Tybee Island Blues

My friends and I recently spent a weekend in Savannah, GA. Thanks to Pearl Cleage, I was obsessed with the idea of going to Tybee Island. It was a non-negotiable. Never again Pearl, never again. Though to be fair it wasn’t Pearl’s fault that we weren’t prepared for the Tybee Island experience. I’m willing to consider this a sacrificial fail. You can benefit from my pain and near heat exhaustion.

Yes, Georgia has Islands

Tybee Island is one of many sea islands that lie off the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. So yes, Georgia has a coastline and several islands. If you have heard about the sea islands, it was probably during a discussion of the Gullah Geechee people and culture. My personal encounters always placed the Gullah Geechee firmly off the coast of South Carolina, but they also inhabit some of Georgia’s sea islands as well. Cool right? For most people Georgia = Atlanta, peaches, and if you’re really in the know Marvel movies. Now that we’ve had our educational moment let’s talk Tybee Island.

How to Get to Tybee Island

It’s not terribly difficult to get to Tybee Island from Savannah. A 30 minute car ride is all it takes. Not up for driving (read further to see why you might not be) there is limited shuttle service from Savannah. Getting to Tybee Island is definitely not a blues inducing venture. It’s what happens once you get there that prompted the title of this post. Well to be fair it’s probably more like what happens when you get there around noon.

Oh Look Paid Parking

Again I want to be fair to Tybee Island, but guys they hit me in my pockets. That’s the kind of thing that’s hard to forgive. My best friend wanted to go to the Pavilion so we drive and look for a place to park. We notice that all of the street parking we see is paid. Okay, no big deal Savannah has paid street parking. We drive some more, and there’s still nowhere to park. We see that you have to pay for ALL of the parking. Yes, that’s correct all of it.

We drove around for about 30 minutes before we finally found parking…in some grass. There was a parking meter in said grass, and no one had any change. Of course, our dear Tybee Island wasn’t completely inconvenient so they have an app. I like technology so I download the app, set everything up, and pay. Then we went down to the beach.

Life’s a Beach and Then…

I love the beach; it’s my happy place! I have made interesting life choices so I could get to a beach. Puerto Escondido anyone? Thankfully getting to the beach on Tybee Island wasn’t that dramatic. We did a little walking and boom we were standing on the hellaciously hot sands of Tybee’s beach. This was one of those moments that makes me question my love of beaches. It was hot, and did I mention it was HOT.

I mean not one damn cloud out there. Even the clouds couldn’t find ample parking.

Ashley M. on just how hot is actually was

We trudge through the sand, and eventually we realize that walking is a lot easier closer to the ocean. So we walk some more because the Pavilion is ahead. Salvation…and shade are near. Good thing too, because I was dying…well overheating really. I really did look like someone who had trudged through hell (so much sweat). We cooled off, went onto the pier, took a few pictures, and then we left. Which is when I realized that I had made a major mistake.

A Place in the Sun

I live for summer, and I don’t consider it a success if I’m not a nice shade of golden brown. My major mistake was forgetting that my medication induced lack of tolerance for the sun doesn’t stop at burning. Nope it also means I overheat more quickly than most. Y’all when I realized that we were now about 8 blocks from the car, I wanted to cry. We walk, and I’m following way behind. I huff and puff, and strongly consider just plopping down on the sidewalk and telling the Ashleys to drive back and pick me up. Eventually I made it to the car, and died a little in the air conditioning while gulping my lukewarm water. I have no business being in the sun.

That my friends and fellow travelers is the story of my Tybee Island blues. I’m pretty sad that it was so hot that we couldn’t see more of the island. I also know that the island isn’t completely at fault here. We could’ve gone earlier or later in the day. Maybe we could have decided not to go to Georgia when it was hotter than the devil’s butt crack, but eh you live and you learn. I really want to go back to Savannah (and Tybee) in the Spring or Fall. The summer heat didn’t do them the justice they deserve. I think I’ll just charge this one to the game, and remember that heat and parking meters aren’t my friends.