Savannah Vacation News

Dueling You Tube Videos for 15 G’s

A recent video created for You Tube by the Savannah Convention and Visitor’s Bureau does an excellent job of capturing the essence of our Top Ten Vacation Destination, Savannah’s Landmark Historic District. Typical of the Hostess City, some of our locals have a tendency to throw stones at those that are paid to promote Destination Savannah as doubtless some if these videographers believe they could create a better online offering here in the Creative Coast. As the Savannah Morning News reports in the excerpt below, a lot of fun was had by the cast during the production.

General James Oglethorpe’s statue in Chippewa Square faces south in tribute to his prowess in defending the new colony of Georgia from the Spanish. On Wednesday, Oglethorpe took an extended break from guard duty, at least on YouTube. Visit Savannah brought the statue “to life” for its first promotional film developed exclusively for the video-sharing website. The clip portrays Oglethorpe coming down from his pedestal to lead a dancing Conga line of tourists and locals through the Historic District he designed.

More than 100 locals appear in the video, which was shot in one day earlier this year. “It’s very clever because some see history as boring, and Savannah is not boring. It’s a living history museum,” Wood said. “The video shows off how fun the town is without sacrificing our dignity. We’re not a theme park, and we don’t want to be. The video strikes a balance.”

But the locals didn’t think so much of the video and as a result, you too can receive a grand prize of $15,000 if your Destination Savannah Video does as well as the one paid for by the Savannah CVB based on a recent television news report.

Savannah Getaways Guarantee – We will never Gouge

Just came across a late breaking ad today on Craigslist Savannah for the upcoming sold out Savannah Rock and Roll Marathon that was a real eye opener. Seems this most likely upscale facility as offered by the owner is well placed to the finish line of this November 3 – 4 running event as they advertise. And you would think that a 3700 square foot 3 bedroom, 3.5 Bath Victorian District Vacation Rental with a swimming pool would be a prime Savannah vacation rental when compared side by side to all the other upscale Savannah Vacation Rentals we offer for this inaugural running event, Right?

Not so fast my friends. There is a reason this property was not snapped up month’s ago in April and May like our long ago sold out availability was taken out of circulation by savvy marathoners looking for upscale accommodations at affordable rates. Check out listing # 1031 a few blocks away from the above Hall Street listing or listing # 1009 that overlooks Crawford Square in the true Landmark Historic District. Instead of six runners paying this property owner at least $625 apiece for a three night stay, you could have been like the smart shoppers staying at Savannah's most popular vacation rental options above at serious savings over that rate at $200 and $265 apiece respectively. The take away should be obvious. Do your due diligence to determine who the premier Savannah Vacation Rental Management Company is, Savannah Getaways, and book your reservations accordingly if value and savings are part of your shopping priority.

Not only do you live like a local when staying with Savannah’s oldest & highest ranked Savannah Vacation Rentals resource in coastal Georgia according to both Trip Advisor AND Flip Key, if you shop the rest and stay with the best, you will actually save money with our budget friendly Savannah Getaways townhouses and condominiums. Don’t be a rookie traveler returning to next year’s Rock and Roll Marathon event and stay at the mercy of Savannah Vacation Rentals by Amateur. Be smart next year, contact our year round Savannah Reservation Desk upon your return home THIS YEAR and nail down next year’s sure to be sold out rock and roll marathon vacation rentals rowhouse scheduled to be run on November 3 in 2012 AND save money all at the same time.

Rock & Roll Marathon in Savannah

Based on early pre-bookings for our always busy reservation desk here at Savannah Getaways, the first ever Rock and Roll Marathon to be ran in Savannah the first weekend in November is going to be a monster of an athletic event. We have already sold out our entire inventory of 3+ bedroom Savannah Vacation Rental homes (many closely located to the actual marathon route) before the official start of summer for this outdoor running event. We have been supplying upscale rental accommodations in the landmark historic district for the Savannah Memorial Bridge Run that takes place every December, and understand what a popular event for area runners this run is but we have been knocked over by the response to the R&R Marathon event that marries distance runners, all manner of musical bands that play along the way along with cheerleaders and themed water stations interspersed throughout the route.

Courtesy message, for those runners coming to savannah's in two's, three's and four's, the Savannah Rock and Roll Marathon Event  will be a vacation rental sale out within the historic district. Select your lodging options early while you still can, presuming vacation rental weekend lodging is what you have in mind within the honest to goodness landmark historic district for this event durng the fall high season. Hard to give a great last minute vacation rental deal when al we have left is sold out of inventory!

