Tybee Island

by

Travels Without Miranda, #8: Tybee Island, Georgia

I finally made it to Savannah in the spring of 2008, six months before I left Ottawa with Miranda. This harried road trip featuring bad motels and restaurant food convinced me that there had to be a better way to travel.

After spending a sticky day exploring Savannah’s historic district, I decided that the next day should be spent visiting the environs, my expedition culminating at Tybee Island, Savannah’s ocean playground.

It was the first week of April and still bitter cold back home, but on Tybee the sun was shining and it was hot. The Atlantic ocean beckoned me and I heeded its call, wading in carefully, then plunging in head first when I discovered, to my delight, that the water was warm!

Tybee Island lighthouse

Tybee Island lighthouse

view of Tybee beach from the top of the lighthouse

view of Tybee beach from the top of the lighthouse

Swimming opened up my appetite and I went off in search of lunch, finding it at a shack-type restaurant right on the beach called the North Beach Grill. I decided to take a chance on it since it was packed. It was a fantastic experience; a cruddy little restaurant open to sea breezes, salt shakers rusty from the sea air, rum flowing liberally, and Caribbean-style music booming from speakers. I ordered ‘grilled shrimp’ which was nothing like what I expected. I got whole shrimp, still in the shell with the legs on ’em, swimming in a cajunny-style sauce with a helping of freshly cut fries. It was one of the most undignified, delicious, and fun meals of my life. It took forever to peel those suckers using my fingers! It was there that I realised that coastal Georgia is a world unto itself where sweet tea runs freely, huge mountains of sweet shrimp big as a thumb cost less than a burger, and the people know how to take the time to breathe and enjoy a moment. It’s not paradise, but came pretty close to that for a sun and warmth-starved gal who had just fled winter!

That day in the water reminded me that when I am drained, water can renew me. I remembered this my first day in Edmonton.

(As a side note, that night I received an email that changed my life forever. But that’s another story, part of which you read whenever you visit this blog.)

Day Five
by

Day Five

This was the best and most ‘vacationy’ day of my holiday. I’m grinning as a I remember it… and continue to sooth a sunburn even liberal amounts of sunscreen couldn’t prevent.

There were three things I wanted to see and do in the vicinity of Savannah. As it turned out, they were all convenient to one another and stops on the same interstate, one right after the other in order of priority! I thought that I would spend Wednesday driving all over coastal Georgia, but, instead, I was able to enjoy the places I wanted to visit.

First stop:

I spent about an hour in this gorgeous cemetery taking loads of photos. Have y’all been waiting for pics of Spanish moss? Here ’tis!

Next stop was Fort Pulaski, the site of a major turning point in military history. I just went because I hoped to see ‘gators in the moat. No such luck. 🙂 I enjoyed my visit anyway. There was lots to see and the grounds were gorgeous.

Highly reflective glass meant that I accidentally took a photo of myself:

No, I’m not bald in this pic. I decided to fully embrace freedom on Wednesday and wore a scarf all day. With the sunglasses, I looked like a biker chick. 🙂

Next and final stop: Tybee Island, Savannah’s beach playground!

I started by being foolish and climbing the 170+ steps to the top of the lighthouse:

Must. Get. Back. Into. Shape. The climb is worth the view, though!

I enjoyed touring the lighthouse keeper’s cottage and was impressed by this detail in the banister.

Yes, the newel post is shaped like the lighthouse.

Next, I viewed the lighthouse museum which also featured some exhibits about Tybee’s earliest days as a resort destination.

Then came the moment I’d been waiting for. I changed into my bathing suit and went to the beach for an hour. It was HOT out, the sun was shining brightly, and the water was plenty warm enough to swim! I had fun body surfing waves, accidentally ingesting salt water, and then sitting in the sun (even though I’m still paying for this, hee hee).

There was a shack-type restaurant right on the beach called the North Beach Grill and I decided to try it for lunch since it was packed. It was a fantastic experience; a cruddy little restaurant open to sea breezes, salt shakers rusty from the sea air, rum flowing liberally, and Caribbean-style music booming from speakers. I ordered ‘grilled shrimp’ which was nothing like what I expected. I got whole shrimp, still in the shell with the legs on ’em, swimming in a cajunny-style sauce with a helping of freshly cut fries. It was one of the most undignified, delicious, and fun meals of my life. It took forever to peel those suckers using my fingers! It was there that I realised that coastal Georgia is a world unto itself where sweet tea runs freely, huge mountains of sweet shrimp big as a thumb cost less than a burger, and the people know how to take the time to breathe and enjoy a moment. It’s not paradise, but came pretty close to that for a sun and warmth-starved gal who had just fled winter!

I headed ‘home’ after to shower, change, and rest before my ghost tour.

The Sixth Sense ghost tour was absolutely horrible in the best possible sense. It explained to me the vibes that Savannah had been giving off and made me understand my unease at being there. I know that most, if not all, the stories were mostly fiction, but the history itself was fairly solid. I was the only person on the tour and I really enjoyed it even if it made for a restless night. 🙂

It was a great day.