We’d heard so much about how amazing the Georgia night sky and stars were before we arrived in Savannah. Instead of checking them out from the middle of the city, we opted to head over to Tybee Island to take in the sunset and see what all the fuss was about…

Tybee Island is a small city, around 18 miles east of Savannah, across the Bull River and Lazaretto Creek on I80.  Tybee is one of many coastal islands along the North Atlantic coast of Georgia and is a peaceful neighbour to nearby Hilton Head Island.
>>

A little bit of history…

Tybee Island, apart from it sunsets, is famous for the role it played during the American Civil War. When Union soldiers laid siege along the north coast, they captured nearby Fort Pulaski and helped them gain advantage in the conflict. The fighting at Fort Pulaski saw the first use of rifled cannons in the conflict.

The scenery between Savannah and Tybee Island
Tybee Island Lighthouse, where we decided to take in the Georgia sunset, is one of the few remaining operational lighthouses from the 18th Century. It stands at approximately 94ft high and is open to the public for tours during office hours. The lighthouse is set beside the historic light station and both buildings are painted in striking black and white.
The lighthouse is located in the Screven Fort in Battery Garland. The Fort was used as a defence system by the United States until it was de-commissioned in 1947.  It is now listed as a national conservation area.
As we weren’t visiting during office hours, the lighthouse was closed and the surrounding park and lot were deserted. It cost us just a couple of bucks to park up the car for an hour and gave us the chance to wander around, undisturbed, and take in the fading sunlight.
..

When the sun goes down…

The great thing about amazing sunsets on the coast is that you can see them coming for miles. As the Riverwalk in Savannah was voted as one of the best sunset watching spots in the US, we suspected the added bonus of the lighthouse might give Tybee Island the edge. We were right.

As much as I adore wandering along Savannah’s Riverwalk night or day (especially if I can drop into Wet Willie’s for a frozen cocktail or three), Tybee Island Lighthouse was completely deserted and well sheltered from the coastal breeze. The weather was hot and the conditions were perfect for sitting back, doing nothing more than enjoying the show.

When the light began to fade, the shadows cast by the sun across the lighthouse were simply stunning. It seemed every minute that passed, the sky became more intense and the colours were beautiful. After watching the sun completely sink into the horizon, there was nothing more to do but head through Tybee Island and see what the locals got up to after dark. It would have been rude not to.

Here are a few snaps we took of the magical Tybee Island sunset.

The Lighthouse and Light Station at Tybee Island
The fading sun…
Georgia does awesome sunsets…

Have you caught the sunset on Tybee Island?

 

Suz xx