PHOTO TOUR: Weekend getaway to Tybee Island and Savannah, Georgia

In late April my husband and I celebrated our anniversary with a long weekend getaway to Tybee Island, Georgia and nearby Savannah. That’s about a six hour road trip from our home in central North Carolina.

I’ll also call it a “walking vacation,” because we got in a ton of steps exploring this lovely area. This was my first trip to Tybee Island, and my second to Savannah. I was there previously for a blogging conference and enjoyed it very much. I knew my husband would, too.

Here’s a recap of what we saw and did.

Friday: Arrival at Tybee Island and evening walk on the beach

I’d booked us a nice little beach bungalow on Airbnb, which was only a few blocks’ walk to the beach. Fortunately, the weekend temperatures were warm and summery. Friday evening was lovely. After we unpacked, we walked to a seaside restaurant and enjoyed a delicious seafood meal, then walked to the Tybee Pier and beach. It felt so good to be back on a beach. It had been a while — too long!

Walking the neighborhood streets to a restaurant in Tybee Island

After dinner, we walked to the Tybee Pier

Saturday: Savannah in the rain

I knew ahead of time that we were in for some nasty weather on Saturday, but that’s the day we had to explore Savannah and so we just went with it. We found a parking garage, and then took off on foot to see the historic district and riverfront.

It rained heavily off and on throughout the day. But the rain wasn’t stopping other tourists, either. The historic district was quite busy and crowded.

Savannah is known for its parks and squares, and there are a total of 22 in town. We visited several on our walk.

In this photo of Madison Square, you can see the Sorrel-Weed House, which we ended up touring that evening. You can also see some of the heavy traffic, which was a constant throughout the area.

We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking Historic River Street.

Off of River Street, there are remnants of old holding areas for ships’ cargo.

By the evening, we were under a tornado watch, severe thunderstorm warnings at times, and a flash flood advisory. It was a very stormy day and night in Savannah, and we got soaked!

Since the weather was getting worse, we didn’t want to spend more time outdoors or go on a trolley tour, but we still wanted to learn some history. So we decided to get tickets for a tour of the Sorrel-Weed House.

The Sorrel-Weed House has been featured on Ghost Hunters and other paranormal shows. What better time than a dark and stormy night to visit? Haha! We enjoyed our guided tour and learning about the house’s former (and still present?) residents.

After our tour, we ducked into a nearby British pub inspired restaurant for dinner.

Sunday: Tybee Island Lighthouse, Fort Pulaski, and sunset beach walk

By Sunday, thankfully the weather was back to being dry and beautiful. We started the day with a visit to the Tybee Island Lighthouse. I was excited about this — I’d never climbed to the top of a lighthouse before.

The Tybee Island Light Station is Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse.

Here we go…178 steps to the top! It’s really not too bad, though. There is a platform every 25 steps with a resting area and a viewing window.

What a view! Here you can see the lightkeeper’s home and other buildings that are part of the museum.

I like this photo that shows the lighthouse’s shadow from above.

After our climb, we toured the lightkeeper’s house.

Here’s one of my favorite photos I took of the lighthouse, caught in the evening.

After the lighthouse, we drove to nearby Cockspur Island, site of Fort Pulaski National Monument, which was used during the Civil War.

Inside the fort. The grooved arcs on the floor are where cannons could be positioned.

A trail with a short walk from the fort leads to a scenic beach along the Savannah River. You can see cargo ships pass by on their way to Savannah.

After our tours, we came back to our rental and cooked some chicken on the grill. Then, we took off on foot again — to take in sunset at the beach.

We walked a long way on the beach — from 14th street to 2nd street. With all the climbing and walking that day, the cool water felt great on our feet. But we were far from done. After we got off the beach near the water tower, it was dark and we walked through town all the way back to our rental. It was around 10 p.m. when we finally got back.

We were treated to a dreamy beach sunset. What could be better?

And just like that, the weekend was over and it was Monday morning and time to head home. We loved celebrating our special anniversary on Tybee Island and definitely look forward to returning!

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Friday: Arrival at Tybee Island and evening walk on the beach

Saturday: Savannah in the rain

Sunday: Tybee Island Lighthouse, Fort Pulaski, and sunset beach walk

About Michelle Rogers