Leave it to us to encourage you to check out all that Atlanta has to offer one week, and then tell you about the amazing experience we had just a short drive away, in Savannah. With a week off last month and between some family travel and other activities, we decided that traveling to the beach was not out of the question. But where would we find a coastal city, with great live entertainment, that will play the night away within our four-hour drive limit?

It just so happened that we stumbled upon The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra Facebook post, promoting their Fourth of July performance at the beautiful waterfront luxury hotel, The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa. Um … Oh say can you see? Can we do any better than a 3.5-hour drive to a waterfront destination with a swingin’ band that will let us dance the night away, as magnificent fireworks burst over our heads? We were set and headed out of Atlanta for a one-night, two-day city beach adventure.

We arrived at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa around 1 p.m. and were immediately curious about the resort’s beauty and seclusion. The hotel sits on the Savannah River with its incredible PGA Tour championship golf course, Heavenly Spa, multiple restaurants, and fantastic event space. We imagined how this setting would make a beautiful and private special occasion venue. It is just a short ferry ride, across the river from Savannah’s historic sites, eclectic restaurants and shopping.

Jen & Michal

Upon entering the resort, we were charmed by the welcoming, beautifully decorated, and spacious lobby, overlooking the riverside pool. A lovely front desk agent greeted us and informed us of the day’s upcoming events as she handed us the keys to our river view room, featuring the Westin’s signature Heavenly beds and bath fixtures.

We were on vacation after all, so we changed into our bathing suits and darted down to the riverside/poolside tiki bar for a light bite and umbrella drinks. Relaxed, we moseyed over to poolside lounge chairs where we soaked up the sun and melted the afternoon away, as wait-staff delivered more umbrellas – hehe. By 5:30 p.m. we decided we would begin to make our way back to the room and prepare for the evening’s musical event, performed by The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra.

Before the show we were treated to a VIP cocktail party with wine, mixed drinks, hors d’oeuvres and desserts. We were even fortunate enough to get some grilled seafood, corn on the cobb and other delicious local fresh food.  We met some fun guests and a few of the band members at the party and picked up a few of their CDs.

The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra, a 17-piece band that formed in Louisiana and have now relocated to Savannah, was outstanding. A “southern big band,” this band is unlike any other, and the terms “orchestra” and “big band” don’t even begin to scrape the surface of all that the group offers. Their diverse repertoire covers the songs and sounds from the classic Rat Pack style big-band, the smokey Cabaret style quintet and the Funky Motown dance band with horns. This group does it all and pays homage to the culture that raised and inspired them. They are most at home performing toe-tapping French Quarter, Nola-style street parades, but also have the class, grace and sound of Frank Sinatra’s classic style. They travel the country performing at various charity and corporate events and are available for private events as well. We had great fun swingin’ and snappin’ to the tunes when suddenly beautiful, big bangs lit up a spectacular sky over the river and completed our highly anticipated extravaganza. The music kept playing and drinks kept flowing as the night rolled into the next day.Band

In the morning, after our “heavenly” rest, we hopped in the car for a 20-minute ride to Tybee Island.  The weather was wonderful and being on the beach by the beautiful ocean with great friends was divine. It was a whirlwind trip, but we had a fantastic time. Many thanks to The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf & Resort and The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra. Consider them for your next special event. You won’t be disappointed.fireworks

 

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