jschrenkler.typepad.com > twin cities to tybee

ready & rarin' to go

One of my favorite things in the whole world is having everything packed and ready for a trip, so the morning of departure is all about coffee and fun. For the Twin Cities to Tybee trip we left Tuesday afternoon, so it just sort of shifted to getting everything ready to go in the morning. 4 p.m. couldn't come soon enough.

What's that contraption on top? Glad you wondered. Added a Tug-a-Bug bike trailer (.pdf) for a certain 6-year-old bug to ride. It didn't fit into the Paulchen Bike rack and it isn't like the Westy isn't already a victim of poor aerodynamics, so I strapped it to the luggage rack.

good night, clouds

To prepare for a long overnight drive (it runs about 18 hours) I sacked out in the back for an hour or two. Opened my eyes and... vacation.

black and white and red all over, with sky blue sky behind

Every tourist is compelled to visit and photograph The Tybee Island Lighthouse.

178 steps later

The view from above.

taller than you'd imagine

Unfortunately I didn't hold a quarter or a yardstick up against the Fresnel lens to compare the scale, since this lighthouse light is 9ft tall.

one step at a time

There's 178 open steps to the top of the lighthouse, all winding upward until you turn around and face the same view going down. I believe the official prayer of tourists boils down to, "Gravity, don't take me."

psst, you've got a boogie board right...there

We had to secure the boogie board to the (then removed) bike rack to keep it from blowing about the campground.

tug-a-cute-as-a-bug

We bought a Tug-a-bug trailer (made by Sun Bicycles) for team transportation of the world's smartest kid. She was so smart she realized she didn't have to pedal the entire time. She loved every minute of riding what she called the "Hug a bug."

When I wasn't taking pictures on the rides, I was encouraging her to help pedal.

turn right, here

Don't look at the palm trees, the other signage, or the locals and miss the turn.

wave back!

We saw wild dolphins each day (although they were fairly far out) at the beach, but they're hard to capture by camera. The waves were reliable, though.

shady

Top popped (Site #68 July 12, 13, and 14 2007) at River's End Campground on Tybee Island, Georgia.

signs, signs

Amusing? Charming? Profound? I'm guessing it was put up with a full heart by people who mean it. Nothing wrong with that.

please feed the alligators

The "Gator Lagoon" at The Crabshack. The 6 year old couldn't resist feeding the alligators, which meant we couldn't resist paying for the treats.

as if from another planet...

One morning, a mysterious grey rectangular Vanagon appears near a Holiday Inn Express and is admired by the guests.

We three sprung for a hotel room on Sunday night. Each of us had certain criteria:

Adult #1: Is there a "meat locker" setting on the Air Conditioner?
Adult #2: Is there a room?
6 yo: Is there a Pool?

Answers:
Close enough.
Yes. Affordable and clean, too.
We wouldn't stay anywhere without one for you, honey.

don't fence me in

A tree grows in Athens! You don't have to ask which came first.

heading home

The trip was too short, and this sunset too lovely.

night at the rest stop, half empty

Where you are depends on your perspective.

We snoozed for a few hours at a rest stop in southern Illinois.

night at the rest stop, half full

Where you are depends on your perspective.

the weather moves in

Why do all the cars coming towards us have their lights on? Look up.

pass under the bridge

From one cloud cluster to another. The Vanagon windshield allows for such sweeping views...

where did we go, where did we go now?

Thanks, Google maps.