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...

Monday was the only day we'd all be together, so Tyson wanted to see the sunrise.  We all thought it was a great idea ... the night before.  Eileen, Ty and my mom actually made it there :)  So, these lovely photos are courtesy of her. The rest of us rolled out of bed a bit later and gabbed and grubbed on the porch.  Because we're already separated by most of the country, and now Gaby's headed off soon, it's nice to get these moments.  (Here observed through the colorfully decorated window above the kitchen sink.) Ned searched for reading material to take to the beach, coming up with either Faulkner's Light in August or a novel about murder in the world of competitive cupcakes.  He decided to stick with old NYT magazines and New Yorkers.  He also came up with the genius idea of renting beach umbrellas and chairs.  About a half a dozen times we've come to Tybee and never rented beach gear.  Duh! Check this out,...