South - Savannah and Charleston

Please help me help a friend! This forum has always been so helpful for me. I am hoping you can help me help my friend with some suggestions.....

She is visting Savannah and Charleston for a few days. She is hoping for a memorable visit!

Any suggestions for hotels?

Any suggestions for absolute must see things in each city?

Any unique attractions she shouldn't miss?

Can you suggest the most scenic driving routes?

Restaurants?

Any suggestions and helpful hints will be appreciated!

Any suggestions for hotels? Charleston: if downtown, try the Doubetree that's right by the market, or the Chaleston Place (there are also tons of smaller places in the area). These are both downtown and within walking of so much. Charleston:
Any suggestions for absolute must see things in each city? Slave Market, Fort Sumter/Moultrie (firts shots of the Civil War)
Any unique attractions she shouldn't miss?

Can you suggest the most scenic driving routes?

Restaurants? Lunch: Sermets Corner on King Street
Dinner: McCrady's
Breakfast: Poogan's Porch
(these are all downtown Charleston)

Savannah:
Any suggestions for hotels? The Westin on the water is very nice and has amazing views. The Hilton on Liberty Street is pretty nice, on the river. Stay away from the Marriott in my opinion. Plus, like Charleston lots of smaller hotels.
Any suggestions for absolute must see things in each city? walk along the waterfront, and all around the various parks and tree-lined streets

Any unique attractions she shouldn't miss?

Can you suggest the most scenic driving routes?

Restaurants? Lunch:
Dinner: Sapphire Grille, Olde Pink House
Breakfast:


One other suggestion: if she is headed between CHS and SAV, suggest she stop in Beaufort for a little. It's basically halfway between the 2 and is a nice mini kind of Charleston. One of my favorites.

I can add some more later, just short of time right now.

We found ourselves in Charleston SC some years ago when our car broke down and we were "stuck" there for 2 days. What a tragedy!!

Anyway, we were fortunate enough to have gotten the AAA books for our overall trip, and one of them had a huge section on Charleston. There was even a "walking tour" which guided you through the old city rather well.

It would say things like, "go to the east corner of such and such a building, then look back over your right and you will see a certain architectural feature" We really didn't have any money to spare since we were paying for some major repairs on our vehicle. But we felt we were very well served by the info in the AAA manual.

One thing that is truly interesting is the old slave market which is now a flea market. Well, a flea market with things like estate silver etc. Anyway, it's remarkable to be within the buildings where slave auctions were actually held. Very sad and touching.

Enjoy the old city. It is very very beautiful. We fell in love with the sideways homes with the beautiful second-story porches. We even were bold enough to poke our heads into a courtyard of a home that was for sale and unoccupied at the time. We were able to peek into the downstairs rooms from outdoors and truly wished we could afford to have a home there as well as in Massachusetts where we live.

Rita

"Fish" in downtown Charleston had great seafood when I was there a couple of years ago.

Two suggestions for Charleston:

Go to Market Street Sweets (or River Street Sweets in Savannah) and buy some pralines. Damn tastiest things on earth. http://www.riverstreetsweets.com

For a hotel, not sure of your budget, but I stayed here a few years ago. It's not a full amenity place, but the room sure is nice and the price ain't bad. http://www.meetingstreetsuites.com/

Heh, I just noticed the pattern... River Street Sweets, Meeting Street Suites...

Thank you so much for all the suggestions. This place is the best :D

We did New Years in Savannah a few years ago... one of our favorite places to visit...

If your friend is a fan of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" then the walking tours are a must do.

In addition, depending on when your friend is there, they may want to see Lady Chablis (inspiration for the book and played herself in the movie). She is a hoot... and a "Must See" for many reasons.... :D

http://www.clubone-online.com/chablis.asp

4thplz, can you give a little more detail about when she'll be there, how long she'll be there, what her interests might be in the way of food, bars/clubs/entertainment/sightseeing, etc.?

