Rose Bedroom in the Heritage House, a charming Savannah Vacation Rental

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Press Release) – Jun 03, 2010 – Want a last-minute getaway for the family, that won’t break the bank? Come to Savannah, Georgia this month and stay in one of the city’s most historic and charming vacation rentals.

Heritage House, a 2 bedroom/2.5 bath brick townhome, has a special June rate of $149/night (it ordinarily rents for $180/night). The 134-year-old home accommodates 6, and is located in the heart of the Historic District. All of Savannah’s tourist attractions, restaurants, shopping and historical monuments are within an easy – and beautiful – walk.

Heritage House features:

# Private Walkway

# High Speed Internet

# A Fully Equipped Kitchen – refrigerator w/icemaker, pots, pans, dishware, silverware, glassware, stove, coffee maker, blender, microwave and more

# 2 bedrooms upstairs with their own private full bathrooms

# 1/2 bath & sleeper sofa downstairs

# A private patio, enclosed by a walled garden

# Cable television with DVD player

# Linens, towels included

# Dog friendly (extra charges apply)

To take advantage of this special last-minute June rate, vacationers must stay a minimum of two nights before June 30.  Taxes and cleaning fee are extra. View this Historic District Vacation Rental and booking information.

According to this story from WSAV,  “Mystery Letters Found Inside Trolley Car“,  some personal letter were found in a rail car in the process of restoration.

The video shows some quick footage from the RoundHouse Railrod Musuem, a great place for kids and families visiting Savannah. It also explains that the letters were postmarked in 1950, yet the trolley was phased out in the 1940s.

There’s a search underway for anyone who might be connected to the mysterious letters.

Need a place to stay while visiting Savannah, check out this 2 bedroom/2.5 townhome, or 3 bedroom/3 bath rowhouse. Both are walking distance from downtown Savannah and the RoundHouse Railroad Museum.

The fifth-annual event features an array of activities for kids and adults, including:

Friday Oct. 9, South Beach Parking Lot

-  A Thieves Market from 5-11 p.m. Lots of trinkets, loot and other pirate treasures to buy.

- Fireworks  starting at 7:30 p.m

- Local bands

-  Little Matey’s Cove activities for kids, including a magic show, balloon making and more.

Saturday, Oct. 10, South Beach Parking Lot

- Thieves Market from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

- Bunch of kids activities, including face painting a puppet show, petting zoo and more.

- More Bands

But what we’ve always found truly enjoyable is the Pirate’s Victory Parade (scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday on Bulter). If you ever wanted to vicariously experience the thrill of being a pirate welcomed home by adoring fans, than this is the parade to attend.

Just grab your sword, and watch area residents donning pirate garb (or even their cut-off shorts) drive down Butler in Pirate Boat floats that range from ramshackle to reasonably clever.

It’s campy. It’s short (lasting about a half hour). And it’s a bit of a cliche. But it’s a wonderful family activity,  and only 20 minutes by car from your downtown Savannah vacation rental.

For more information, visit Tybee Island Pirate Fest.

Il Pasticio, The Lady & Sons, Savannah Bistro, Vic’s on the River…all are wonderful restaurants. But I wouldn’t risk taking junior there, especially if he were in the throws of terrible twos.

Savannah visitors with young children may want to try a few of these more kid-friendly restaurants. Not only will they have a high-chair handy, but if your tike sucumbs to a crying fit, no one will turn up their nose. They are also reasonably priced.

- Juarez, 420 E.  Broughton Street – It’s a wonderful, inexpensive Mexican restaurant that serves Chicken Fingers and French Fries (pollitos y papas). It’s a nice sized place, and no one seems to mind when your kid throws a little rice on the floor. If you need a distraction, there’s some colorful murals on the wall that are a great way to point out primary colors (they are also masterful pieces of artwork, painted by SCAD students)

- Clary’s, 4430 Habersham Street - A nice feature of this breakfast/lunch restaurant is a little play area for kids. Coloring books, toys, miniature table with tea and coffee pots sit in the front of the restaurant. So, you can enjoy an incredibly delightful short stack of blueberry pancakes while the kids entertain themselves. (Clary’s on Habersham is a few miles from the famous Clary’s on Abercorn Street. To get there, you need to head out of the Historic District toward the Southside of town).

- Screamin’ Mimis, 513 E Oglethorpe Ave - A bunch of NJ folks opened this great pizza place a few years ago, and they have a lot of tolerance for kids. There’s a blackboard or two where the kids can write on, and it’s so informal, just about anything goes. Screamin’ Mimis also delivers.

- Mellow Mushroom, 11 W Liberty St - This pizza chain is pretty kid-friendly too, and a staple for SCAD students.  The pizza is good, albeit quite different than the NJ/NY-influenced  Screamin Mimis.

This event, sponsored by Savannah College of Art and Design, is a great family activity for anyone visiting Savannah, whether you are on a budget or not.

