carriage.jpgYour visit to Savannah will be unforgettable. Its distinctive park squares, cobblestone streets and historic architecture reflect its legacy as the capital of one of the original thirteen American colonies. The city’s location offers easy access to tidal freshwater wetlands, bottomland hardwood forests, mud flats, maritime forests, salt marshes, sandy beaches and the wildlife these habitats support.

Because Savannah enjoys a coastal location, there are five miles of beautiful sandy beaches on Tybee Island, only 18 miles from downtown, that can provide delightful pre- and post-conference R & R. Expect to see plenty of wildlife while you are here, from rough-billed pelicans and fiddler crabs to bottlenose dolphins. Tybee Island also offers the Tybee Marine Science Center, the Tybee Light Station and the Tybee Island Museum, as well as several varieties of nature discovery tours. Conference field trips will be centered on Savannah’s coastal region assets. Research vessel voyages, dolphin discovery boat tours, turtle walks, and more will be offered.

Wildlife lovers can visit the Oatland Island Wildlife Reserve with its wolves, bison, flying squirrels and alligators, and the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge which is home to a large variety of wildlife including ducks, geese, wading birds, shorebirds and several endangered and/or threatened species (including bald eagles, wood storks, manatees and shortnose sturgeon). The refuge also provides nesting areas for wood ducks, great horned owls, bald eagles, osprey and swallow-tailed kites, among others. Skidaway Island State Park offers campsites with water, power washer-dryers and showers for those who love to stay where the wild things are.

Evenings in Savannah can be as laid-back or fun-filled as you choose. There are many wonderful restaurants to explore, representing a wide range of cuisine. As evening sets in you can enjoy a glass of wine at a lovely café, tour the city in a horse-drawn carriage, try a riverboat cruise, join a haunted pub crawl, visit a jazz club, or find a nightclub and dance the night away. To learn more about touring Savannah, visit our TOURING & LINKS page.

All in all, it promises to be a wonderful time for connecting, learning and having fun. We hope to see you in Savannah, July 2012!