PIT STOPS + PARISH RUINS
Take Highway 17 south toward Georgia. Make your first pit stop in Yemassee, South Carolina, at Caroline Cider Company, to stock up on deep-fried peanuts (to be eaten shell and all) and peach cider—two Lowcountry staples. Next, continue to the nearby Old Sheldon Church Ruins, the remnants of a chapel built in 1745, burned during the Revolutionary War, and burned again during Sherman’s March to the Sea. Located in a grove of Spanish moss–draped oaks, among scattered graves, it’s beautiful, spooky, and totally worth exploring. Then cruise down to Beaufort—a waterfront city known for its antebellum mansions and stroll-worthy downtown—and stop by Old Bull Tavern for a drink before finishing the day trip.
Once in Savannah, check in at Perry Lane Hotel, a brand-new modern retreat in the historic district. There you’ll find Emporium Kitchen, a food hall with locally sourced fare, and Wayward Bar, an old-school haunt with Skee-ball and arcade machines. Before you try either, though, check out Wyld, a dockside eatery with uber-fresh fish and shellfish, or its sister restaurant, El Coyote, a downtown taco spot.