WHY TYBEE? Part 2
So, I’ve promised you a post about our favorite things to do on Tybee and here it is! We’re gearing up to go back for the 4th of July and honestly, even though we were just there 3 weeks ago, we can’t wait to get back! ...and so you know, none of this is sponsored. We don't get a kickback for sharing. I just wanted to tell you, my friends, where to go & what to do on Tybee because these are our favorites! All of these photos were taken by me, some throwing it way back nearly 10 years ago to 2010! Enjoy! I'd love to read your comments at the bottom of your favorites, if you've been to Tybee!
Obviously, we love the BEACH, but there's so much more to do on Tybee!
PLACES TO STAY:
Mermaid Cottages – HELLO. You know this. Mermaid Cottages is our favorite rental company to stay with on Tybee! We have been loyal vacationers with the Mermaids for almost 10 years. Their consistently fabulous customer service & personal attention has kept us coming back 2-3 times a year. I highly recommend booking your stay with Mermaid Cottages and don’t forget to use code “JustRelaxBoo” to save 5% at booking. (terms & conditions apply)
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION... We typically choose a house located at the South End of the island. Its just our favorite area to stay in because it has such a tucked away, quiet neighborhood vibe but is still close to several beach access ares, the Pier, Marine Center, restaurants & the main street - Tybrisa Street. We also enjoy walking most everywhere we go, so the South End is a central location within walking distance to everything we like doing. The north end is nice too and is near the Lighthouse, museums, beach access and also has a neighborhood feel on most streets. Just a personal preference. We've stayed at the North End too before.
Personal favorite cottages:
Southern Cross – c.1935 Located at 1716 Chatham Avenue, near the South End and the house we've stayed at the most often! It feels huge with lots of places for everyone to hang out so we don't feel like we're on top of each other. Southern Cross sleeps 8, with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. There's a huge front porch that wraps around the side of the house with plenty of seating, a hammock and even an outdoor sleeping daybed! Southern Cross has a wide open garage and hang out area on the bottom floor with lounge chairs a Black Jack table with plenty of poker chips. Our kid's favorite thing to do there is to play Black Jack. LOL A bonus feature of this house is the hot tub! It doesn't operate as a hot tub anymore but the kids (& us adults) love the "baby pool" for cooling off in on a super hot Summer day! The kids love staying in the bedrooms downstairs, while the master bedroom is upstairs. Win - win. We can easily walk to 3 different beach access points and its a straight shot to walk to the Tybrisa Street area to watch the fireworks! (Cats, Dogs allowed.)
Tybee Tides – c.1930 Located at 1212 Venetian Drive on the Back River. This is the most quiet, peaceful, and relaxing little house we've stayed in. Its sleeps 7, with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. There is a nice big backyard with a fun outdoor shower, grill and room to run & play. The front porch of Tybee Tides is screened in and is the perfect place to watch the sunset or enjoy eating outside. This location is a little bit of a hike to get to the beach but the beautiful back river views are so worth it. We load up the car and drive to beach access when we stay here. Side note: You must pay for public parking anywhere on the island but there is an app that makes it easy to do from your phone! (Dogs allowed.)
Atlantic 1 – c.1930 Located beach front, down a private drive at 2 18th Lane, Atlantic 1 (formerly called Doyle's) has always been Jon's favorite house, location wise! Waterfront view from the deck, also located at the South End and sleeps 6 with 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms. (No pets allowed.)
THINGS TO DO:
The Pier & Tybrisa Street - Located near the South End of the island, this is a fun area to explore by walking around. The Pier is beautiful and you can walk all the way out to the end where you're sure to find someone fishing for something! Tybrisa Street has lots of shops and restaurants.
Tybee Island Lighthouse – Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse. Standing 145 feet tall, an aid to navigation since 1773, and an incredible view of the island, its well worth a visit. We’ve climbed its 178 steps a few times! It’s also fun to tour all of the buildings on the property to experience what life was like in Tybee 100-200 years ago. Your ticket will include entry in to the Tybee Battery & Museum across the parking lot as well. They are both fun & interesting to tour.
Even the Lighthouse goes all out and gets dressed up for the 4th of July!
Fort Pulaski – This National Monument has so much to offer! Tour the historic fort, earn your Jr. Ranger badge, experience the cannon firing, hike or bike the trails, and imagine being a soldier stationed on an island during the Civil War. U.S. Hwy 80
This impressive little Marine Center is expanding to a brand new location near the lighthouse but for now, its right next to the stairs to the Pier. We try to go visit and support it each time we come. They have SO MUCH to see and learn! The sea animals in the tank change as animals are rescued or released. We love looking for their baby sea turtles. They always have some alligators and snakes, but you never know what other fish or sea life you're going to see! Its very affordable so its kinda a no brainer!
