The Lighthouse Inn Bed & Breakfast

April 21-29: Free Admission Days at Fort Pulaski National Monument

sandy — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:56:09 +0000

Actually, April 21 – 29, 2012, are FREE Entrance Days in the all USA National Parks, including Fort Pulaski National Monument near Tybee Island and Savannah GA.

May 12: International Migratory Bird Day

sandy — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:45:02 +0000

The best birding hot spot is Tybee Island’s north beach — North American Migration Flyways, and Colonial Coast birding Trail. Field birders will also want to check out birding at nearby Fort Pulaski National Monument on Cockspur Island.

Beyond the Tybee Island, Atlantic Ocean Breakers

sandy — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:06:08 +0000

Located on America’s east coast Tybee Island, Georgia, is the Atlantic Ocean’s coastal contrast and complement to downtown Savannah‘s beautiful garden squares, oak lined boulevards, hanging moss, historic homes and a bustling river waterfront.

Bring your dreams of adventure to our Lighthouse Inn bed and breakfast cottage and Tybee Island! Savannah is a short road trip about 20 minutes away. So, it’s easy and practical to do both.

Tybee Island Pier. If you’re traveling light, but want to take in a little fishing, try beach fishing or get out beyond the breakers* into the Atlantic Ocean on the Tybee Island Pier. Catch Spanish mackerel, spotted sea trout, whiting, red drum, and black drum. [*Breakers: A heavy sea wave moving toward the coast that breaks into white foam on the shore or a shoal. A wave that curls over and dissolves into foam is a breaker. Granite boulders off Tybee Island's beaches are sometimes called "breakers" also.]

Are you serious about kayaking AND photography? Whether going to Tybee Bar, Cockspur Island, or Little Tybee Island we recommend a unique personal outing with Tim Nealon, high adventure kayaker and world-class photographer.

Especially at high tide, watch international cargo ships pass “Tybee Bar” — the navigational shoal [an area of shallow water, esp. as a navigational hazard, such as a sandbar] between the Atlantic Ocean and Savannah. Located “at the entrance of the Savannah River, [Tybee Bar] has 16 feet of water at half tide” reports Aids to Geographical Research (Source: National Geographical Society, 1971). “A vessel of 1200 tons would have had a draft of at least eighteen feet, which would mean that it would have ‘run ashore’ at least a half-mile from the beach even if it was lost at high tide,” explains Sea Research Society, speaking of a shipwreck long ago.

Historically, the waterways around Tybee Island are where ships pass in and out of the Port of Savannah with diverse cargo. In Georgia’s early history, the cargo included turpentine, cotton, shingles, sugar, pimento, salt, hogsheads, rice, jewelry, copper, and dry goods being transported between worldwide ports and the Port of Savannah. Also, sailing ships “in ballast” [rocks on board instead of cargo], would shipwreck or become temporarily stranded on the North Breakers and South Shoal [sandbar breakers] off Tybee Island. The “ballast” stones from around the world can be seen on downtown Savannah’s River Street, Bay Street to River Street ramps, and fortified bluff wall near the riverfront harbor.

Clearly, the idea is to get more of you indoors, beginning at Lighthouse Inn bed and breakfast, and outdoors on the sandy, flat beach and (when safe) beyond the breakers at Tybee Island, Georgia.

We hope to see you soon!

For more information:

April 10-15: 150th Anniversary of Fort Pulaski National Monument

sandy — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:22:41 +0000

Near Tybee Island and Savannah, Georgia, The Battle for Fort Pulaski took place over thirty hours between April 10th and 11th, 1862. The battle for the fort was a landmark experiment in the history of military science and invention.

Join in the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of this monumental siege during the American Civil War with special programs from April 10th through April 15th, 2012 at Fort Pulaski.

March 10-17: Irish Celebrations on Tybee Island & Savannah

sandy — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:09:12 +0000

We suggest a little wearin’ o’ the green to fit in everywhere!

Tybee Island’s Irish Heritage Parade is on March 10, 2012. Stay for the week and enjoy the festive spirit of the Irish in Savannah too! St. Patrick’s Day festivities and downtown Savannah parade is on March 17, 2012.

