To Tybee

So, the morning after graduation, Ned took off to have breakfast with friends, and the kids and I headed to breakfast and then the pool.  Check out those stylin' cheap prescription aviators courtesy of Venni Optical!  

 

We set off down a puffy clouded Florida highway for Georgia.  

With three in the back seat (cousin Reese, Harper, and Penn), someone's massive puppy feet made their way up front ...

Wonder who they belong to ...

About 3 and a half hours later, we hit the Spanish moss tinseled oaks of Savannah.

Then, a drive across the Islands Expressway over sea grass and under sweeping blue skies would take us to our most frequent vacation spot: Tybee Island.  The steady ribbon of cars exiting the island was a good sign, letting us know the Saturday crowds were heading home, leaving the late day beach for us.

The beauty of low country is wonderfully pointy and rough.

Check out the water tower! We were on Tybee once more and immediately set off for the beach, just a couple blocks from our cottage.

How do you beat a vista like this on an almost empty beach?

While we waited for the rest of our vacation crew to make their way from Gainesville, nothing could keep the three we had from the surf, smashing into waves and each other :)

Because the Port of Savannah is so close, one of the cool things about the beach is seeing huge tanker ships heading out to sea.  This ship must be unbelievably big; it's pretty far out there but looks like the kids could swim out to reach it in minutes.  On a good day, you'll also see dolphins; on a good morning, you'll find traces of sea turtles who made their way back out over night.

Some afternoons, you'll find purple-toed, middle-aged women reading The Rosie Project.

And middle-aged men reading their email.

Or glamazon teens quenching their thirst after sand fights.

After a couple hours, everyone made it to the cottage, and we set off for another Tybee classic--the Crab Shack--for dinner.  Where else can you feed gators while waiting for massive plates of crab and shrimp and sausage and then get to throw your garbage down a hole in the middle of your table?  None where.

Grandma and grandkids: Tyson, Reese, Mary Lou, Penn, Harper & Gaby in front of the "world's largest captured gator" (not verified).

Feeding the mini-gators.

Scowling graduate and gruff uncle.  Note the Blackhawks shirt.  Gaby even skipped watching the game to come out with us.  Such a noble sacrifice, which probably occasioned their loss that evening.

Captain Jack Turtle and Captain Marvel Penn.

Crab Shack is set in the marsh land on Tybee and is a true island mainstay.  Half the tables are under these huge, mossy, lighted oaks, which sway in the always welcome night breeze.

Half are inside a massive screened lean-to that we're going to assume is up to code.  Or, at least up to code enough to also serve as a multi-tv sports bar :)

Huge portions of crab, anyone?

The parking lot turns vibrant blue at night, which makes the sand look like the ocean--almost impossible to capture on my phone.  But, look at the blue of the sky against the almost purple of the tree in the second picture and then imagine a warm ocean breeze setting the scene in motion.  

Can't come to Tybee without hitting up the Sugar Shack at least once a day.  And, nothing offers the perfect dessert chaser to mountains of crab like ... blueberry cheesecake, cookies and cream, cookie dough, chunky monkey, mint, triple chocolate, key lime pie ice creams and one orange sherbet.

Then, home to watch the sad end to the Lightning v Blackhawks.

Before several rounds of Bull Sh ... enanigans, as we retitled the game given that we were playing on our back porch within feet of our neighbors.

Quite the day.  Time to turn our minds to sleepy dreams of another day at the beach.