Post Southern Charms Review and Tips

JnCPerkins · January 2023

I would like to offer a rather long-winded (that’s how I roll, lol) review of Southern Charms tour, as well as a few tips for anyone interested in taking this tour (in a somewhat post-COVID era). After trying to post this once, I can see I'm too long winded, so I'll have to break this up into separate posts.

Before diving too far into my review, I want to state we discovered “Southern Hospitality” is for real, and not just a trite cliche. To a person, from locals we encountered on the street, to drivers stopping for pedestrians to cross the street – everyone was extremely polite, friendly, and helpful. The most striking example we encountered occurred at Reynolds Square on our first day in Savannah. Two older female tourists were clearly struggling to find their bearings while trying to get to a downtown restaurant. Two__ homeless people observed their confusion, approached them, and pointed them in the right direction, giving block-by-block landmarks so these women could be sure they were going the right way (with the clarity of a local tour guide). We fully expected the homeless to shake these women down for some spare change – but were surprised when the homeless only bid them an enjoyable stay in Savannah and walked back to where they had previously been sitting. Certainly not what we would have observed back home in Los Angeles.

For anyone with mobility concerns, this may not be the tour for you. Many of the tour sites involve old, historic locations (not at all ADA compliant). These locations often involve narrow, and very steep staircases – with no elevators. You will encounter some cobblestone, brick, and paver streets from time to time, and sidewalks are frequently uneven due to roots from large trees uplifting the sidewalks. We saw a number of people tripping in roadway crosswalks due to tree roots lifting the pavement as well. I had knee surgery several years ago, and caught myself from falling a few times. I would therefore characterize it as a wheelchair and/or walker unfriendly tour.

Insofar as dress code is concerned, touring is largely pretty casual (country-club casual). For the included dinners in Savannah, and Charleston (and I’ll also include the welcome dinner and farewell dinner into this category), men wore sport coats (some with just a nice collared shirt – no ties) and slacks; women wore dresses or skirts with nice tops). This formality would also hold true for the nicer dining venues in both Savannah and Charleston, which you may visit on your own.

As far as insect activity is concerned (our tour was in October), my wife and I typically consider ourselves to be a smorgasbord for insects. We didn’t encounter a single bug bite on the entire tour. I didn’t hear any bug related complaints from any of our fellow travelers either. Perhaps we were just lucky this trip.

And last, we were fortunate to experience fair weather our entire journey – no rain at all. But, it’s always best to plan for inclement weather.

Back to the trip, we’ve been interested in taking this tour for a number of years, and have noticed it’s been pared-down a bit over those years (fewer days and fewer cities/venues visited). Despite the removal of stops, we believed the itinerary was still worthy of our time.

We decided to add a little excitement to our tour by scheduling it during hurricane season. And true to our luck, hurricane Ian blew thru the Caribbean, across Florida to the Atlantic, and made landfall just north of Charleston a few days before our tour began.

Given all the issues with air travel, especially over the past year, we decided to add a pre-date to our journey in case we experienced any hiccups. Thankfully, our flight to Savannah (from Los Angeles via United) had no issues.

We arrived in SAV mid-afternoon. By the time our driver got us out of the airport, the nearby Gulf Stream Aircraft plant was changing shifts. The anarchy occurring on the roadway in front of the plant as workers were entering and exiting the property was a sight to behold. As a retired law enforcement officer, I could have easily killed a book of citations without much effort given what we observed. It probably took us 20 minutes to drive ¼ mile.

Upon arriving at the Perry Lane Hotel, we were greeted with champagne as we were checking in at the lobby (don’t miss it!). Our room was in Tower-1 (there are two towers at the hotel). It appeared our room (and much of the hotel) had been recently renovated (as of late 2022). The room was well appointed (but, not much of a view from our room windows). The Perry Lane is centrally located, making walking anywhere within the central historic district very easy. The Emporium Kitchen is located on the first floor of Tower-1, with a small coffee shop adjacent to the hotel lobby. Additionally, there is a roof-top bar and dining venue on the roof of Tower-1, as well as a small pool – both offering great views of the city (especially at night).

For the remaining hours of our pre-date, we walked to several of Savannah’s historic squares. Chippewa Square, where the “Box of Chocolates” scene from the movie "Forest Gump" was filmed is only a block away from the Perry Lane. Forsyth Park is also only a few blocks away, as is the Riverfront District. There are beautiful historic homes lining historic Jones Street, and great shopping on Bull Street. Colonial Park Cemetery (rich in history) is only steps away, as is The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (spectacular architechure). And of course, beautiful old oak trees covered in Spanish moss are everywhere.

A little known benefit at the Perry Lane, is a vehicle they maintain for short guest trips. Should you feel tired, not have great mobility, or perhaps the weather is inclement – a driver (who will always be close to the front doors of the hotel) will take you to and from any location within 2 miles of the hotel (at no additional charge). Just call the front desk when you are ready to return to the hotel.

