Savannah Historic District Day Trip

Savannah is the great city day trip from Hilton Head, and it is close enough that you can have breakfast on the beach and lunch on a shaded square. Founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe as the colony of Georgia's first city, it was laid out on a revolutionary plan of wards built around public squares, and that plan survives almost intact in today's Historic Landmark District, one of the largest in the country. Visit Savannah, the city's official tourism office, counts more than twenty park squares, along with museums, monuments, restored eighteenth- and nineteenth-century homes, boutiques and more than 100 restaurants, all in a walkable grid. The pleasure is in the wandering. Each square has its own character, its fountains, monuments and moss-draped live oaks framing elegant townhouses and churches, and walking from one to the next is the best way to absorb the city. The district divides naturally into three parts: the north end near the Savannah River, where cobblestoned River Street and the old cotton warehouses of Factors Walk hold shops, restaurants and riverboat landings; the quieter, residential south, toward Forsyth Park and its famous fountain, on the edge of the Victorian District; and the MLK Boulevard corridor on the west side. Ghost tours, trolley tours, carriage rides and riverboat cruises cater to every taste, and the city's house museums open their doors on guided tours. Walking the squares, the riverfront and Forsyth Park is free; museums, tours and parking cost extra. The drive from Hilton Head's bridges takes about an hour, depending on traffic.

A plan for one day: park once in a downtown garage, walk River Street and Factors Walk in the morning before the crowds, then head south through the squares, pausing at whichever house museum or church catches your eye, and lunch somewhere on or near a square. In the afternoon, continue to Forsyth Park, then loop back through the quieter southern squares. If you prefer to sit, a hop-on, hop-off trolley tour covers the main sights with commentary. Stay for an early dinner and drive back after dark, or take a riverboat cruise first.

Getting there and parking: from Hilton Head, follow US 278 over the bridges and through Bluffton toward Georgia; the drive is about an hour from the bridges but longer from the island's south end and in peak traffic. Downtown street parking is metered and garages fill on weekends, so arrive early. Alternatively, skip the car altogether: Vagabond Cruise runs a Savannah Day Cruise from Harbour Town up the Intracoastal Waterway to River Street, with several hours ashore, which turns the trip into a scenic outing.

When to go: spring, when the azaleas bloom, and autumn are the loveliest seasons; November is mild and excellent for walking, and the city dresses up for the holidays from late November. Summer is hot and humid, so walk early and late. Weekends bring crowds and celebrations to River Street; weekdays are calmer. Savannah is a big, full city with its own vast menu of attractions, so treat a day trip as a taster and come back for more.