IN Savannah, coming back from the beach (Tybee Island) we stopped at a hole in the wall restaurant along the marsh. It wasn't Crab Shack - it was much more of a dive. They sell raw seafood next door. Food was good but the best part was that a couple of shrimp boats dock there. When they reel in their nets they throw any random fish overboard, and the dolphins and pelicans know it. Its a great place to see live dolphins and pelicans up close! I forget the name but there are a few billboards for it, and it is probably closer to tybee than the Crab Schack.

I recently made my first trip to Charleston to sleep aboard an aircraft carrier with Cub Scout suthurn jr. If your friend has any interest in navy ships, aircraft, or aging WWII sailors ;) she should visit Patriots Point
http://www.patriotspoint.org/

I didn't visit any places in old Charleston, but when I return I'd like to see the architecture and several old churches.

Please help me help a friend! This forum has always been so helpful for me. I am hoping you can help me help my friend with some suggestions.....

She is visting Savannah and Charleston for a few days. She is hoping for a memorable visit!

Any unique attractions she shouldn't miss?

Having recently worked in Charleston for 18 months, and still having the main family home there, if your friend is looking for a 'unique attraction' she could do worse than consider a stroll across the New Cooper River Bridge - currently the longest cable-stay bridge in the Americas. I was part of the construction team building it, and the views of Charleston, Mt Pleasant and Sullivan's Island from the bridge's dedicated pedestrian walkway are worth the approximately two-and-a-half mile hike!

Carol would say skip Savannah and spend as much time in and
around Charleston as possible ... I'd go back to Savannah if only
for the Bistro Savannah and the Moon River Brewing Company.

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=508301

Also, as William points out, the city is great for walking.

One of the best restaurants in Historic Charleston that you're not likely to hear about is Beaumont's, at 12 Cumberland Street.

When I stayed there several years ago, the best experience/cash ratio for accommodations was at a B&B called Zero Water Street. Most of an entire floor including balcony porch with a hammock in one of the famed Battery houses. It now runs $275, but when I first discovered it, you could get it for $135.

4thplz, can you give a little more detail about when she'll be there, how long she'll be there, what her interests might be in the way of food, bars/clubs/entertainment/sightseeing, etc.?

She will be there in mid-February, for about 3 days. She is combining her visit with business.
She is not interested in bars or clubs. She is interested in out of the way, unique places. However, she still wants to hit the highlights of the tourisy places too!

Again...thanks for all the help!!!

4thplz, your friend will LOVE Charleston. Although Savannah is a lovely city, Charleston has so much more to do. Another poster mentioned the Doubletree and Charleston Place....they are in a great location. But the price of the Doubletree is considerably less than Charleston Place....have not been to Doubletree for three years and carpets needed to be replaced and fabrics were tired. Charleston Place is a "luxury" hotel and decor is beautiful, but I think service is poor ( that's why luxury in quotes ). Embassy Suites is dreary, Holiday Inn near Calhoun St is exactly that, The Mills House is an old hotel that is managed by Holiday Inn and is doable...also in a good area and near places to see. But the best property for Charleston in my opinion is the Renaissance.....within walking distance of everything and impeccable service. For lunch I love 82 Queen Street, for dinner Hank's is outstanding. There are lots of expensive bistro style restaurants that really do have good food. Most of these are along the East Bay street area. Your friend must see the Market. It is a sort of flea market where they sell everthing from woven baskets to silver jewelry to water colors. It was never a slave market. There is a Slave market museum, however. Antique shops on King Street are loads of fun...VERY pricey. Also several early 19th century houses to visit. The churches are some of the most interesting things to see. Of course the churches themselves are beautiful, but the headstones in the yards are fascinating to read. Go down to the Battery and look out on the harbor then walk back up Meeting St. and enjoy the architecture of the houses so unique to Charleston. If your friend has a car take time to see some of the plantations and you will also see the magnificent low country where rice was grown. I would say spend more of your time in Charleston and take a day or so for Savannah. Know your friend will enjoy all of it!
p.s. See www.charlestonlowcountry.com for more info