My wife (Brie) and I were looking to celebrate our third wedding anniversary a couple of years ago. Neither of us is a material-person and don’t get each other gifts often. We would rather go on a vacation and spend time together. However, we need quality lodging and great food to consider a location worthy. Savannah, Georgia, is worthy.

Originally, we reserved a cute bed and breakfast. When we arrived the place was gorgeous but very old. This translates into thin walls and numerous other negatives. After hearing our neighbor’s dinner plans through the wall we decided this was not the place for us. Luckily we had a Plan B.

On to the Mansion at Forsythe Park. The prices are not really much more than any other hotel especially for Savannah’s only 5-Diamond locale according to AAA. The mansion is the nicest hotel in which I have ever stayed. The rooms are very elegant, and everything in them is of high quality. We stayed in the first upgraded room with a park view. The view was not that great, but everything else was unbelievable! There is valet parking for a daily cost, but parking on the street is not too difficult to find.

All of this moving around really worked up an appetite. There was one place that all the locals were raving about…Mrs. Wilkes House. This is not your traditional restaurant. For starters, you stand outside of the house and wait to be called, and then you proceed to your community table of about 10 people. Here all the food is laid out for you as if you were at a family feast. You pass the plates around and keep eating till you are done. The food has a home-cooked feel to it, and every bite is amazing. It is located off of Jones St. They are open only on weekdays and only accept cash.

There are tours available for absolutely everything. I would recommend reading the book or watching the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Everywhere you go you will hear about it.

When looking for a gorgeous city with great accommodations and great local eateries…Savannah, Georgia, is your place!