Last Minute Getaway! #Savannah Picnic in the Park With Philharmonic

SAVANNAH Georgia (September 25, 2013) -- On October 6, 2013, a flood of picnickers will be in Forsyth Park, Savannah's 19th century grand park. The 30-acre park was originally set aside by William B. Hodgson prior to 1851 for “the pleasure of the public.”

The 'don't miss' event is "Picnic in the Park", sponsored by the City of Savannah's Cultural Affairs Department. Attendance is free and open to the public. **On seeing this blog, @VisitSavannah tweeted: "@RomanticInns ...great idea for a romantic weekend in Savannah with the picnic! Maybe pick up goodies from BT Byrd's? So good!"

Did you see this? Washington Post and AP gave Savannah a nice shout out today! "History, charming streetscapes and live oaks in two Southern cities, Savannah and Charleston"

Finally fall by Susan Dennis

The Savannah Philharmonic will be providing the music. The annual "Picnic in the Park" tradition is an afternoon and evening lawn and garden party on the green. It's the highly anticipated fall, family-friendly event when the whole community and strangers are invited.

Get Away Last Minute! 

All our Romantic Inns are nearby, dotted in the National Landmark Historic District. Two of our member inns -- Forsyth Park Inn and Whitaker Huntingdon Inn -- overlook Forsyth Park. Catherine Ward House Inn is only two houses away from the park. More of our historic Savannah inns are within a two or 3 block walk. All the rest are within a 10-minute walk through Savannah's beautiful garden and architectural landscapes.

We'll make all the arrangement for your picnic readiness. 


Transportation Options 

Parking is impossible. We do not advise driving to the event. Guests can keep their prized downtown parking at the inns, taking full advantage of their free parking amenity. 

Savannah Pedi-cab (tips only; 912-232-7900), Royal Bike Taxi (charged by the block; 912-341-3944), and Savannah Hoppers ($3/person; 912-414-2943) are inexpensive shuttles. Biking is another fun option.

Ride free with the DOT, Savannah's fare-free Downtown Transportation System. A cautionary note: Chatham Area Transit (CAT) advised us today that only the normal DOT shuttle schedules will be running on the picnic date.

Attendance is free. Picnics are your choice to bring. 

Each person attending brings their preferred picnic and beverages for a picnic supper, a Trout Picnic, a Cantonese Picnic, an Elegant Champagne Picnic, a Barbecue Picnic ... you get the idea. No grills and no on-site cooking. Be prepared for darkness with flashlights or battery candles. Watch the weather reports and be prepared for "fickleness of the weather", as The Modern Hostess, Christine Terhune Herrick wrote in 1905.

Expect to see elegant to casual hampers to elaborate outdoor receptions on the green. It's a competitive evening on the green when prizes are given for the best themed picnic. For the October 2013 event the theme is "Celebrate the Arts".

"In the Edwardian era, at the turn of the century, the landed gentry thought nothing of sending servants on ahead to the picnic site to establish an outdoor drawing room." -- James Beard's Treasury of Outdoor Cooking, James Beard [Ridge Press:New York] 1960

No one is out of place, even if you bring yourself only! A blanket, chair, beverage, and flashlight would be our minimum recommendation for this event, easily dubbed 'splendor in the grass' every fall!

You're sure to love the Forsyth Park Arboretum, which acts as a living showcase of Savannah's flourishing and diverse urban forest. Over 50 species of trees are in the park where you may enjoy this annual Savannah tradition -- "Picnic in the Park". 

Information is below to register for the picnic contest. More ideas from VisitSavannah are here: Picnicking like a true Savannahian.

Romantic Inns will make it easy to get away last minute. Simply send one email that will be routed to all member inns via this contact link. Stay in touch via Twitter @RomanticInns to learn more from our Romantic Inns' innkeepers in America’s most beautiful city -- Savannah, Georgia USA.

Copyright © 2013 Romantic Inns of Savannah / Sandy Traub ______________________________________________

October 6, 2013 "Picnic in the Park" details via City of Savannah Web Site

"Picnic in the Park celebrates National Arts and Humanities month with the theme "Celebrate the Arts". The Savannah tradition will take place in Forsyth Park on Sunday, October 6, 2013 featuring a performance by the Savannah Philharmonic, under the baton of artistic director and conductor Peter Shannon.

