Our official anniversary is September 12th but both last year and this year we’ve taken advantage of the long Labor Day holiday weekend to head back to Savannah to celebrate. This year, we did some of our favorites establishing them even more as traditions but we also did a few new things that were really fun. Read on!

We left Atlanta Friday morning and got to our hotel mid-afternoon just as the storm was clearing out. After showering and resting a bit, we decided to check out Southbound Brewing’s tasting room. We’d never been before and always love checking local craft beer spots. They had an extensive tap list and a fantastically friendly and welcoming staff. Oh, and for $15 you got 6 beer samples AND a six-pack of beer to take home. What a deal! On draft we really enjoyed El Scorcho – a porter with a kick!

After dinner, we headed over to City Market to have dinner at the local pizza joint, Vinnie Van Go-Go’s. I’d been here numerous times but Sean hadn’t. It’s a lively spot with cheap but yummy food and beer and an outdoor patio that’s perfect for people-watching.

Sean snuck in his own beer…such a rebel! 😉

After dinner, we went down to River Street and walked along the Savannah River. The weather was perfect – the storm had left behind cooler temps and a lovely breeze. I think this was the first time since April that we’d been able to walk outside without dripping in sweat. 

On Saturday mornings, Forsyth Park has a small farmer’s market at the South end and we headed over there on our way out to Tybee Island. Fresh produce, coffee, homemade preserves and jams, cheeses, locally-sourced meats – this little market was packed with options. And it’s also in a most beautiful setting, surrounded by live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. 

We went to Tybee’s North Beach and set up our blanket on the spot where we go married two years ago. It was a sunny day and not too hot. We relaxed, read books, swam in the ocean when we got hot, enjoyed a couple of beers and had a picnic lunch. Not sure there’s a better way to unwind and spend the better part of a day. Ahhhh.

We basically did this same day last year with going to Tybee then picking up our anniversary cake from Savannah Rum Runners bakery and then having dinner at Local 11Ten where we had our actual wedding reception. It’s become a tradition and we look forward to this all year long. The bakery made us an adorable little anniversary cake in our favorite flavor from our wedding cake – coconut.

In the evening, we went for cocktail hour on Perch, the rooftop bar (and hidden gem) atop Local 11Ten. Our wedding cocktail hour was up here and this modern space is a great place to enjoy the evening light streaming through the trees. 

We ordered the “Local 11Ten Manhattan” and it came with the rosewater and bourbon in inside a sphere of ice. The bartender poured vermouth over it tableside, then broken the sphere, releasing the contents into the glass. Awesome experience!

Dinner at Local 11Ten began with us being seated at a great table for our special occasion. We started our meal with beef carpaccio, then had mains of mushroom cannelloni, and duck breast with smoked peaches and pimento cheese fritters. The service was excellent and the food was inventive and well-executed. My meal was heavy on the salt and after giving them that feedback, they took it off our bill. So nice. Can’t recommend this place enough!

After dinner, we walked all the way back to our hotel, through Forsyth Park and then down Bull Street through all of the lovely squares. Savannah is such a romantic place!

Sunday was another beautiful day and we started out by walking along the river again and checking out some art vendors that were set up. We ended up buying two photographs of Savannah for our home.

We came up from the river and walked along Bay Street before heading over to Broughton Street to do some shopping. Some of my favorites shops are Nourish, The Salt Table, The Tea and Spice Exchange, and The Paris Market.

And no trip to Savannah is complete without a trip to Leopold’s for ice cream. I had lemon custard – one of my favorite flavors. Yum.

That afternoon, we spent a few hours at the hotel’s pool and enjoyed some wine and cheese that I had brought along. It was quiet and relaxing.

We wanted to go somewhere new for dinner so Sean did some researched and suggested Square 22, a farm-to-table restaurant in the Andaz hotel right on Ellis Square. We started with a peach gazpacho and burrata with a fried green tomato, baby kale and tomatoes drizzled with olive oil. Delicious. We shared the main course of steak frites and it was also really good. A nice spot worth checking out if you’re in Savannah.

We walked through City Market for the remaining daylight hours and enjoyed the vibrancy of being downtown and the ability to walk everywhere. We capped the night off with a beer at Moon River. Their beer garden is beautiful and their beer has improved quite a bit!

We checked out of our hotel early Monday morning but were not quite ready to leave this special place so we took our coffee and tea to Forsyth Park. We sat by the fountain for awhile and then walked through the park, enjoying the park’s beauty and the beautiful mansions that line the surrounding streets.

Had to get another photo of us under the Local 11Ten sign. It’s a yearly tradition!

We stumbled upon a newly-opened growler shop called White Whale Craft Ales just steps from the park and had to check it out. The couple who own it are from Atlanta and so we chatted with them for a while. They recommended a local spot for lunch and we were eager to check it out.

The Vault Kitchen & Market is a modern and sleek restaurant in an old bank – and you can eat inside the old vault. So cool! The food was a mix of Asian – Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, etc. and we were loving it. Prices were very reasonable – Spicy Tuna Tartare for less than $10! The roasted duck dumplings were good as was the sushi roll. We ordered two tacos to go as snacks for the ride home and they were amazing. This spot is located south of Forsyth Park in an area that is growing with new restaurants, cafes, shops and local businesses that cater more the locals, as opposed to downtown which draws so many tourists. I think we will definitely explore this part of town more on our next visit.

It’s always hard to leave, but we did miss our pups. And there were a few things we didn’t do this year that we’ve done in years past and really liked such as visiting Circa 1875, the top of the Bohemian Hotel, The Distillery, Tequilas Town and The Crystal Beer Parlor.

Until next year, Savannah. We love you!