Best Weekend Getaways for Your Family?

Are you aware that there are little-known family attractions near Savannah Georgia that could give your family the best weekend getaways if you only knew about them? Here I am again, spilling the beans about the South’s hidden places that you haven’t heard about yet.  I’m a Georgia girl and I had no idea these family friendly places existed.

Did you?

The locals living near Savannah Georgia would rather keep these Georgia attractions under wraps, and I can’t say that I blame them.  Family Travel journalists like me have a fascination for discovering and then sharing these special places that are worth visiting.  My apologies to the secret keepers.

Hiding close to Downtown Savannah, you’ll find these beauties:

1. Skidaway Island State Park – Even though you are minutes from the urban life of Downtown Savannah when you enter this state park, you feel the alluring draw to slow down and enjoy the surroundings of secluded trails through the maritime forest, boardwalks through the marshes, and active wildlife all around you.

Skidaway Island State Park has pioneer campgrounds for groups, RV campsites for families, and air-conditioned cabins, all nestled under the Spanish moss-draped oak trees over its entire 588 acres.  There are walking trails, picnic spots, biking trails, playgrounds,  a fabulous interpretive center with live reptiles, a bird-viewing area, and fun facts about the island.  It is fun for the whole family to visit Skidaway Island.

2.  UGA Aquarium – An incredible idea for the animal-loving family or for a unique activity, this aquarium is technically in Savannah and centered on Skidaway Island.  Georgia’s first salt-water aquarium, it’s an educational facility open to the public and boasts 16 exhibit tanks, educational exhibits, a boardwalk over the salt marsh, nature trails,  picnic tables, an interpretive cabin, and dynamic views.

Small, unique, and inexpensive, the Skidaway aquarium (what it’s called by some) showcases over 100 fish and animals found in Georgia’s coastal waters.  Feel free to picnic on the bluff and try to spot dolphins in the river.

3. Wormsloe Plantation – This isn’t your typical cotton plantation but a step back into the life of a family that established a fortified estate during colonial times while awaiting a siege from the Spaniards that they thought would come to the Georgia’s coast.  Noble Jones accompanied James Oglethorpe from Europe in the 1730s and was able to lease these 500 acres to establish his own portion of the new colony.

You can travel down the longest live oak avenue in the world which is a mile and a half long driveway, lined with 400 arched oak trees that lead to the tabby ruins of the Noble Jones’ 1730s home, the mansion constructed by his son, and a memorial for the deceased family members.  Stop by the visitor’s center to get a tour of the oldest standing structure in Savannah Georgia.

4.  Bonaventure Cemetery  – If you are a history buff enchanted with the Civil War era or just enamored with Old South cemeteries (like me), Bonaventure Cemetery must be on your bucket list.  Once a plantation, it’s most famous for its tranquility, gothic architecture, and stunning natural landscape.

There are quite a few notable folks buried in the Bonaventure Cemetery, and of course, there are stories and legends abounding.  Its fame recently came with the attention surrounding the book, Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil, which showcased a statue that was in the cemetery at that time.  Spectacular photographs of Bonaventure Cemetery are lovely but the consensus is that a real life visit is worth every second.

Where to Eat & Stay for Best Weekend Getaways

You plan to visit these one-of-a-kind, Savannah Georgia attractions and don’t know where to eat or stay for the night?  Here are some suggestions:

• Midtown Deli & Bagel Shop
• Diner on Abercorn
• Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room
• Toucan Cafe
• Bonefish Grill
• Skidaway Island Campground or Cabins for a camping adventure
• Clarion Inn & Suites for an inexpensive, but clean hotel experience
• Hilton Garden Inn for a nicer ambiance, closer to the Downtown action
• The Confederate House for a fabulous, bed and breakfast splendor

So tell me, friend …

What best weekend getaways are you working on right now?