Savannah on the Georgian coast and Charleston in neighbouring South Carolina are two of America’s best-loved cities, renowned for their southern charm. Put them together with the natural beauty, long sugar sand beaches and spectacular seascapes of Hilton Head Island and you have the best of all worlds for a self-drive holiday. 

Total drive approx: 1,093 kms

Buckhead -- Atlanta's 'Beverly Hills'

Day 1. Depart: Atlanta  O/night: Savannah  Approx: 400 kms

Let’s get it straight up front: the route that takes you from Atlanta to Savannah is not the most scenic in the world, unless trees, trees and more trees turn you on. But the when you get to the capital of southern charm (OK, some other southern cities might dispute the claim) you know the drive has been well worth it.

Don’t drive direct to Savannah – break your journey in Macon. Take  I-75 headed south to Macon, a drive of about 140 kilometres from Atlanta, depending whether you start out from downtown or the northern suburb of Buckhead, Atlanta’s answer to Beverly Hills.

If you are interested in architecture, art and antiques, Hay House is a Macon ‘must’. It was built in the mid-1800s by William Butler Johnston the keeper of the Confederate treasury at the time of the American Civil War. He had evidently been greatly inspired by the grand houses of Rome and Florence while on honeymoon in Europe. During the Civil War the house was a depository for vast amounts of Confederate gold and silver, but it’s the magnificent seven-storey mansion itself and its elegant contents that now make it a historic landmark.

Hot dogs are all part of American culture, so think of a visit to Nu-Way Weiners on Cherry Street as a cultural experience. It’s one of the oldest hot dog restaurants in the United States and has become something of a Macon foodie mecca. When Greek-American James Mallis created his distinctive red-coloured hot dog back in 1914, he could not have known just how popular it was going to be.

Somebody has described Nu-Way Weiners (try one with creamy coleslaw) as the ‘quintessential Macon food’; and Opra Winfrey has given her endorsement on television, calling the local hot dog her ‘favorite thing about Macon’. The accolades may not say a lot about the city’s gastronomic attractions, but it’s a quick munch for lunch.

If you are looking for food for thought rather than just food, Macon is home to the Ocmulgee National Monument. Earthen mounds, a ceremonial earth lodge, artefacts and dioramas help unfold the story of early Native American life. If you are planning to travel in the autumn (when the leaves on those trees go golden) make a note that the monument hosts the Ocmulgee Indian Celebration every September.

From Macon pick up I-16 – it’s another 265 kilometres to Savannah. The I-16 is fairly straight, which might encourage you to step on the gas -- but think twice about that as the route is well patrolled by both County and State police. The I-16 is also known as Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway or State Route 404 (SR 404).

Arriving in Savannah leave the highway at Exit 167B straight into downtown. Savannah has more historic landmarks than any other American city. And the beauty of it is that they are all located within six square kilometres -- twenty-two green squares and no end of historic buildings, all of them architectural gems.

Savannah also has some excellent places to eat, but after checking in at your hotel you might want to make a twenty minute drive to nearby Tybee Island: it’s laid back and has a choice of more than thirty waterside restaurants and bars – and a gentle sea breeze on hot summer evenings.

Flip flops, shorts and an un-ironed tee shirt count for ‘smart casual’ on Tynbee. A good tip is the Crab Shack, which is known for its crab cakes, shrimps, oysters and clam chowder. It closes late (by American standards) and is always buzzing.

Accommodation options. Hyatt Regency Savannah, Courtyard by Marriott Savannah, Holiday Inn Express

Day 2. O/night: Savannah

An easy start to the day, which you will want to spend discovering Savannah’s famous historic district. Take a rest from driving and set off on foot to explore the captivating garden squares, the many art galleries, antique shops and small cafes.

Savannah's history began in 1733, when General James Oglethorpe arrived with his ship Anne and 120 passengers who had come to start a new settlement. He named Georgia after England's King George II; it was to be the thirteenth and final American colony.

Savannah has taken some hard knocks over the years. Two devastating fires in 1796 and 1820 each left half the city in ashes, but residents took it in their stride. Then came yellow fever, which killed much of the population. Savannah always bounced back.

During the Civil War when General Sherman’s troops arrived after taking Atlanta, burning everything in his path along the way, the Union general was said to be so impressed by Savannah’s beauty that he could not destroy it. There was probably more to it than that, but that’s the way the story is told in Savannah, where some people still talk of the Civil War as the ‘war of Northern aggression’.

Sherman may have spared the city, but it could easily have fallen foul of property developers in the 1950s had it not been for a group of determined Savannah women who banded together to preserve the city’s wonderful architectural heritage from the wrecking ball. You’ll learn all this on a guided walking tour around the historic district.

