Tybee Island Stretches Summer into Fall Fun, #Sweepstakes, #IGTravelThursday

(Note to readers: I was a media guest, provided with a place to stay, in order to write this review of Tybee Island and help promote the Fall in Love with Tybee sweepstakes.  My opinion remains my own.)

No visit to Tybee Island is complete without a walk on the shore at sunrise. 

You might even be lucky enough to spot some dolphin playing in the surf just a few feet off shore, like we did, while you’re enjoying the early morning hours putting your toes in the sand.

You’ll definitely fall in love with the carefree feeling that the island offers, and the second summer that seems to be created with the weather still lingering in the 70’s throughout September, when the rest of the world has gone back to the school and work routine.  Yes, Tybee likes to stretch its days of feel-good fun right on into fall.

And why not?

This Georgia coastal island, 20 minutes east of Savannah, is the perfect place for escaping the chaos of day to day life, to ‘fall in love’ with all things you enjoyed most as a kid…hours on the beach, trips to the ice cream store, bike rides around town.  That’s what Tybee is to me.

You can find grown-up fun on the island, too.  We particularly enjoyed AJ’s Dockside Restaurant.  A pound of shrimp kept my girls happy while I treasured every bite of my Crab Burger.  And my Triple Chocolate Mousse Pie had me ready to lick my plate.  I held back, but as I remember the rich chocolate right now, I promise I’d be licking that plate this minute if I could.  AJ’s also offers live music at sunset on the river (another Tybee must-not-miss in my opinion).

There’s history to take in, too, and we found that at the Tybee Island Lighthouse, Georgia’s tallest and oldest lighthouse.  We climbed all 178 steps for a view of the entire island, and an oncoming storm with lightning that had us climbing right back down.

It’s a little island, but there’s plenty more to do and see, from paddleboard lessons to dolphin boat tours.

There are also some great places to stay, including cottage rentals featuring the Tybee Cottage construction that is famous to the island.  We stayed in a phenomenal 4BR beach home that is just steps from the dunes that take you to the beach.  Arranged by Tybee Vacation Rentals (whom I highly recommend if you are looking for a place to stay), this home, lovingly named Driftaway, offers fabulous views of sunrise in case you can’t make it out to the sand in time to watch it directly on the water.  It also has a hot tub and ping pong table, along with the classy, yet casual beach furnishings for relaxing inside the home.  Tybee Vacation Rentals tells me they have options for everyone, at all price points, and many of the rentals offer flexible schedules even in the busy summer. They have a website that offers the ability to search real-time availability, get instant price quotes, and book online. They also have vacation planners that can work with families to make personal recommendations based on their exact needs.

If Tybee sounds like the kind of place you’d like to spend a few days, we have a way you can do it for free! It’s the ‘Fall in Love with Tybee’ sweepstakes.  The prize features four free beach getaways, dining, recreation and more.  It’s a fall vacation getaway with grand prizes that include: two-night stays courtesy of Oceanfront Cottage Rentals, Ocean Watch Properties, Surf Song Bed & Breakfast and Tybee Vacation Rentals, as well as dining certificates from CoCo’s Sunset Grille, North Beach Bar & Grill, The Crab Shack and The Rock House. Recreation prizes include passes to the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Tybee Island Light Station and Museum, Capt. Mike’s Dolphin Tour, Friday night bingo at the Tybee American Legion and paddle boarding lessons with East Coast Paddleboarding.

The “Fall in Love with Tybee” Sweepstakes will offer four grand prize packages.

To enter, register online at FallinLovewithTybee.com. The deadline to enter is Monday, September 30, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Winners will be notified on Tuesday, October 1, 2013.  Limit one entry per e-mail address.  For more information, please visit www.FallinLoveWithTybee.com.

Maybe you’ll even be able to go in time for the island’s annual Pirate Fest. Good luck!