Newly refurbished and redecorated Condo Banana in HOT (Home of Travelers) Coral House on Tybee Island
Wireless DSL Internet service.
You don't cross any street to get to the beach. We are the 3rd house off the beach; that is, two houses are between HOT Coral House and the beach. We are less than 1 block from a public beach access, which is an elevated wooden walkway that starts at our street (2nd Ave) and crosses about 50 feet of dunes before ending on the beach. We have a beach wagon (similar to a Radio Flyer) that you can load your beach gear on and pull onto the beach. Bikes are also available to guests --- a great way to explore the island.
A queen bed in the bedroom and a queen sofa-bed in the living room can sleep up to 4 people. For added comfort, central air conditioning is supplemented by a window air conditioner on the west side of the house.
Condo Banana is on the 1st floor just 3 steps up from the street and it is all on one level.
Restaurants Nearby: Within a block:
1) McElwhee's Seafood,
2) Thai & Hawaiian Cuisine
3) Sundae Cafe - a hole-in-the-wall, white-tablecloth, Gourmet
restaurant. Sundaes? Nah. (go figure) But The Sugar Shack has great ones.
4) The Sugar Shack - a decidedly downscale, inexpensive
place that serves a good breakfast, sandwiches, and hand-
dipped ice cream. Indoor or covered outdoor dining.
The 2 Lighthouses: Two lighthouses less than 3 miles apart but so radically different in character. As you approach Tybee Island, you see the impressive Tybee Light in the distance. Tall, dark, and handsome with a white cummerbund. He was honored a couple of years ago when he got his own US postage stamp. (In lighthouse circles that is akin to an Oscar.) But then as you cross the Lazaretto bridge onto Tybee Island, you look down to the left and blink. Is that a lighthouse in the water? Indeed it is. That's plucky little Cockspur Lighthouse. Weathered, plain white masonry. Not flashy at all, except ... At every high tide Cockspur stands in the ocean well off-shore. Only at low tide does the stony spur appear that supports the little lighthouse. A firm foundation after all.
Lost in the 40's/50's: So far the quaint shopping district near the pier has pretty much escaped the wrecking ball. Witness Arby's --- Tybee Island's only fast food restaurant. This is pretty much what Arby's looked like when they began in the early 60's. As for shopping, no Sak's here. We're talking beach shopping: T-shirts, souvenirs, Sno-Cones, umbrella drinks, seafood. But remember, for culture and serious shopping, there is colorful, historic Savannah, just 20-25 minutes away. Recommended reading: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, an amusing look at Savannah's high- and low-life (about 2 years on the NY Times nonfiction best seller list).
HOT Coral House is located about mid-beach between south beach (home of the pier and shopping) and north beach ( home of the majestic Tybee Light and the former Ft. Screven, now a museum).
