Savannah or Jacksonville?

[ray828]

I'm thinking about taking the Silver Meteor to either Savannah or Jacksonville. Which city has more stuff to do? Any recommendations?

Thank You

 

[pennyk]

If I had my choice, I would rather spend time in Savannah. Neither station is downtown and would require a cab or bus to get downtown.

 

[Rail Freak]

A couple of years ago, I took Amtrak to SAV. Took a cab ($20 including tip) to the Inn At Ellis Square, (nice location next to the City Market & across the street from the River Walk in the Historic District), took one of the bus tours & did the Brunch on the River Boat.The City Market has Restaurants,Bars,Shops & entertainment next to the square at night.

Now that you brought it up, I may just do that again!!!

 

[Eric308]

Savannah for sure! One of my favorite towns in the US. I've lived in 24 different states, traveled to all 50, and Savannah is in my top FIVE. Unique, beautiful city with great food and sights.

 

[oregon pioneer]

A couple of years ago, I took Amtrak to SAV. Took a cab ($20 including tip) to the Inn At Ellis Square, (nice location next to the City Market & across the street from the River Walk in the Historic District), took one of the bus tours & did the Brunch on the River Boat.The City Market has Restaurants,Bars,Shops & entertainment next to the square at night.Now that you brought it up, I may just do that again!!!

Meet us there in Dec?

 

[xyzzy]

Savannah, without a doubt. And if you stay there for a while, rent a car and make your way out to Tybee Island. On the way you will see the remnant of a Central of Georgia branch that ran (literally) to the beach. The branch was abandoned in 1933.

And of course you'll have to visit the Georgia State RR Museum (located in the former CofG roundhouse) and the Savannah History Museum next door (located in the former CofG passenger station). The Union Station of the ACL and SAL was torn down, sadly, after being replaced in 1962 by the station that Amtrak uses now.

 

[ray828]

I appreciate all of the feedback! Based on the replies, I'm going to go with Savannah. Thanks again!

 

[Eric308]

I appreciate all of the feedback! Based on the replies, I'm going to go with Savannah. Thanks again!

GREAT choice! I only have one warning. DO NOT go to Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady & Sons. It's an overpriced tourist trap with cafeteria style food served from steam tables. People wait in line forever to go to that dump. So many better choices...check out Angel's BBQ in the Historic District or Elizabeth on 37th for a splurge. Also, that Tybee Island idea was great. It's less than a half hour drive and a beautiful little beach town. There's a place on the way out there called the Crab Shack that used to be pretty good albeit a bit touristy. Have fun!

 

[benale]

Savannah is a beautiful city and i agree about Paula Deen's place. There is a city bus that leaves from the Amtrak Jacksonville station that drops you off downtown near the waterfront, in case anybody is interested. Downtown Jacksonville is a lot better than it used to be.

 

[Bus Nut]

Try the Pink House if you want a fine dining upscale spendy version of Southern classics like cheese grits. It's in the walkable downtown area. There's a cool indoor farmer's market and some funky restaurants in the area of Savannah College of Art and Design. The Riverwalk is fun and has an English pub my friends rave about. It's a really pretty, low-key town.

 

[dart330]

We did Savannah last summer and loved it. Once you get the 4 or so miles into downtown from the train station it is very walkable. We did rent a car so we could head to Tybee Island. The old forts along the way are very neat and the view from the lighthouse is great.

As far as food goes, Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room was one of the best meals I have ever had, well worth the long wait. http://mrswilkes.com/

 

[Ispolkom]

As far as food goes, Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room was one of the best meals I have ever had, well worth the long wait. http://mrswilkes.com/

Oh, yeah, Mrs. Wilkes is amazing. As long as you are not one to dawdle over your meal, of course.

 

[crescent2]

I agree to skip Paula Deen's place. There are several good restaurants right on the riverfront but I don't recall their names.

I also second the idea to take a trip to Tybee Island if you can.

