FEBRUARY 2017 TYBEEBEACHCOMBER.COM Island’s Guide for fun ! TAXI TALES A NEW YEAR’S EVE SAGA HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! FALLING IN LOVE WITH AN ISLAND ISLANDS FERAL CATS INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW Photo by Billy Harrell Falling In Love with an Island By Micheal Elliott February is for people who love Tybee unplugged, stripped down and naked! The tourists are gone. So are the lines to pretty much everything. Hotel rooms are plentiful. Vacation rental houses are at basement bargain prices for those who can afford ‘em. There’s empty spots at the Campground or, if you know someone, they’ll likely let you stay at their place just to ensure everything’s alright during Winter. Solitude abounds. Brisk walks on a windy beach blow in a different type of refreshment. Oysters are in season and, while the Season’s over, plenty of fresh Shrimp are frozen and ready to be cooked. Fire pits and hot tubs scatter the island and with any effort at all, become available to enjoy the blackest of Ocean nights ablaze with stars and the Milky Way itself. When warmth is demanded, it’s easily found in the bars and restaurants where the heat is cranked, rooms are full of body heat, conversations are hot, and acceptance as a local is fast and furious. Clothes are on sale in the surf shops. Something’s happening at the American Legion every Thursday and the band plays in front of a large fire place at Marlin Monroe’s on Sundays. Oyster roasts are everywhere. Every place has tremendous Valentine’s Day Specials for romantic interludes or wild group celebrations of love! Aside from the Holiday though, February on island is Tybee at its most laid back, unpretentious, uncrowded, unhip, unpopular yet incredibly wickedly delightful escape destination! Lots make an annual pilgrimage to be here this time of year! If you need proof, stick your head in Monty Park’s Tuesday Night Acoustic Jam in the back room of Doc’s Bar! Musicians from everywhere gather to play, practice, pretend, pontificate and show off the promise of music! Half the players are full time locals while the others are ... well ... full time locals for as long as they’re here. Traffic to and from Savannah is light and easy so jaunts off island are more enjoyable and, while the City is crowded, it’s more manageable than any other time of year. Savannah certainly has its fair share of charms that should be enjoyed but to get away from it all, Tybee in February is best. When you need provisions, the IGA is not crowded and there’s time to see how really great it is! Order lunch from the Deli and you will be overwhelmed by what you get for the price. Meet Matt behind the meat counter and again be shocked at the high quality and low prices! Enjoy not standing in line and the greatest check out staff anywhere! There’s a saying that everyone who comes to Tybee Island is either running to ... or from ... something. If you’re running towards anonymity, beautiful sunrises, pastel painted skies, no traffic, no lines, friendly accepting people, good music, great food and real time away ... Tybee in February is perfection. If you’re running from unrelenting expectations, congestion, demanding schedules, reservations required, fast food, the same ol’ same ol’ ... Tybee in February is the perfect hideaway. If you come in the Spring, Summer or fall, Tybee will be different but in February, it’s hard not to fall in love with this island. Tybee Area Code Tybee Island Lighthouse ............................................ 786-4077 Marine Science Center .............................................. 786-5917 912Digits Tybee Post Theater ................................................... 472-4790 Fishing License (Chu’s on Campbell) .......................... 786-5904 Emergency- Police, Fire, Medical ............................... 911 Dizzy Dean’s Liquor, Beer & Wine .............................. 786-4500 Police NON-Emergency ............................................. 786-5600 XYZ Liquors .............................................................. 786-4822 Fire NON-Emergency ................................................ 472-5062 Ocean Rescue .......................................................... 786-9873 Tybee Golf Carts ....................................................... 226-9676 Fat Tire Bikes ........................................................... 786-4013 City Hall ................................................................... 786-4573 Tim’s Bike & Beach Gear ........................................... 786-8467 Library ..................................................................... 786-7733 Burke’s Beach Rentals, Inc ........................................ 547-8145 Parking Services ....................................................... 