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fishing or bird watching. Then run with your dog, nap on the soft sand or build sandcastles at low tide when retreating water expands the beach a couple of hundred yards, exposing sand bars and tidal pools. The island also boasts a charming selection of boutiques, restaurants and historic sites. Built in 1872, the St. Simons Island Lighthouse and keeper’s residence are Glynn County’s oldest surviving brick structures. The Maritime Center offers insight into the area’s natural, maritime and military history. For a regal experience, stay at the King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a member of Historic Hotels of America. Guests have been lured to this location since it first opened its doors in 1935 as a private dance club, drawn by its reputation for elegance and warm Southern hospitality. stsimonsisland.com. TYBEE ISLAND Just 20 minutes from Savannah’s Historic District, Tybee Island is the northeasternmost 34 | Newcomer Magazine | newcomeratlanta.com
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of Georgia's barrier islands. The party is on South Beach, with its wide stretch of sand, a pier for dolphin watching and nearby shops and restaurants. For a more private setting, live the dream of owning beachfront property and rent accommodations from Oceanfront Cottage Rentals or Tybee Vacation Rentals: Options range from condos to cottages to mansions. You can spend your entire stay lounging near the sea, or get up off that towel and discover what else Tybee Island has to offer. Charter a private ecology tour to explore the salt marsh that houses dozens of birds, turtles, dolphins, alligators, crabs and other creatures. Climb 178 steps to the top of the Tybee Island Light Station, a lighthouse that has guided sailors into the Savannah River since 1736. And see Fort Pulaski National Monument, where the brick walls were considered unbreachable until a two-day Civil War battle proved otherwise. Note that dogs are not allowed on the beach, since Tybee Island is an important nesting area for endangered sea turtles. visittybee.com.
SAPELO ISLAND About 50 miles south of Tybee along the coast is Sapelo Island, an 11-mile island with attractions such as the African American community of Hog Hammock, Reynolds Mansion (which dates back to 1810), Nanny Goat Beach, the University of Georgia Marine Institute and a lighthouse built in 1820. Because the island is owned by the state and only accessible by ferry, guests must make a reservation to visit it. Visitors can stay overnight one of two ways: at the Reynolds Mansion (groups only) or by camping at the Cabretta Campground. Even if you’re not staying at the mansion, it’s worth visiting. Built by Thomas Spalding, it includes marble sculptures, an ornately decorated Circus Room, murals by Athos Menaboni, a bowling lane, billiards and a library. Just inland is the city of Darien, which has several restaurants and boutiques in its downtown area. gastateparks.org/reynoldsmansion.