Charleston to Savannah: A Southern Reel​

Travel to Charleston and meet us at the Ansonborough Inn, our first hotel on your Southern Reel. If you're flying in, you might meet VBT's complimentary shuttle upon your arrival at Charleston International Airport at 2 p.m. Please call Mount Pleasant Shuttle at 843-971-4901 or toll-free 866-223-7226 to make a reservation, clearly stating you are a VBT guest. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance of your travel. Mount Pleasant must have your names and the airline and flight number you will be arriving on. If you are arriving after this shuttle departs or your flight is delayed, you must make your own arrangements to reach the inn. For guests who are driving to the tour, parking will be available at the Ansonborough Inn for the week at a charge of $12 plus tax per day. Parking is also available at the Charleston airport for $8 per day.

Meet your VBT Leaders at 3:30 p.m. for bike fittings, followed by a warm-up ride. Please contact the Ansonborough Inn to advise of any travel delays or changes; they will pass your message on to your VBT Trip Leaders.

Tonight, get to know your fellow travelers during a welcome reception at the inn, followed by dinner at a local restaurant.

Today, shuttle south to Angel Oak, a Southern live oak tree located on Johns Island. The tree is estimated to be in excess of 1500 years old. The ancient Southern live oak stands 65 feet tall, and measures 28 feet in circumference. Its widest crown is 180 feet, point to point, and it shades 17,000 square feet. After marveling at this amazing tree, we'll start our ride to Wadmalaw Island.  Wadmalaw Island is home to the Charleston Tea Plantation, makers of American Classic Tea, which is the only tea grown in America. Here we'll enjoy a tour of the working tea factory, visit the tasting room, enjoy a trolley tour of the fields and then take part in a picnic lunch provided by your leaders in the shade of the plantation's pavilion.

Continuing on, we'll cycle to Irvin House Vineyard and Firefly Distillery. Depending on the time available, choose to visit the tasting room (at your expense), meander through the rows of grapes or visit the farm. Afterwards, we'll shuttle on to Beaufort (approximately 90 minutes), where you can make yourself at home at the Beaufort Inn. The Inn is conveniently located to give you easy access to the city's waterfront and more.

Enjoy dinner at the Inn before partaking in a famous Southern tradition, a Beaufort social—in which you'll learn to spin your partner in fine Southern fashion.

After breakfast, we will ride through beautiful farmland to St. Helena Island and we’ll pass the historic Chapel of Ease along our way. During the colonial period, chapels of ease were constructed by rice and cotton planters as houses of worship because their plantations were located so far from the churches in Beaufort. Built in the mid-18th century, the church was largely destroyed by a fire over one hundred years after its construction. Its four original walls remain, making it a frequented historic landmark.

After your ride, enjoy a visit to the Penn Center and a picnic lunch prepared by your leaders. The Center was founded in 1862 to school the freed slaves, but it’s now a cultural center for the Sea Island African-Americans, or Gullahs. It is also the sight where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. held the annual retreat for his Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Hear about the history of the area before shuttling or cycling back to Beaufort.

Later, stroll through Beaufort's mix of antebellum mansions, live oaks and 1950s storefronts with a resident guide, who will explain why the town has lured so many moviemakers to its charming streets.

Make your own dinner plans in Beaufort this evening; there are some excellent restaurants from which to choose.

This morning we’ll travel to Savannah (approximately 90 minutes), and then we’ll spend time exploring some of the most memorable spots of this city. We’ll explore through a walking tour of Savannah's streets and squares, gaining an understanding of the city's history, architecture, gardens and charm. 

You have free time after the tour to discover beautiful Savannah and to settle in at our Savannah hotel for the next two nights. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.

After breakfast we’ll ride out of the center of Savannah toward the Isle of Hope. Featuring a number of attractive old homes dating from the first part of the 19th century, the Isle of Hope looks out over the Intracoastal Waterway.

You're sure to recognize the entry arch into the remains of Wormsloe Plantation, now a National Historic Site. The arch frames the 1.5 mile-long live oak avenue leading to the tabby ruins, one of the most photographed sites in the South.

After lunch, continue riding through Savannah State University, Thunderbolt and the moss-hung gardens of Bonaventure Cemetery, an 18th-century plantation and one of the settings of John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. You'll have free time to explore Savannah when we return.   

Tonight, celebrate with the group during a farewell dinner at one of Savannah's institutions since the 1700s, The Olde Pink House.