When I think of a beach vacation, the standard for me is what I enjoy at Tybee Island, Georgia. I want relaxation. No crowds. Sun. Sand. Good food. The end. Nothing else matters.
After my divorce in 2012, I always had the kids on our Fall Break. Year #1 we took a Disney cruise. But after that? My girlfriends and I made the trek to Tybee. We were financially challenged, so often we only stayed four nights, but it didn't matter. The memories I have from those vacations and the memories Campbell and Elaine have are so incredibly special. I credit Tybee for helping us find a new tradition for our family of three. We have been going for so long, I don't really have any digital pictures from those first couple of years. It doesn't matter though. Every year, even as our traveling companions have changed, we essentially do the same things.
2020 on the back river from AJ's Dock.
One of the best things we do in Tybee is rent bikes. (Occasionally, we have rented a golf cart, too) The feeling of riding on mostly flat ground down the back streets makes me want to move there. It's freeing and so peaceful to just glide on the bike. (We rent from Tim's Bikes and Beach Gear.) They deliver straight to your accommodations and pick up from there as well!
2015 Riding down Butler.
One of the things you will notice is how all of the buildings are low rises. I believe three floors is as tall as condos can be. Mostly the island is made of beautiful homes, small condo complexes, and non-chain businesses.
Tybee is so cozy that as we continued to go so often, the kids would take off on their own. They went fishing on the back river pier. They rode the length of the island, essentially just entertaining themselves. We never worried about them because they made friends from year to year with the surf shop workers or the convenient store guys.
One of my favorite things to do is get up early and go sit at the beach. Each beach entrance used to have a wooden swing. I would take my towel, coffee, and book, sitting there for an hour while the sun rose. The thing about Tybee is that even if you don't stay on the ocean, walking there is just a short easy walk because outside of Butler Avenue, the traffic is almost nothing, especially that early in the morning.
When we went to Tybee in July of 2020, I even made the family join me. Let me say, that trip after the long haul of quarantine, even though we didn't go in restaurants, was perfection. It felt so dang good to get out of KY!
Campbell looks thrilled. And Robert's pictures were just too much to post!
Where do we normally stay? Now, we stay on the North End. We like the quieter parts of the island and generally enjoy the restaurants on the North End more. When we first started going, we stayed on the South End. This is where the beach boardwalk is. Tons of shops, dining, and the pier. In October, they were always preparing for Pirate Fest. By the time we would be leaving at the end of the week, the carnival rides were being erected in a parking lot beside the pier.
Our favorite places to eat on the South End are The Breakfast Club (sit at the bar and watch them make your food), Rock House for oysters, and Sting Ray's Seafood.
Very few places on the island take reservations. But AJ's Dockside does. And if you want a sunset view on the dock, then you need to call and reserve. We love AJ's!
From year to year, old kids and young kids, AJ's holds so many memories for us.
On the North End, we love to eat at Sunday Café, one of the top places on the island. Don't be fooled by it being in a strip gas station. It's soooo worth it. All local and homemade. We also love Bubba Gumbo's. We have even made the mistake a few times of riding our bikes out there, but it is a bit too far. And at night, the tide comes in, and on the back river, that little road has very close water on either side!
From our recent trip in 2022, we enjoyed Bubba on our first night there.
We also LOVE Huc-A-Poo's Bites and Booze. The pizza is outrageously good. But they also have a great atmosphere at the restaurant. It is actually in a small little community of shops. Within this small community of shops, Tybean Coffee is located. Love Tybean!
Throwback 2016
Other great food spots are The Deck (only spot on the ocean) and North Beach Bar and Grill. Listen. There are too many to name. Since we have been there, new spots have opened. I only have the best things to say about this place and all of the restaurants!
Let me leave you with some beautiful views from the island.
In 2021, we introduced the whole Bauer clan to the beautiful island! It was such a special trip. We found a gorgeous place to stay on the North End, right where the Savannah River meets the Atlantic. We even hired Shannon Christopher Photography for family photos. Our family continues to grow. I can't wait to do this again with all of the new babies!
The last trip was Elaine's Spring Break of 2022. We had never visited on Spring Break before, but we had the best little rental, just steps from the beach ramp and right across the street from Savannah Praline Company and The Sugar Shack. I will leave you with our Back River photoshoot at sunset and Elaine's excitement for being back!
Yes, the middle of the street around 9:30 one morning.
Our budget is maxed out this year. Elaine studying abroad in France. The rest of us spending 10 days in France. And college tuition for two. And just life! But after reminiscing on this special, special place, I think I might need to sneak in a trip on Fall Break.
My heart belongs to Tybee.
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