Sundial Charters – Captain Renee offers unique perspectives on Tybee Island… from the water. We’ve done the “Little Tybee Unplugged Tour” which was such a fun, family experience. We took a boat ride through the marshes and found a secluded beach - perfect for shelling, and explored the low country eco system. The Fossil Hunting/Shark Tooth trip is at the top of our Tybee “Bucket List” because tours often come back with megalodon shark teeth and we can’t wait to do that one of these days! Capt. Renee is so knowledgeable and will customize a tour to suit your family’s needs. On our first outing with her, Nathan was just a baby so she provided a beach umbrella on the boat for us to have some shade for him once we got to the island for shelling. We NEED to do this again! So fun!
This is our favorite place to shop. I've featured Seaside Sisters before but its a cute blend of antiques & new gift items as well as books, toys, Tervis cups & accessories, beach apparel, jewelry, handbags, soaps, home decor. They even have a display of Mermaid Cottages gear & goodies such as the Mermaid Morning Bliss Coffee & Beach Bum Biscuits for your doggies! All proceeds go to benefit the sea turtles (coffee sales) & animal rescue (doggie treats). There's really a little bit of everything!
The cutest little gelato & candy store on the island. There's usually a line down the sidewalk in the summer so you KNOW its good! We went off season & scored the whole place to ourselves! They have a fun collection of candy in big glass jars as well as delicious gelato!
We love to swing by Tybean for a coffee, chai, or smoothie when we're out shopping in the little artists village - Tybee Oaks Shopping Center. Its such a cute little area to explore!
There are also a bunch of cute little bungalow shops to explore there, in the Tybee Oaks Shopping Center...
This fun little coffee bungalow is located next to a B&B but a close walk to where we like to stay on the south end. They make coffee, breakfast sandwiches & smoothies so its a nice little place to visit.
Rentals – Bikes and golf carts are both fun ways to get around on Tybee. We haven’t rented either but lots of visitors do and there are lots of places to find them! Check out Tybee Golf Carts & Tim’s Bike & Beach Gear
Savannah Bee Company, Wilmington Island -
Not exactly ON Tybee but we ALWAYS plan to stop by when we make a run to the closest Publix (on Wilmington Island). The staff at the Savannah Bee Company Wilmington Is location is always so gracious to us. They are knowledgeable and answer every single question we can think of about bees! They have even taken us on a mini tour of their bee garden, even though it wasn't the tour "season" and let the kids wear the bee net hats. Of course, the kids are most interested in the honey samples they can taste but looking for the queen in the indoor bee hive is fun too. Have I ever mentioned that this is the best honey in the world & the only honey we've bought for the past 10+ years??? So delicious!
PLACES TO EAT:
The Crab Shack – This place is unreal. Their slogan is, “Where the elite eat in their bare feet”. This year they won “Best Seafood Restaurant” in Connect Savannah’s “Best of Savannah”. They have a gator lagoon where you can feed the gators and see the baby alligators. The dining area is family style with big round tables and spills out onto the deck for dining with beautiful water views. You’ll want to order the massive Captain Crab’s Sample Platter or Low Country Boil for your entire table to share. You peel & eat then throw your shells and trash in the hole in the middle of the table. It will be an experience your family won’t soon forget.
A.J.’s Dockside – FUN atmosphere. This is the kid’s favorite place to eat! You can eat indoors or out on the deck with an amazing view of the Back River, especially at sunset. They offer a variety of beach seafood dishes. We love the spinach artichoke dip and I like the shrimp po boy.
Tybee Island Social Club – Holding out HOPE that it reopens soon! This has been our absolutely favorite restaurant on Tybee since they opened. Owners Kurtis & Sarah Schumm are both talented and creative people who have let their energy lose on this cool & delicious beach inspired restaurant. Sarah is also an interior designer and Kurtis is an amazing artist. His paintings are featured in the restaurant as well as in a gallery on St. Simon Island. They are closed for renovations and they’re being super secretive, so everybody cross your fingers & toes that they’ll be back soon! Follow them on Instagram to find out what their big news is.
OFF SEASON is still a good time to visit Tybee!
Tybee is also a fun & wonderful vacation destination ANY time of the year! We often visit in the off season because its a slower pace, fewer people on the island, and the weather is fun during the different seasons. It almost snowed on us at Tybee a couple years ago! Here are some fun pics of us enjoying Tybee in the fall & winter. We love to come up for Thanksgiving and once we even stayed from before Christmas Eve through New Years!
So, I hope these "Why Tybee" posts inspires you to take your own trip to Tybee soon! Don't forget that if you want to book a cottage with Mermaid Cottages, you can use code "JustRelaxBoo" to save 5% off your stay! Please let the Mermaids know that Lisa at Just Relax Boo sent you! You can also drop any questions you have for me in the comments below! Thanks!