Stay at Lighthouse Inn bed and breakfast on Tybee Island where it’s quiet during the Irish celebrations along the Georgia Coast and south beach.

Something New from Lighthouse Inn: Tybee Island Crossword Puzzle

sandy — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:57:34 +0000

We are trying something new with this Tybee Island crossword puzzle, produced by Lighthouse Inn. We are considering making this online interactive! Our new Tybee Island video (For the Love of Old Tybee Island) may offer some clues, if you get stumped. We’ll help with answers, too! Send us a tweet via @RockinPorch Twitter or LIKE us in Facebook. Please, share with us your recommendations.

Print this out and try your hand at our first 'Old Tybee Island GA' crossword puzzle.

ACROSS
3 Tybee Roads waterway channel to this world famous city
7 Park Service that manages movie-location fort in Robert Redford’s move “The Conspirator”
8 Sand hills
10 A relaxing vacation adjective
12 Seaside weather
13 Iconic attraction, 178 steps
15 Romantics seek at night
17 Fort celebrating Civil War Sesquicentennial
18 Hosts at bed and breakfast
23 Ideal day
24 Named America’s __ beach (2009)
25 Astronomers tracking the stars
26 Lighthouse Inn cottage (ca. 1910)
27 Flat beach is great for this.
31 Favorite on-island cake
32 John Norris built nearby lighthouse
34 Island insiders’ favorite transport
35 Protected aquatic species with trunk enclosed in a shell
37 English word for Indian’s “Tybee”
38 Favorite day-boat taco
39 Popular pastime of migration field experts
40 “Turn Turtle”

DOWN
1 Shrimp boats, kayaks, pelicans, and seafood here.
2 Most popular Tybee attraction.
4 Breezy air
5 Favorite porch chairs
6 Popular footware
9 Tybee’s Barrier Island location off Georgia coast
11 Snow and sand types
14 Favorite marine, cetacean mammals to watch swimming.
16 1996 Summer Olympic Games (R) off Tybee Island coast
19 Beach views
20 34-star United States version to fly at nearby National Monument in 2012
21 Turtles become disoriented by lights on the beach from businesses and homes.
22 Pier celebration on July 4th annually
28 Ocean breeze
29 Christmas Bird Count
30 Stuart’s famous breakfast delight
33 Oldest house on Tybee Island, GA
36 Texture of beach

For more information:

April 2012: 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Fort Pulaski Near Tybee Island and Savannah GA

sandy — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:23:28 +0000

Honor the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011-2015) with a visit to Tybee Island, Georgia, and nearby Fort Pulaski National Monument on Cockspur Island. Lighthouse Inn’s historic cottage (ca. 1910) offers a gentle place to enjoy Georgia’s northernmost island on America’s east coast, and a sense of history in our beautifully restored Tybee beach inn.

“For nearly two months, Union troops erected 36 guns in 11 batteries on the western shore of Tybee Island. The Union cannons on Tybee Island, over a mile away, converged on Fort Pulaski on April 10, 1862. After 30 hours, the brick walls of the fort were breached, and the Confederate fort surrendered on April 11. The historic battle featured the first significant use of rifled artillery against a masonry fort and had international ramifications on the future design and construction of coastal forts. Fort Pulaski National will fly the 34-star United States flag from April 2012 until the end of the Civil War Sesquicentennial in April 2015.” – Source: Fort Pulaski National Monument

Lighthouse Inn Releases New Travel and Tourism Video, “For the Love of Old Tybee Island”

sandy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:38:20 +0000

A new travel and tourism video, “For the Love of Old Tybee Island” is released by Lighthouse Inn, a tidy, historic bed and breakfast on Tybee Island, Georgia. The video short re-introduces Tybee’s heritage, timeless seaside charm, panoramic views, and natural character that change only slightly with the seasons in the American South along the Georgia Coast.

TYBEE ISLAND, Georgia (December 19, 2011) – When asked, “What do you love most about Tybee?” Lighthouse Inn’s Susie Morris replies, “Old Tybee Island. It’s where one will feel the sense of heritage and being guided by serendipity instead of deadlines or itineraries along the wide-open seashore.”

The inn’s new travel video “For the Love of Old Tybee Island” is about the wonderful constants that draw thousands of visitors each year. Those constants include Lighthouse Inn, the island’s popular bed and breakfast.

