In the beginning stages of planning a trip to Charleston, South Carolina and a side visit to Savannah, Georgia. Dates are roughly March 20 - April 10 with our target being 8-10 days between those dates.
I've received info from the CofC's of each city and have a short list of places we would like to visit. Our plan is to fly to Charleston and base trips from a VRBO in that city.
As a secondary target I'm quite interested in visiting Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, GA. As I have researched this I've found that it is about a 2 hour drive from Savannah so maybe doable in a day but we're flexible enough to spend 2-3 nights there. What other places would you recommend in Savannah? We've never been to that part of the US so we'd like to absorb what we can in our allotted time.
My intention is to visit some of the plantations and wildlife sanctuaries near Charleston but our group would also like to go on one or two tours of the city. So far this is what I'm thinking of bringing along with me. I'll only carry the larger lens with me to appropriate places.
So far I'm considering:
CV 21mm (my lightweight WA option as opposed to my Sigma 14-24)
FE 50/1.2 GM
FE 70-200/4 G II
FE 200-600 (will only be with me on days we visit wildlife sanctuaries)
Tripod
Monopod - is it a better option?
What I'll leave at home:
Sigma 14-24
CV 35
CV 65
CV 110
Anything else you'd like to suggest...I'm all ears!
I'm guessing the Magnolia plantation is on your hit list, if not you should add it. You'll want your 200-600 + mono pod with you as well as your 21mm. Lot's of good birding ops there. Personally I would opt for the sigma 14-24 for the trip for more versatility.
The Angel Oak tree is pretty cool to see but can be challenging to photograph due it it's massive size and crowds. Hit it early morning for best photo ops.
If you're into lighthouses head over to the north end of Folly beach for Morris Island Lighthouse. Keep your eyes open for Dolphins very near shore.
If you're into history you might enjoy Patriots Point. And tour the USS Yorktown. For nice sunset and night time photo op you can get some great shots from and around Mount Pleasant Pier.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area is another great wildlife area you could hit on your way to Savanna. Painted Buntings are common there. Just watchout for the gators when close to the water.
If time allows, Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal is a fantastic rookery that is sure to put a smile on any birders face. Easy boardwalk to stay away from the gators.
Lots of history and interesting places around this area. Have a great rip!
Dave
lighthound wrote:
I'm guessing the Magnolia plantation is on your hit list, if not you should add it. You'll want your 200-600 + mono pod with you as well as your 21mm. Lot's of good birding ops there. Personally I would opt for the sigma 14-24 for the trip for more versatility.
The Angel Oak tree is pretty cool to see but can be challenging to photograph due it it's massive size and crowds. Hit it early morning for best photo ops.
If you're into lighthouses head over to the north end of Folly beach for Morris Island Lighthouse. Keep your eyes open for Dolphins very near shore.
If you're into history you might enjoy Patriots Point. And tour the USS Yorktown. For nice sunset and night time photo op you can get some great shots from and around Mount Pleasant Pier.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area is another great wildlife area you could hit on your way to Savanna. Painted Buntings are common there. Just watchout for the gators when close to the water.
If time allows, Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal is a fantastic rookery that is sure to put a smile on any birders face. Easy boardwalk to stay away from the gators.
Lots of history and interesting places around this area. Have a great rip!
Dave
Great information here, Dave and thank you for the images! Until now I've been on the fence about the 200-600 but your comment has cemented my opinion about whether to take it with me.
Magnolia Garden and Plantation is certainly at the top of the list as is the Audubon Swamp. It looks like one can dedicate a single day here? I'd not heard of Cypress Wetlands but I took a look at it and it is now on our list - thanks for that one!!
There are several haunted tours in Charleston and one in particular - the haunted jail tour, caught my interest. Have you been to any of those?
Ever been to Bonaventure Cemetery? What are your thoughts about a day trip to Savannah?
Al Trujillo wrote:
Great information here, Dave and thank you for the images! Until now I've been on the fence about the 200-600 but your comment has cemented my opinion about whether to take it with me.
Magnolia Garden and Plantation is certainly at the top of the list as is the Audubon Swamp. It looks like one can dedicate a single day here? I'd not heard of Cypress Wetlands but I took a look at it and it is now on our list - thanks for that one!!
There are several haunted tours in Charleston and one in particular - the haunted jail tour, caught my interest. Have you been to any of those?
