Savannah, GA

texasag93

texasag93

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texasag93
Me and the wife are doing a trip to KSAV. Why you ask? She wants to go there and is willing to let me fly her there.

Any locals have information on good stuff to do, good places to stay, and any other information would be appreciated.

Is there big difference in the FBOs?

Any information and tips is appreciated.

We are flying in on 11/1 or 11/2 and flying out on 11/6.

Any problems with flooding from the rains?

Thanks!
 
anything specific you like to do? while I don't know the area at all, my coworker is from there, I can ask his hillbilly arse for recommendations.
 
Not local, visit at least every other year.. Grab a carriage tour.. Walk the waterfront.. Downtown has lots of walking/touring to do.. every time we hit a new place to eat downtown. One year went to Hilton head for a few days (we were driving, not flying)...
 
The short term tourist thing to do is the riverfront and downtown especially on the weekend. Often music, always great seafood restaurants and interesting southern culture. Worth the trip.
 
Flew in there a couple of years ago. I used Sheltair and had a good experience. They coordinated my rental car with Avis and had it delivered once I arrived. Lots of things to see in Savannah and lots of good restaurants. There are some hotel by the airport and many in town. Depends on what you arre looking for.
 
I prefer the action on the waterfront ,also the carriage tours are great. Don't have info on the FBOs .have driven there a few times. Greatest St Patrick's day festivities on the east coast.
 
We flew down on Nov 2, 2012 and back on Nov 6. One of our best vacations yet. Check these out...Great atc, Sheltair, Hertz rental, Savannah Canoe & Kayak- half day tour, The Pink House restaurant, Pirates' house restaurant, a good ice cream place???, Bonaventure Cemetary, the fort, ghost tour, fountain at Forsyth Park and watch the huge container ships full of Chinese goods arrive. We stayed where it was cheaper out by the airport. One of the things we ask ATC for on most of our trips is to tour the city or beach at 2,000'-3,000' agl when we arrive. I put most of the major sites into Foreflight user waypoints. Fuel was cheap up at BNL. I don't think rain will be an issue unless driving out to the swamps or kayaking. Have fun and let us know how your trip turns out.
 
Oh, forgot to mention...Trip Advisor is handy and we left comments on most places we have been.
 
8th Air Force museum. Not a very large museum but they just completed restoration on their B-17. Gotta B-47 in the backyard as well.
 
I've only been to KSAV once, but Hilton Head is also nearby and is a nice small beach city. Probably more history in Savannah. Savannah will also have a larger variety or restaurants, ghost tours, carriage rides, etc. The historic district and old cemeteries were pretty interesting to me.
 
Choose one of the waterfront area hotels. There are several. We unknowingly picked one of the hotels further away from the waterfront and ended up having to drive in and park which was a pain.

The waterfront is cool, tons of nice restaurants, and all kinds of tours. We did an evening ghost/historical tour which was fun.

If you have a car I'd recommend a very short side trip:
1 - Wormsloe Historic Site -- it's a beautiful park/estate and the location of the 'run forest run' scene in forest gump.
2 - Fort Pulaski National Park -- Well preserved civil war fort with great views.
3 - End the day on Tybee Island -- there is a nice beach, lighthouse, and tons of beachfront restaurants.
 
I work in SAV. Downtown, tybee, drive up to hilton head if you're into golf and tourist traps. We spend most of our time around beaufort. I was based at SAV at signature. Will be a little pricey but it's good service.

Check out the pirate house, mrs wilks. Stay away from lady and sons.

If you're into low country boil type seafood, go to "the boiling" down by Oglethorpe mall.

Go to the service center at gulfstream and buy some G650 T-shirts.
 
I was stationed at Hunter AAF 1982-83 and then worked at Gulfstream 85 - 86. I haven't been back since but I did like the town and wouldn't mind visiting again. I do wonder how much it has changed.
 
