Amy and I are huge fans of self-guided city walking tours. We get to see the sites at our own pace and Ty and Buster get training and exercise en route. We’ve done walking tours many times, but the historic district in pet friendly Savannah is one of our favorites. Think Philadelphia Society Hill meets New Orleans French Quarter, and you get the picture.
Sniffing Around
In February 1733, General James Oglethorpe and his settlers founded the city of Savannah and the 13th colony, Georgia. Yep, Georgia was the last one in. Savannah’s downtown area, which includes the Historic District, the Victorian Historic District, and 22 parks/squares, is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the US.
What We Did
We picked up a trolley map of the city at the Visitors Center on the corner of Boundary and Ogelthorpe. And then we simply walked the highlighted street path taken by the tourist trolleys. All of it. With Ty and Buster. We meandered through 13 of the 22 squares, Forsyth Park, Colonial Park Cemetery, and the riverfront area.
To us, the most striking features of the historic district were the many open, pet friendly green spaces and the streets lined with live oaks, Spanish moss dangling from the expansive branches. Then, of course, there is the fine architecture of the Antebellum- and Victorian-period homes. We watched while several wedding parties were being set up in the different squares, feeling like invited guests ourselves.
The riverfront is small and was somewhat disappointing. While it was easy to imagine the bustling commercial and hospitality businesses that once supported the colonial port’s operations, the storefronts there now sell tacky souvenirs and tourist food. And we didn’t do the riverboat ride since it was not pet friendly.
Sandwiched between the historic district and the riverfront is the thoroughfare bordered by Broughton and Bay Streets. Savannah’s hotels, retail stores, and restaurants populate this area, including the pedestrian-only City Market on Congress Street. There, we ate at Vinnie Van GoGo’s, a local institution serving up fantastic pizza.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at the Savannah Oaks RV Resort on Fort Argyle Road. Because we left Savannah so late, we got one of the last sites available. Note: We only make reservations the day of our stay. This gives us maximum flexibility, but sometimes leaves us with a less than desirable RV site. This was one of those times. We struggled to level our Winnebago in the twilight and, ultimately, called it close enough. On the upside, there was a small fenced-in area for dog play.
Next time
This was our first time in pet friendly Savannah. We spent about 5-6 hours taking in the sites and really felt we saw everything we wanted to see. That said, the historic area is so beautiful and so pet friendly … we would not hesitate one second to simply repeat the whole experience. Including the pizza!
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That’s fantastic, Nicole! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed Savannah with your pups. It’s a beautiful city, and so much more fun when you have your furry travel companions along.
We have been twice this year with our 2 Shih Tzus and had a great time, pets included. They were welcome almost everywhere we went, mostly in their stroller, but well worth the time spent.
That’s fantastic, Denise J Trujillo! I’m so glad you all had a good time, and that you found plenty to do with the pooches. I’d love to see the photo of your Huskies – you can share it on our Facebook page or send me an email at [email protected] if that’s easier. Waggin’ trails!
GoPetFriendly.com We had an awesome weekend. The front desk put us on the first floor in a room close to the green areas for the dogs. No pet deposit or fee. Parking was free. The rooms weren’t amazing but they had what we needed: comfortable bed and the essentials. We were only two blocks away from City Market. We spent a lot of time over there. Old Savannah Tours is dog-friendly. Our huskies were welcomed. I have some awesome photos of my huskies on the trolley, if you would like to see them. Overall, it was an excellent trip.
Fantastic, Denise! I hope you all had a great weekend together. Thanks for the tips, and let us know how it all worked out.
I have to agree with Debi Rus. The Best Western Plus isn’t very pet friendly. They “allow” dogs but with a fee of $20 per dog per night! That’s an extra $40 per night for my pack. Also, you have to pay $15 a day for parking there. We are going to Savannah on Friday and got reservations at the Quality Inn in Historic Savannah. I confirmed with them that they don’t have any pet fees so, lets see. On a previous visit to Savannah, I asked Old Savannah Tours about their pet friendly status. Their website stated dogs under 25 lbs but the very friendly lady at the main stop confirmed that any dog size is allowed as long as it is leashed. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it is correct.
Travelocity found me a pet friendly Best Western Plus historic district in Savannah at the last minute. I have stayed in rooms half this price that were so much nicer. But we needed pet friendly so we sacrificed. Oh wait, did I say pet friendly? They allow pets – but they are not friendly to pets. Dogs are not allowed in the lobby to check in? That is a first. Thank goodness I didn’t check in alone or I would have had to leave my Frenchies in a hot car to check in. Really? They have ruined Savannah for me. Just a warning to anyone wanting to stay in this wonderful city-find a nicer hotel.
Thanks for the tip, Misty – will do!
The shops on Broughton are super pet friendly. They allowed our great dane inside the 99% of the stores, including the fabulous Paris Market! Check it out on your next trip.