For several hours, students let their imaginations run wild and draw chalk pictures on the sidewalks of Forsyth Park in Savannah’s Historic District.  Over the years, we’ve seen intricate renditions of dragons, sunsets, Savannah scenery, exotic fish and many more themes.

There is a competition for current SCAD students, alumni and prospective students. And, there’s also a faculty and student art exhibition, which is also a real treat.

Admission is free, and it’s open to the public. There’s also music, food kiosks and other entertainment for the kids.

But, what I like about it most is that it shows kids (particularly younger ones) that they don’t need video games or computers or even play dates for entertainment. They can sit down on the sidewalk with a couple pieces of colored chalk and draw whatever is on their mind.

That’s a great lesson to learn, even if it’s just one day a year.

For more information, visit the Sidewalk Arts Festival site.

Traveling on a budget to Savannah? Try saving money by staying in a Historic Savannah Vacation Rental.

Here are three tips that can save you more than $300 for a four-day/three-night stay in Savannah’s downtown Historic District:

1) Book your vacation in June, July or August, and save 10%: Many downtown vacation rentals are offering off-season rates in summer months this year. With off-season rates, many two-bedroom vacation rentals cost around $245 a night, making them far more cost effective than a downtown hotel for a family of four (or more). Thanks to the 10% discount, a family of four will save about $70 for three nights, and even more for a longer stay.

2)Dine in. Most Historic Savannah vacation rentals come with fully equipped kitchens. So a family that eats breakfast, “desayuno” or “le petite dejeuner” in for three days will save about $80 in restaurant expenses. Eating lunch at the vacation rental can save another $80 for a four day/three night stay.

3) Don’t forget Fido.  If you bring along Fido (or Spot) for your four-day trip, you can save $80-$100 in boarding expenses at your vet. Not all Historic District vacation rentals accept dogs, so you should ask ahead of time. (Both Heritage House and Gaston Street Getaway permit dogs up to 20 pounds).

The net/net: you can save more than $300, and still see all the sites in Savannah’s Historic District (and even make a daytrip to Tybee Island).

The Abercorn Street mall has more than 100 stores, and is offering double rewards points this month for purchases made at the mall.  With 1000 points, shoppers can get a $25 gift card for use at any mall merchant.

Ordinarily, rewards participants get 1 rewards point for every dollar spent at Savannah Mall.  Through April 30, participants get 2 rewards points for every dollar spent.

Shoppers can turn in their same day receipts at the Customer Service Center and start accumulating points!   Certain restrictions do apply, so please see the Customer Service Center for more details, or check out savannahmall.com/events.

(Note: for families with children, the mall has a carousel on the second floor, which is a nice treat for children).

B. Matts (as some locals call it) has a delightful breakfast menu. A few of our favorites include the Shrimp and Grits – stone-ground grits served with bay shrimp and cheddar cheese.

Another nice dish is the French Toast – white chocolate banana bread dipped in  egg/cinnamon/vanilla batter, toasted to golden brown and served with whipped cream.

Prices for every breakfast entrée are under $10.

Besides the wonderful food, B.Matthews has some unique décor and history. The restaurant is very close to River Street, and legend has it that the building used to host a brothel, patronized by sea men who docked their ship about a block away.

Given that the windows are darkened, and passersby can’t see what’s inside, there’s probably some truth to it.

Nonetheless, it’s a wonderful place for breakfast (as well as lunch and dinner) and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. You’ll also get to enjoy Savannah brick first-hand.

Let us know your thoughts. And, by the way, B. Matts is about a mile walk from our historic Savannah vacation rentals, Heritage House and Gaston Street Getaway. So you can burn off the calories even before you even sit down at the table.

- Avoid the tourist restaurants, primarily on River Street. There are plenty of wonderful places to eat throughout the Historic District. Many locals, in fact, go to Bay and Broughton Streets, where they can find diverse food for reasonable prices. A few reasonably priced local restaurants include: B.Matthews, 325 E. Bay Street, Juarez Mexican Restaurant on 420 E. Broughton Street, Saigon Restaurant on 4 West Broughton Street, Kayak Cafe on 1 E. Broughton Street.

- Pick up a free Connect Savannah at many new kiosks or stores downtown. You’ll find many free or low-cost events that are truly enjoyable.

- Stay in a Historic District Vacation Rental: There are plenty of comfortable and well-located vacation rentals available in the Historic District (thanks, in part, to the housing downturn).

These vacation rentals range from carriage houses to homes that can accommodate 10 or more people. They are highly cost-effective for couples traveling with other couples, or families. In fact, vacation rentals will decrease your lodging costs quite a bit. Most also have a fully equipped kitchen, so you can prepare a meal or two daily.

- Visit the Savannah Convention & Visitors’ Bureau on Martin Luther King Blvd. before you begin your touring to pick up free brochures, maps and advice from representatives there.

- Walking the streets provides its own storytelling. You can check out the architecture, wrought ironwork on the houses and plaques in the Historic District’s scenic squares. It will be a truly delightful walk.