The rental car we had in South Carolina was a Fiat 500. When we realized how fuel efficient it was – and how little we’d actually drive in the Charleston area – it was evident that we made a huge mistake purchasing prepaid gas. Instead of letting that $40 go to waste, we made an impromptu trip to Savannah for the day. 

I had purchased a Lilly Pulitzer tunic before vacation. It was a lifesaver in the sunny, hot weather: breezy enough to stay cool with enough coverage to fend off a sunburn. (The shorts are from J.Crew.)

The prettiest gardens are peppered throughout the historic area of Savannah.

We stopped at The Olde Pink House restaurant for lunch. They served cheese straws in silver mint julep cups, which made me want to expand my collection. I dined on the best crab cake of my life and tried fried green tomatoes for the first time.

Another one of Savannah’s many gardens.

We didn’t visit all of the squares in the historic district, but they all had lush greenery and beautiful monuments. 

If only magnolia trees grew in Wisconsin…

As you’d expect, Civil War monuments are common in this part of the country.