Being in Savannah for Thanksgiving gave us a glimpse into another side of the city that we hadn’t previously experienced. Last time we visited was in mid-June and the temperatures were stiflingly hot and humid! This time, we were able to walk around without completely melting and we were able to enjoy the Christmas décor throughout the city, as well as partake in some of the festivities happening over the weekend!
We naively assumed that nothing would be open since it was Thanksgiving, but after we watched the Macy’s parade, finished our dinner, and watched the Lions pick up another win, we decided to take a stroll along the riverfront just for something to do, and quickly realized that commerce in the city was alive and well! Since things were open, we decided we might as well go enjoy them and headed out for an appetizer/cocktail tour the historic riverfront district of Savannah! 😊
There was a traditional Christmas market set up along the river with artists selling hand blown glass ornaments, jewelry, and other handmade gifts and even a booth selling Belgian waffles, hot mulled cider, and cocoa!
We wandered through the market until we came to the JW Marriott hotel. I remembered that they have a rooftop bar there called Myrtle and Rose that I had found online and had wanted to go to last time we were in town, but we ran out of time before we could visit, so we decided to pop in for a cocktail this time around. Unfortunately, the rain that evening had closed off the cozy outside section where I had wanted to sit, but we still enjoyed a nice beverage served in a fancy glass with ingredients sourced from the restaurant’s own garden, which I love! And we had a great view of the river and city!
Afterwards, Dustin wanted to show his brother, Morgan, the inside of the JW Marriott’s lobby in the Plant Riverside District. They have massive gemstones on display – we’re talking amethysts the size of a bathtub – along with some cool art and fossils.
While looking around at everything, we were lured into a really cool spot called Baobab Lounge, out of sheer curiosity! This place had caught our attention by the unusual and interesting African décor, rare taxidermy display, and speakeasy vibe. There were full size ostriches, crocodiles, and a number of other species thoughtfully intermingled throughout the space with stunning portraits and statues of native Africans.
We also later learned about the chandelier hanging above us and how it was completely made of horns, tusks, and ostrich eggs, and worth hundreds of thousands of dollars!
Baobab Lounge offered a really unique food menu with creative craft cocktails, so we all decided to try The Mazagran, which was Bourbon, Madagascar Vanilla Syrup, Coffee, and Coffee Bean-Infused Angostura, but the best part was the presentation of it! The drink was smoked tableside and presented to us each in a glass case and we were told that the longer we left it in the box, the smokier the flavor would get.
This place was really fun because of how different it was! Part of why I love traveling is being able to try different food and drinks and I honestly think that is why I have become a better cook myself – because I am picking up tips and tricks from people around the world! 😊
We made one more stop that night at the Alida Hotel. They have a rooftop bar/restaurant there called the Lost Square and each winter, this space is transformed into an Alpine Village. As soon as we exited the elevator, it felt like we stepped straight into a ski lodge in Europe!
The place was a winter wonderland – cozy fireside tables with fur pelts and red plaid throw blankets to cuddle up in the cold open air with a hot drink! They even had yurts for large parties to sit in that felt like we were transported to Scandinavia!
We recently visited Norway, and it made Dustin and I feel like we had walked right back into a Norwegian lodge. We got a hot cocoa and just enjoyed the ambiance for a bit, and then headed back to the boat for the night.
The next morning, we all decided to go on a hop on/hop off trolley tour of Savannah to sightsee a bit. There was rain in the forecast, so we figured that this would be a great way to still get out and see the city, without having to suffer in the rain. Our first trolley guide was a cute elderly British gentleman who entertained us with stories of his very own family and how his son once was jailed for swimming across the Savannah River (which is heavily transited by massive cargo ships and tug boats).
We had to switch trolleys at their depot since we hopped on towards the end of the tour and ended up with another driver who was mostly interested in repeating the trolley rules every 5 minutes, but we still had a nice time taking in the beautiful sites. Savannah is a lovely city that is full of rich history, and it was interesting to learn about! The old live oaks draping over the sidewalks and cobblestone streets, the Spanish moss hanging from the trees, the horse drawn carriages, the city’s many lovely squares/parks, the historic homes and businesses – all of it was just so beautiful!
Eventually, we hopped off the trolley and walked through City Market, which is a pedestrian street lined with white strings lights up above and chock full of eateries and shops.
Morgan found a candy shop and was lured in by the aroma of fudge, waffle cones and cookies! Ironically enough, instead of buying any of that, he left the store with bacon cheddar crickets to try instead!
Our trolley tour ticket offered a discount at the Prohibition Museum, so we decided to go in and take a look! We learned all kinds of interesting facts about Prohibition, like how Walgreens used to give out medicinal whiskey prescriptions during this time or how Yuengling stopped making beer and started making ice cream for a time.
There was a whole section about Al Capone and his bootlegging business and an interesting exhibit about 1920’s flappers and speakeasy bars.
