I love summer. I love having my girls home (even when they are fighting, or ignoring me, or being awful). Summer is my favorite! This summer was packed full, with Maddy in a show that I stage-managed (see our Descendants post for more on that), summer camps, and a two week theatre camp that brought our niece from Kansas City to us. But, we managed to work in a pretty great vacation.

We visited Savannah and St. Augustine – both a quick and relatively easy drive from here. First up, Savannah and one of our favorite hotels we’ve ever stayed at, JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District.

We started our time in Savannah with a quick visit to Lulu’s Chocolate Bar. we stopped there on our first trip to Savannah seven years before, and Maddy has been dreaming of the piece of pride cake she had there ever since! She was hopeful that since it was actually Pride Month, they’d have it. And she wasn’t disappointed!

The hotel was beautiful and in a great location! Right on the water, and a lovely walk to all the things we wanted to do. We were able to use our free suite upgrade to get a beautiful suite that had plenty of room for all 5 of us. Two floors was a plus!

The lobby was full of beautiful artwork and geodes – the girls thought it was so cool!

Even better? A fun outdoor area with a slide from the bar to the outdoor sitting area!

Patrick and I enjoyed a drink while the girls played.

We had such a fantastic time exploring Savannah. After settling into our hotel, we took a walk to dinner at Vinnie Van GoGo’s for pizza. It was recommended by a couple of people and it didn’t disappoint! The restaurant is small, and the seating was a bit snug, but the pizza was delicious!

We had planned a ghost tour for our first night, which all the girls had been excited about. But Molly got a tummy ache (sometimes Molly and dairy don’t go well together!), so she and I decided to walk back to the hotel for some snuggles while daddy and the big girls did the ghost tour.

Then after our day of exploring, Patrick and I enjoyed a nightcap in the African-themed Baobob Lounge while the girls watched a movie.

This hotel has multiple buildings, and we didn’t get to explore everything. Next time I’d love to try the Myrtle and Rose rooftop garden bar (hours weren’t conducive to our visit), and sample more of their food options. We did take some time to visit the pool on our last day before we headed to St. Augustine.

I highly recommend this hotel to anyone who plans a visit to Savannah. We loved it and it was the perfect blend of “fancy” and comfy for our family. I hope we visit again soon!