Exploring Savannah Using Your 5 Senses
Arriving in a city that you are not familiar with is exciting and if you are like me, you are ready to explore using all five of your senses immediately! Here are a few of my favorite things to do that will enable you to begin your Savannah adventure once you have dropped off your suitcase.
Gallery Espresso is a Bohemian cafe with coffee & light fare like salads & pastries. Photo cred Gallery Espresso website.
A heaping dose of southern hospitality and delightful cuisine awaits with every trip you take to Cafè M. Photo cred Cafe M website.
Smell: Coffee, Cookies, Pastries Oh My!
Venture into one of our locally owned coffee shops like Gallery Espresso, Savannah Coffee Roasters, Café M or Coffee Fox and smell the aroma of the coffee and the fresh baked pastries or cookies. Take your order to go and walk to the nearest square and get acquainted with our beautiful city laid out by Savannah’s founder General James Edward Oglethorpe. Depending on the time of the year, you may be able to smell the wisteria, tea olives, jasmine, magnolias, or gardenias while you are exploring Savannah.
Congregation Mickve Israel in Savannah, Georgia, is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States. Photo cred Congregation Mickve Israel Facebook page.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic cathedral and minor basilica in Lafayette Square in Savannah. Photo cred Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist Facebook page.
Sight: Going to the Chapel
Our houses of worship are a must see! The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist was erected in the 1830s and was enlarged in the French Gothic style and dedicated in 1876. While you are exploring Savannah, make sure your notice the stained-glass windows from Innsbruck, Austria, chapels of Sacred Heart and Blessed Virgin Mary, Coat of Arms of Pope John XXIII, marble altars, Persian rugs, and wall murals. Mickve Israel Temple is the only Gothic Synagogue in America and was finished in 1878. The museum has the oldest Torah in America, 1790 historical books of congregational activities and letters written to the congregation from Presidents Washington, Jefferson, and Madison. Both the Cathedral Basilica and the Temple are open to the public but check their websites for touring hours.
Photo Green Meldrim House website.
Photo cred Ships of the Sea Facebook page.
Photo cred SCAD Museum of Art Facebook page.
Photo cred Telfair Museums Facebook page.
Hearing: Listen to Her Story
Savannah has some of the finest museums in the South! Immerse yourself in exploring a variety of museums sure to tempt your curiosity. House museums: Davenport House – Federal Style built by architect Isiah Davenport and restored by Historic Savannah Foundation as its first project, it features delicate plasterwork; Andrew Low House – built in 1848 and faithfully restored in the 1870’s period and the house contains many of the original Gordon family furnishings; The Green-Meldrim House – built by John S. Norris for a wealthy cotton merchant and is one the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the South. The mansion served as General William Tecumseh Sherman’s headquarters when he gave the city of Savannah to Lincoln as a Christmas present, thus concluding his famous “March to the Sea”. Ships of the Sea Museum - Located in the Scarbrough House which was built by William Jay in Regency style. Restored as the major bicentennial project for the City of Savannah. There are exhibits which include ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques, principally from the great era of American trade and travel between England and America in the 18th and 19th centuries. Art Museums: SCAD Museum of Art a contemporary art museum that introduces new exhibitions every academic quarter. The Telfair Museums include the Telfair Academy, which is one of the most important buildings in Georgia, built in 1818, and designed by William Jay, a young English architect noted for introducing Regency architecture to America. The Jepson Center is a modern designed by Moshe Safdie and Associates that opened in 2006.
Capital Bee Company is known for its truly rare single varietal mono-floral honeys. Photo cred Capital Bee Company Facebook page.
Voted Savannah's Best Candy Store for 16 years, River Street Sweets uses their own family recipes to make the finest and freshest handmade Southern candies around. Photo cred River Street Sweets Facebook page.
Taste: The Sweet Life
Stroll into Capital Bee Company and enjoy tasting different types of honey at their “honey bar”. You will not only be educated about local honey, but you will get to experience the smell and taste the honey. One of my favorite places for lunch for not only the food but the ambiance is Joe’s at the Jepson. You will have a spectacular view of the hustle and bustle around Telfair Square and the oaks in the square are magnificent. Make sure you try something from the dessert cart and since you are on vacation, the calories don’t count! Another favorite sweet stop is River Street Sweets! Rest assured, you will want to taste everything they sell. If you are lucky you will get to watch them making salt-water taffy or peanut brittle. No Savannah trip is ever complete without a stop to this Savannah landmark.
Chef Darin's Kitchen Table is a kitchen store and hands-on cooking school located in the Streetcar District of Savannah. Cook, Learn, Eat and Shop! Photo cred Chef Darin’s Kitchen Table Facebook page.
Touch: Learn to Slice and Dice while enjoying every moment
If you love to cook or are intrigued by regional cooking, take a class at Chef Darin’s Hands-on Cooking School. You will have the opportunity to touch (with clean hands), to smell the aroma of your cooking, to hear the cultural or historical stories behind the ingredients used to create your visual and tasting adventure! Chef Darin’s Hands-on Cooking Classes is always a Five Senses, Five Star journey, loved by visitors exploring Savannah and locals alike!