Have yet to fly to Savannah, but Teresa and I have been visiting at least yearly for a number of years - Savannah Music Festival each Spring.
We really like the East Bay Inn - just across East Bay from the waterfront so just far enough away to keep a distance from the drunks and T-shirt shops on the waterfront - historic but not stuffy at all, Melvin the Bellman will take care of you. Definitely a walking town, would not rent a car if staying in or close to the historic district. Our favorite restaurant there is Alligator Soul - try the kangaroo if on the menu that night.(Ben Afleck and wife were just leaving there as we arrived last visit, FWTW)
Have a great time. FBO PIREP would be appreciated.
 
I love Savannah. Say hello to the Dobsons as you roll out over their graves.
 
wrbix said:
Have yet to fly to Savannah, but Teresa and I have been visiting at least yearly for a number of years - Savannah Music Festival each Spring.
We really like the East Bay Inn - just across East Bay from the waterfront so just far enough away to keep a distance from the drunks and T-shirt shops on the waterfront - historic but not stuffy at all, Melvin the Bellman will take care of you. Definitely a walking town, would not rent a car if staying in or close to the historic district. Our favorite restaurant there is Alligator Soul - try the kangaroo if on the menu that night.(Ben Afleck and wife were just leaving there as we arrived last visit, FWTW)
Have a great time. FBO PIREP would be appreciated.
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I looked into the East Bay Inn, but their cancellation policy is not good for GA pilots. Have to pay in advanced and no cancellations.

I plan on booking a day or two out if the weather is good.
 
texasag93 said:
I looked into the East Bay Inn, but their cancellation policy is not good for GA pilots. Have to pay in advanced and no cancellations.

I plan on booking a day or two out if the weather is good.
Click to expand...

Will do the PIREP on the FBO.
 
Is the alcoholic slushie place still there? Grab a cup and walk the streets.
 
I'm from savannah but I've never dealt with the airport first hand so I can't offer advice there. As for food, my favorite combo is Corleone's on the corner of Broughton and MLK for dinner and then walking about 20 yards behind the restaurant to Lulu's chocolate bar for dessert. Corleone's in great Italian food and Lulus has great drinks and even better dessert--I would kill for their white chocolate, chocolate chip cheesecake.
Definitely check out Forsyth Park, River Street, and a number of the squares. Unless you want to overpay for food that isn't good, do your best to avoid the Lady and Sons and The Pink House. But if you must do one of the two, go for the pink house rather than Paula Deen's fried chicken.
The alcoholic slushies that the above post mentioned are at Wet Willie's on River Street. Definitely pick one up and then stroll through downtown with it. Also, Leopold's ice cream is pretty famous so you may want to check that out on Broughton street. But be warned, if you wait too late, the line will be ridiculous. If you can rent bikes, it's always enjoyable to explore downtown that way. And the weather should be great for being outside too.
Lastly, check out Savannah Smiles Dueling Piano Bar. There's some good talent that performs there and it makes for great entertainment.
Hope you have a great trip and if you have any questions, feel free to message me!
 
JB1842 said:
Is the alcoholic slushie place still there? Grab a cup and walk the streets.
Click to expand...

Oh yea... it most certainly is... And you can mix/match flavors... Most recently there in early September...

Be ready to call a cab when you are done...
 
I flew to KSAV with the family about 3 months ago. We tied down at Sheltair. They took real good care of us and we took a cab to the Hampton Inn downtown which was also a pretty good place to stay.

It was a good place to stay 2-3 days. After that I can't see the point. There's a lot of stuff in a small area, lots to see, but you burn through that all pretty quickly. We didn't drink since we brought our young child, but if you like to drink, you can definitely drown in the alcohol they serve along the waterfront.

It was a good trip, though next time I'll go when it's cooler outside. The heat index when we went was 115 degrees F...
 
Doggtyred said:
Oh yea... it most certainly is... And you can mix/match flavors... Most recently there in early September...

