Tybee Island Road Trip -- Day 4

We woke up to the sound of rain falling on the tin roof. If you've never heard that comforting sound before, it is the silver lining to a rainy day at the beach. The storm also made it easier to leave that morning, which would have been hard to do if it had been a brilliantly sunny day.

Before we hit the road, we had to check out a Tybee icon, the Breakfast Club, which only serves breakfast. It is the place where glitterati and locals rub elbows, deals are made, and gossip is exchanged. The Breakfast Club has an eclectic assortment of great food, some that you may not expect for breakfast, like the shrimp with eggs and grits or the home-made chorizio burrito with eggs.

What is so charming about Tybee is that everything about this island is eccentric. If you are looking for a 5-star resort experience --keep looking. If you like fun, off-beat destinations that are laid back and unpretentious, then Tybee is the place for you. Tybee is an island where residents keep their Christmas decorations up year-round, and you can walk your dog in your pajamas, which I did just this morning. I'm sure there are covenants against these things at some of the tonier islands south of Tybee.


Before heading back to Atlanta, we took one more drive around the island to check out the other Mermaid Cottages. There are close to 30 to choose from, several which are on the historical register, and others that have been featured in Coastal Living and Cottage Living. All are decorated in a colorful signature style that is comfortable and laid back -- a perfect complement to the Tybee experience. And most of the cottages are pet-friendly.




Tybee Island is easy to get to by car or by air. The island is 40 minutes from the Savannah airport. If you need a city fix, like a Starbuck's latte, downtown Savannah is just 20 minutes away via the Islands Expressway. Savannah is a charming city with lots of great boutiques, restaurants, and fine art galleries.

Tybee is truly a diamond in the rough, and a destination you must check out. A coalition is working to make the island more pet-friendly, which will be a bonus to people like me who can't wait to return.

For more information about Tybee Island, check out these links:

Pet-friendly Mermaid Cottages

Charlotte Observor story on Tybee Island

Purchasing or investing in real estate on Tybee

Tybee Island Road Trip -- Day 1

ROAD TRIP! Those words are music to every dog's ears. And this road trip would not be our usual excursion to the grocery store -- or worse -- the vet. We were headed off for a long- awaited trip to Tybee, one of the islands off the coast of Georgia. It would be a nice break from the 5 cats we share the house with. Buster and I know our place in the pecking order: they rule the roost.

The car was packed and we were ready to roll, but mom had to do one last tail count before we left town. She was missing one tail belonging to Mackie. After searching all his favorite hiding places, Mackie was M.I.A. Though he is our chief tormentor, he's family. He might be sick, and we couldn't leave town without knowing he was allright. The can opener and tuna fish did not roust him from his hiding spot, so mom cooked up a stinky brew of shrimp and anchovies, which the other cats loved but still no Mackie. Now we were all getting worried. Several hours later, mom gave up and left to run some errands. When she got back, Mackie sauntered down the steps like nothing happened. As the saying goes, "Cats were once worshipped as gods. Cats never have forgotten this."

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Atlanta and great weather for a trip. We were finally off! Backseat territory squabbles are not confined to children. Buster, the little squirt, hogged more than he needed. It's a terrier thing. Once we settled on our dog beds on the back seat, we watched the view for about the first 10 miles. The Georgia scenery doesn't change much from Atlanta to the coast. It's a steady line of pine trees, plus it was nap time. Buster and I dozed off. After several blissful hours, we woke up just outside of Savannah to the fresh scent of salty air

Fifteen minutes later, we were on the wonderful island of Tybee and ready to start our adventure. We were staying at one of the many colorful Mermaid Cottages scattered throughout the island. Ours was just 2 blocks from the dog park and had a great fenced in yard that we could check out from the back porch.



Almost all the Mermaid properties are pet-friendly, which is hard to find in many beach destinations. We even had a large welcome basket waiting for us when we arrived, stuffed with treats and everything we needed to stay perfectly coifed at the beach. We love this place already!

Surf's Up and Tails Up!

We will be reporting live from Tybee Island on February 16 from a pet's perspective on this laid-back island off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. Lily, Buster, and I will be staying at the pet-friendly Mermaid Cottages, a colorful and eclectric group of cozy rental cottages that caters to the pet crowd.

Lily and Buster have already packed their bags and are ready for the roadtrip. Stay tuned for their take on the places to see and be seen in Tybee!

For more information about Mermaid Cottages, click on the following link: http://www.mermaidcottages.com/

Lighthouse photo courtesy of TrekEarth