Skidaway Island Book

Skidaway Island is one of Savannah’s larger coastal islands, found just past the Isle of Hope. Home to a State Park popular with campers, it provides yet another great escape from the city.

The campgrounds at Skidaway State Park are secluded and peaceful. But we don’t have a tent, so just spent a few sunny hours exploring the woods. There are a couple trails to choose from, and we went with the 3-mile Big Ferry Trail. The nature was beautiful; live oaks covered in Spanish moss, marshes, shell middens and views of the intercoastal waterways.

The trail was almost too simple and the three miles passed by in a flash. We came upon a Prohibition-era bootlegging spot with barrels still rotting in place, and earthworks from the Civil War where Confederates prepared for a Union assault that never came. Near the water, there’s an observation deck from where people more patient than us might spot a bird or two. We gave it a couple seconds, “Bah! Stupid hiding birds”, and left.

Perhaps the most fun we had on Skidaway Island was driving further east past the State Park. Well… as far east as we could manage. All around are gated communities with names like The Landings and Deer Run. SUV after SUV pulled up to and through the gates. Fluffy-coifed soccer moms and weary red-nosed business guys. It was Sunday, so there was also a lot of church traffic. And there are a lot of churches! Sheesh, besides its park, Skidaway is 90% churches and gated communities. American Dream, y’all.

Location on our Savannah Map

- Savannah Tours

Fort Pulaski History Book

The road to Tybee Island takes you right by Cockspur Island, home to Fort Pulaski. Originally built after the War of 1812, the fort is now a national monument.

Fort Pulaski has been well-maintained by the National Park Service, and a visit is interesting both for the architecture and the history of the place. When Georgia seceded from the Union in 1860, confederate troops moved into the impenetrable stronghold. Savannah had one of the South’s most important ports, and control of Fort Pulaski guaranteed the flow of goods so vital to the war effort.

Fort Pulaski was thought to be unassailable. Over a mile away from Tybee Island, there was no solid ground close enough for Union cannons to damage the fort. But the South didn’t know that the Yanks had a new weapon … and Fort Pulaski would be its first test subject. The rifled cannon proved to be a very effective weapon indeed. After about 30 hours of devastating bombardment from a mile away, the white flag went up. Union troops secured the fort and effectively shut down Savannah as a Confederate resource. It was a huge loss for the South.

There are guided tours of the fort every day, and a walk around Cockspur Island is also recommendable — plenty of wildlife call the island home (we saw a deer). Check out the National Park Service’s website for schedules and a ton of history and information about the fort. And if you can’t get there yourself, at least enjoy our pictures!

Fort Pulaski National Monument @ NPS.org
Location of Fort Pulaski

Click here to buy kayaks online

My brother Jeffrey, a pasty white land-lubber from the middle of the middle-est state in America, was visiting us during his birthday. As a present, we took him out kayaking. “What is this?”, he shrieked, voice full of terror.

“That’s the ocean, Jeffrey. It’s just water.”

Our brother-in-law Joe had come up from Jacksonville to partake in the fun, and we all arrived early at North Island Surf & Kayak, on the interior border of Tybee Island. The usual proprietor was out-of-town, and his parents were down from Augusta to manage the place. They were a super-friendly couple, fully possessed of that southern tendency to chat openly with complete strangers. It still takes me off-guard to suddenly be swapping stories about my childhood or their dog who’d been poisoned by malicious neighbors, with someone I’ve just met.

The four of us spent the whole day out on the water — split between paddling up the Lazaretto Creek which flows inland, and then into the ocean. Joe and I managed to spot dolphins, one of which surfaced just ten feet from my kayak. Although Jeffrey and Juergen weren’t so lucky, we all had an awesome time. Being outdoors on a perfect, warm fall morning, exercising muscles that haven’t been used in probably 10 years… it was a great way to spend the day.

The kayaks cost us $40 apiece to rent for an entire day, which seems perfectly fair. They were of good quality — despite being total newbies to the sport, none of us were ever in danger of capsizing. And the North Island shop is perfectly situated; you can choose to go upstream, paddle over to Fort Pulaski, or just along the coast of Tybee. They also do day-long guided tours.

North Island Surf & Kayak
Across the Lazaretto Creek Bridge on Tybee Island
Location on our Map
912-786-4000

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