We Take Ourselves With Us

Accompanied by skies that were a bit thicker, we drove off Tybee Island on our last day, saying goodbye to the low country marshes we've visited so often.  While there this time, I reflected that most of our favorite family vacation spots have been islands: Tybee, Hawaii, England, and Manhattan.  Maybe the only thing they all share is that we love them. As many times as we've been to Tybee, we've been to Savannah twice as much.  It's a delightful and delicious city, filled with history (good and bad) and archetypal Southern-ness.  Among the yummiest Southern spots has to be Mrs. Wilkes .  I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil right when it came out years and years ago.  It's what made me want to go to Savannah, to visit Bonaventure cemetery, to eat at Clary's , and to eat at Mrs. Wilkes.  If we have the time, we still get to Clary's, but we always make time to eat at Mrs. Wilkes. We were not alone.  Even arriving ...

As a temporarily extended family with two middle-aged parents, three teens and one almost-teen, we took full advantage of the quiet Tybee morning and slept in.  It's lovely to walk from room to room, peeking in on messy sleeping heads perfectly lit by the rising sun.  Having a slo-mo vacation is a good change of pace for us, since if you've read any other entry in this blog, you know we tend to pack it in!  By the time we set off for the beach, it was near to noon, so Ned stayed behind and joined us with a bag full of thick burgers and kinda crispy fries from Sugar Shack.  The wind was whipping, giving everything a bit of a crunch from the sand seasoning, but it was still delicious!  Few take-away lunches can boast this view. The day seemed magical.  Gaby went in the water for hours, which according to her brother, she never does.  Tyson chatted with me about high school, which according to his mother, he rarely does.  I got t...

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 we...