R wasn’t feeling hungry this morning so I ate breakfast at the Turbine Market & Café which is part of the hotel. I ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast and, honestly, was slightly disappointed. The eggs and bacon were okay though not spectacular. I was most disappointed that my toast was too toasted, to the point of being black. I looked over the plan for the day and made some notes over breakfast until R came down. He just wanted a coffee so we walked across the street to Black Rifle Coffee Company for him. I’m not a coffee drinker so this is not from personal experience, but I heard a couple people commenting that Black Rifle coffee is better tasting and cheaper than Starbucks. Black Rifle Coffee and Nine Line apparel share a storefront so you can peruse the apparel while your coffee is made. 

The weather is much improved over yesterday, still some gusty winds but no pouring rain and somewhat warmer temperatures. It took us about 30-35 minutes to drive from the hotel to Tybee Island. Leaving early, about 9:30am, meant less traffic and I highly suggest checking traffic before leaving as Tybee is a popular spot for locals and visitors. We decided to visit the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum which is maintained by the Tybee Island Historical Society. Entry to the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum is $12 per person and is a fun way to spend a couple hours. Absolutely no backpacks are permitted, even if you have a backpack-style purse. There are some lockers available if you leave your ID or a small cash deposit which you reclaim when you return the lock. Best to leave all backpacks safely out of sight in your locked car, especially if you plan to go to the beach after. Parking at the light station is limited to 2 hours and there is another, unlimited, pay to park lot just down the street. 

The lighthouse is on the northeast end of Tybee Island, at the entrance to the Savannah River, and dates back to 1736. At 145 feet tall, this is the oldest and tallest lighthouse in Georgia. It is one of few surviving colonial era lighthouses, though it was highly modified in the mid-1800s. The current light is a 1st order Fresnel lens which can be seen 18 miles out to see. There have been 6 day marks, color and pattern of the lighthouse, since 1867. Distinguishable to mariners by daylight, the current day mark is the same as the 4th day mark which was in use from 1918 to 1965. Climb the 178 steps to the top of the lighthouse to see the light and lens up close and, if you’re adventurous and do not have a fear of heights, take a walk along the catwalk for 360 degree views. Hold onto your hat and sunglasses because it is windy up here! The catwalk also offers a bird’s eye view of the light keeper’s cottages and summer kitchen. The 1899 Military Battery housing the Tybee Island Museum is visible across the street and the waves break along the beach just beyond. Inclement weather can close the lighthouse and catwalk without warning. Be mindful on the way back down the stairs of people making their climb up. The spiral stairs are steep and the handrail is only on one side. Take a moment to pause at each landing to peek out the windows, catch your breath if you need, and give climbers an opportunity to pass while being able to use the handrails. 

Walk through the restored light keepers’ cottages for a glimpse into the life of a light keeper family. Life would have been pretty lonely here and the light keepers and their families had to be fairly self-sufficient as trips into town would have been difficult until modern technology and transportation developed easier options. The Garage/Gift Shop forms the exit to the Light Station portion of the complex. Walk down the street if you’re interested in the Tybee Island Museum and the Fort Screven Battery Garland. I expect the average person could spend 20-30 minutes in the museum and see everything. 

We did not go to the beach but it would be a great way to spend the afternoon. It is a popular spot for locals too and can get rather busy. There are a couple restaurants right off the beach or you can pack a picnic lunch. The island has several other food and shopping options though not right on the beach. Our parking time at the light station was set to expire and we decided to head back into the city. Traffic to the island had gotten much heavier in the time we were there and people were ready to enjoy the weather, though I still wasn’t warm enough to throw on a swimsuit and sit by the water. 

Back in Savannah, R and I decided to go for a late lunch at Little Duck Diner. Unfortunately they had an hour and a half plus wait so we joined the waitlist and opted for a split lunch. Coco & Moss is a sushi restaurant just across the street and is part of the same restaurant group that owns Flock to the Wok, Little Duck Diner, and several other restaurants in the downtown area. The food was good and service was great. I felt better after a steaming hot bowl of miso soup and a sushi roll. We went back to Little Duck Diner and finished off our split lunch. The LDD is a breakfast all day diner vine with some Instagram worthy cocktails (spoiler alert, you get a miniature rubber duck in your drinks!). The strawberry lychee Bellini was good but very sweet, even for me. The little rubber ducky may have been a bit tipsy and spent half the time face down in my drink (don’t worry, no rubber ducks were harmed in the making of this drink!). Honestly, the food was disappointing and the lavender bubble bath drink should most definitely be a hard pass. The food was okay but I wouldn’t wait an hour plus for it and the lavender bubble bath is an appropriately named drink due to the soap like texture and taste of whatever the top layer was. Take my word for it and order something else. Honestly, order your drinks to go and take your rubber duck for a walk. Savannah is an open container city so you can stroll along with a milkshake or alcohol (both come with your new rubber duck friend) as long as it is in a plastic container and save yourself the disappointing meal. 

We like to do some kind of tour each time we visit and R requested a pub crawl. Neither one of us drinks like we’re in college anymore but we do enjoy a good story and drinks so we opted for the True Crime Pub Crawl – the Original Savannah Murder Tour. We met our guide Rocky outside Mint to Be Mojitos just before 5:30pm for our tour. Rocky shared that the bars were busy and asked if anyone had dinner reservations so she could help keep track of time. I suggest not having dinner reservations the night of this tour because it can last from 1.5-2.5 hours. Of course you can leave the tour early but there’s no fun in that. The true crime stories were great and we heard about the questionable connections and antics of some of Savannah’s upper crust society throughout the centuries. The drinks were strong, the humor dark, and the tour passed quickly and enjoyably. Rocky made rounds and chatted with everyone while we got drinks at the different bars. We ended the tour at La Aparicion Speakeasy Lounge which is one of Savannah’s trendy speakeasies. You have to have a passcode and know where to locate the door to get in. The cool thing about La Aparicion, other than being a passcode protected speakeasy, is each drink is made with a light in it! 

Rocky recommended a Chinese restaurant called E-Tang while she chatted with us. She said Flock to the Wok was good but E-Tang blew it out of the water and she was completely right. E-Tang is more out of the way and is not a touristy spot. It is clear this is a spot where the locals go and I have added it to our must return list. The food is served family style so we ordered a few different dishes to share. R was concerned that we were going to have a bunch of leftover food since we ordered 5 dishes but it was after 8pm and we were hungry. I am slightly embarrassed with how much food we ate and how quickly we ate it. Only slightly though; it was good. I highly recommend the soup dumplings and the string beans, my personal favorite. Be sure to read the menu to understand how to eat the soup dumplings or you will burn your mouth. Basically, you use tongs to put the dumpling on a spoon, use chopsticks to poke a hole in the dumpling which releases the steaming hot soup, drink the soup, and eat the dumpling in bites. It sounds like a lot of work for a dumpling but, trust me. I do not play when it comes to food and it is a big deal for me to have a list of “must return” restaurants and bars. R laughed when the bill came and said it was the most cost-effective meal of the trip and probably both our favorites.

We were both slightly uncomfortable yet completely satisfied on the walk back to the hotel. The only downside is that it was about a 30 minute walk but it did allow us to ‘walk off’ some of the food. We were soon changed into pajamas and climbing into bed. The combination of a lot of walking, a fair bit of alcohol, and full stomachs eased us both to sleep quickly.