If you don’t feel like walking, Town Trolley Tours is another great way to see the old part of Savannah -- with fifteen hop-on-hop-off stops and more than a hundred points of interest along the way. A traditional guided tour in a horse-drawn carriage might appeal to romantics as the way to explore Savannah; or for something more of this age, zip around the historic squares on a Segway.

Foodies in search of a taste of good ol’ southern cooking, should skip breakfast and get in line for an early lunch at Mrs Wilkes Boarding House – it’s not a boarding house at all, but a legendary restaurant in Savannah’s historic district. It's been run by four generations of Wilkes since it first opened in 1943. It gets busy, very busy -- but don't be put off by the queue stretching down the street; it’s all part of the experience.

While an eggs and grits breakfast is served from 08.00 to 09.00, it’s the lunch from 11.00 to 15.00 that’s the big attraction. You don’t count the calories when lunch consists of fried chicken, barbecued pork, sausages, chicken dumplings, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, collard greens, black-eyed peas, okra, candied yams, marrows and pickled beets -- all served in big, white bowls at tables that you share with fellow diners. Eat as much as you like, it’s all included in the fixed price, which was $16 at the last visit. Presidents (including Barack Obama), politicians and celebrities have enjoyed southern hospitality at Mrs Wilkes. The restaurant is closed at weekends.

Presidential lunch at Mrs Wilkes -- good southern cooking

The somewhat eclectic Savannah History Museum showcases the city's history from its beginning to the present day, and has everything from an interactive component about Native American cultures to a 1902 Crestmobile, a car that pre-dates the Ford Model A. Visitors can learn about the Revolutionary War in Savannah or see Johnny Mercer's Oscar and Grammy awards.

The museum is housed in the old Central of Georgia Railway passenger shed, a National Historic Landmark dating back to the late 1800s. The railway used the building until 1972. The museum is now home to more than 10,000 artefacts - one of the largest collections of artefacts in the region.

There is a Savannah History Experience All-Site Pass, which is valid for three days and includes admission to the Roundhouse Railroad Museum and the Savannah History Museum, one train ride, and one of scheduled activities.  It costs $14.00 for an adult and only $4.00 for children 6 and under.

Known as ’the city of lost cemeteries’, Savannah has more than 10,000 unmarked graves in its historic district – so it’s not surprising that there are several evening ghost tours to round off your day; giving the expression 'chilling out' a whole new meaning.

For a haunting experience, walk the streets with a guide dressed in period costume and carrying a gas lantern (very theatrical); take a trolley tour to Savannah’s ‘most haunted’; or, for something completely macabre, how about a ghost tour of the city's old cemeteries in a funeral hearse.

If haunted tours are not your thing, relax on a sunset cruise aboard a traditional Savannah river boat. The cruises set off from River Street, which sits alongside the broad Savannah River. The historic cotton warehouses that once lined the street have been converted into antique shops, art galleries, restaurants and bars.

When the sun goes down and mint julep glasses start to clink, relax at a jazz, blues or bluegrass bar, or soak up the rhythm at a piano bar – Savannah offers a lively nightlife scene.

Day 3. Depart: Savannah O/night: Hilton Head  Approx: 53 kms
After exploring Savannah take a couple of days to chill out on Hilton Head Island before continuing to Charleston. Located along the Atlantic coast. Hilton Head is just over 70 kilometres north of Savannah, and about 145 kilometres south of Charleston.

Stretching for twenty kilometres and only eight kilometres wide, Hilton Head was the first eco-planned resort island in the United States. Hilton Head Island is lavish and lacks for nothing as a holiday destination. With more than twenty resorts and hotels to choose from it’s also heaven for foodies and golfers, with more than 250 restaurants and a couple of dozen breathtaking championship golf courses.

For great golf with ocean views, head for the Robert Trent Jones course at Palmetto Dunes. For something classic, the Oyster Reef Golf Club was designed by Rees Jones and opened in the early 1980s: think crafty bunkers, lots of tall trees in your way and large, sloped greens. The Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines Resort is the big daddy of Hilton Head Island golf: if you can play only one course on Hilton Head, play Harbour Town and talk about it for a long time to come.

Hilton Head -- a great place to chill out

Day 4;  Depart: Hilton Head   O/night: Charleston  Approx:  160 kms Leaving the island take US 278 west (it's also known as the William Hilton Parkway for part of the way) until you reach I-95, about a 40 kilometre drive from Hilton Head. Heading north on I–95 will take you straight to Charleston, but if you want a more scenic route turn right off the Interstate at Gardens Corner and pick up US –17 heading in the direction of Jacksonboro.

