A question for southeasterners...

Can any of you think of a reason to vacation and ride in or near Savannah GA? My wife and I are looking at an early spring vacation and are wondering if that area is worth it. We're already going to Myrtle Beach Bike Week so I don't think we'd head that direction.

-DO

 

Savanah is an amazing city and there are many beautiful rodes in and aroung that area. RT 17 North of Savanah has many interesting road off of it out to the lesser known islands. It would make for a great spring ride. Spend a night in town though and chhack out the local history.

 

Savanah is a very cool area. I think it is a great vacation spot with lots of riding opertunities

 

Thanks guys. Sounds like we'll do it.

-DO

 

Great post, just in time. I'll be moving to Savannah within the next six months from St. Louis. Looking forward to year long riding.

 

We did the Savannah Vacation for a week last spring, We rented a Road King at Savannah Harley as our new Road King was just delivered back home and I had not yet bought my Sportster. It was at this dealership that I had the revelation that I could handle a bike and decided to look at one as soon as I got back home.
The roads around Savannah are great ,Route 17 is nice, beware of a few things, rain grooves in the concrete is the slow lane on some hiways give you the wiggle effect, sometimes like riding on a steel bridge. Do not ride down the hill to the riverfront, the cobblestones are very uneven and have taken a few bikes down. Do however park the bike and go down to look at the old historic buildings, once store houses for cotton to be picked up on the boats that come upriver, do by all means try the local candy, hand made praline candy. The walking tour can be done in a few hours, get the maps they give out free all over the place, it's a great walk and the architecture is what Savannah is known for so don't miss it. The restaurant that Paula Dean has down there has unbelievable lines, you have to stand online to get a ticket to wait on another line for dinner...so do not go hungry. We happened to catch it late in the afternoon on a Sunday and got in right away.
We rode over the bridge into SC and that was great , it's a nice ride and we ate at a popular spot in the first town you run into over there called the "Squat and Gobble" , it was all locals but very friendly. Hilton Head was a real dissapointment, don't waste your time there, it was built up in this century so nothing is as old and historic as Savannah, it was built to blend in and blend in it does, you can't find anything as all the buildings are beige and blend in under the trees, all the communities and golf courses are private and gated as are all the golf courses, it does not have a shoreline that you can ride along(not like the beautiful and scenic south jersey beaches) and most of all...it is not a motorcyle friendly town...and the traffic is an absoloute nightmare. On the other hand it's a great ride out to Tybee Island an artsy town with some great fish restaurants and a nice beach to stroll along, we actually camped out there and it was nice and peaceful..the people were friendly and there is a cute lighthouse with lots of parking.

The best riding we did though was out of town, there are miles and miles of highways with no one on them. I didn't go down to the other Georgia Islands but I hear they are nice..maybe next time we cqan get to check them out, it's just toughbecause there are so many great places to visit. We just did a weekend out on the Route 6 highway through PA, they have a "Grand Canyon" that is not to be believed. the roads are all paved beautifully with lots of curves and scenic vistas, there is also a park which is a designated "dark park" for serious star gazing, it's a lights out area where people come with serious telescopes and camp out, you can stay overnight for $4.00 and they have electric, but you can't have campfires or lights unless they are red lights. It's not for everybody, but I could do it!!! You can't pull out after 6PM but you can sleep under the stars. No showers..just toilets but you can stop in any of the state parks and use the shower for $3.00 on the honor system...try OLE BULL down the road.

Well I could go on and on because all I want to do is ride and travel...think I could get a job as a tour director??? Oh and I have to tell you about the eastern shore of Va and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel and Boneshakers biker Bar....it'll be in my book!!!!

 

Thank you for the information on Savannah....We just relocated to Jacksonville, Florida so we will definitely be heading north to that destination.

 

Savannah and the Georgia coast are great! By all means take Hwy 17 south of Savannah to Brunswick and the "Golden Isles". You will definitely love Jekyll Island, Sea Island, and St. Simons Island. To the north of Savannah is the beautiful historic village of Beaufort, South Carolina (about 30 minutes away). Lots of great shops, restaurants, and historic homes in that town as well as Savannah. Take a ride over to Tybee Island (just outside of Savannah) and to Ft. Pickens National Monument.

There is so much to do and see in this area that your first visit will definitely not be your last!

 

I think you will really enjoy a trip to Savannah. True old South charm at its best. By the way, while you are enjoying the Myrtle Beach thing next Spring, head south on 17 and visit Charleston. It's a beautiful ride and much of it is through a National Forest. Enjoy.

 

Wow!

Thanks for all of this. I've been there - but only from the airport to the race track.

We are also looking to get out of the Northeast and only because the riding season is about 9 months (we do March-November). Thinking about the Carolinas when Savanah hit me as an interesting spot.

Keep the info coming. Maybe we should have a forum for travel or relocation information. We've got the regional forums but they seem to be more for the locals to congregate.

-DO