Savannah is known for seamlessly honoring the past while updating for the future, making it the most well-preserved city in America. Every building has a story to tell. Some of these stories are told by the people who remember, and some are told by the buildings themselves.

The Vault Kitchen + Market opened in 2017 and quickly became the Hostess City’s dining locale de jour that had everyone talking. Three years and a pandemic later, they’re still talking about this chic Asian-fusion restaurant tucked into Savannah’s emerging Starland District, which is why you’ll still find more locals gathering there than tourists. Owners Sean and Ele Tran took the former Bank of America location that served the community for more than 50 years and transformed it into a sleek restaurant with a funky industrial vibe.

From the artful lockbox sculpture of a bull decorating one wall (a nod to Wall Street, one would imagine), to an intimate dining space inside an actual bank vault, The Vault’s atmosphere is a treasury created by clever deposits of whimsy. Stacks of safety deposit boxes adorn the bar and even the restrooms are paved with nickels. Despite its conservative and clerkish origins, the modernized space is open and airy with high, beam-exposed ceilings and an open-view kitchen—that is, if you get there before the crowds.

While the interior space is intimate, the outdoor dining option is an excellent option. The covered space is expansive to accommodate large groups and social distancing.

Locals are a discerning lot when it comes to dining, but they’ve long been won over by the success of The Vault’s owners who have a collective of 11 stellar restaurants throughout Savannah. With each new opening, Savannahians may fear that the culinary couple may be spreading themselves too thin, but we quickly eat our words—with a heap of steaming pork and duck dumplings, and thick slices of fresh sushi aptly named The Bank Roll.

The dishes at all of Sean and Ele’s restaurants are fresh, thoughtful and delicious. At The Vault, you can bet on the Spicy Tuna Tartare from the appetizer menu and the flavorful Miso Salmon as a main dish, and with menu prices running between $4.95 and $16.95, you won’t break the bank.

TheVaultKitchen.com, 912.201.1950

Often referred to as “the boneyard,” Driftwood Beach is a relatively small stretch of Jekyll Island’s 10 miles of unspoiled shoreline, but it’s easily the most picturesque. Located on the island’s north end, it’s so protected by trees that it’s not visible from the roadway. But park and venture down winding trails and in just a few yards you’ll emerge onto a beach scattered with ancient driftwood monuments bleached by the sun and preserved by the salty air.

Looking out across the length of the beach, it’s as if the ocean had washed the bones of prehistoric animals onto the shore, where they bleached over time. The limbs are gnarled and knotted, reaching out in various directions before being fixed in time and space. It’s both eerie and beautiful—a tension reminiscent of the Southern Gothic tradition; like Flannery O’Connor herself had crafted this scene.

I have lived in Savannah for two decades, and yet I only just recently discovered Driftwood Beach when a friend took me there on a day trip this past summer. I had been to Jekyll Island a number of times over the years for tennis tournaments, conventions and retreats—once I even rode my bicycle around the island’s perimeter as the first 10 miles of a century ride, but I had completely missed this gem of a site.

What made the view even more breathtaking was the giant belly of the capsized cargo ship “Golden Ray” in the distance. Lying on its side, all that was visible was its red ballast, dwarfing the St. Simons’ coastline beyond it. While the ship will eventually be dismantled and removed, its menacing presence adds another layer of enchantment to the experience, the industrial metal form lying in stark contrast to the organic shapes around it.

We visited midweek as to avoid the onslaught of tourists that seem to know more than I, filling the beach at steady rates. But it was also six months into the pandemic, so we were able to spread out, snap photos as we negotiated around the driftwood, and cool off in the surf, running our toes along the ocean floor to find sand dollars and spiral shells as big as our hands.

Driftwood Beach alone is worth the drive, but the barrier island has even more to offer—most notably a fascinating history dating back 3,500 years. While the earliest inhabitants of the southernmost island of the Golden Isles were Native Americans who traveled there to hunt and fish, the first settlers were British colonists, claiming the land for England. General James Oglethorpe founded the colony of Georgia in 1733, and along with it, Jekyll Island. It was then purchased in 1886 as a private winter retreat for some of the wealthiest families in America, including the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Pulitzers.

What’s referred to as the “Club Era” marked the opening of the prestigious Jekyll Island Club and the construction of spacious vacation homes and outbuildings to serve elite families. Now part of the National Historic Landmark District, visitors can tour these historic sites and stop in at the Mosaic Jekyll Island Museum.

The Great Depression and WWII brought the Club Era to a close and Jekyll Island was purchased by the state of Georgia in 1947 and opened to the public as a State Park a year later. To preserve its history and natural beauty, only 35 percent of the island has been developed, offering lodging, shopping, dining, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and a variety of ways to enjoy the outdoors with trails, bike paths, tennis courts, golf courses and even a water park. The remaining 65 percent has been left in its natural state. This includes five unique, family friendly beaches of which Driftwood is only one—though make it the first on your list.

Visiting Jekyll Island
All vehicles entering the island must purchase a parking pass at the main gate. Single- and multi-day passes are $8, an annual pass is $55. Walkers and bicyclists do not need to pay a fee to visit the island.

Jekyllisland.com