Savannah, Georgia: the Hostess City of the South. The birthplace of the Girl Scouts of the United States, and of the Founder, Juliette Gordon Low. Savannah is an oasis on the coast. It is a special place for Girl Scouts–– not only is it naturally beautiful, but it is a city flooded with history.
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GCNWI) took some amazing advice from leaders in the council who recently traveled with their troops to Savannah! We featured the first half of their recommendations, and now, we are sharing more of their tips and tricks!
Check out part one of this blog series to learn about accommodations, the JGL Birthplace, Girl Scout perks, sightseeing, and travel to, from, and around Savannah.
What You Need to Know
Restaurants
There are many restaurants in Savannah, and the leaders have shared with us their tried-and-true favorites!
- Paula Deen’s Lady and Son’s, ya’ll
- The Wright Café and Chocolatier
- The Pirate’s House, open since 1753
- 17Hundred90 Restaurant, purportedly haunted by a few ghosts
- The River House for seafood and sea-view
- Leopold’s Ice Cream, known for their unchanged 1919 recipe
- Tondee’s, rumored to have been the site of the first reading of the Declaration of Independence
- Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room, classic Southern comfort food in a communal setting
- Mellow Mushroom for your pizza fix
- Corleone’s Trattoria, casual Italian dining
Savannah Favorites
Here are the activities that left the best impression on the leaders and Girl Scouts during their visits to Savannah:
Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace
The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, the home where JGL was born and raised, is an obvious Girl Scout favorite! This home offers guided tours, pinning ceremonies, and has a Girl Scout shop. Check out the Frequently Asked Questions section on the Birthplace website for more information.
Tybee Island
Tybee Island has plenty of awesome things to do! The leaders’ favorites included are hitting the beach and taking a dolphin tour (there are two to choose from: Captain Mike’s and Captain Derek’s).
Kayaking Trips
There are plenty of opportunities to kayak in Savannah around the coast and in the waters of Skidaway Island State Park. Check out Savannah Canoe and Kayak tours or Moon River Kayak!
Ghost Tours of Savannah
Thrill-seeking Girl Scouts will definitely enjoy a ghost tour of this haunted city, and because it is one of Savannah’s most popular activities, there are plenty of ways to do this! You can also embark on a dark and spooky evening on a haunted nighttime narrated carriage tour!
Old Fort Jackson
History buffs will appreciate the Civil War era activities and daily cannon firings at the National Historic Landmark Old Fort Jackson.
Historic Trolley Ride
Like ghost tours, historic trolley tours are a definite favorite of Savannah visitors, so there are many ways to hitch a ride around town.
Money Earning Advice
Leaders suggest:
- Putting your Cookie and Fall Product revenues toward the trip
- Referring to our Funding your Girl Scout Travels blog series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)
- Planning this trip well in advance and calculating everything!
- Not forgetting about possible Girl Scout discounts for Girl Scout activities!
Additional Tips
- Use PBnJ Tours or a local travel agent to help plan your trip.
- Make the trip as girl-led as possible; give the girls options and help them curate their own experience.
- Make sure to fill out your trip & travel forms well in advance.
- Wear matching shirts every day to keep track of your girls.
- Make reservations early, especially if you’re traveling in the summer.
- It is a hot place, so make sure to drink plenty of water!
- Plan ahead for lots of activities, but be ready to take breaks when the girls need it.
- Do your research!
- Get patches to commemorate the experience (some can be found at the JGL Birthplace store).
- If your accommodation doesn’t provide breakfast, try buying it yourselves at a local grocery store to save some money.
Southern Comfort from GCNWI
Please note that we aren’t endorsing these places, but passing along advice from others. All places should be further researched to see if they fit your needs and wants!
We would like to thank these leaders for their wonderful advice! Check out the first part of this blog series to learn about where to stay, what to do, and why!
This is so awesome! This has everything I needed to know about the place. I’d love to try those restaurants in Savannah GA. I also saw other tips at https://www.visitsavannah.com. I can’t wait to visit Savannah with my daughter.
Well I guess my daughter will really love their Girl Scout trip there next week! She was asking me about Savannah Georgia since I go there regularly for work, and I told her aside from the beach, the landmarks are really nice too! I even showed her some pictures of places there from sites like https://www.visitsavannah.com/tybee-island-savannahs-beach for her to get to know the place!