Savannah: Love at First Site

With its stately oak trees laden with Spanish moss, beautiful antebellum homes and inviting downtown public squares, Savannah drips with southern charm.

The downtown area is laid out on a grid with public squares like this one.

Visitors can learn about the city's rich history through the monuments erected to Savannah's founding fathers.

A few highlights from our walking tour of Savannah.

We enjoyed stepping inside the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist to admire the architecture and stained glass windows. The girls couldn't stop talking about this "castle."

Two of my favorite beaus.

My little southern belles.

The Tea Room in Savannah

A highlight of our recent trip to Savannah was a visit to The Tea Room.

In his book The Great Tea Rooms of America, Bruce Richardson enthused, "If ever there was an American city that was a perfect location for the enjoyment of afternoon tea, it is the beautiful coastal town of Savannah, Georgia. Hospitality, landscape and architecture all come together in this historic setting to serve as the backdrop for one of the South's finest tea presentations." We dined in the library dining room, pictured above.

I enjoyed my tea selection, Brinns Cup, so much that I purchased some loose tea to carry home with me.

The dainty treats offered for afternoon tea were even more enjoyable for me because The Tea Room was so welcoming to my children.

Our table was beautifully set with a white linen tablecloth, fresh flowers and pretty china, but our server brought crayons as soon as we arrived. She had placed white paper over the tabletop and encouraged the children to draw on it. The children happily began working on teatime masterpieces, and soon after our waitress returned with fresh fruit. Throughout our meal, the tearoom staff was attentive and friendly. But I appreciate most of all their hospitable attitude toward the children. Thanks to their warm welcome, we were all able to savor teatime together in an atmosphere that was elegant and refined, yet relaxed and friendly.

Carson's rendering of our tea table -- on our tea table -- was suitable for framing.

The front of the tea room offers an array of gifts and an ample selection of loose teas. (You can see autographed copies of The Great Tea Rooms of America in the lower right corner of this photo.)

I am so thankful we had the opportunity to visit The Tea Room, where southern hospitality is always on the menu!

Gryphon Tea Room, Savannah

We also took a peek into Savannah's Gryphon Tea Room during our trip.

Decorated and staffed by the Savannah College of Art and Design, I hope we'll get to visit this tea room on a future excursion.

Shopping Savannah

Ooh-la-la! The vignettes at The Paris Market were a feast for the eyes.

Best Dishes from Paula Deen

With only one full day in Savannah, we were not able to eat at Paula Deen's famous Savannah restaurant. But I did find some treasures at her shop next door.

With pretty details like transferware plates hung on exposed brick walls, the Paula Deen Store felt homey and welcoming. I picked up a signed cookbook and some discounted Dot Crazy plates -- sweet souvenirs that capture the flavor of Savannah.

The Owens-Thomas House, Savannah

I slipped into the last tour of the day at the historic Owens-Thomas House. It was a beautiful home, and I could have lingered for hours in the lovely courtyard. And I did linger a little too long, as it turns out. I was still snapping away with my camera when I noticed that the courtyard had gotten awfully quiet. I looked up, and my tour group was gone! Thankfully, I found my party inside. It would have been lovely to spend the night, though! It is so nice to step into another time through a historic home, even if only for a brief tour. I hope to visit many more historic homes on future trips to Savannah.

The Homes of Savannah

Tybee Island

Atlantic Ocean, here we come!

We couldn't leave Savannah without visiting Tybee Island, so we made a brief stop to play on the beach before heading home.

The beach was a shell collector's dream. Besides the band of shells near the water's edge, the children were amazed to find so many just beneath the surface of the sand.

My dainty girl dips her toes in the Atlantic.

The sun was too bright, but I had to attempt a photo with all four.

Mary Ashley loved playing in the sand.

And Christian loved exploring the dunes until Joe pointed out a sign that said they were off limits. Oops!

After our trip to the beach, we stopped for lunch at Paula Deen's brother's restaurant, Uncle Bubba's. Sitting outside, we had a beautiful view of the marshlands.

A little wooden boat at the water's edge offered a perfect vantage point for one last look at the Low Country. It was time to say farewell to Savannah!

Pit Stop

With beautiful orchards like this, we must be in Peach County, Ga. I admired the peach trees as we drove through Fort Valley on our way to Savannah. So on our way back home, I convinced Joe to make a "pit stop" at Lane Southern Orchards, a fifth-generation peach and pecan farm.

Homemade ice cream in the visitors center was a great way to break up our drive home, and the fresh peaches we brought back from the orchard gave us a sweet reminder of our Georgia trip.

A berry good time was had by all on our pit stop!