 

[PaulM]

Nothing wrong with JAX. But it's just ordinary; whereas the squares in Savannah reminded me of Dublin.

 

[hhswami]

Let's talk about stations, relatively speaking, in the middle of nowhere!

If Jacksonville ever moves Amtrak back to their old Union Station, now the Prime Osborne convention center, it might be able to give Savannah a run for the money. Until then, the best experience close to the station is a walk along an unsidewalked stretch of road for Krystal burgers! There are two bus routes from Amtrak to downtown, and one from downtown to the airport. Jacksonville is large and spread out, so the current depot doesn't conveniently favor one attractive area over another.

IMO, your touring life will be more pleasant and simpler if you take a cab from the even more boring SAV Amtrak depot to where you've decided to stay, drop off your bags, put on your walking shoes, and explore. The Meteor is scheduled for a 6:44am arrival, so you might want to inquire about an early check-in. If you're staying more than a day, then a rental car might be something to consider if you'd like to see Tybee, Hilton Head, or another island nearby.

The Savannah squares and riverfront districts are more than enough to get started with, and I've never met anyone without a good story after going to Mrs. Wilkes!

 

[NW cannonball]

Nothing wrong with JAX. But it's just ordinary; whereas the squares in Savannah reminded me of Dublin.

Stayed in JAX overnight once last August - the station is nice and has local bus transport via city center to airport and Navy base - half-hourly prime-time bus transport or hourly.

The waterfront (north side of the river was squeezed on the north side of that by some relatively run-down inner-city parts) was decent but not great.

Jacksonville (according to Wikipedia) is the biggest - by land area - municipality in the USA. Enormous - all called the same place but wildly varying.

Savannah - I want to see.

 

[trainman74]

Jacksonville (according to Wikipedia) is the biggest - by land area - municipality in the USA.

That's because the city and county merged some years ago (and the county was fairly large in land area).

Thus, there are even some parts of Jacksonville that are decidedly rural -- when you drive in on U.S. 301 from the southwest, it seems like a long time after crossing the city limit that you actually see signs of civilization. (Railroad content: CSX's Baldwin Yard is along U.S. 301, just south of I-10.)

 

[VentureForth]

I pick Jacksonville. But only because I already live near Savannah. LOL! Honestly, though, Savannah is a beautiful city to just walk around or even find a square to sit in and just relax.

If I had my choice, I would rather spend time in Savannah. Neither station is downtown and would require a cab or bus to get downtown.

Note - there are no busses from the Savannah station to anywhere. Taxi is the only choice unless you have a local pickup.

Inn at Ellis Square is nice. I also recommend 17hundred90.com for some fun local color.

Way up on the price meter are many hotels that overlook the Savannah River. The Bohemian is the newest and costliest. River Street Inn has great River View rates during mid-week, and is perhaps the most rustic.

There are all the tourist trap restaurants and most are pretty good - the Ol' Pink House, Lady & Sons (Paula Deen's place), The Pirate House, etc. Hey - Paula Dean's ain't bad. It's pricey, sure, but it's good. I've been twice since I moved here. Not a place I go on a whim, but when we are hosting guests, I don't mind going there. The ribs are fantastic, as are the desserts. Of course, keep your calorie counter locked up in a safety deposit box.

For local transportation, check out catchacat.org. It will give you information on the Bus system around downtown as well as the free dot Express Shuttle. Only word of caution with that is that it only goes one way and can take about 35-45 minutes to make a full circuit. BUT it does take you around to the nice areas for a "free" tour.

Of course, the Savannah Trolley Tours (trolleytours.com/savannah) is a for-fee based circuit on-off service that includes a full narration along the way.

Be sure to check out the Visitors Center on MLK Blvd. It is the old headhouse for the former Atlantic (or is it Seaboard?) Coast Line terminal.

