I dropped Belle off at RDU on Friday and spent the entire drive home trying not to imagine worst-case scenarios. I know she’s grown, but she’s still my baby – and was a first-time flyer. Watching her head off to the airport doors caused a twinge in my chest.
Thankfully, all that stress was unwarranted. She made it safe and sound and had a great time celebrating her bestie’s high school graduation.
The cherry on top? Instead of flying home, she and her bestie met me halfway in Savannah—and I got one more perfect day with her before she slips fully into adulthood.
I’d technically been to Savannah before, but it hardly counts. I was about Belle’s age, driving home from Florida on 17, and made one of those quick downtown stops that’s really just an excuse to say you’ve been somewhere. This time I had a whole day, and I intended to make the most of it.
Like I always do, I asked y’all on X what I needed to see and do while I was in town. As usual, you delivered. Here’s how it went:
A Day in Savannah
The Waterfront
I rolled into town more than an hour before Belle, so I wandered River Street alone, taking in the old brick buildings and cobblestone streets. The air smelled of salt, seafood, and warm brick. It had the feel of downtown Wilmington – I felt right at home.
Most of the tourist shops leaned a little too boho for my taste, but then I stumbled into Southern Tide and did some damage. I walked out with a new tank top and the cutest little sundress. Zero regrets.
Next, I found Byrd’s Famous Cookies, where they let me sample just about everything. The cookies were excellent, but the cheddar jalapeño biscuits were phenomenal. I brought a bag home, and I’m already kicking myself for not buying two.
I also wandered through Gallery 209, full of work by local artists. Several pieces made me stop and dream about updating the decor at home. Unfortunately, my Southern Tide budget had already spoken, so I behaved. Next trip, I’m leaving with a painting.
Then came Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. If you have a sweet tooth, don’t skip it. They had every kind of candy imaginable, but the real show was watching them make fresh pralines right in front of everyone. The buttery-sweet smell hit me before I even walked in. Naturally, I bought one for the ride home.
It never made it out of Savannah.
By the time I’d worked my way through the last shops, it was time to meet Belle for lunch. My heart did a little flip when she walked in the restaurant.
The Shrimp Factory
Y’all, I owe a very special thank you to whoever recommended we get lunch here, because the food was so much better than I expected.
We started with fried green tomatoes served on homemade pimento cheese. I dipped mine in ranch, because of course I did, and it was absolute perfection.
Belle ordered the fried shrimp platter with mac and cheese and was thoroughly pleased with her selection. I went with the shrimp and grits, and I am not kidding when I tell you they were the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever been served in a restaurant.
I’m picky about this.
I make shrimp and grits at home all the time. If a restaurant’s version can hold its own against mine, that’s saying something.
The Historic District
After lunch, we set out to take a look at the historic district. With the heat index sitting at 110, we made the smart call to skip getting out and just ride through to ooh and ahh in the air conditioning.
Chippewa Square
Once we’d cooled off enough, we found our way to Chippewa Square. You know the spot, whether the name rings a bell or not — it’s where Forrest Gump sat on a bench to tell his life story to strangers waiting on the bus. The park itself is breathtaking. Sadly, the bench was only ever a movie prop; today it lives in a local museum. Still, it was worth the stop.
Forsyth Park
From there, we headed to Forsyth Park. The famous fountain lived up to every picture I’d seen. Oak-lined walkways, Spanish moss swaying in the breeze, kids squealing on the splash pad, a giant Confederate monument, people stretched out on picnic blankets—it felt exactly like the Savannah you imagine. For a few minutes, it was easy to forget we were in the middle of a city.
Bonaventure Cemetery
Y’all know I can’t resist an old cemetery. So it shouldn’t be a shock that I went to Bonaventure even though a severe thunderstorm rolled through.
One of the things I wanted most was to find the Bird Girl statue from the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. We drove every road we could find before finally learning she’d been moved to a museum years ago.
A little disappointing? Sure.
But Bonaventure is still worth visiting.
The enormous live oaks, elaborate monuments, towering angel statues, and quiet overlooks on the river make it one of the prettiest cemeteries I’ve ever visited.
That said—and this may get me in trouble—I still think Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington is prettier. And honestly, I’d probably rank Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon ahead of Bonaventure, too.
Sorry, Savannah!
Wormsloe Plantation
We planned to end the day at Wormsloe, but that thunderstorm we’d braved through Bonaventure derailed our plans. I’d hoped we could at least drive through, but you have to walk, bike, or take the shuttle. Once the lightning started, the shuttle shut down, and I wasn’t about to hike through a historic site in a summer storm.
So Wormsloe will have to wait until next time.
By then, there wasn’t time to squeeze anything else in. We turned the car north and headed back toward North Carolina. And honestly, that felt like exactly the right way to end the day.
Savannah gave me just enough to make me want to come back — museums I didn’t visit, restaurants I didn’t try, streets I never wandered. That’s the sign of a good trip: you leave already planning the next one.
Somewhere along the way, though, the trip stopped being about checking Savannah off a list. It became about stealing one more road trip with my girl while she’s still in that beautiful, fleeting space between being my little girl and becoming the woman she’s meant to be.
I’ll take every single one of those trips I can get.
