Savannah Vacation News

Weekend Adventure Getaway-ing we will go

A novel approach to meeting like minded individuals for the younger set in coastal Georgia recently came to our attention here at Savannah Getaways. Tennessee native, Orlin Reynolds, a freelance graphic designer who moved to Savannah last year used the southern California adventure club he was a member of as a model for starting a similar venture on Georgia’s “Creative Coast.”

And I was struck by the fact, why limit yourself to local Savannahians for proposed weekend coastal adventures, why not open it up to other Georgians looking on spending long weekend getaways along the Golden Isles? Then again, why limit it strictly to Georgian’s I postulated? Why not open up these weekend Savannah Adventure Club walkabouts to other like minded individuals from all over the country. So here you go kayakers, campers, volleyballers, hikers, and other outdoor whatnot’s, check out Reynolds’ web site at the Savannah Adventure Club to sign up for his newsletter of upcoming events. And away we go in search of the elusive weekend getaway adventure along coastal Georgia.

Tony Award winning Musical comes to Savannah’s Civic Center

Six time Tony Award winning Musical, The Will Rogers Follies, A Life in Review, comes to the Savannah Civic Center on Monday, May 8th. A new generation of Americans are discovering what Rogers’ contemporaries knew sixty plus year ago, Will Rogers was a unique American who, though he died prematurely in an airplane crash, he remains a beloved figure remembered for his humor, his wisdom, and his just plain common sense. At the heart of his populist philosophy was his most famous statement: "I never met a man I didn't like." Rogers became the biggest, most popular, and highest paid star of every existing medium of his time--stage, screen, radio, newspapers, and public appearances. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that he was the greatest star this country has ever produced.

Come see what the fuss is all about this coming Monday night as Savannah’s own, Mike Zollar of Jukebox Journey fame, stars in “the musical audiences have REALLY been waiting for” according to one New York Times reviewer. 6 Tony Awards for Musical, Score, Director, Choreographer, Costume Designer and Lighting Designer, 3 Drama Desk Awards for Musical, Music (tie) and Choreography The New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES opened on Broadway, May 1, 1991 and played for 981 performances at the Palace Theatre starring Keith Carradine and Paul Ukena, Jr. Tickets are still available online at The Savannah Civic Center websitet or they may be purchased at the door.

Both migratory tourists and turtles expected on their annual coastal Georgia return.

With the approach of the summer, Hilton Head Island, Tybee Island, St. Simons Island, and Jekyll Island are preparing for the return of both types of visitors. As always, vacation travelers are expected to return in record numbers to our popular beach destinations in spite of the rising fuel prices. Equally important, the return of the nesting Loggerhead Turtle population to their traditional breeding and nursery grounds along coastal Georgia is eagerly anticipated. Today’s release at Tybee Island of a juvenile Loggerhead turtle that was injured by an unknown boater off St. Catherine’s Island back in 2004 serves as a reminder that our finny friends continue to get the worse of it as we beach loving humans are not always the most respectful of nature's other beach loving neighbors.

Savannah Getaways offers well deserved kudos to the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Florida based Sea World for the important program they have joined forces on in rehabilitating loggerhead sea turtles. Plan to attend our Tybee Island release this Saturday, April 29, 2006.

The sea turtle release is part of the 2nd Annual TIMSC Turtle Trot and Celebration, an annual event to kick off the start of sea turtle nesting season in Georgia.

Destination Weddings are hot in Savannah, Georgia

Do you feel you can't afford to host a wedding for all your friends and family? Considering that the average cost of a wedding is $20,000, an alternate solution to this is a destination wedding. Savannah is the perfect spot. Jill Smith, with Destinations Southern Style, has been working with bridal couples since Savannah became one of the most popular destination vacation spots in the US. It has just the right ingredients for a unique and memorable wedding: moss draped oak trees canvassing an outdoor square, historic Civil War era bed and breakfasts with beautifully manicured courtyards, or white sandy beach settings with tented receptions.

