Tybee Island, Georgia

There is just nothing like anticipating a trip to a place you’ve never experienced before. You pour over travel sites, looking for places to tour, places to eat, and (of course) nice places to stay. This is going to be the best vacation ever!

And, if you throw in a couple days at the beach… I’m almost in orbit thinking about it! There is just something about sitting in a beach chair under an umbrella, sipping a cool drink while listening and watching the waves crash onto the sand that brings you a sense of bliss.

So when I was planning our family vacation this summer, the beach was on my mind… a lot. We considered other places – Washington D.C., New York City, the Alamo – but when it came down to it, we just wanted a beach. The other hitch? This end of summer trip had to be done on a serious budget (with six people going). Driving the many hours to Florida sounded brutal and not a great way to start a vacation, so I started looking at alternate beachside destinations.

Also, when you travel with teens, you have to plan a lot of activities. Beach lounging is just not going to do it for them, at least not for a whole week. There has to be a variety of things to do and see. My eyes finally settled on Savannah, Georgia.

If you’ve never been to Savannah, start planning a trip right now! It has everything you could want in a vacation destination. It has museums. It has parks. It has sports activities. It has beautiful historic sites. It has wonderful cuisine. And – it has one of the best beaches ever: Tybee Island Beach.

While Tybee Island and Savannah were recently pounded by Hurricane Hermine, officials say damage was minimal, and they’ll be back in full swing by Labor Day weekend (which we just celebrated). So go ahead and start making your plans.

During our Georgia trip, we spent two of our five Savannah vacation days on Tybee Island Beach. Our favorite place was under the big pier where we could sit in the shade near the water’s edge and enjoy the ocean breeze without scorching our skin – and the shade was free. You can rent chairs and umbrellas from nearby vendors, but this allowed us to spread out a bit with room for all six of us in the shade.

The beach is monitored most of the day by certified life guards who very effectively enforce the rules of the beach. One rule I especially appreciated was no going out farther than about 50 yards from the water’s edge. The waves are big. Teenage boys often think they’re invincible. However, this time I didn’t have to be the bad guy – the enforcer was a life guard. That simple fact made my days at the beach all the more enjoyable since I didn’t have that battle to fight.

Tybee Island beach is a beautiful, very clean beach. They are very serious about keeping it clean too. The quickest way to be ejected from this beach is to litter! Also, there is plenty of room to play, run and sun bathe. Both days we were there, the attendance was moderate. We never had a problem finding a place to sit, and both days we were able to stake claim to a spot under the pier. Setting up near the pier has the added benefits of being near a restroom and the concession stands, where you can purchase everything from a margarita to tasty eats.

If you leave the beach and walk one street inland, you can find a wide variety of restaurants offering everything from the expected seafood fare to pizza. We tried two different places – Spanky’s Beachside, located at 1605 Strand, and Sting Ray’s, located at 1403 Butler Ave.

Spanky’s was recommended to us by a family member who formerly lived in the Savannah area (Thanks Bev!). The wait was a bit lengthy, which is a good sign the food is good, and we did get to the restaurant right at the beginning of the dinner rush, so I guess we should have expected a bit of a wait. Spanky’s menu offers a variety of entrees at reasonable prices, with the most expensive item being the large Neptune Platter for $25.50, and you get to choose three seafood items which are served with a potato and salad! Spanky’s also offered a children’s menu (although we’re past that) and a full-service bar. For more information, check out www.spankysbeachside.com.

The second restaurant was chosen by my seafood fanatic son, Michael, who was mesmerized by Sting Ray’s offering of seafood by the pound. The inside tables were filled so we were seated on the patio which is cooled by dozens of oscillating fans.

I found Sting Rays to be a typical tourist restaurant, with okay food but nothing amazingly memorable. Our family also thought the wait staff was rather unfriendly as they behaved as if we were an imposition. The next time we go to Tybee Island, we will look for a restaurant that is more local oriented.

Active Touring

While frolicking in the waves and lounging on the beach is fun, there is more to see on Tybee Island than the sandy beach. On our second day on the island we decided to take in a couple of the historic sites. At the top of our list was the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum.

Get ready for a workout if climbing to the top of the lighthouse is on your agenda. You will hike up 178 spiraling steps, but you will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the coastline. On the day we made the climb, the temperatures were in the 90s, so we were really sweating by the time we reached the top! Just a note: take your camera, but you’ll have to leave your camera bag or large purse locked in your car as they are not allowed because of the narrow staircase.

Surrounding the lighthouse are the various buildings used by the light keepers over the past 130 years, and all are included on the tour, giving you a glimpse into what it was like to be the guardian of the coastline.

  

 

After learning all about the lighthouse history, we skipped across the street to the museum to get a glimpse into life on Tybee during the early 1900s. Two of our favorite exhibits were the “swimsuits through the years” and the street carnival memorabilia, but the museum covers everything from military history to pirates! The combined tours took several hours, but all three of my sons said it was a thumbs-up experience.

       

Tybee Island Rating

There is so much to do and see on this little island, and I’m fully aware that we barely scratched the surface. It’s a place that will call you back summer after summer and still surprise you every time.

Until this trip, I always thought of Florida when considering stateside beach communities, but now I know about this little Georgia jewel.  Before our trip had even ended, the whole family decided that Tybee Island will definitely be in our future vacation plans. See you there!

Coming up: A glimpse at Savannah, Ga.

All photos are the property of V. Lori Hedges and may not be used without permission.

Copyright 2016 V. Lori Hedges. All Rights Reserved.