Visitors to the Savannah area by and large do not know that our immediate coast is lined with pristine, undeveloped barrier islands. Miles of deserted sandy beaches face the ocean on one side, and seemingly limitless tidal rivers and creeks wander through the marsh behind them. Dolphins live in these waters all year, shrimp and crab are readily caught in the warm months and in the mild fall/winter seasons, the marsh grasses light up to a brilliant gold in the late afternoon sun. Enjoy historical Savannah then discover her unique natural beauty.

Jay --
We are visiting Savannah early April. If you were to stay near a good walking beach, where would you select? How long would it take to drive into the historic Savannah area? Is finding parking there a problem for "out-of-town stays"? In the beach area, what are breakfast or supper options? Can you provide or point to more info on this area? While we love to walk the beach in the morning & evening, during the day we prefer the city, and in our limited time certainly want to see historic Savannah (yes, I know it's mostly post-Civil War due to Sherman).

My understanding is that Sherman spared Savannah due to its beauty. Afraid Atlanta had a different fate . . .

Savannah has many pre-Civil War structures, and the parks and squares are beautiful to say the least. As far as the islands go, Tybee is a wonderful laid-back place to visit, and the dolphins and pelicans come pretty close when you're wading! Fort Pulaski is pretty interesting, too.

Sorry -- I stand corrected re Savannah & Civil War; guess you can tell that's not my historical period!

However, would very much like some concrete suggestions on where to stay;dine on the shore close enough to see Savannah during the day. Can one do that from Tybee? Are there hotels on the beach? Is there a good walking beach? etc. etc. etc.

Thanks

MHS, You weren't far off. Sherman burned up to Savannah but she surrendered having seen what had happened in the rest of GA, and was spared. Sherman sent Lincoln a telegram, presenting him the city of Savannah as a Christmas gift.

Can't be of any help in places to stay on Tybee. I never really liked the looks of any of them, but it is a great walking beach, as is the entire stretch of that portion of the SE coastline. It's hard packed sand, wonderful for walking and if you look carefully as you walk along, you'll find scads of sharks teeth. Look for something black on the sand between the high tide line and the water, usually in a small Y shape. There were days we'd find upward of 50 in one long walk. My favorite section for walking is the north end near the lighthouse, but you can walk the entire island from the southern most point to the Savannah River outlet. Though there are pristine undeveloped barrier islands, most of which can be reached only by boat, Tybee is neither pristine nor undeveloped and with some areas in serious need of some cleaning up.

It's a very easy drive from the historic district of Savannah out to Tybee. We lived in the historic district and it would take me 20 minutes to get out there. It's a straight shot and an easy drive, not a lot of traffic unless you try to do it at rush hour. The views of the marsh on the way out are spectacular.

My recommendation would be to stay in town, not on Tybee, as there is far more you'll be wanting to do downtown, both touring and dining, than there is on Tybee, and I'm a beach person from way back. There is a wide range of accommodations downtown, from lovely B&Bs, through chain motels, to large full service hotels. Better to drive out to Tybee when you want, but have the enjoyment of staying in the beautiful historic district. There is scads of dining in the historic district, and a limited selection on the beach. My favorite out toward Tybee is the Crab Shack on Estril Hammock Rd --it's truly a shack but don't let that scare you off. It's a favorite with locals for good fresh seafood served in a very laid back almost Key West atmosphere. This is the most casual of casual dining...a roll of paper towels in the center of the table provides your napkins and a hole in the center of the table your receptacle for spent shrimp or crab shells.

In the historic district I'm sure you've heard not to miss lunch at Mrs Wilkes and that truly is a must do...downhome Southern cooking served family style at tables of about 10. You'll be seated with those you stand in line with and it's quite enjoyable meeting the others at the table. There is fine dining if you wish at Elizabeth's on 37th, Sapphire Grill, Pink House and 45 South. Plenty of other restaurants in a lower price range both in City Market section of the historic district or River St. Most of the rest of the historic district is residential so dining is concentrated in these two areas as well as a few places on the way out to Tybee.

I see you are going in early April. With any luck, the azaleas will still be beautiful. They normally peak right around the 3rd week in March but are wonderful for a couple weeks on either side of peak. They are in concentrated multi-colored plantings especially in the historic district. Quite an amazing sight!

Hope this has helped some...enjoy your trip. It's a beautiful city and area...and we sure do miss it. (Can you tell gt;)