Places to visit/live in the Southeast (GA, SC, NC)?

[DirtyDigz 1,676]

Later this June I'm taking taking a road trip down to Savannah, GA with my SO and her daughter. The rough plan is to leave NJ Fri morning, take an unhurried drive down to Savannah with at least one overnight stop roughly mid-way and arrive in Savannah by Sunday so her daughter can attend a week-long pre-college seminar at a school there.

We decided to drive as flights and rental car prices were reeeeeeeeee-donkulous - hoping that gas prices don't go further through the roof too by next month.

Anyway, while the kid is doing her thing at the school, we'll have Mon-Fri free to explore the area.  We're hoping to do a combination of sightseeing and possible-area-to-move-to scouting during that week.

Some places we're interested in are around Charleston, SC - Bluffton and Beaufort are on the list.  We may meander up into North Carolina too.

I'm looking for recommendations on the following:

- More "relaxed" route alternatives to get to Savannah once we're South of D.C.  I can do 95 all the way if necessary, but since we've got time and at least one overnight stop I figured I might try for a more scenic route.

- Recommendations for touristy "must see/must do" stuff in Savannah or immediate area - I think we'll have a half or full day to do sightseeing in Savannah

- Recommendations for "good places to live" from Savannah North up to roughly, say, Wilmington NC.

- Recommendations for cool stuff to see/do in the same swath from Savannah up to Wilmington

Our rough criteria for "good places to live" are:
- Low Taxes
- "Retirement friendly" housing prices
- Under an hour drive to good ocean beach (she's an avid surfer and general beach lover).  Good kayaking areas would be a bonus.
- Some semblence of culture/nightlife within a half hour drive.
- Proximity to major firearms locations/events would be cool too

 

[brucin 830]

My recommendation is to take 81 to 77 instead of 95. Just staying away from the beltway makes the trip better. In Savannah do a haunted pub crawl. It was a lot of fun hitting the various old pubs and you can take a traveler when you walk to the next location.

[gleninjersey 2,037]

We've done the 81 drive down to Atlanta.

We've also taken  295 and then taken 13 to the Outer Banks.  It now looks like 1 to 113 to 13 is way to go now rarer than taking 13.  13 is a nice drive but ha e to ve careful of speed traps.  Quickly drops to 55 or 65 to 35 as you pass through small towns. You could then take 95 down to Savanah.

Check out Seabrook Island near Charleston if you have time   It's the opposite of Kiawah Island.  Not built up at all.  Just residual homes.  Just a country club..  No restaurants,  bars,, Starbucks,, etc..  VERY Private.  You may need to make a reservation with a realtor as it's a gated community.  Beautiful.  Probably pricey but it was almost as beautiful as Hawaii.

Sounds like a fun road trip you are taking!!  Have fun & safe travels!

[Displaced Texan 10,762]

2 hours ago, brucin said:

My recommendation is to take 81 to 77 instead of 95. Just staying away from the beltway makes the trip better. In Savannah do a haunted pub crawl. It was a lot of fun hitting the various old pubs and you can take a traveler when you walk to the next location.

I’ve done the pub crawl. It’s fun! Savannah is an awesome town. 
 

I have a list of restaurants that were incredible there, but can’t get to it at the moment. Will post when I can. 
 

Edit: one I can think of off the top of my head is Belfords Savannah. It’s excellent. 

[brucin 830]

This place was pretty good when we were there 5 years age.

https://www.moonriverbrewing.com/menu

[Parker 213]

8 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

Later this June I'm taking taking a road trip down to Savannah, GA with my SO and her daughter. The rough plan is to leave NJ Fri morning, take an unhurried drive down to Savannah with at least one overnight stop roughly mid-way and arrive in Savannah by Sunday so her daughter can attend a week-long pre-college seminar at a school there.

We decided to drive as flights and rental car prices were reeeeeeeeee-donkulous - hoping that gas prices don't go further through the roof too by next month.

Anyway, while the kid is doing her thing at the school, we'll have Mon-Fri free to explore the area.  We're hoping to do a combination of sightseeing and possible-area-to-move-to scouting during that week.

Some places we're interested in are around Charleston, SC - Bluffton and Beaufort are on the list.  We may meander up into North Carolina too.

I'm looking for recommendations on the following:

- More "relaxed" route alternatives to get to Savannah once we're South of D.C.  I can do 95 all the way if necessary, but since we've got time and at least one overnight stop I figured I might try for a more scenic route.

- Recommendations for touristy "must see/must do" stuff in Savannah or immediate area - I think we'll have a half or full day to do sightseeing in Savannah

- Recommendations for "good places to live" from Savannah North up to roughly, say, Wilmington NC.

