Spring Break is coming up and the question on everyone’s mind : How am I going to spend this glorious week off?

Savannah is a great choice. About three hours from Valdosta, Savannah is full of history and life with many places to see and things to experience.

St Patrick’s Day falls on Spring Break this year, and in Savannah, this holiday is a big event. According to the Official Savannah Guide website, the parade held on St Patrick’s Day is the second largest in the nation, after New York City’s, and the largest annual celebration in the Southeast, according to Angela Coleman, office manager for the Savannah St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. Since it is a weekday parade, the estimate turnout is about 250,000 to 300,000 people, according to Coleman.
“It’s a long parade,” said Coleman. “The city furnishes security and cop cars, while the committee puts on the parade.”
Many businesses, such as McDonald’s, will have floats, and there will be about 50 bands performing.
“There is a Bahama band and 20 to 24 pipe bands from all over,” said Coleman. “One is even coming from Ireland.”
“The parade is always held on March 17, unless on a Sunday, then it is held on the Saturday before,” said Coleman.
The parade takes place in downtown Savannah, extending from Abercorn Street to Harris Street, and starts at 10:15 am.
Savannah is also holding several other celebrations for the Irish holiday, such as the celebration at the City Market, on the river, and at Emmet Park. St Patrick’s Day is definitely something not to miss.

Being the oldest city in Georgia, Savannah is full of historic places to visit. Savannah has several museums, like the Mercer-Williams House Museum and Georgia Historical Society, and historic neighborhoods, such as the Historic District and Victorian District. Savannah also has many cemeteries, monuments, memorials, churches and parks to visit.
“I like the history exploration like the Juliette Low House and the beautiful architecture,” Beth Thompson, sophomore English major, said.

If watching floats or walking through museums aren’t things you enjoy, Savannah displays a different side of its history by providing several ghost tours, like Sixth Sense Savannah.
“This tour represents not only the first step ‘out’ of overdone tourist areas, but the stories on this tour are entirely exclusive to us by way of personal experiences in certain buildings and/or friends and neighbors making us the only company privy to their private lives,” says Shannon C. Scott, the creator of Sixth Sense Savannah, on the tour’s website.
“This tour will open your eyes to the many cosmic sides of Savannah and grants you the keys to its darkest rooms,” advertises the website.
The tour is a two-hour, half-mile walk and costs $12 for those under 16, and $20 for those 16 and up.
Other ghost tours include the Paranormal Tour, featured on the SyFy reality show “Ghost Hunters,” and Tara Haunted Tours.

A popular thing to do during spring break is, of course, hit the beach, and Tybee Island is no exception.
The favorite thing of Lance Manley, sophomore sports medicine major, to do in Savannah is “hit the beach.”
Tybee Island is only 20 minutes outside of Savannah. With more than 500 hotels lining the beach, Tybee Island has a beautiful ocean to lie by and enjoy time away from the worries and stress of class and life. There is much to do, including a variety of restaurants, shopping downtown, browsing local art galleries, or enjoying the outdoors with kayaking and nature trails. Tybee has a great night life with several nightclubs and bars.
“It’s a good scene. We are surrounded by bars and restaurants and are a five minute walk from the beach,” says Kayla Lenier, an employee of Dunes Inn on Tybee Island. She adds that Spring Break is certainly a busy time for Tybee.

“My favorite parts [of Savannah] were going to the beach, riding the ferry and going to historical sites, ” Caitlin Glennon, sophomore art major, said.

Savannah is certainly a great place to visit with a wide variety of options to explore.