Tybee Island, Georgia
TYBEE ISLAND IS A LAID-BACK beach town, an unhurried place that drifts along at an unhurried pace. Residents of nearby Savannah, just 18 miles away, have long taken advantage of the sun, surf and sand along its three-mile-long beach, and Tybee also draws vacationers from the rest of Georgia, the Atlantic coast and beyond.
The island also has played a role in U.S. history. More than three decades before he took the reins of the Confederate army, Robert E. Lee helped direct the construction of nearby Fort Pulaski, built after the War of 1812 as part of a coastal defense system aimed at ending the threat of invasion from Britain or elsewhere. Fort Screven, named for a hero of the American Revolution, was constructed later on the island for the same reason. Part of the fort now serves as the Tybee Island
At A Glance Population:
Average Temp: Average Age:
Nearest Hospital: Georgia Regional Hospital - Savannah
Nearest Major Airport: Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport
Tybee Island Info: Tybee Island Chamber of Commerce
www.tybeevisit.com (800) 868-2322
www.RetiringToGa.com |
www.HotRetirementTowns.com |
www.CarolinaHomesAndInteriors.com
3,893 65 F 47
Museum. At the Fort Pulaski National Monument, visitors can participate in a wide range of tours and demonstrations. Another relic of the past, one
that remains viable in the present, is the Tybee Island Light Station. The lighthouse, located near the mouth of the Savannah River, has been guiding ships since 1736 and, at 90 feet tall, at one time was the highest structure in America. The original lighthouse has been replaced several times. Tybee Island blossomed as a
resort in the late 19th century, when the Central of Georgia Railroad reached the island. The railroad also built the Tybrisa Pavilion in 1891, attracting increasing numbers of summer tourists and hastening the construction of the hundreds of summer cottages needed to house them. Three decades later, U.S. Route 80 was finished, tying Tybee
to the mainland and making it more convenient for vacationers to spend time on the island. People looking for fun found it at the pavilion, which featured an open dance floor and was a stop on Big Band tours. Developers followed, and, by 1940, the island had four hotels and a large number of smaller lodges. The Tybrisa Pavilion burned
to the ground in 1967 and was eventually replaced by the Tybee Pier and Pavilion, which opened in 1996. It is now a popular fishing spot and also is used for dances, concerts and other special events, including weddings and family reunions. A wide range of restaurants, modern hotels and motels, luxury condos and quaint inns and cottages all have found a home on Tybee, but the island retains its laid-back feel, going so far as to host an annual Beach Bum Parade.
www.RetiringToGeorgia.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76