I'm still catching up on my Travelzine reading so I just read your message about Savannah and Charleston. I noticed you are not going until mid-March so I hope this response will still be helpful to you.

We were in Charleston and Savannah last April and had a wonderful time (and great weather). They are both very interesting cities and I wouldn't recommend one over the other. Anyway, on to suggestions.

We stayed at the Days Inn (Historic District) in both cities. They were both very well-located (we were able to walk everywhere), clean, and not terribly expensive (Charleston tends to be more expensive than Savannah). In Charleston, I highly recommend eating at Poogan's Porch. We had two (we had to go back after the first time) wonderful meals there. We took a great horse &buggy tour around the city. There are several companies to choose from and I think they are all similar. You want to make sure to get on one that is going to the Battery area (there are three different routes and two go to the Battery). We also took a great walking tour with Charleston Strolls. There are many house museums to visit. Our favorite was the Edmonston-Alston House but they are all interesting. We also went on a plantation tour from Charleston. There are several to choose from and we went to Middleton.

In Savannah, we had the best meal of the trip at Elizabeth on 37th. It was expensive, but well worth it. Two not to miss places to eat are Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House which serves family style, all you can eat (and tons of it) southern food, and The Lady and Sons which is an all you can eat (and even more food) buffet with delicious southern food. Savannah is a great walking city (so is Charleston) and we took a walking tour there too (we took Ghost tours in the evening in both places...great stories). There are a lot of house museums in Savannah too and we particularly enjoyed the Juliette Gordon Low (Girl Scout Founder) House. If you like art museums, you won't want to miss the Telfair Museum. That was a wonderful surprise.

Hope this is helpful. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or want any more details.

Jamie Natick, MA