All teachers know that January, February, & even March can be the longest months of the year. As homeschoolers, we aren't exempt from wanting to throw in the towel and just watch every documentary possible on Disney +. But over the years, I've found one of the perks of homeschooling is traveling (or day trips) when you just need to get away. Last month, we took a Friday (Marty's day off) to drive two hours south to Savannah just for the day, but we squeezed as much history, good food, and bookstores as we could into a day.
This post will cover a few of our favorite day trip places and some local spots along the way. My biggest encouragement to anyone is to start exploring now. Don't wait till you have enough money (don't go into debt either), don't wait until the kids are old enough or easier, and don't think that it's too late! Seize every opportunity to explore, even your own city. We took our girls on long car trips when they were toddlers. Was it easy? No way! Was it worth it? You know it! Traveling to Japan when our girls were 5, 8, & 10 was our trip of a lifetime. Hopping trains around Philadelphia & New York City will always be some of our favorite memories.
But big trips aren't always in the budget, so day trips are the next best thing! 1-2 hours is the ideal travel time to allow plenty of time for exploring, but far enough away to make it feel like a vacation. Here's our thoughts on Hilton Head, SC, Savannah, GA, and Beaufort, SC.
Hilton Head
This past summer, one of our bucket list goals was to visit or see all the lighthouses in SC. As admirable as this may sound, it did not happen. But we did visit a few, one of which was Harbour Town Lighthouse on Hilton Head (Heads up: There is fee to get into the resort where the light is located as well as a fee to go up in it.)
Hilton Head Spots: (all in the same shopping area)
- Frosty Frog Cafe
- Carolina Coffee & Crumbs
- Frozen Moo-Coligny
If you travel south on Hwy 17 to any of these locations, you must stop at the Carolina Cider Company & Clockwise Coffee! The pastries, bottled drinks, and coffee are worth it, plus the ambiance is the cutest!
Savannah, GA
Wormsloe Plantation (1.5 mi avenue of live oaks)
Little Duck Diner has a great variety while still providing healthy options. Such a fun diner feel!
One of the two bookstores we visited: The Book Lady Bookstore & E. Shaver Bookseller (next door to a tea shop)
I can't continue without emphasizing that taking these day trips as a family has been some of our best memories. Even when Marty has yard work to do or ministry to prepare for, he still chooses to check out all of these new places along with us and I am so grateful!
Other Savannah favorites:
- Coffee Fox
- Leopold's Ice Cream
- The Paris Market (shop/coffee/dessert)
- Wright's Antiques
- Savannah Bee Co.
- Goose Feather's Cafe (breakfast/brunch)
- Davenport House & Museum
- Treylor Park (lunch/supper)
Beaufort, SC
(pronounced Bee-yu-furt, as in beautiful)
Beaufort is one of the quaintest towns I've ever visited. Not directly on the Atlantic coastline, it has a calmer presence. Some of our favorites were the knitting store, Southern Sweets Ice Cream & Sandwich Shop, McIntosh Bookstore, The Chocolate Tree, and not to mention exploring the Kazoo Factory and Hunting Island Lighthouse.
