Savannah, Charleston
Do two walking tours in Charleston - one for general history, the George Washington slept here kind. The second for slave experiences - when we were there you had to go to a bookstore and search but probably online now. There is so much history - good and bad there. It is quite an experience to looknow at the sire where slaves we're executed which is now a parking lot without any maker. Or the warehouses slaves we're unloaded from ships to be sold. Does not make one feel.good but important to experience in my opinion.
It has been a while since we've been, and unfortunately I am getting Savannah mixed up with Charleston. My husband and I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It takes place in Savannah and really gave us a taste of some of its history there!
I, personally liked seeing the letter from George Washington written to the Hebrew Congregation at the synagogue there. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the US.
My family went vacationing to Savannah and Charleston two years ago. Since our kids were very young (2 and 6 at the time) we didn't have a planned course of action.
Savannah was absolutely beautiful yet incredibly touristy. Most of the restaurants and places of interest focused on the tourism industry (despite having a large artist community). Charleston on the other hand felt more like a self sustained city.
One thing I noticed was that I don't think I have ever seen more restaurants and bars per block than Charleston. If you like eating Charleston will have you covered (I had the best Muscles in Charleston. . . i'll try to get you the name of the place).
For dining in Charleston: FIG, Hominy Grill, Husk, McCrady's. Classics like Bertha's Kitchen and Jestine's Kitchen. In Savannah, there's a new restaurant, The Grey, in a renovated Greyhound terminal on MLK Blvd. which is getting some press.
NY Times online has "36 Hours in ..." guides to cities which can be a good resource, also Food & Wine online.
Tybee Island, near Savannah. Fantastic beaches, great seafood (the Crab Shack!).
In Savannah, I really enjoyed the little trolley tour around town. I'm not usually a guided tour fan but there it was a really cool way to see the city and learn some history about the different town squares.
We also enjoyed the haunted pub crawl. Very cool experience!
In Charleston, Hominy Grill. Mmmmm.
Haven't been to Charleston in awhile, but definitely take one or more of the house tours.
I also agree with Dave's insight about Charleston seeming to be more of a functioning city. While I enjoyed both as a tourist, I've been to Charleston twice on business. If Richard Jennrette's house is open for tours, it is gorgeous.
skadave said:
My family went vacationing to Savannah and Charleston two years ago. Since our kids were very young (2 and 6 at the time) we didn't have a planned course of action.
Savannah was absolutely beautiful yet incredibly touristy. Most of the restaurants and places of interest focused on the tourism industry (despite having a large artist community). Charleston on the other hand felt more like a self sustained city.
One thing I noticed was that I don't think I have ever seen more restaurants and bars per block than Charleston. If you like eating Charleston will have you covered (I had the best Muscles in Charleston. . . i'll try to get you the name of the place).
I love these cities -- they have such distinctive flavor. If you enjoy historic house museums, there are plenty of them in the towns and outlying areas. (I especially recommend Middleton Place near Charleston; dates to the mid-18thc.) Beaufort, SC (between Charleston and Savannah) is another pretty town. Great for aimless wandering, though it will probably be hot and humid. There are also beautiful beaches on the barrier islands.
I love Savannah. Tybee is very cool, as well. I was in Charleston a few months ago, and we did a tour of historic Mount Pleasant on Segues with Segue of Charleston. The kids had a blast
Maybe you'll run into Bill Murray in Charleston.
http://www.billmurraystory.com/tag/charleston/
My husband is from Savannah, and we visited his folks with our children twice a year for 14 years. If you go to Tybee Island and the Breakfast Club is still there, enjoy!
We just got back from Charleston and Savannah.
Charleston:
You must eat at Hominy Grill, sooo good. Shopping on King street and simply walking around and admiring the architecture. Day trip to Angel Oak, Drayton Hall and Magnolia Plantation gardens.
Savannah:
We found it very touristy, but Forsyth Park, especially in early evening is magical. Definitely take a tour of Bonaventure with Shannon Scott, he is a master storyteller and will give you a behind the scenes look at Savannah. Also visit Tybee Island, such a sweet beach town.
Went to Charleston twice and loved both of our trips!
The first time we went we stayed at Charleston Place which is in the heart of everything. We could walk to restaurants and into the town center. We took trips to Magnolia Plantation and also to Drayton. I love Charleston. The narrow streets, architecture and cobbled streets remind me of a tropical Boston 
The food is amazing! We were fans of Poogan's Porch which is a great soul food restaurant as well as Jestine's Kitchen. If you want a little upscale, Magnolia's will not disappoint.
The 2nd time we went we rented a stunning home on the Isle of Palm and drove into Charleston a few times for dinner. The Isle of Palm is stunning, laid back, quiet and the people are lovely.
Highly recommend Poogan's Porch in Charleston. Style of food is low country and very good. I love sitting in the back room. The place is actually a house (you can't just knock stuff down and replace it with something else, you have to use the building that is there). They will change the menu but if they offer tomato pie I highly recommend it! Check it out here...http://www.poogansporch.com
One of my favorite tours was the Gullah Tours (http://gullahtours.com/). You will learn about the Gullah's and their culture. You will see the basket ladies, who are Gullah's, who weave wonderful (but expensive) sweet grass baskets.
The ghost tours are also fun and done at night. Poogan's is one of the stops as there is a ghost that has been seen there on the top floor. There is a story about their ghost on their website. The state aquarium is pretty cool and also has a turtle hospital which is interesting, there are tours to Ft. Sumpter and other Civil War historic sites, Rainbow Row (collection of thirteen historic homes), as well as the Charleston City Market (http://www.thecharlestoncitymarket.com which is fun to poke around in. The College of Charleston and the Citadel are also here.
The Charleston Visitor Center on Meeting Street is a wonderful place to start if you do not know what you want to do or where you want to go. They are very helpful and many tours leave from here.
I've been to Charleston many times so if you have any questions let me know and I will try to help.
Oh, and don't forget to peruse the Daughter's of the Confederacy. It wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. And the Old Slave Mart (is that the right name?) We saw a woman who could have been 100 years old, sitting in the heat weaving the most beautiful basket I'd ever seen.
Charleston: Tommy Dew's Walking Tour for an excellent overview of the city and its history (you need reservations for it.
Savannah: Dash Tours for the tour of the Bonaventure Cemetery. Leopold's for ice cream. The Pink House for dinner.
Both cities are "walking" cities and have neighborhoods that are fun to wander around in.
I have good memories of Savannah. March and April are beautiful. May-October are hot and humid.
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Going the week after next. Never been. Any suggestions for sites, things to do and, most important, dining?