Back in January, Maggie messaged me about the upcoming long weekend, wanting to go somewhere new. Originally she suggested Ireland, but the round trip flight alone would take two of my four days off so we decided to look closer to home. After a few more suggestions, we landed on Savannah, Georgia, bought tickets and were on our way.

Having never been to ‘The South’ before (Virginia, Tennessee and Oklahoma are the closest I’ve come), I really want to tour an old plantation. My Uber driver recommends Wormsloe Plantation for its picturesque Spanish moss covered oaktree-lined drive. Sold!

The drive out to Wormsloe from downtown Savannah takes roughly 20 minutes via Uber and costs $15. We arrive early enough that there aren’t many people here yet. Though by the looks of it, tourists often stop at the gate to take pictures of the drive without continuing further to the site itself. A good option if you’re short on time.

The 1.5 mile oak-lined drive is dreamy. This is what I picture every southern plantation looking like. We have the driver drop us off at the end of the drive, at the park entrance and walk back out to main road after we’re done with the tour. This way we can take our time, soaking up the ambiance and take pictures from every angle.

Did you know, Spanish Moss is neither Spanish, nor moss. It’s in the bromeliad family and most closely related to airplants. It has no roots and gets the moisture it needs from the air.  It is blown about by the wind and lands on the convenient branches of the oak trees. Fair warning – don’t pick the moss from the ground to take home. Many people do and end up bringing chiggers back with them. Not the kind of souvenir I want. Supposedly if you pull it off the trees, you’re fine, but why risk it?

Speaking of the oak trees, they were planted by hand in 1890 by Wymberley Jones De Renne to celebrate the birth of his son. There are more than 400 lining the drive. Can you imagine how long that must’ve taken? In the Georgia heat, no less. I’m sweating just thinking about it.

The main site to visit on the Wormsloe plantation is the tabby ruins of the original home built circa 1737. Tabby refers to the material used to build the structures: lime, sand, oyster shells and water. It’s hard to tell from the photos (and even in person), but if you look closely, you can see bits of shell sticking out of the remains.

The original structure was surrounded by an eight-foot wall to protect from potential Spanish invasions. The house stood two stories tall and featured a brick fireplace with interior and exterior access, (quite the luxury at the time) and five bedrooms. It looks small in ruins, but at the time it would have been considered a large and imposing home.

The tabby ruins overlooks the Jones Narrows, once a major thoroughfare for ships passing through the area on the 1700’s. Today the river has shifted due to dredging in the 1960’s, leaving the Narrows clogged with silt. While it no longer serves the shipping industry, it’s a great place for bird and animal watching.

Not far from the ruins is the Jones family gravesite where the original members of the family were buried. Eventually their remains were moved to a local cemetery, but a marker remains to show where they had been laid to rest.

After the tour ends, we set off to wander the trails for awhile. The trails are flat and easy to navigate so it doesn’t take long to get where you’re going. And the land is quite swampy, making it feel delightfully southern.

Not far from the tabby ruins is the Colonial Life Area & Living History Camps. This includes reproductions of a colonial era blacksmith and slave living quarters. I particularly enjoy this area because it makes it easy to envision what life must have been like 200+ years ago.

The history of this site is really interesting, and the oak-lined drive is beautiful, but it’s also not exactly what I was expecting. When you think southern plantation, you think the big mansions akin to something out of Gone With the Wind. And the “new” Wormsloe house looks like it might be just that. But the Jones family descendants still live in the house and it’s not open for tours. I respect that, but I’m also disappointed to not get to see a real plantation home.

Instead, I take a quick peak through the fence to catch a glimpse of the facade. I wonder what it’s like to live there.

If you’re in Savannah and looking for a southern plantation to visit, Wormsloe is the most often recommended and one of the closest and easiest to see. It’s definitely a fun way to spend a morning or afternoon, just keep your expectations realistic. The oak-lined drive is charming and the other historical sites are really interesting, but there isn’t much of a traditional “plantation” to see.