It was a long 8 1/2 hr drive from our home in Virginia to the coast of Georgia. Our destination was Tybee Island and the City of Savannah, for a quick (early) anniversary getaway. When we arrived it was shorts weather, with a warm 78 degrees F welcoming us-we’ll take that for December!
Although we only planned for a 48-hr visit, we wanted to see as much as possible (a typical trip for us!) in our two day window, including a little beach time on Tybee Island and explore the rich, history of Savannah. Neither disappointed!
The entrance to our B & B on Tybee Island 
If it’s bad luck for a black cat to cross in front of you, what about one creepily watching you from 10′ up in a tree! 
A White Ibis feeds in a park near our B & B.
Tybee Island is a barrier island about 17 miles east of Savannah. It’s only about 4 square miles, but has some beautiful beaches, lots of shops and restaurants and plenty of quaint B & Bs. It’s a bit quieter and more relaxed in December, but just they way we like our beach trips to be. We usually don’t have much interest in visiting these beach destinations during the busy summer months, when most people do. Lots of people, crowded businesses, traffic and blazing hot temps…nope! We spent our first evening visiting North Beach, a nice, wide beach with lots of seashells, birds and calm waters.
A fishingboat comes in for the day, with Brown Pelicans swimming close behind. 
Black Skimmers heading in for the evening. 
A young Royal Tern begs for food from one of its parents. 
A Willet searches for sand crabs. 
The Tybee Island Lighthouse 
Theresa poses for a photo w/the lighthouse in the background. 
The setting sun shines through the top of the lighthouse. 
Lots of seashells. 
A sear urchin washed up on the beach.
Standing guard in the background is Tybee Island Light Station-Georgia’s oldest and tallest light house, at 145 feet. Its history dates back to 1736! At the end of our 2nd day, we decided to walk off an awesome cuban lunch, by climbing the 178 steps of the spiraling staircase to the top. Thank goodness they had resting platforms every 25 steps, but by the 4th platform, I was hoping they also had a portable AED machine waiting for me! My legs felt as if they were “on fire!” I swear the height of each step in the final section increased by at least another 6″! Sweating and gasping for air, I crawled my way through the door at the top, so we could enjoy the beautiful, foggy views with 20 mph winds blowing in our faces! It was quite the little afternoon hike!
The 2nd part of our quick trip was very cool, as we took a guided trolley tour of Savannah’s Historic District where we learned so much of the city’s rich history. From James Oglethorpe’s founding of Georgia’s first colony in 1733, to it’s important role in the Revolutionary War, and of course, the critical part it played in the Civil War-including General Sherman’s famous “March to the Sea,” a 265-mile trek from Atlanta to Savannah with 60,000 Union soldiers. But, surprisingly we also learned that Savannah was home to Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, and also where Robert Louis Stevenson wrote his well-known pirates novel, Treasure Island! There was literally history along every street, and around every turn we took on our tour!
We ended our mini-holiday with a trip to Wormsloe Historic Site. The site was the colonial estate of Noble Jones. Jones was a humble carpenter who arrived in Georgia in 1733 with James Oglethorpe (founder of Georgia) and the first group of settlers from England. Wormsloe’s tabby ruin is the oldest standing structure in Savannah. But, by far the greatest (and most well-known) part of the Historic Site is the 1-mile Live Oak lined avenue you drive through to get to the museum. It was fantastic! It’s so beautiful that several movies have filmed scenes using this entrance way, including Roots (1976), Gator (1977), General’s Daughter (1999), and The Last Song (2010).
Georgia’s southeast coast has so much to offer to visitors. With beauiful beaches, large Live Oaks dripping with Spanish Moss and the amazing history of Savannah, no wonder it’s one of the most popular destinations in the U.S.!