Southern Holiday Part 2:Savannah

From Hilton Head, we made a day-trip to sassy Savannah, took a quick buggy tour of the gorgeous squares, and completely avoided the very commercial and tourist-driven City Market.

The house from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the house from Something to Talk About 

There are 20-something beautiful squares in Savannah. Each has a church and its own character.

Movie sets and beautiful squares aside, Savannah's amazing restoration, preservation and architecture is a standout due in large part to the Savannah College of Art and Design.

In terms of dining, locals, politely, encouraged us to stay away from City Market (and Paula Dean's restauarnts in particular). And we love off-the-beaten-path places that are more suited to locals. We found it in the Soho South Cafe and art gallery, a colorful, southern, bohemian, artsy, eatery built in an old firestation/garage for lunch.

Fun interiors of the Soho South Cafe; our delicious meal of shrimp-n-grits, sweet tea, and crabcake Savannah (a crabcake with poached egg and hollandaise sauce...with grits and a biscuit, of course!). Soho South is ecelectic in its styling as well as its menu. They offer all the southern favorites alongside organic, healthier salads and vegetarian options. You'll find local art students and get a real feel for Savannah that you'll most likely miss in the more commercial and touristy eateries in City Market.

Okay, like Charleston, I could definitely live here! There's lots of history, art, architecture, urban design, and great food. What else could you ask for? I highly, highly recommend Savannah Off the Beaten Path if you're into culture and avoidance of tourists.