Peak Season Begins
Although I’ve been a part-time resident here on Tybee since 2015, this is my first year as a full-time resident and hence, my first summer season. Reading on Facebook and NextDoor.com over the years, I’ve seen the locals get a bit grumpy about all the extra people, illegal parking, traffic, litter and poor golf cart driving. Very understandable! During the 20+ summers we spent many weekends and longer stays at my in-laws’ house in Rockport, Massachusetts, we used to deal with most of the same things (minus the golf carts). The trade-offs that come with living in a beach town during the summer season aren’t new to me. Luckily, I think I can avoid most of the headaches by simply keeping my car parked at home on the weekends!
Memorial Day weekend I had no specific plans. Late Saturday morning, my niece called to meet her at the beach. I expected to see tons of traffic on the local roads between my house and North Beach, but there was hardly any. I was surprised to see empty spaces at the campground. The parking lot at the beach was full, but that wasn’t a problem for me because I rode my bike. There were plenty of people on the beach but it didn’t seem exceptionally over-crowded to me. I don’t know how the southern end of the island, by the pier, compared. It’s usually busier there.
I heard Sunday was a different story. Parking lots on the south end were full by 9 am, and traffic on the one road in was backed up by 10 am. I spent the day on my back deck, where all I could hear most of the day were songbirds and air conditioners, with an occasional golf cart bumping down the dirt road on the other side of the marsh.
Monday’s weather wasn’t as nice, so it was relatively quiet.
This weekend, June 1 & 2, was beautiful, weather-wise. Saturday would have been a perfect beach day, but I skipped it because I found myself out of sunscreen! The UV Index was 9! I could really feel it on my short walks with the dog, so I otherwise stayed home in the shade.
Sunday, before my weekly Zoom writing session, the UV Index was lower so I made time for a beach walk. Here are some of the things I saw:
Cockspur Lightouse, standing since before the Civil War.
The closest beach to my house is technically the Savannah River. I love the curve of this beach; it reminds me of old postcards.
Waves where the Savannah River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Shrimp boat in the distance.
Pelicans dove and dolphins frolicked, but the only picture I could get was of this dolphin tour boat.
You can’t see them, but dragonflies hovered like drones over this woody beach debris. Note the discarded horseshoe crab shell.
I didn’t see anyone reel anything in today.
Baby dune in the middle of the path.
My house is between two beach entrances. This is the one without a wooden crossover.
Same path as above, with my back to the ocean.
Just a random house I walked past that I thought looked pretty.
Hurricane season started yesterday! Two days down, 181 more to go!