What I did on my summer vacation

This month, I took my first vacation in three years and visited Georgia with my mom. Now it’s my turn to write a column, so I’ll take a stab at travel writing for a completely biased review of a few of Savannah and Tybee Island’s many, many attractions.

Old Savannah Tours: Hop in a trolley and ride through the city’s historic district and riverfront. The tour guides were fun and knowledgeable, pointing out everything from pre-Revolution landmarks to Forrest Gump’s bench. Several actors boarded the bus and gave faces to the stories.

The company also offers ghost tours highlighting the sordid side of Savannah, which I highly recommend.

The Pirates’ House: Three words, “honey pecan chicken.” But this place’s history makes it worth a visit no matter how hungry you are.

The Pirates’ House was founded in 1753 as an inn for sailors. It became a hangout for privateers. According to the tour guide, privateers would forcibly sailors by drinking bar patrons under the table, knocking them out, and dragging them from the tavern basement to the harbor by a tunnel. Nowadays, the tunnel entrance is bricked up to prevent children from wandering in and animals from running out (there were incidents) but you can access the basement on some tours.

Not only is its real history fantastical, but The Pirates’ House also inspired part of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island.”

Crystal’s Beer Parlor: I don’t know much about the history of this restaurant, but its vintage bar aesthetic is flawless and the food was darn good. I’m fully aware these are fighting words, but this place serves the best peach cobbler I’ve ever eaten.

Tybee Island Light Station and Museum: This is the tallest and oldest in Georgia. Mom and I climbed all 178 steps, with several breaks, and were rewarded with a stunning view. The old keepers’ cottages now form a fascinating, multi-building museum. The lighthouse’s Fresnel lens is always lit and most visible at night.

The beach: Tybee’s beaches were uncrowded when we visited, due to early autumn weather and the waning tourist season. The south end of the island, which has the pavilion and most of the shops and eateries, was busier than the north.

I enjoyed watching the shorebirds — next time, I want to look for sea turtles and take a dolphin boat tour.

As a side note, the beach prohibits pets except medical service animals.

The Tybee Island cats: You didn’t expect me to leave out the cats, did you? Tybee residents collectively care for the island’s cat population. They’re sterilized through a trap-neuter-return program and live out their days lounging in the sun, eating seafood, and enjoying the adoration of tourists.

Samantha Tucker is assistant editor of the Daily American Republic and Dexter Statesman. She can be reached at stucker@darnews.com.