Susie’s love of Tybee shines with more insights. “It is where an unhurried, leisured life encourages sociability, and lingering to savor the southerner’s love of getting away to refresh — happily and more freely along the beloved seashore. It’s where the panoramic views grab the eye, and no one is rushing you to move along.”

“Whether rocking on the porch with Stuart and I, along with other guests, or drifting along the shoreline, Tybee Island’s constants are here year around — the beautiful sunrise and sunset, folks casting or fishing, cycling, jogging, kayaking, the birds, sand dunes, and Tybee Lighthouse. The southern storytelling dates to tales of colonization, prohibition, military history, and resort life on the Georgia coast,” Susie continues.

From Lighthouse Inn on Tybee Island’s north shore, the bed and breakfast inn’s “guests are usually in search of peaceful relaxation, preferring to get lost in Old Tybee’s timeless spots, history-rich places, and taking in water activities,” Susie adds. “Can you think of a better escape than a few unhurried days at Tybee beach — no beds to make, no phones to answer, no meals to cook, birds singing a gentle welcome, the cooling island breeze, and Indian Summer weather most of the year?”

TYBEE ISLAND’S ATLANTIC OCEAN SHORE IS THE STAR ATTRACTION

The waterways are showcased in For the Love of Old Tybee Island, introducing travelers from near and abroad to the becalming, don’t-miss vantage points along America’s Healthiest Beach (2009), and the Best Place for a Winter Vacation (2011). During the 19th Century, Tybee Island’s Atlantic Ocean shore was the star attraction to Savannah’s city dwellers, arriving first by boat and then by train. In the 21st Century, the seashore remains the main attraction.

Like many of their lodging guests, the inn’s gentle innkeepers were eager to experience the slower pace and Tybee’s gentle breezes. “We left behind corporate careers to restore and settle into our darling U.S. Army officer’s cottage [built in 1910],” Susie concludes.

These southern innkeepers believe that Tybee Island and Lighthouse Inn make up their unpretentious paradise. Susie will tell you also that Tybee is the destination and Savannah is the day trip. Active in the arts and historic preservation, these island insiders are avid supporters of preserving the best of Old Tybee, including the restoration efforts at the Tybee Post Theatre and Tybee Light Station.

Filmed on one breezy day in early November 2011, the new video short reminds travelers to slow the pace, and take in Tybee Island’s world of natural beauty, wildlife, heritage, uncluttered public beaches, rich southern heritage, and the village-style congeniality.

Commissioned by Lighthouse Inn’s owners, Susie Morris and Stuart Liles, the 2.38 minute video was produced by Popcorn Octane LLC from Hilton Head Island, SC, and Savannah-based marketing executive Sandy Traub. Orlando Montoya narrates.

# # #

For more information:

February 17-20: Great Backyard Bird Count

sandy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:06:49 +0000

The 15th annual “Great Backyard Bird Count” takes place February 17-20, 2012.

CoastalGeorgiaBirding.org report states, “Perfect for New Birders”. The web site reports: “Anyone can participate in this free event and no registration is needed. Watch and count birds for at least 15 minutes on any day of the count, February 17-20, 2012. Enter your results at www.birdcount.org, where you can watch as the tallies grow across the continent. The four-day count typically records more than 10 million observations.

Although it’s called the Great ‘Backyard’ Bird Count, the count extends well beyond backyards. Lots of participants choose to head for national parks, nature centers, urban parks, nature trails, or nearby sanctuaries. For more information, including bird-ID tips, instructions, and past results, visit www.birdcount.org.”

February 3-4: Critz Tybee Run Fest

sandy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:57:04 +0000

Stay nearest Tybee Lighthouse on the running course at Lighthouse Inn! Running participants can choose to do 1, 2, 3, 4 or all 5 events. If you participate in all 5 events the distance add up to 26.2 miles — a full marathon. Visit critztybeerun.com for additional details.

Sponsors and event times are below.

North Beach Grill 5K Friday night at the Tybee Lighthouse
Sundae Cafe 10K Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m.
Critz Half Marathon Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m
Lighthouse Pizza 2.8 Mile Beach Run Saturday afternoon at 12:00 p.m.
YMCA 1 Mile Run Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.