We know these places exist--and we know how to find them. Each year we scour the country to find the family-friendly communities that meet our needs. Our criteria are simple: the beach must have sand so soft and fine we almost don't mind that it's filled our bathing suits. Tide pools are a plus, preferably full of slimy things. And there should be plenty of restaurants nearby. For a perfect summer afternoon, experience the charm of Tybee Island, Georgia where you will find that time stops for the simple pleasures of relaxing, biking and other sea-side activities.
Fifteen miles east of elegant Savannah is an unpretentious island community where kids still ride bikes everywhere and no one looks askance if you walk into a store barefoot. Tybee Island may not be as pristine as Cumberland Island to the south or as upscale as Hilton Head to the north,
but here you can sample the relaxed and quiet charm of the southern coast.
Five miles long by three miles wide, Tybee is an island of yucca-covered dunes and weathered summer cottages. The town consists of a handful of worn but tidy shopfronts at the southern end of the island's one main road. In this funky but inviting area known as South Beach, kids can cool down in the mild surf, ride the carousel at quaint Tybee Amusement Park or pick up a boogieboard at T. S. Chu's department store.
The north end of Tybee offers a quiet stretch of beach that families find ideal for shelling. Mornings and evenings you might have the shore to yourselves, except for perhaps a flock of black skimmers. The Tybee Island Lighthouse Museum is located nearby on the site of Fort Screven, now a peaceful retreat shaded by live oak trees draped with Spanish moss. The ambitious can climb the 178 cast-iron stairs of the venerable Tybee lighthouse. From the narrow catwalk above, you can gaze past the honeysuckle and cottages of Tybee to Savannah, Hilton Head, and the rest of the busy world beyond.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.