472-5101 Island Hoppers ......................................................... 786-8282 Post Office ............................................................... 786-9632 River’s End Campground ........................................... 786-5518 Shuttle Services Visitor’s Center/Chamber .......................................... 786-5444 Breezy Riders ........................................................... 665-9988 YMCA ....................................................................... 786-9622 Island’s Taxi............................. ................................. 786-8688 American Legion Post #154 ...................................... 786-5356 Tybee Turtle Transit ............................................. 361-TURTLES Tybee Map TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JAN 2017 1 Photo by Wen McNally Features... 16 8 Cover Story TAXI TALES THE FERAL CAT PROJECT Ending the year with a bang Helping our Feline friends Inside Cover 29 fallinG IN LOVE WITH AN ISLAND FOODIE FINDS A February Ode to Tybee Meet our youngest contributor Ms...Alain...eous From the EDITOR Happy Anniversary Tybee Beachcomber!! Two years! That may not seem like a long time to some folks, but for those with their nose to the grindstone and the motto of “Just keep swimming,” it is a long time full of blood, sweat, tears, screams, bitch slaps, hugging it out, choking you out, and excess alcohol. I shudder to see us all in 10 years! We can have the staff meetings at Tybee’s version of Georgia Regional (so … my house it is). LOL!! We love it! So on that happy note I want to proclaim a huge thank you to all the 42 bodies that showed up January 8th for our cover shoot. It was ass cold and it was tough to lie on that sand with the sun shining on one’s face without smiling and grimacing at the same time. Love each and every one of you for taking one for the team. Never forget: The yellow dog will always be under the pink umbrella for you … not really, but is sounds great! Also, a special shout out to Billy Harrell of River Rat Productions for his excellent drone work and to BeeGee Harrington for being our Logistical Goddess. We couldn’t have done February’s cover without y’all being front and center. Ah, February. As Tybee girds its loins to prepare for another exciting edition of Spring Break ought ’17, let us take this opportunity to enjoy the moment. O.K. You done? Me too! We had several hilarious responses to our Mad Lib game. Some were so hilarious they are virtually unprintable. So, off to Facebook they go! As Jimmy Prosser did kind of invite the naughty to come out in all of us, we had to do a bit of editing, but the winner is Joy Baker! You will find her gift certificate winning entry somewhere in the following pages. Joy call me. We are going Publishers to Bernie’s for stuffed fried shrimp! Rick Flynn & Alaina Loughridge This month’s winner of the Traveling Beachcomber is Greg and Carol Layout & Design Stoeffler! They travelled all the way to Machu Picchu, Peru to show off the Rick Flynn Tybee Beachcomber! Great picture!! Call me! We are going to A-J’s for conch Layout Editor fritters! Well, y’all are going to A-J’s, but I’m pretty sure if you wanted a third Margie McLellan person I could make arrangements to be available. Photographer So, Happy Anniversary to us, Happy February to y’all and let the games begin!! Wen McNally Social Media THE FERAL CAT PROJECT Betsey Jenkins Helping our Feline friends Advertising & Sales Alaina Loughridge Mike Manitta Contact Us Yearly Subscriptions Available FaceBook: Tybee Beachcomber Email: [email protected] 29 P.O. Box 58, Tybee Island, GA 31328 Phone: 912-675-5261 Website: tybeebeachcomber.com FOODIE FINDS The writers and advertisers all have various opinions that do not neccessarily represent those of Tybee Beachcomber LLC. TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | FEB 2017 3 FREE Delivery and Pickup! TYBEE Free Parking with all our Carts • Best way to get around Tybee GOLF CARTSStreet Legal Golf Carts! 4 , 6 & 8 Seaters Available Largest Fleet and Lowest Prices! 801 1st Street TybeeGolfCarts.com 912-226-9676 Experience the pleasure Dolphin Adventure: Adults $15 Children $8 (2 yrs. & under free) of seeing the friendly Sunset Cruises: Adults $18 Bottle Nose Dolphins Children $11 (13+) playing in their natural Deep Sea Fishing habitat on this 1 to 1.5 hr. Free Parking & Loads of Fun! cruise towards the Restaurant • Gift Shop • Restrooms Atlantic Ocean. Reservations Recommended VOTED TybeeDolphins.com TYBEE’S BEST USCG INSPECTED VESSELS • SAFE • COMFORTABLE • RELIABLE ADVENTURE TOUR Directions from Tybee Island: Go west on HWY 80, turn le at the last road before Lazaretto Creek Bridge (at the “Capt. Mikes’s Dolphin Adventure” Billboard). Go until the dead end & turn right. 800-242-0166 or 912-786-5848 • [email protected] • 1 Old US HWY 80 • Tybee