There are many great locations to dine in Savannah. On our first evening, we dined at “The Olde Pink House” – a short distance from the hotel. If you plan on dining anywhere within the historic district or the riverfront district – plan ahead and make dining reservations well in advance of your visit. We heard visitors outside The Olde Pink House complaining they tried to make reservations 4 weeks prior to their arrival in Savannah, and found they were completely booked. You can also dine in The Tavern (basement) of The Olde Pink House without a reservation (same dining fare as the restaurant above) – however, wait times can be quite lengthy depending upon the time of day when you place your name on the waiting list (BTW, the fare is FANTASTIC!).

The following morning, we had the complimentary breakfast at The Emporium Kitchen (the hotel ground-level restaurant), and met a few of our fellow travelers. The menu was somewhat limited, and some of the menu pairings seemed a little odd to us, but it was fuel and got us going each morning. For anyone looking for snacks; fresh sandwiches; pastries; and other goodies – there is a small grocery store next to Tower-1 (on Drayton St).

As the official start to the tour, the meet/greet mixer and dinner, wasn’t scheduled until the early evening, we previously booked a tour thru Kelly Tours to fill our day. A benefit of booking with this company is that they will pick you up (and drop you off) at the hotel. The tour included an open air guided bus tour thru the historic district, as well as a short guided riverboat tour down the Savannah River on the Georgia Queen (a paddle-wheel boat). The bus tour was a great value and well worth the money… but, we felt the riverboat tour was little more than a time filler (and we didn’t learn very much about the city). If you take the riverboat tour, go straight to the top deck for the best views before all the seating is taken.

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JnCPerkins · January 2023

For the first official day of touring, the entire group took an open-air bus tour of the downtown historic district (via Savannah Olde Town Tours). Despite the fact this was our second open-air bus tour of the historic district in so many days, we saw several different sights and heard different perspectives of the history of the city. We didn’t at all feel like we were duplicating what we had experienced the previous day.

Lunch on this day was at Chef Darin’s Table – an interactive low-country cooking lesson. This was probably my wife’s least favorite stop – the last thing she wanted to attend was a cooking lesson. Regardless, Chef Darin made the experience entertaining and fun. The preparation of our lunch required group participation, and if there were no volunteers – Chef Darin would volunteer you. This was definitely an “exit thru the gift shop” stop, but to be fair, we entered thru the sales floor too. My wife did end-up buying a few items which she has since found to be quite helpful in the kitchen. I guess it wasn’t such a bad stop.

Following the bus tour and lunch, we visited the Massie Heritage Museum, as well as the Davenport House (both are multi-level residences with steep stairs). After the tour of the Davenport House, we had the opportunity to hear some local history and sample local Madeira wine (a potent local libation) with Miss Jaime. Miss Jaime is a real character, and will never be accused of being boring or suffering from low energy.

The included dinner on this day occurred at 45 Bistro at The Marshall House – a very, very nice dining experience.

Day Two - started with a short bus trip to Pin Point, for a tour of The Pin Point Heritage Museum. Our guide, Miss Gayle is one of the Gullah Geechee people, and gave an interesting history of the low country and the people who live there.

The next stop on this date was Fort Pulaski. This was the site of a major Civil War battle, where rifled cannons were used for one of the first times in battle (increasing accuracy and distance of the cannon rounds). Walk around to the right side of the fort (adjacent to the Visitor Center) and take the path out to the eastern exterior side of the fort (along side the moat). You will be able to see where Union cannons pummeled the walls of the fort from nearly 2 miles away (well out of the range of the fort’s cannons). There are places were cannonballs can still be seen embedded in the walls of the fort.

There are two things to be concerned with as you walk on the grass to the aforementioned part of the fort. Small mounds of dirt in the grass are fire ant hills – and you don’t want to step on them or stand anywhere near them (if you do, you’ll quickly find-out why). Additionally, stay well back from the marshes and tall grass/reeds… alligators are present in the area.

There isn’t a guided tour at this stop, but there are Park Rangers throughout the property to answer any questions you might have. The stairs to the upper level of the fort are steep and narrow. I think we spent about 2-3 hours at the fort. Then, back to Savannah for free-time; shopping; and dining on our own.

For those interested in walking down to the riverfront district of Savannah, be aware the old historic stairs are EXTREMELY steep, narrow, and uneven (there are several sets of these stairs). We were told people are frequently falling down the various historic stairways with significant injuries. Just looking at them, it’s easy to envision. There is at least one cobblestone access roadway (very uneven surface and steep) near the middle of the district. I believe there is one public access elevator near the Marriott hotel.

Day Three – we departed Savannah en route to Hilton Head. We stopped at The Mighty 8th Air Force Museum in Pooler, GA for a few hours. For anyone interested in WWII history, this is a GREAT stop. We arrived before the museum opened, and were treated to a private guided tour of the facility by very knowledgeable docents. Great stories were shared, and we saw fantastic static displays (primarily aircraft). Don’t miss going into the small Chapel at the rear of the grounds – you’ll be treated to some of the most interesting stained glass you’ll ever see. Additionally, we enjoyed a buffet lunch here – and the staff put out a great spread for us!