- Recommendations for cool stuff to see/do in the same swath from Savannah up to Wilmington

Our rough criteria for "good places to live" are:
- Low Taxes
- "Retirement friendly" housing prices
- Under an hour drive to good ocean beach (she's an avid surfer and general beach lover).  Good kayaking areas would be a bonus.
- Some semblence of culture/nightlife within a half hour drive.
- Proximity to major firearms locations/events would be cool too

 

We just spent five days in Georgia through Easter weekend visiting my daughter. I loved it there. 

My daughter and her husband bought a house minutes from Savannah last year. I fell in love with old Savannah. Bed and breakfast's and apartment's abound there in buildings that have been standing for 150 years. Lots of charm in the city and people are friendly. They said once Memorial Day comes it will get busy with vacationers and tourists. Food and restaurants were great everywhere we ate. A number of places in the city with rooftop dining, upscale pub food in many bars. The Savannah River is not much different in size from the Hudson River. It's big and tidal and handles ocean-going vessels. Take a quick trip to Tybee or Jekyll Islands if you get the chance which are a short drive (30 mins.) from Savannah. Gas was only $3.50/gal. when we were there.

Hit any of these places if you want some delicious Southern food, from a simple biscuit & egg sandwich to a four-star meal. Biscuits are a "thing" down South:

The 15 Best Places for Biscuits in Savannah (foursquare.com)

Don't forget Leupold's in Savannah for ice cream. Won't be hard to find, there's usually a line outside the door. 

Lots of water there, plenty of rivers to kayak in. The Ogeechee River is just one and is by my daughter's house and flows into the ocean 30 miles away.  Keep in mind Georgia has six species of venomous snakes, along with alligators. Walk any of the trails there, and signs everywhere tell you to "beware of snakes & alligators." 

 

 

  

[Displaced Texan 10,762]

1 hour ago, Parker said:

Biscuits are a "thing" down South:

Biscuits are a religion down there. 
 

1 hour ago, Parker said:

Don't forget Leupold's in Savannah for ice cream. Won't be hard to find, there's usually a line outside the door. 

 

Man, I forgot about that place. Don’t miss it. 

[YankeeSC 1,181]

19 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

Some places we're interested in are around Charleston, SC

Absolutely!

19 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

More "relaxed" route alternatives to get to Savannah once we're South of D.C.

You can take Rt 17 (Savannah Highway) from Charleston.  This is scenic and will also run you past Bluffton/Beaufort.

19 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

Recommendations for "good places to live" from Savannah North up to roughly, say, Wilmington NC.

Charleston area - West Ashley, Mount Pleasant, Summerville

19 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

Recommendations for cool stuff to see/do in the same swath from Savannah up to Wilmington

I have a full page list of Charleston activities that I've prepared for our visitors that I can share with you.

10 hours ago, Parker said:

Low Taxes

Check.  I paid twice as much for my CHS house as I did for my NJ house, but pay less than half of the taxes I did in NJ.

19 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

"Retirement friendly" housing prices

If you stay out of downtown CHS you'll find this.

19 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

Under an hour drive to good ocean beach (she's an avid surfer and general beach lover).  Good kayaking areas would be a bonus.

Check.  Folly beach - lot's of surfers.  Kayaking all over the low country beaches, marshes, and tidal creeks/rivers.

19 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

Some semblence of culture/nightlife within a half hour drive

Check.  Some of the best restaurants and food scene in the country.  It's a tourist town.  Several great concert venues.

19 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

Proximity to major firearms locations/events would be cool too

Check.  Heck, it's SC!  We've got Palmetto State Armory, 3 local locations!

[father-of-three 217]

It's a little farther west, but I like Tennessee.  There's Gatlinburg on the TN/NC border.

[Golf battery 1,207]

Im looking at near burgaw nc. Close to marine corpse base.  Va healthcare.  Lots of masonic lodges.  Active uspsa idpa matches   Soil for farming is adequate.  

[Redeye65 145]

Have a place in Calabash NC, 7 miles north of the SC boarder, far enough away from Myrtle to avoid the influx of tourists during the summer and close enough to enjoy all Myrtle has to offer. For dining take a ride into Muriel’s Inlet, it’s the seafood capitol of SC, the have a marsh walk that’s pretty cool, food is awesome there. Calabash NC is the seafood capitol of NC, in Little River NC there is a bunch of inter coastal restaurants you can walk to once parked, it’s a great way to kill an afternoon.

When looking for a retirement place there really isn’t a bad location down there, obviously there are bad locations but they are easy to spot, homeowner insurance is where they get you, if you are within 7 miles of the ocean insurance is crazy high, you need to carry homeowner and wind and hail insurance, if outside the 7 miles those costs are much better, I’m outside the 7 miles and I still pay 2800 a year, without the wind and hail insurance (it’s optional) if a hurricane comes through you are screwed.

A second home in SC charges you a big number for property tax, a friend bought in SC recently and is paying 4600 a year, once it becomes the primary residence that number is like 1000 a year, in NC I pay 1400 a year and when I hit 65 it gets cut in half, NC taxes your pension if you have one, SC does not.