This bus tour included history, culture, hospitality and cuisine of the South combined. The beautiful coastal cities of Savannah and Charleston featured colorful avenues and unique stories several centuries in the making from sprawling estates and gardens, to neighborhood restaurants, we felt the essence of the South. Our first day was a long drive from St. Louis to Cartersville, Georgia. Then dinner at the Sixes Tavern Bar & Grill. Good food and a good night's sleep. Day two we traveled to Savannah, Georgia. We joined a local guide for a walking tour of the hauntingly beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery, featured in the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” We enjoyed downhome southern cooking during dinner at River House Seafood (Salmon) before checking in for a 2-night stay at Hampton Inn Savannah Historic District. Below are pics from the cemetery.

Day three we boarded an open-air trolley for a narrated sightseeing tour along the cobblestone paved streets of Savannah, the country’s largest National Urban Historic Landmarked District. The rest of the day was ours to leisurely explore Savannah’s Historic District! We strolled the revitalized historic River Street filled with unique shops, boutiques. Then I returned to the hotel to meet my friends, Ann and Dennis, who live in nearby Beaufort. They provided me a tour of the historic Fort Polasky and then to dinner in Tybe Island. Then we toured their Air B&B, Kehoe House. Pics below cover all activities of the day. (The dinner fare still amazes me!)

Day five we learned the history of Charleston at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, founded in 1676 and voted one of “America’s Most Beautiful Gardens,” by Travel + Leisure Magazine. We joined a naturalist guide for a tram tour of the plantation’s 600 acres of wetlands, forests, and marshes. It was a step back in time on a guided tour of the family home with a glimpse of life in the 19th century. Then we enjoyed free time to explore Charleston’s historic City Market area, and joined our local expert for a guided tour by a local guide of this city steeped in Colonial and Civil War history. We experienced an eye opening visit to the Citadel Military base. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at a local favorite, Hyman’s Seafood Restaurant.

Our last southern tour day we journeyed through the Blue Ridge Mountains to discover America’s largest majestic home, the magnificent Biltmore Estate, completed by George Vanderbilt in 1895. After a gourmet lunch in the estate’s Stable Cafe, we spent the day exploring the Vanderbilt home. It was too cold to visit the surrounding century-old gardens filled with thousands of daffodils, tulips, azaleas and more. Then we continued to Knoxville, Tennessee for an overnight stay.

Since I visited the Biltmore in 2023, I have many, many pics of that historic home. I'm happy to have met my new friend, Kay, from St. Louis. Also, our Tour Director, Kathy, and our bus drivers were the best. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but it turned out to be a cold week in the south.