Following our stop at the museum, we were off to The Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Hotel. The Omni is an older facility, but very clean and well maintained. And the location can’t be beat. Be sure to take a stroll out to the beach! Our room was HUGE, and we were fortunate enough to have a view of the shore from our balcony. We heard from several sources that the evening meal at the Omni was not to be missed – but, that is precisely what we did. As it turned out, some east-coast friends of ours serendipitously happened to be in Hilton Head on that date, and we dined off-site with them. We did hear from our fellow travelers the next morning that dinner at the Omni was indeed fantastic.

One of our only regrets about this journey was that we didn’t have more time at this location. We were in Hilton Head for less than 24 hours, and it would have been nice to have an extra day here to enjoy the facilities, and explore the area. A good reason to go back I suppose.

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JnCPerkins · January 2023

Day Four – and we were off to Charleston following breakfast at the Omni (a wonderful breakfast). We stopped in Beaufort, SC for a tour of the city. We had the choice of a walking tour, as well as a carriage ride (we opted for the carriage ride, and had a wonderful tour of the city). There are a number of antebellum pre-war mansions to see, as well as a quaint downtown area. Following the tours, there was time for shopping and lunch (on your own).

At the conclusion of our visit in Beaufort, we were off to Charleston and The Mills House Hotel. This was the second hotel we visited which was undergoing significant renovations. The hotel restaurant and bar were closed for renovations at the time of our visit, but the staff did provide us with a modest breakfast buffet each morning. Rooms were very small, but well appointed. Dinner occurred shortly following our arrival at High Cotton, near the waterfront. A very high-end dining experience.

Despite the fact hurricane Ian landed just north of Charleston a short time before we arrived, we saw little to no evidence of a significant storm hitting the area. We were very pleasantly surprised.

Day Five started with a walking tour of the downtown historic district (approximately an hour). We then took a short drive thru town, and stopped at The Citadel. We didn’t really tour the school perse – we received a very short speech within the chapel, followed by a very brief question and answer session. I think this was more of a bathroom stop, before we made our way to the harbor for a boat tour of the bay.

The harbor tour was a bit of a disappointment, as the ship’s captain advised us it was too windy to make the trip out to Fort Sumter (which we had the impression was typically part of the tour by our TD). Honestly, even when we were out on the water, it didn’t appear to be windy at all (no white-caps or choppy water, and the boat wasn’t being blown around). Most of the wind we felt was due to the movement of the boat. Some of us were guessing the boat had other commitments that day, which might be why our tour only lasted 35 minutes. We stayed pretty close to the shore, but did make a quick trip across the river to cruise by the USS Yorktown (a decommissioned aircraft carrier). We arrived back at the hotel in the late morning, with the rest of the day to explore on our own. One place to avoid in our experience was a glorified swap-meet called “The Market Place” (a short walk from the hotel). Dozens upon dozens of vendors selling little more than overpriced trinkets from overseas for the most part (to be fair, there were a few local artists selling their wares, but they were few and far between). Both Savannah and Charleston are big into the ghost and haunting scene – and night-time tours abound in both cities if you are into that experience.

Day Six consisted of tours of the Drayton Hall Plantation and the Middleton Place Plantation. The grounds of both locations are absolutely beautiful. At Drayton Hall, the philosophy is the preservation of the buildings. So, they are essentially trying to fight father time to keep the buildings from falling apart and returning to the Earth, rather than trying to restore them to their former glory. You will not see any furnishings within the residence. Drayton Hall is a docent led tour, and you can take photographs to your hearts content. In contrast, restoration is the name of the game at the Middleton Plantation. Much of the original furniture, art pieces, and much more are present, and they are clearly trying to make the residence appear as it did when the Middleton’s lived there. There are docents at various locations within the house to answer any questions you may have. And no photography is permitted anywhere within the residence (a bit disappointing).

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Middleton Place – one of the best buffets we experienced at any stop on our entire tour.

Also, be weary of livestock (and their biproducts) as you walk Middleton Place, as there are a good deal of animals roaming the estate. Additionally, we saw a few alligators roaming the grassed areas near the river and water features – so, always keep your head and eyes moving if you go anywhere near water.

We returned to The Mills House for the Farewell dinner, and then off home the following morning.

All in all, this was a wonderful tour. We were very fortunate to share this trip with a great group of people. And as often happens, we got a small group tour for the classic group price. As always, there were things advertised on the website we didn’t get a chance to do or see (TD’s discretion suppose), but all in all, Tauck delivered.

Hopefully, anyone contemplating this trip will find a few useful bits of information above.

We frequently create a tongue-and-cheek video of our journeys following most of our tours. For those who prefer to watch, rather than read reviews, the chronicle of our trip can be found HERE

JnCPerkins · January 2023