Jingle Bell Rock & Jingle Bell Run in Savannah

The month of December in Savannah is always popular for distance runners thanks to the mild winters and our popular Enmark Savannah Bridge Run that had their annual event yesterday morning. An estimated 5000 runners turned out for the 5K, 10K and Double Pump run across the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge from the Historic District side of the Savannah River to the Hucthinson Island side of the river. According to a Savannah Now article, the costumed runners that participated showed up in their best costume design but the winners were the "real life" characters of President Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Sarah Palin and five U.S. Secret Service male and female agents.

No worries If you missed the Savannah Bridge Run yesterday. There is still time to plan your Savannah  holiday sports getaway and enter the inaugural Jingle Bell Run/Walk
that will take place from the Hutchinson Island side of the River later this month. This 8K run will start from the presenter's parking lot, the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center on Saturday morning, December 18th. There will be a Kids' Run where the younger marathoners can run that fun event for free. After all the races are complete, a Chili Cook Off will be in store with celebrity judges! And yet again, another costume contest will also be apart of the event, so come dressed for the holiday spirit! All proceeds will benefit the Rape Crisis Center.

Hacking your way through the best Low Country Golf Courses

My introduction to a table top book about Golf in the Lowcountry recently caught my attention about one of coastal South Carolina and coastal Georgia’s single greatest attractions. This book by Joel Zuckerman is well worth reading if you are a golf junkie like my son in law and reservation desk manager, Aubrey, is.

Mr Zuckerman is an award winning writer of some note. His links reviews and travel features been read in numerous publications all across the golfing world, including Sports Illustrated, T&LGolf and Golfweek to name but a few. His "Golf in the Lowcountry---An Extraordinary Journey through Hilton Head Island & Savannah", was first published back in 2003. Read the below partially excerpted information gleaned from this fine book. 

In the beginning golf out on Lowcountry Hilton Head Island began its rise to golf prominence in the modern era back in 1969.  At that time Pete Dye, in association with Jack Nicklaus, created the esteemed Harbour Town Golf Links. When Arnold Palmer won the island’s inaugural PGA Tour event at Harbour Town, the Heritage Classic, on Thanksgiving weekend of the same year, Hilton Head was off and running as a golf destination. 

The ensuing decades have seen tremendous growth in the Carolina Lowcountry and nearby Georgia coast, both in quantity and quality of golf experiences. The game has become such an integral part of life here that the area was named among the top ten international golf destinations by Golf Digest in 2000. Now, long time Carolina Morning News golf writer, Joel Zuckerman, has delivered a delightful paean to the region with his book, Golf in the Lowcountry---An Extraordinary Journey through Hilton Head Island & Savannah.

Zuckerman’s later book, Golf Charms of Charleston about golf in the Charleston area was recently released as well. Just one more reason to visit the Georgia/Carolina Low Country Sea Islands. 

Lowcountry Golfing News – All the Low Country Golf News that’s fit to print

Hammering Hank and Terrible Ted to be Honored

Today it was announced that baseball legend Henry Aaron and CNN Founder Ted Turner will be honored as new Georgia Trustees at the Georgia Historical Society’s Hodgson Hall location adjacent to Forsyth Park. The Georgia Days Birthday Bash and Awards Gala should be a well attended event for the always busy Valentine Day Kick Off of Savannah’s High Season next spring. The event will take place in Savannah, Georgia on Saturday, February 13, 2010 according to the excerpt below from the Georgia History website:

Mr. Aaron and Mr. Turner are being recognized for their historic achievements, philanthropic contributions, and vast community service that have played such an important part in the story of Georgia. They are two of the most important Georgians in post-World War II America.

In conjunction with the Governor’s Office, the Georgia Historical Society reconstituted the Georgia Trustees as a way of recognizing Georgians whose accomplishments and community service reflect the highest ideals of the founding body of Trustees. The original Georgia Trustees, a governing body chartered and appointed by His Majesty King George II of England in 1732 to establish a new colony in North America, founded the Georgia colony upon the principle of Non Sibi, Sed Aliis, “Not for Self but for Others.” They established and governed the colony with this vision until their disbandment in 1752 when Georgia became a royal colony. Reestablished in 2009, the Governor will make an annual appointment of new Trustees whose history-making accomplishments and service reflect the original Trustees’ ideals. Mr. Aaron's and Mr. Turner's names will be placed on the roll with the original Trustees from 1732.

The Georgia Historical Society, headquartered in Savannah, is the oldest cultural institution in the state and one of the oldest historical organizations in the nation.

Savannah Vacation News – All the Breaking News That’s Fit to Print

Surf and Pier Fishing in coastal waters off Historic Savannah

Now that summer has arrived with a vengeance after a cool, cool spring, head out on the highway for your favorite Georgia beach for surf, dock or pier fishing. Summer time is the right time to try your hand at some vacation fishing while waiting for the fall season. Low Country docks and piers from Charleston to Savannah still produce some red drum, sea trout and flounder, but the heat of the day makes fishing a moot point until the more favorable morning, evening, or even into the night hours of the fishing cycle. Of course, tides play an important part in this dynamic, so time these less warm hours to the incoming tide for best results.