Once in Jacksonboro, the road crosses the Edisto River (very popular with kayakers) and becomes a four lane road right through to Charleston. If you are travelling during the commuter rush hours, expect to enter Charleston at a snail’s pace.

You wouldn’t know it when you travel this route today, but back in the 1850s the lowlands of South Carolina formed a rich rice producing region, and together with neighbouring Georgia produced 90 per cent of America’s rice – and even exported the grain to European markets as well. At one stage there were no fewer than 227 plantations growing rice: it was known as ‘Carolina gold’. The success was carried on the backs of slaves, and with the abolishment of slavery coupled with the mechanization of other states in rice harvesting (the South Carolina ground was too soft for modern equipment) the golden days of rice production came to an end.

The land that was to become South Carolina started out as an outpost first of Spain, then France, Spain again, and finally England. It was in 1670 that King Charles II of England gave his name to the settlement at Charles Towne. With a rich three hundred year history, Charlestonis one of America's most beautifully preserved architectural and historical treasures. It is also the place where the Civil War began.

A little history: America’s Civil War began on April 10, 1861, when Brigadier General Perre Gustave Toutant Beauregard (a wonderful southern name), who was in command of the local Confederate forces, demanded the surrender of the Union garrison of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour. When the garrison commander refused, Beauregard, who was known to some as ‘Little Napoleon’, gave the order to open fire -- the first canon shots of the American Civil War. The white flag of surrender was waved the following day, and Beauregard became a Confederate hero. The Confederates successfully defended Fort Sumter until Sherman’s advance through South Carolina finally forced them to evacuate Charleston and abandon the fort.

A trip to Fort Sumter -- where the Civil War began

A cruise to Fort Sumter National Monument is a ’must’ while in Charleston. Spirit Line Cruises provide the only boat tour of the fort, departing from downtown Charleston. Tours include a 30-minute narrated cruise through Charleston Harbour and back, as well as an hour to tour the fort and its on-site museum

Another major Charleston attraction is Magnolia Plantation. The original plantation mansion burned down just after the American Revolution, and the second was torched by Sherman’s troops during the Civil War. The owning family then took current house from another plantation, brought it to Charleston by barge, and sat it on the foundations of its unfortunate predecessors.

The house is filled with well-preserved early American furniture, and it has an impressive art gallery. That's not all. Magnolia Plantations flower gardens, full of camellias and azaleas (they bloom in March and April but are colourful year-round), are among the most beautiful in America.

A bit of trivia: in the early days of tourism in the United States, Magnolia was considered a national and international attraction along the lines of Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon.

You can tour the house, the gardens and a waterfowl refuge and walk the wildlife trails. There is also a nature train that carries visitors on a 45-minute ride around the plantation's boundary.

The Audubon Swamp Garden at Magnolia Plantation is an independently operated cypress swamp with wildlife such as otters, turtles and alligators roaming free.

With its many fine old buildings, horse-drawn carriage tours, ghost tours and an abundance of eclectic restaurants and bars, there is a lot of similarity with Savannah, but dig a little deeper and you will find that Charleston has a personality of its very own.

You will want to plan on staying a couple of days to explore its many charms. By the way, if you were curious to know what happened to Perre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, the man who kicked off the Civil War, he returned to New Orleans after the defeat of the Confederates, turned down commissions in the Brazilian, Rumanian and Egyptian armies and after working on a couple of railway projects, blotted his copy book by being involved in some shady shenanigans at a private Louisiana lottery. The south has a colourful, and often bizarre, history.

Accommodation options. The French Quarter Inn, Holiday Inn Charleston - Mills House, Best Western King Charles Inn

Day 5. Depart: Charleston   Arrive: Atlanta  Approx: 480 kms 

Augusta -- most golfers can only dream of playing the course

For your return drive to Atlanta, taking I-26 from Charleston to Columbia and then I-20 on through Augusta is the best route. It’s about a six-hour journey allowing for a short break to eat along the way.

If you are keen on golf and are thinking of stopping off in Augusta because of it being home to the annual Masters Golf Tournament, you might like to know that the public is allowed on the grounds of the Augusta National Golf Course only during the week of the Masters. No access is permitted for the rest of the year. The entrance is gated and security clearance is required for the gates to open. The only way you would get to play Augusta National Golf Course is if you were invited by one of its 300 members – so if you happen to know Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or move in their circles, you might be in with a chance.

There are other golf clubs in the area that welcome visiting golfers, but if you just wanted bragging right about ‘playing the Augusta course’ you could always use the driving range at the Augusta Municipal Golf Course. It’s open daily and will set you back four dollars for a bag of fifty balls, or just use the course putting and chipping green free of charge.