at the time and didn’t have cable. I would come home from a long afternoon in the library and look for something to watch while I ate dinner. And a little bit of unrealistic, cheesy teen drama that left me asking Where is the parental supervision?! was sometimes just what I needed to unwind.  Please don’t judge me.  So anyway, if you want to check out some of the spots where the show was filmed and do a little self-guided tour, here are a couple of resources:

A local perspective – http://wilmingtonishome.weebly.com/one-tree-hill.html

And a fan page – http://onetreehillweb.net/show-filming.html

So, what do you think? Are you ready to go this weekend?  Contact Azalea Travel to help you make your plans!

Attractions, Restaurants, Shopping

News for Disney Enthusiasts 9-30-2015

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SO, I have a few exciting pieces of news for all you Disney-loving folks out there! And I know there are plenty of you.  I’ll start with what’s happening at Walt Disney World in Florida, since most of my readers are on the east coast.

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  1. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN! We know it and love it. I’ve been on that ride about five times since I was eight years old, and January was the most recent trip. It has seen some changes over that time, like the addition of Captain Jack Sparrow. The attraction has been closed over the last few months for refurbishment, but it’s open again now. You can expect to see some more realistic pirates and cannons, smell some new scents (I don’t know the details on that – someone who gets there before I do next will have to fill me in!), and see some new special effects in terms of lights for weather effects. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to experience it. This has always been one of my favorite rides at the Magic Kingdom, maybe even at all of WDW.
  2. Introducing Disney Springs! Downtown Disney has been undergoing some construction this year (which was even ongoing when I was there in January). The purpose of it all was to add some new stops and transform the whole place into Disney Springs.  As of today, the launch is official! Downtown Disney is now Disney Springs, and a new restaurant opens today, as well – Morimoto Asia.  Already open are new spots The Boathouse and Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar at The Landing. There are new retail shops, as well.  Coming soon are Tommy Bahama, Lilly Pulitzer, UNIQLO, Pandora, UGG, and more!!  Don’t worry; all of your old faves are still there, such as T. Rex, Cirque du Soleil, Rainforest Café, and the Lego Store. Click here for a glimpse.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu5F50DWmXw#action=share
  3. And moving on to the west coast . . . Awesome Star Wars stuff at Disneyland! So for those of you who live closer to Disneyland in California or plan to go there, you are in for a wonderful treat starting November 16. Disneyland will be opening some new Star Wars attractions, some of which will be similar to what we can already experience at Disney World in Florida. One thing that’s different, though, is a new ride called Hyperspace Mountain. This is a ride comparable to our Space Mountain on the east coast, but you will be part of an X-wing Starfighter battle instead of plummeting through total darkness.  Sounds pretty cool to me…I might have to make a special trip to California for that. Other experiences include the Jedi Academy (which we already have at Hollywood Studios) beginning in December, but it will be based on the popular Disney XD television show, Star Wars Rebels. In the Launch Bay, you can enjoy character experiences, get a peek at some snippets of the upcoming movie, The Force Awakens, and also see some of the props used in the movie.disneyland star warshyperspace mountain

Click here to start planning your next trip!!!