Ever been to Bonaventure Cemetery? What are your thoughts about a day trip to Savannah?
We took a ghost tour many many years ago but can't remember which one we took. There is so much cool history in Charley town that I don't think you can go wrong with any of the tours. Well worth it if you've never been there before.
I've never been to that cemetery or spent much time in Savanna. Tons of history there as well.
A couple other spots you might want to check-out if you have time is to head north toward Myrtle beach and hit Brookgreen Gardens just south of Murrells Inlet. And across the street from there is the Atalaya Castle. It's not really much to look at but again, some really cool history. You have to enter the state park to get there.
The causeway on your way in is a fantastic birding location. Lot's of gators there so watch your step if near the waters edge. Very safe if staying on the sidewalk.
lighthound wrote:
We took a ghost tour many many years ago but can't remember which one we took. There is so much cool history in Charley town that I don't think you can go wrong with any of the tours. Well worth it if you've never been there before.
I've never been to that cemetery or spent much time in Savanna. Tons of history there as well.
A couple other spots you might want to check-out if you have time is to head north toward Myrtle beach and hit Brookgreen Gardens just south of Murrells Inlet. And across the street from there is the Atalaya Castle. It's not really much to look at but again, some really cool history. You have to enter the state park to get there.
The causeway on your way in is a fantastic birding location. Lot's of gators there so watch your step if near the waters edge. Very safe if staying on the sidewalk....Show more →
Thanks for this information. I'm writing all of it down and we'll figure out a plan and see whether we can fit it all in.
We took a carriage ride in the South Point and Battery area. Besides the ride, we walked around a lot. Probably better off walking if wanting to do photography. The area is very historic, going back to the early colonial days, Revolutionary War and then Civil War. Lots of older buildings, Charleston style homes, a number of famous old churches and cemeteries. Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island may interest you, continuing in use through WWII.
I used an A6400 and 18-135. We were there in the area for a funeral so not the full sightseeing and photography mode. The old portions of Charleston, and I'd assume Savannah, are fairly tight and something wider than 18mm/28mm could be handy. Might make it easier to get some of the architectural shots or a full image of some of the impressive churches and steeples. Certainly longer would be useful out in the natural areas.
I'm a zoom user mostly. These days, I might consider my 20-70/4 a better walk-around for Charleston than the 18-135. with several days in the area, it might be easier to tailor the choices and use wider or longer but maybe not carry all of them all the time.
You've already got some great suggestions. I was at Cypress Wetlands 2 days ago and saw plenty of birds and alligators.
Add ons to the list:
Charleston:
- We like to walk the Ravenel Bridge when in Charleston - there's also a fishing pier underneath that gives a great perspective as the cargo ships pass through. In late March, there is a 10k that runs across the bridge. I don't know if they close the bridge to vehicles.
- we took kayaks through Shem Creek - and had some dolphins get very close to us.
Savannah
- If you are here earlier in March - Savannah has one of the largest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the country. Depending on your perspective it's an incredibly fun day or it's a crowded drunken nuisance.
- The JW Marriott in Savannah has an amazing collection of fossils, gemstones and geodes.
- Around Savannah - Wormsloe Historical Site has a mile long tunnel of southern live oaks and some marsh overlooks. Last time I was there a barred owl treated us to some hunting and posed for an extended period.
- Old Fort Jackson and Fort Pulaski are close to downtown Savannah. Great views of the river and they do talks and at some times during the year fire a canon or two.
- Savannah NWR. I've been many times but seem to miss the large gatherings of birds that I'm sure happen there.
- Pinkney Island NWR - in Hilton Head so about an hour from Savannah. I've had much better luck here. There's a large egret and ibis rookery, I often see raptors and seasonally see many other species.
Good luck with planning! And happy to answer any questions.
Bob
volyrat wrote:
You've already got some great suggestions. I was at Cypress Wetlands 2 days ago and saw plenty of birds and alligators.
Add ons to the list:
Charleston:
- We like to walk the Ravenel Bridge when in Charleston - there's also a fishing pier underneath that gives a great perspective as the cargo ships pass through. In late March, there is a 10k that runs across the bridge. I don't know if they close the bridge to vehicles.
- we took kayaks through Shem Creek - and had some dolphins get very close to us.
Savannah
- If you are here earlier in March - Savannah has one of the largest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the country. Depending on your perspective it's an incredibly fun day or it's a crowded drunken nuisance.
