Monday, 15 February 2016

The kids have two spring breaks this year.  We could only afford a big trip for one of them but didn’t want to sit at home doing nothing for the other.  We decided to make a return trip to Savannah/Tybee Island for a mini-getaway.  Tybee Island is a very pretty little beach community, so popular during the summer it’s hard to find a place to stay.  During February, however, a visitor can have their pick of fantastic condos for very reasonable prices.

We also wanted to bring Max with us this time.  He usually gets left home when we travel and either goes to a boarding kennel or he stays with some friends of ours (if they are not gone themselves) so at least once a year we try to take a “Max vacation” so he can enjoy some of the things this world has to offer, too.

We rented a three-bedroom condo right on the beach.  Ours is the middle floor (brown deck furniture.)

The weather on our first day was a bit on the stormy and windy side.  We also learned that dogs are not allowed on the beaches on all of Tybee Island, which is something I wish I’d known earlier.  Just a few miles away is Hilton Head, SC … nearly the same beach experience, but dogs are welcome.  I chose Tybee Island because we’d been here before and liked it, and I was focused on finding an apartment that allowed dogs.  It didn’t occur to me to check if dogs were allowed on the beach.  I just assumed they would be.

The beach immediately outside our building.

Cold and windy this morning.

We drove into Savannah to spend the morning.  The weather was actually a little nicer than we expected.  The forecast was for rain today, then beautiful near-70 and sunny for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The kids checking out a place offering airbrushed tattoos.  (Aside:  if it doesn’t involve ink injected into your skin, can it really be called a tattoo?  If the image is painted on, isn’t it just a drawing?)

Fountain in Savannah.

In the afternoon, we made a return visit to Fort Pulaski.  We visited this Fort several years ago, but the kids didn’t remember it (therefore this was “new to them”) and, most importantly, they welcome dogs.  Max could go, too!

Holden standing in front of the moat.

Isabella and I trying to decide how deep the water was.

These little hidey-holes cut into the berms were used for storage of munitions and other goods.  They are open for exploration, but Max hated them.  In the first one, Isabella went in first and then jumped out and yelled “BOO!!” at the rest of us.  It was dark and her loud voice created a creepy echo.  After that, Max refused to go into any of them.  Isabella felt bad.

Obligatory photo of a cannon.

This portion was where all soldiers lived.  The row contained sleeping quarters, a couple of mess halls, a chapel, a medical room, Officer’s quarters, etc.

A peek at what the rooms all looked like on the inside.

Upper level cannons pointed at the ocean to protect against seafaring bad guys.

Outside of the Fort itself, they have walking trails and a few other points of interest.  This was one stretch of beach Max was allowed to walk on.

It wasn’t much of a beach and he had to stay on leash, but at least he got to feel the sand between his little toes.

He also enjoyed a bit of woods exploration.

Tuesday, 16 February 2016

Since dogs aren’t allowed on the beach at Tybee Island, we drove about an hour away to Hilton Head, NC.  I figure there are a few things every doggie should get to do in their short time here on Earth:  run through the woods, run on a beach, play in fresh snow, eat some really good meat.   This was Max’s big chance to do a beach run; he actually didn’t seem to like it very much.  He started out excited, then realized the water chases you back.  He hates getting wet.

Here is where he began to realize the water was coming for his feet.

He didn’t move enough and got caught.  He did not like it.

After that, he was done.

Brushing sand off everyone’s feet.

Back on Tybee Island exploring the shops.  You could walk here from our apartment.  The kids stayed to do some shopping and Adam and I went back to the apartment.

Wednesday 17 February 2016

Today we visited the Oatland Island Wildlife Center.  It’s sort of a combination animal rehabilitation center/zoo.  Most of the animals here have been injured, are ill, or were abandoned as babies.  The Center fixes them up and releases them back into the wild when possible.  Animals that can no longer survive on their own stay here.

The Wildlife Center is a 2 mile walk through a marsh and some woods, with a few side-walks you can take if you want to.  We had a really good time.

A crocodile nest.

Holden trying to grab some Spanish moss.

Cabin on homestead built in 1837. The farm raised sugar cane and processed it on site. (This was one of the side-walks available.)

We worked up an appetite with our long walk at the Wildlife Center (we took every side detour available) and headed to lunch at the Crab Shack in Tybee Island.  We are typically not seafood fans, but this area of the world is famous for it so we figured it would be a shame not to have at least one seafood meal here.

Aaaaand, I was the only one who ordered seafood.  Holden and Isabella split a rib platter, Josie ordered a chili dog, and Adam got a pulled-pork sandwich.  I ordered the house speciality, a seafood sampler, and ended up eating nearly the whole thing by myself because everyone else was grossed out ….

…. as evidenced by the expression on Josie’s face.  She did end up eating a little bit of the crab legs, but refused to try the crawdads because they had eyeballs.  The mussels “look like snot” and the shrimp still had legs.

This is a great restaurant; their motto is “Where the Elite Eat in Their Bare Feet.”  Most of the seating is outside (the part we saw, anyway) and they have friendly cats roaming around hoping for tidbits.  They have a swamp/pool-type area near the front with baby alligators in it.

They also had a fantastic salt scrub for removing the seafood smell from hands.  I examined it and I think it’s just table salt mixed with a little bit of carrier oil and essential oil (for scent).  I’m going to try making some when I get home.

Back to Savannah for one more trip to the candy store and to give Max a chance to sniff 10,000 new smells.

Note Holden’s huge bag of candy.

And that’s it for our mini trip!  Tomorrow morning we head back home.