Places: Tybee Island

My most recent vacation was a first for me. A girls trip! Our husbands did most of the planning and then told us where we'd be going as a birthday gift. We visited Tybee Island in late July - early August.

Tybee Island is just outside of Savannah, Georgia. We flew through Atlanta and then it was less than an hour flight from there to Savannah. Savannah's airport is small and easy to navigate. The car rental is in the same space as their baggage claims. From Savannah's airport, Tybee Island is an easy 45 minute drive. We drive through Savannah's charming historical district on our way there, which spiked our interest, leading us to return to this area to see more on our departure day. 

Once we arrived on the island, accessible by one highway through a marshy area, we checked into our rental condo and set out to buy groceries. There is one small grocery store on the island with all the essentials. We stayed in a rental our husbands found on south Tybee. In this area, we were in a waterfront condo, only separated from the ocean by a dune, a small parking lot, and a one way street. I have this "thing" when I travel to the East Coast where I cannot miss a sunrise... So every morning, I found myself setting my alarm so I could be up, just before sunrise, coffee in hand, on the balcony of our condo to take in the view. It was very quiet in the mornings with very little action outside except for a group who met on the beach for yoga at sunrise. 

We had a few excursions and activities planned for our time on Tybee. We did a dolphin tour. It was well organized and we saw so many dolphins! For those concerned around sea sickness, I do tend to have trouble with motion sickness. I took a Dramamine that morning and really had no trouble on this excursion. The boats actually just travel up and down the mouth of the Savannah river, so you are never really out on the big ocean. They told us there are something like 200 resident dolphins in this area, and they can be identified by characteristics of their dorsal fin. They had music on the boat and two funny guides with mics to educate and entertain you during this experience. I think it was around an hour long. We all enjoyed it!

We also visited a lighthouse on the island and climbed all the way to the top. There was an incredible view from the top that was worth the climb!

We enjoyed the shops on the island and all the dining options. The beaches are smooth and sandy. We enjoyed walking several miles on the beach during our trip.

Back in Savannah on our way home, we toured a historic house built in the 1800s and loved looking at all the older buildings in the historic district.  My aunt recommended a book, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil", set in Savannah. I listened to the audiobook right before our trip which made my time in Savannah even interesting.

Takeaways from this vacation: Tybee Island was easy to navigate, many destinations walkable. There was fun shopping and plenty of food choices. There were nice beaches for swimming, walking, sunbathing, and a large pier for fishing. We felt safe and there were lots of fun bars, some of them family friendly. We would definitely go back for another girls or couples trip, and it would also be an appropriate family vacation spot.