As always, the event will feature an evening of live music, family, and picnics big and small! Picnickers are encouraged to design a creative picnic spread that is inspired by all forms of the arts; music, theater, dance, film, photography, architecture, visual arts, and literature. Those who enter their spread in the picnic contest will be eligible to win an array of prizes. For more information, please contact Erin Seals, Marketing Coordinator for City of Savannah at eseals@savannahga.gov or call 912-651-6417.

Picnic in the Park is presented by the City of Savannah and sponsored by Parker's with Media sponsor WSAV. The picnic contest is sponsored by the Savannah Area of REALTORS.

Schedule
Picnic registration opens	4 p.m.
Judging begins	5 p.m.
Savannah Philharmonic concert	7:15 p.m.

Romancing Our Guests: May Our House Always Be Too Small To Hold All Of Our Friends. – Irish Blessing

(c) Whitaker-Huntingdon Inn.

SAVANNAH Georgia (February 24, 2013) -- Recently we asked our Romantic Inns of Savannah innkeepers to share ways that each inn romances its guests.

We've omitted names in this post to share how Bill Saxman from Whitaker-Huntingdon Inn’s translates ‘romancing our guests’. His is a heartfelt example of extraordinary hospitality that began in 1995 and continues in 2013.   

“I don’t look at it as romancing. I just look at it as a way to treat guests staying in our home,” Bill begins.

“We try to make them feel at home and welcome them as we would a good friend or even as an extended family member, to the degree possible. In so doing we want to do our best to help them enjoy and experience Savannah. We do that by assisting them find or do what they express that they want to see and do during their visit. We also try to introduce them to something unique that they may not know about, something we feel that they may enjoy.

“For example, last week we received an e-mail for a previous guest and his wife wanting to know if we had three dates in March 2013 for a return visit with us. He stated that he thought that they were one of the first guests to stay with us when we opened the Whitaker-Huntingdon Inn in March of 1995. I had remembered that a third couple flew in from California (where he was working) and she flew in from Washington State (where they lived). He was coming to a convention and she was flying in to meet him in Savannah. The first two couples were from the northeastern and southeastern parts of the USA, respectfully.

“Debbie and I took that week's bookings as a positive "outlook" for our small new business, especially since the first three couples came from all four corners of the United States. I looked up our first guest book and he was correct about their first stay. So I was able to know which room they had stayed in during that visit by their nice note in the guestbook. 

“I replied back to him that we did have the same unit he stayed in before available during the nights he requested and that if he could stay a fourth night, we had it available, between our other bookings. He responded that they would like to stay the extra night and asked if I knew a 'Polly' [the lady’s name is changed for this blog], that he went to college with in the 1970's. He understood she had moved to Savannah and gotten married to a city planner, but that he did not know the man's name.

“Since I was an urban planner for the local planning commission for almost 40 years and he remembered that fact, he thought that I may have an idea who the man may be. I wrote back that I did not know of anyone at that time who could be that couple; but, I would try to find out who he was, since I had worked with or knew most of the planners that had worked in the city over the past few decades.

 “I then called a good friend that I had worked with and we compared notes and came up with a possible candidate. He was not employed as a planner, but we knew he had a degree in planning and could be the one she married since his wife was also named 'Polly'. Upon contacting our guest again with a name and some information about this person's work background he wrote back the following note:

"Yes, yes, yes! That's him & her!!!! Is there any way to get a phone number or an email?  Thanks a bunch!"

I checked the phone book and found their address and phone number and sent them off to him and he wrote back:  “I've already composed a letter to [Savannah area couple] that will go out on Monday. Thanks for the zip code verification."

I replied: "Glad we could find out who 'Polly' married and come up with an address and phone number for you. Let us know if we can do anything else and we will be glad to comply, if possible. It is 66 degrees and sunny here and the park is full of people. The local Saturday morning farmers produce market has started up again on the south end of the park, after being closed for over a month. They sell a lot of organic foods and are very popular with the local citizens and chefs. - Bill and Debbie"

He replied: “Your weather sounds great. Here it's currently 28 and our snow pack has reduced to 15. It is clearing and should be a fine day. Our local farmer's markets, which we also patronize, are months in the offing. We wonder if, while we're in Savannah, we could take you two out to dinner? Pick somewhere nice, eh? Maybe somewhere off the beaten tourist path with local cuisine.  I meant to mention that, in general, we eat anything for breakfast. No dietary restrictions."

Debbie and I are currently trying to suggest a good local restaurant that we think they will enjoy. We're eager to catch up on each other’s retirements and general interest over the past 16 years.”

May our house always be too small to hold all of our friends. – Irish Blessing
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Copyright © 2013 Romantic Inns of Savannah / Bill Saxman