Be ready to call a cab when you are done...
Click to expand...

I made sure someone else was the DD the last time I was there. I'm thinking of a trip down that way in February myself.
 
Signature isn't a bad FBO and has reasonable ramp fees. The gas is a little pricey, though. Downtown is a lot of fun. You can walk around downtown with alcohol with no issues. The waterfront is nice to see. As mentioned before, take a carriage tour. If you can, take a walking ghost tour as well. There's a lot of history in Savannah, especially with the haunted parts.
 
I had an extended work project in Savannah. As a team, we pretty much had the downtown area scoped out. I can't tell you much about the airport, but within downtown:

Places I would make an effort to go back to and highly recommend
Vic's on the River - IMO, best restaurant in town.
The bar at the Bohemian hotel
Leopold's Ice Cream
LuLu's Chocolate Bar
Papilotte for lunch
Maxwell's restaurant
Tequila's Town Mexican, order the tableside guacamole

I never personally ate at the Pink House, but coworkers said it was very good

2nd tier - do them or not, I would be indifferent.
Wet Willie's on river, late at night when the drunks are singing Karaoke
The Crab Shack on Tybee if you make it out there. Not the best, but it's an experience. Sit inside or under a fan. Get the low country boil.
Lady and Son - it's just not all that
Garibaldi - nice but not memorable
Congress Street social club (bar)

Will never go back -
Chart House - really bad food
Huey's - really slow service, good scenery

I know there's more, but these are the ones that stuck out.
 
LevelWing said:
Signature isn't a bad FBO and has reasonable ramp fees. The gas is a little pricey, though. Downtown is a lot of fun. You can walk around downtown with alcohol with no issues. The waterfront is nice to see. As mentioned before, take a carriage tour. If you can, take a walking ghost tour as well. There's a lot of history in Savannah, especially with the haunted parts.
Click to expand...

I love ghost tours. Haven't done Savannah, but Gettysburg and St. Augustine, FL are my top favorites.
 
I've only been a couple of times. Last time I visited was back in January, parked at Sheltair (great service, reasonable prices). Had a great dinner at the Pink House, even though I appreciate it can be a bit touristy.
I usually stay at the Hyatt Regency. Great convenient location.
 
Had a great time there a few weeks ago. Stayed at the Kehoe house, which is a great b and b. Did the tourist stuff, ate at a bunch of great restaurants, saw most of the city, did a trolley tour, a ghost tour and hung out at the waterfront.
 
Signature is better than Sheltair, but I've never been to KSAV in anything smaller than a G-III. YMMV.

Definitely stay downtown in the historic district. Worth the cab ride to/from the airport since parking can be difficult and/or expensive. I enjoy staying at the Hilton DeSoto. It's close to the good stuff, but far enough away that you be able to get a decent nights' sleep.

The Rooftop Bar at the Bohemian Hotel is a must do at sunset. Great view of the Savannah River and the downtown skyline. Vic's on the River for dinner. Pricey, but worth it, IMO. Live street music most nights outside of Wild Wings on Market Street. That may be tapering off now that it's cooling down, though.

As far as tourist stuff, a self guided walking tour is great. If you'd rather, jump on a trolley for a guided tour. They launch from the city visitor's center just west of MLK near the Thunderbird Inn. If you do have transportation, Tybee Island is good. Ft Pulaski is a great place, and the 8th AF Museum is a must do. The museum will only take a few hours to walk through.

There is a lot to see and do in Savannah and the immediate area. I've been going at least 2-3 times a year for a week at a time for the last 6 years and still find something new to do each time while still enjoying my favorites.

Good luck and have a great visit!
 
With all of the weather that was moving East and covering KSAV, we went to KSGU.

Sorry that I cannot give any PIREPs on KSAV.
 
Texas, If you have time, post a trip report(pics if possible) on St. George. Thanks and have fun.
 
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