Whether you are having a wedding on a shoestring budget or you have a "sky is the limit" budget, whether you have a party of 60 guests or simply the marriage couple, destination weddings are definitely becoming the trend.

"Among my favorites," says Jill, "have been the weddings I have had in a historic museum's courtyard with the bagpipes playing when the couple arrived in a horse drawn carriage. The party then progressed to an exquisite bed and breakfast where the entire wedding party was staying for the weekend's festivities. The party feasted on food prepared by one of Savannah's renowned caterers while two violinists provided music which made the entire evening magical, straight from a storybook tale!"

For a fantasy wedding, at a fraction of the cost of a traditional wedding in the bride's hometown, whether it is just the lucky couple, an intimate group of special friends, or a fun crowd, many couples are choosing a destination wedding in Savannah.

contributed by jill Smith

Increased bald eagle sightings beckon burgeoning ranks of Birders

The Colonial Coast Birding Trail is enjoying increased growth of our native Bald Eagle population as well as the growing ranks of birders who come here year round to observe this still quite rare species of bird indigenous to coastal Georgia. According to the Georgia Wildlife web site, there is a reason that so many international birders come to many of our coastal bird watching stations in hopes of encountering this majestic raptor which is due to their steadily growing population in their natural habitat.

More than 300 species of birds (75 percent of the total species of birds seen in Georgia) have been spotted at the 18 sites along the birding trail. Don't expect to see most of these birds on a single visit. The birds you see will depend greatly on when and where you visit. Some birds can be seen throughout the year. Others are migratory and travel long distances from their breeding grounds to wintering areas.

And of course if you don’t spot this elusive raptor along the Colonial Coast Birding Trail at one of the more remote areas in the Midway area of Liberty County, Georgia you can always do what I did recently which is to visit the nesting pair at the Oatland Island Education Center just five minutes away from Savannah’s historic district en-route to Tybee Island by way of the Islands Expressway.

Savannah Getaways is once again offering deep lodging discounts to Forida travelers this summer

That time of year again for our Florida neighbors to start thinking about getaways north to Savannah. With the dog days of summer right around the corner, our popular “north to the Historic District” midweek specials are once again being offered to Florida families seeking relief from rising gas prices while taking vacation trips with savings up to 30% off on select accommodation room rates from Sunday July 10th through Friday, September 1st this year. Drive north to beat the heat for Savannah Getaways tongue in cheek beat the heat discounts for the month of July and August for our Florida neighbors.

Everybody has to be somewhere, why not be relatively cooler at the same time? Just as summer’s rising temperatures and sauna like weather conditions arrive in the southeast every year, Savannah Getaways once again lowers the nightly/weekly rates on all of our lodging options for the above dates for the many history loving Floridians that choose late summer to visit Savannah’s Historic District. Makes sense to drive north where the thermometer readings are arguably slightly cooler than those found in the “Sunshine State”.

All of our vacation rental properties offer at least 10% discounts off normal low season rates to all Florida based travelers with some select properties offering up to 30% off depending on length of stay, midweek check in and check out (Sunday check in, Friday check out) and geographic location within the historic district. If you are looking for a long getaway weekend or just an opportunity to explore historic tourist attractions in cooler conditions, review our roster of self catered accommodations in the historic district to find your best deal. Make your early reservation now for the best savings of the year for visitors to Savannah, Georgia.

Historic Georgia City inks deal to continue hosting high profile PGA tour event

When your basic golf links aficionado thinks about a high profile PGA sanctioned golf tourney held every April, of course The Masters and the Augusta National Golf Club comes to mind. This premier PGA tournament event held every spring with Golf’s prevailing stars such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Vijay Singh will continue to own the collective heart and soul of golf fans every where. While this classic event is not likely to be overtaken by our own Senior Tour event any time soon, Savannah is moving herself squarely onto the radar of PGA Tour fans as well with her Liberty Mutual Legend’s of Golf event held every April a few weeks later every spring season.

