Looking for a great beach vacation to close out the summer? Already planning for a fall break getaway? Need beach inspiration for next year's vacation? Regardless of your reason to find a beach vacation that is close enough to a great town but also gives off Hilton Head-esq vibes, I would add Tybee Island to your list. Normally, we travel to destinations in Florida and South Carolina when taking beach trips, so I have never visited Tybee Island before, but I was so surprised at how much I liked it! It checks all of the boxes for a weekend getaway or family-friendly beach vacation and I would go again in a heartbeat.

While the beaches were great and there were plenty of activities, I would describe the food scene on Tybee Island as up and coming. There are several island staples like Lighthouse Pizza, but most restaurants seemed to be fairly new. We had a few hits and misses for dinner, but out best meals came from when the whole family either had pizza for takeout or cooked on the grill at the VRBO rental.

The best meals that we had came from a coffee shop right by our Airbnb, Tybean Coffee, and a seafood restaurant that is a Tybee Island relic...The Crab Shack. Every morning, Nick and I would go for a run, and then stop by Tybean Coffee for an iced coffee and a breakfast burrito. There was another coffee shop on the South side of the island that was great, but Tybean felt a little more authentic and home grown.

If you are looking for more food options and some beautiful, historic buildings and homes, then I definitely recommend taking at least a day trip to Savannah. Nick and I did a Segway tour with this company and it was so much fun! I was a little nervous to ride the Segway, but it is actually way easier than it looks. Plus, it was a great way to see the city and get a good idea of great places to see and eat. We stopped at a British pub for lunch (Nick always finds one no matter where we go) and saw houses that could have been straight out of a Judy Garland movie.

Overall, I would go back to Tybee Island in a heartbeat. I loved the island feel and that once you cross over the bridge you are almost totally secluded from everyone else. My favorite memories from the trip are bike rides to the beach, morning coffee runs with Nick, and just the time we spent at the beach with the whole family. Even thought Nick's family lives kind of close to us, we don't get to spend that much time with the nieces and nephews so it was so great to see them in their element.