If croaker, spots and whiting are your target fish, then pier fishing is a good vehicle to go full tilt boogey if surf fishing for whiting is not what you have in mind. While the debate about the preferred fishing bait of choice, dead shrimp versus live fiddler crabs may still go on in some serious angling circles for the aforementioned finny denizens of our teeming low country waters, either bait will do the trick. Many people believe that whiting can be picky eaters and actually prefer the shrimp peeled! Look for whiting just beyond the breakers on sandy bottoms and within the breaking surf where they periodically school from time to time.

king mackerels start showing up in fairly decent numbers along with the tourists during the summer season. This is a good time to stake out the very end of the ocean piers. Savvy anglers looking for kings fish the waters off the pier ends with live bluefish, blue runner or other small live fish under a float. During our sizzling summers, more large king mackerel are caught within one mile from our popular coastal Georgia beaches than anywhere else. So your odds for catching a nice king from the end of an ocean pier as opposed to charter fishing are very good indeed at this time of year.

Savannah Vacation News Channel

Fantastic 4th of July Fireworks Display over Savannah River + Fort Pulaski

Plan your July 4th family getaway in Savannah’s Landmark Historic District. The downtown celebration officially starts at 5 p.m. on River Street’s Rousakis Plaza with a fireworks display planned for 9:20 p.m. Bring a blanket, some snacks, and a radio. According to the Vacations Made Easy Website, “Why a radio, you ask? The fireworks are amazingly choreographed to a music simulcast on Cumulus FM radio stations KIX96.5, Z102.1, and Magic 103.9.“

You might want to see what’s kicking at the Beach out on Tybee Island earlier in the day. And on the way back to downtown Savannah, stop at Fort Pulaski just across Bridge from Tybee Island. Celebrate the nation’s 233rd Birthday at the Civil War era fort with a special patriotic living history event. This annual event traditionally includes a baseball game using 1860’s rules and equipment as Abner Doubleday and his Civil War era ball players would have appeared. So the game of baseball is not your cup of tea? Then take in the cannon firings and soldier demonstrations that are sure to be a hit with the younger crowd. Historic Savannah has it all in the summer season.

Call Savannah Getaways today and make your best deal for your historic district accommodation.

Free Celebrity Sports Camp at Bethesda Boy’s Home on May 2nd

Bring your kids with you to coastal Georgia this weekend so they can attend the Bethesda Sport’s Camp while you hang out with history in the historic district. Bethesda’s Celebrity Sports Camp will take place this year on Bethesda’s campus on Saturday, May 2 located at 9520 Ferguson Avenue. Every year, this sport’s camp provides instruction for children ages 8-18 in basketball, football and baseball by both current and former professional athletes and coaches. The camp is free and open to the public. Check-in and/or registration for the camp begins at 8:00 a.m. The camp runs from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon.

As many of you already know, Historic Bethesda Boy’s Home started out as an orphanage for boys back in the day, Colonial American Day that is! In the early part of the 18th Century of Colonial America, Savannah's history was filled with epidemics that took the lives of many of the early colonists as it did all across the New World. In that era, orphanages were a critical need for the surviving orphans of these epidemics to have a place to live and be raised. With that in mind, President James Habersham (the founder and first President) was granted 500 acres of land for construction. Completed in 1742, Bethesda faced many difficulties including famine, war, fires that burned down early buildings, and lack of funds. By 1780, the current dormitory building was constructed which still stands today. Continuing a 250+ year old legacy of community service, the tradition continues well into the 21st Century.

Call (912) 351 – 2040 for details.

Staying at Savannah Getaways Laura’s Cottage with the Haint

As many of our guests here at Savannah Getaways have shared over the years have come to know, Laura’s Cottage is not only available for your personalized vacation rental stay but you just might share the night with a haint that lives there as well if one guest that shared her story with Trip Advisor is to be believed.

"Laura visited 3 times - The cottage is said to be haunted by Laura, a black lady who lived in it for 50 years. The first week was very chilly in Savannah. Laura made herself known to us on 3 visits. The first was by opening a downstairs window from the bottom up on one chilly morning. The window was locked! Soon after she flickered the lights over the dining table, and the bulbs were in nice and tight. On the coldest night of the year, you could smell wood smoldering like a campfire after water had been poured on it. It was on and off, but so strong that we checked the cottage. Laura was telling us she would keep us warm. We never saw or heard her, but she was there."

So if hanging out with ghosts while visiting America’s most Haunted City is what you had in mind, well you’ve come to the right place assuming you can handle the walking tours that come by from time to time right outside your front door of this cottage built in the 1700’s. Savannah Getaways has your fright night accommodation covered. Send an e-mail for availability and rates today!