Bike Tour of the Savannah Historic District

As we made our way home from our Florida Coast to Coast tour, we spent two nights in Savannah, Georgia, a charming southern city neither my husband nor I had previously visited. Traveling with our bikes, it only made sense to tour the quaint historic city by bike, even if rain was in the forecast. Listed below are but a few of the hotspots to hit on your next bike tour of the Savannah Historic District.

bike tour of Savannah Historic District

 

Preparing for a Cold, Wet Ride

Our first morning in Savannah, we awoke to 43° and were torn between heading out for an early ride while it was quite chilly and beating the rain, or waiting for it to warm up and taking a chance of the rain moving in before we finished our ride. Without the appropriate cold weather gear, we opted for the latter and waited until late morning, rolling from our downtown hotel at 10:37 AM.

I dressed in multiple layers from the waist up, but had no choice, or so I thought, but to wear bike shorts because I didn’t think I’d packed long bike pants. I later found my long pants when I unpacked – they’d been tucked in the corner of my suitcase the entire trip.

 

Touring Savannah by Bike

After a relaxing morning, we headed out to check out the riverfront, several parks, and a few historical sights. We researched the top tourist attractions and my husband made a route taking us past many of the sights on our list. We rode on a combination of pavement, cobblestone, and brick, all surfaces our gravel bikes could easily handle. Our route was mostly on roads with little traffic, bike lanes, and trails abandoned by tourists thanks to the rain.

 

Ride Overview
  • • Ride Name: HistoricSavannahTour
  • • Location: Savannah, GA
  • • Start/Finish: Savannah Historic District Courtyard Marriott
  • • Course Type: Weird shaped loop
  • • Course Surface: Paved, Cobblestone, Brick
  • • Bike: Salsa Warbird
  • • Distance: 12.67 miles
  • • Riding Time: 1:15:02
  • • Average Speed: 10.1 MPH
  • • Elevation Gain: 138 feet
  • • Elevation Range: -5 to 98 feet
  • • Weather: 59° and overcast, dropping to 57° and rainy, before climbing to 60° with clearing
  • • Ride with GPS: Link to turn-by-turn navigation cue sheet
  • • Course Map:

 

Fun Pictures From Along the Way

The sky was looking rather ominous as we made our way to Reynolds Square to check out the statue of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. Reynolds Square is located near where Wesley’s home once stood.

 

Next, we made our way to the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District. The hotel is magnificent, located along the Savannah River and within an old 1912 power plant (plus two adjoining historic buildings).

 

With our backs to the hotel, we could see the Talmadge Memorial Bridge crossing the Savannah River in the distance.

 

Also on our list of must-sees was Felix de Weldon’s statue of Savannah’s Waving Girl which was cast in Rome, Italy. Located along the Savannah River in Morrell Park since 1972, it’s a tribute to Florence Martus who welcomed ships to Savannah with a friendly wave.

 

From the Waving Girl statue we rode along the multi-level brick trail along the river, occasionally slowing to carry our bikes up or down steps. Eventually, we made a u-turn to head back toward the city center, often along well-marked bike lanes.

 

We made our way to Daffin Park where we rode under Spanish moss canopied quiet streets.

 

While in the park, we stopped for a picture of our new Dawn Patrol socks our friend Chuck presented us on the first day of our Florida coast to coast tour.

 

Our next stop after the park was in Forsyth Park on Gaston Street where we admired one of Savannah’s most visited attractions, the Forsyth Fountain which was erected in 1858.

 

Our last stop was to view the Pulaski Monument in Monterey Square on Bull Street which honors Casimir Pulaski who was a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

 

Garmin Stats

Post-ride Garmin stats…

 

Garmin map and elevation graph…

 

Final Thoughts on the Ride

We were able to cover more territory and see more of Savannah’s historic district by bike than had we walked. Even though we may have been chilly at the start, we warmed up quickly and were quite comfortable during our ride. We practically had the city to ourselves with very few other tourists to maneuver around which was quite nice. I’d definitely like to return to Savannah for a longer stay and more exploring, and hopefully with better weather.

 

Questions:
  • • Have you visited Savannah? ~ This was my first visit.
  • • How much does rain dampen your spirits? ~ I love a good rainy day if I’m home and can spend the afternoon reading or baking; however, I find it a real bummer when I’m out riding, walking, or trying to play tourist.
  • • Do you stop and relax occasionally to fuel or take pictures, or barrel on through when on a long run or ride? ~ Pictures, always pictures, unless I’m racing!

 

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