- The JW Marriott in Savannah has an amazing collection of fossils, gemstones and geodes.
- Around Savannah - Wormsloe Historical Site has a mile long tunnel of southern live oaks and some marsh overlooks. Last time I was there a barred owl treated us to some hunting and posed for an extended period.
- Old Fort Jackson and Fort Pulaski are close to downtown Savannah. Great views of the river and they do talks and at some times during the year fire a canon or two.
- Savannah NWR. I've been many times but seem to miss the large gatherings of birds that I'm sure happen there.
- Pinkney Island NWR - in Hilton Head so about an hour from Savannah. I've had much better luck here. There's a large egret and ibis rookery, I often see raptors and seasonally see many other species.
Good luck with planning! And happy to answer any questions.
Bob ...Show more →
Bob - thank you so much for these suggestions. Wormsloe Historical Site...I didn't know its name until now but the tree lined oak tunnel will be an important stop on our visit. Without your post I likely would have missed it.
Wormsloe and Bonaventure Cemetery will be two big stops for our small family group. Thanks again!
A couple of other notes - depending on your family's interests:
Forrest Gump was filmed in and around Savannah / Beaufort. There's a number of very recognizable locations in Savannah.
Two books
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is based in Savannah and many of the locations are accessible.
- The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy is based on his time on Daufuskie Island in the late 60's. Daufuskie is a day trip and requires a ferry.
volyrat wrote:
A couple of other notes - depending on your family's interests:
Forrest Gump was filmed in and around Savannah / Beaufort. There's a number of very recognizable locations in Savannah.
Two books
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is based in Savannah and many of the locations are accessible.
- The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy is based on his time on Daufuskie Island in the late 60's. Daufuskie is a day trip and requires a ferry.
Enjoy your stay!
Thanks for the suggestions. Midnight is the book that sparked my interest in visiting Savannah, and especially Bonaventure Cemetery. There is a tour company there that does after hour tours. I need to contact them to see whether they would accept photographers (and our slow-down speed) or we should look at something else. I'd love to be there doing blue hour.
Our small group is meeting tonight over dinner to talk about this trip. At this point I'm looking at four nights in Charleston and four in Savannah (giving us three full days at each).
Between Charleston and Savannah is a nice quiet island-- Edisto Island, SC. Botany Bay has some awesome places to take photos. It would be an hour off of highway 17 and you wouldn't have to go all the way into the town of Edisto Beach. I spend a week there each summer. Awesome, quiet place. If you take the back way from Charleston, find Toogadoo road (behind the Piggly Wiggly in Hollywood). It's a beautiful drive on the way to Botany Bay!
Karin Loveit wrote:
Between Charleston and Savannah is a nice quiet island-- Edisto Island, SC. Botany Bay has some awesome places to take photos. It would be an hour off of highway 17 and you wouldn't have to go all the way into the town of Edisto Beach. I spend a week there each summer. Awesome, quiet place. If you take the back way from Charleston, find Toogadoo road (behind the Piggly Wiggly in Hollywood). It's a beautiful drive on the way to Botany Bay!
This is a treasure! Thanks for pointing this out. I think we can schedule a visit on our day driving from Charleston to Savannah.
Add in Old Sheldon Church roughly half way between Charleston and Savannah. Columns, ruins of a historic site with a rich history. Setting is beautiful. Bring a wide lens. Nearby some beautiful private estates with long drives, gates, Spanish moss hanging from the live oaks. You'd pass some near Old Sheldon Church.
All the squares in Savannah have their own charm. And some street performers to capture in tight portraiture. Other smaller cemeteries worth a wander. Wrought iron railings, stairways/door fronts in both cities.
not sure what you will see at the wildlife sanctuaries; I haven't been but might learn about the migration timings before lugging a big big lens.
sbeme wrote:
Add in Old Sheldon Church roughly half way between Charleston and Savannah. Columns, ruins of a historic site with a rich history. Setting is beautiful. Bring a wide lens. Nearby some beautiful private estates with long drives, gates, Spanish moss hanging from the live oaks. You'd pass some near Old Sheldon Church.
All the squares in Savannah have their own charm. And some street performers to capture in tight portraiture. Other smaller cemeteries worth a wander. Wrought iron railings, stairways/door fronts in both cities.
not sure what you will see at the wildlife sanctuaries; I haven't been but might learn about the migration timings before lugging a big big lens.
