The Tall Ships Are Coming!

The tall ships are coming, the tall ships are coming! Did you ever want to sail away when you were a kid? How about now as an adult? Sounds like paradise to me. A girl has to have a dream you know. Well the dream will be easier to imagine in May. Savannah will have the pleasure of welcoming 14 tall masted sailing vessels to our port from May 3-7, 2012. Historic, classic ships and Navy vessels from the United States and abroad will grace the Savannah River along River Street and the promenade on Hutchinson Island. There are only 400 tall masted sailing vessels known as “tall ships” left in the world so this will be a real treat for anyone interested in sailing ships.

Savannah will be the first port in the Tall Ships Challenge 2012. This is a race held at sea, between ports. The event series is organized by the American Sail Training Association who is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching youth education through character building and leadership development aboard tall ships.

This is sure to be a wonderful event you won’t want to miss. Make your plans to come see the “tall ships” and call for your reservations today.

Valentine's Day in Savannah

Let your spouse know you’d do it all over again. This Valentine’s Day come to Savannah and the Zeigler House Inn for a relaxing evening of romance. Arrive in your room to a chilled bottle of Champagne and decadent chocolate covered strawberries. Later in the evening kick back in the parlor and enjoy a special Valentine’s reception. Next, stroll to City Market to renew your vows with other fellow romantics. Afterwards, enjoy dinner at one of Savannah’s top restaurants, Alligator Soul. What could be more romantic?

Package includes:

• One night stay at Zeigler House Inn in any available room
• Champagne and Chocolate Covered Strawberries in room
• Evening reception from 5:00 – 6:00 pm at Zeigler House Inn
• Vow renewal at City Market 7:00 pm
• Rose bouquet
• Dinner at Alligator Soul ($75 gift certificate) 8:00 pm

Package Price: $375 per couple
(Package price does not include gratuities and applicable taxes. Additional nights are available at regular rates. Package is limited to Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012.)

Be sure to reserve early we are limited to only 7 rooms!

Cafe Florie and our Self-guided Tour

Cafe Florie was another stop on our self-guided tour of restaurants. This little gem, and I do mean little, has a wonderful menu with big flavors. The restaurant is down Barnard Street just a short way from the inn. The exterior is bright and colorful and continues to the interior. The staff was quite nice and this is where we chose to have our dessert. Pecan Pie and Sweet Potato Pie were the offering of the day and yes we tried both. They both were delicious! Needless to say there were no leftovers here.

Earlier in the week, Teresa from Azalea Inn did treat the four innkeepers from Savannah Inns with a take-out lunch from here. We had sandwiches and salad and I must say I was impressed. My favorite was the Tuna Melt but the others including the Meatloaf were all really good. The salad also was nice and fresh and the dressing was full of flavor.

Would I go back? You betcha! Plan a little getaway to Savannah and try some of our little out-of-the-way restaurants.

Starfish Cafe

This week I visited the Starfish Cafe for the first time with my friend Diane and my parents. We were on an afternoon self guided eating tour. We were out to try some of the restaurants we'd been meaning to check out. We stopped at 4 different restaurants and got a little bite at each. Now doesn't that sound like fun? Starfish was our last stop on this little tour and needless to say we were pretty full by that time. We decided to just look around and ask questions instead of eating, saving that for another day. I did buy their cookbook though! Looks like some great recipes. I'm sure a few will end up on the table here for afternoon social hour.

The great thing about this restaurant and the thing that intrigued me the most was why it is here in the first place. The Starfish Cafe is a joint venture between the Savannah Union Mission and the Savannah Technical College. The culinary arts training program serves breakfast and lunch to the public Monday thru Friday from 8 am to 2:30 pm. Participants in the program are homeless or are looking for job skills to make a better life for themselves. Since the program's inception in 2000, over 200 students have graduated and obtained full-time employment. The goal of the program is to assist each student in finding employment and making them independent and successful members of our community. What a great purpose!

By the way, a few days later we did try the food. Very nice. We tried three of their sandwiches, my favorite was the shrimp salad and their wonderful signature salad with chicken. Very yummy! This a great spot for a nice lunch that serves a great cause.

Plan your next vacation now and don't forget to stop here for lunch.

Black History Month in Savannah

Celebrate Black History Month in Savannah this year. Come discover the rich African American history, culture and heritage here in Savannah. Visit stops along the Underground Railroad, the First African Baptist Church, the Beech Institute, the Civil Rights Museum and sample some of the best Soul Food Savannah has to offer. Along with my sister innkeepers at SavannahInns.com we are offering a Black History Month Package. The two night package includes:

1. Three days and 2 nights in your choice of available rooms with check-in on Sunday thru Wednesday nights during the months of January and February 2012.
2. Day Clean African American History Tour for two, including admission to select venues.
3. Secret map of Soul Food destinations and specific, must see, Black History/Heritage sites.

Price: $389, plus tax/2 night stay (price does not include gratuities)

Day Clean Journey Tour - African American Heritage Tour

Recently, I took the Day Clean Journey Tour along with two other fellow innkeepers from Savannah Inns. This Tour highlights the African American Heritage and History in Savannah and the surrounding coastal area. Our tour guide Jamal Toure was an entertaining wealth of information on the subject. Sometimes speaking in several native African dialects including Gullah Geechee he wove an interesting fabric of history, folklore and stories. We drove through, now long gone, African American neighborhoods where he was able to bring back a sense of what life would have been like then. Stopping at several historic venues including the Beach Institute and First African Baptist Church we were able to see the contribution these people made to Savannah and her rich history. We ended the tour at the Garden of Eden restaurant for a slice of homemade red velvet cake. This was a lovely restaurant specializing in traditional Soul Food. I will definetly be recommending this place for anyone wanting to try Southern Soul Food. Everything looked and smelled yummy!
All in all, I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. They also offer several other wonderful tours including the one I want to take next, the Drums n’ Spirits Tour that covers Haants/Haints, Spirits, Ghosts, Hoo-Doo and lots more. You can see the list of tours and additional information on their website www.daycleansoul.com . This tour will be featured in our Black History Month package. Plan your getaway today!

Souther Belle's Tea

We're trying something new for the lazy days of summer this year. We are going to treat our guests to a traditional afternoon Southern Tea, summer style. We'll slow things down a bit every afternoon and take a step back in time to a enjoy ice cold lemonade, sweet tea, finger foods and some good conversation on the veranda or in the air conditioned parlor. How about a game of cards or checkers to make this a true Southern experience fit for any lady or gentleman.

Spend your cooler mornings out and about taking in the sites of the beautiful historic district and return in the languid afternoons to relax and restore with our tea before preparing for your romantic evenings of fun and dining.

This is a rare and dying tradition and I think it's high time we brought it back. Come on to Savannah and the Zeigler House Inn and let us indulge you!

This special treat is paired with our summer rates. Best room Monday - Thursday for only $159 per night plus tax. Friday - Sunday is 15% off the regular rate, plus tax. The rates and tea are good 7/5 - 9/1/2011.