No mystery as to why this is the case, when you combine the PGA Champions Tour event held at a well designed golf course on Hutchinson Island like The Club at Savannah Harbor across the Savannah River from the historic district along with strong name brand recognition that the Liberty Mutual Legend’s of Golf tournament enjoys with the legends of yesteryear such as this year’s winner Jay Haas and his equally well known counterparts Craig Stadler and Hale Irwin, you have an excellent recipe for a successful outcome. Apparently Liberty Mutual agrees as they over announced over this past weekend, this popular event will continue along for the next four years in this same venue. Now if the PGA Seniors tour event can just learn how to hold her own with her popular neighbor just across the river, Savannah’s famed historic district, they might really catch on world wide as something a bit more than a passing fad – tongue firmly planted in cheek!

Historic Beauty in this stop along Lowcountry Georgia

If a history filled vacation getaway is your idea of relaxation and inspiration, then traveling the Heritage Corridor that Interstate 95 slices through while running coastal Georgia should be a top priority in setting your travel itinerary.

Savannah’s historic district is the premier destination along Interstate 95’s colonial era route for your next long weekend getaway. Savannah undoubtedly has the greatest concentration of fine historic homes, museums, and historic sites to be found in the southeastern United States, if not the country in her 2.3 square mile Landmark Historic District. There is plenty to see and do with a broad spectrum of sightseeing options for visitors and locals alike including Civil War forts, art and history museums, and a multitude of grand old mansions including Hodgson Hall, a living library that documents much of the rich history surrounding Savannah as well as houses The Georgia Historical Society.

Given all of Savannah’s unique history, art, and architecture, it would be a good idea to have an advance plan of specific points of interest that you wish to spend more time exploring on your next visit to the Hostess City. Our easy to read oversized Historic District Points of Interest sectional map featuring nine distinct sections is the perfect tool for customizing your personal sightseeing options prior to your arrival of this significant destination along the Heritage Corridor.

Audubon Society designates Oldfield their first "Neighborhood for Nature" award recipient

The Visitor’s Guide to Savannah and the Lowcountry is pleased to announce the initial winner of The Audubon International's inaugural “Neighborhood for Nature Award”, Bluffton’s Okatie River based Oldfield. This gated golf course community in Beaufort County is a low density neighborhood is located between highway 170 in Bluffton and the Okatie River. Strategically located with an easy 30 minute drive to Savannah, Hilton Head Island, and Beaufort it is easy to see why the “Conservation of wildlife, environmental stewardship and appreciation of nature serve as core values at this signature, low-impact Crescent Resources, LLC community” led to this award.

Oldfield is a pilot member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Neighborhoods (ACSP), an international program administered by Audubon International to encourage environmental conservation. The community’s golf course, which was designed by PGA Tour champion Greg Norman, was officially designated a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS) in 2005.

Coastal Georgia's First City has proven herself highly adaptable over the past 272 years

A thoroughly modern "southern belle, forward leaning Savannah continues honoring her historic past as this storied coastal city blends tourism, one of America's leading ports, and high tech industry to keep this regional economic power a major player nationally with her evolving economic development.

Savannah hosts nearly six million guests a year to this southern gem of a coastal Georgia city with her antebellum style and gracious hospitality. Not resting on her laurels as a major travel destination for national and international tourists alike, the Hostess City also boasts a robust maritime friendly infrastructure for accommodating massive container ships world wide, and three different institutions of higher learning that are all expanding their course offerings and enrollments.

Savannah's diversified economy appears to be on solid ground with new hotels, new housing developments, and new industries that are high tech in nature coming online at a breath taking rate almost daily it seems. And the heart of this growth within the historic district has not been idle either as plans to restore Ellis Square in the City Market area move forward along with an ambitious underground parking garage to take care of the increased parking needs for Savannah’s 365 days a year stream of tourists.

The eclectic mix of new and old as demonstrated by exquisitely rendered period correct restored historic homes, restaurants serving varied fare, trendy galleries, boutique shops, and the largest art school in the country, Savannah College of Art and Design, with the campus scattered throughout the historic district with 50+ buildings. All things considered, this southern sultry lady remains a lively southern belle indeed.