At any rate, you'll find LOTS to do. From the North, you'll get in at 6:30ish AM and you'll leave around 7:30ish PM on the Meteor. Keep in mind that you disembark when the diner open, so you'll miss breakfast. The Silver Star has much uglier calling times, so your choice to take the Meteor is excellent.

A couple of years ago, I took Amtrak to SAV. Took a cab ($20 including tip) to the Inn At Ellis Square, (nice location next to the City Market & across the street from the River Walk in the Historic District), took one of the bus tours & did the Brunch on the River Boat.The City Market has Restaurants,Bars,Shops & entertainment next to the square at night.Now that you brought it up, I may just do that again!!!

Note: there used to be 24 Squares. Now there are 22, including 2 half-size squares. Pick one to see if it was the one where Forrest Gump sat waiting for his bus. In addition, there are two huge parks - Forsyth near downtown and Daffin Park where the Savannah Sand Gnats play 1-A baseball (hey - it's cheap!).

I hope you enjoy our little town for all it's charm. Let us all know how it turns out!

Meanwhile, I'm thinking there needs to be an AU gathering here sometime..... Except I won't get to take the train to get here.

 

[battalion51]

Both are good options, SAV does have its share of things to do, as many have described above.

Riverside, just west of downtown JAX does have a great little area with plenty of restaurants (and patio seating as well). JAX Beach does have a lot of bars and great nightlife. To the north Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach is probably one of the most relaxing spots I've ever been to. Amelia Island Plantation (now known as Omni Amelia Island Resort) has been known as a spot that Floridians escape to for quiet, great beaches, and amazing golf. Along the same lines Ponte Vedra Beach has great golf as well, and is home to TPC Sawgrass. A little further south St. Augustine is the nation's oldest city, with lots of historical sites to keep you busy. If you decide to do JAX I would highly recommend renting a car since it's pretty spread out, like most of Florida.

 

[chrsjrcj]

As many others have said, I'd go with Savannah (and skip Lady and Sons). I've taken the Meteor to Savannah and got a cab to one of the hotels on Bay Street. Although, I personally haven't stayed there, the Hyatt on River Street always looked nice. Next time I go, I plan on staying there.

One of the nice things about Savannah, I didn't need a car to get around downtown. There is a free shuttle that I used to get around.

 

[Rail Freak]

Meanwhile, I'm thinking there needs to be an AU gathering here sometime..... Except I won't get to take the train to get here.

That would be a great place for a Mini Gathering!

 

[DET63]

I appreciate all of the feedback! Based on the replies, I'm going to go with Savannah. Thanks again!

GREAT choice! I only have one warning. DO NOT go to Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady & Sons. It's an overpriced tourist trap with cafeteria style food served from steam tables. People wait in line forever to go to that dump. So many better choices...check out Angel's BBQ in the Historic District or Elizabeth on 37th for a splurge. Also, that Tybee Island idea was great. It's less than a half hour drive and a beautiful little beach town. There's a place on the way out there called the Crab Shack that used to be pretty good albeit a bit touristy. Have fun!

Actually, most people that go there give Paula Deen's positive reviews, though some seem to have had experiences similar to those implied above.

 

[Peter]

Hi there!

Might I just add, that in the case you travel by train to Savannah (or Jacksonville) you should only do that for the destination; I found the trip from Washington to Savannah (Palmetto) and from Savannah to Miami rather boring. It's a lot like traveling trough a greenish tunnel with all those trees on flat land.

We stayed at the Baymont Inn (actually in Garden City). Only 15 dollars for the cab, free shuttle to Savannah, small pool for the children, supermarket around the corner and some nice local activity from NS and G&W across the street.

From Rotterdam,

Peter (just back from two weeks New York, Washington, Savannah and Miami Beach)

 

[xyzzy]

There are a few nice sights out the window in Virginia where the tracks run along the Potomac and cross the James River in Richmond. But through the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida it's true that there isn't much outside the window to look at. However, the scenery from a car on I-95 is no better and arguably worse. Flat and straight may be boring, but trains run faster on flat and straight track.