BEACH! (oh and some history...)

We finally made it to a beach, Tybee Island, Georgia!

The temps were low, and the water was not warm to anyone over 13, but that did not stop the beach-starved O'Do's! The other beachcombers looked at our children with amazement as all three ran straight into the water with no abandonment. One couple even said, "You must be from the North". Is it that obvious???

Ever since the kids were little they found great joy in the ocean, building sand castles, diving into the wake and rolling back to shore. Today wasn't any different and we didn't stop them, we couldn't stop them - they were on an surf-mission.

Oh, we did learn some things too, as we spent the remaining part of our stay touring Savannah and Historical Tybee:

1. Tybee’s name comes from the Euchee Indian word for “salt.” This natural resource was found in great abundance on the island.

2. Fort Pulaski was built in the 1830s and 1840s on Cockspur Island on the Savannah River. Built to protect the city of Savannah from naval attack, the fort came under siege by Union forces in early 1862 and was captured on April 11.

3. The U.S. Highway 80 runs all the way from Tybee Island to California.

4. Tybee Island was only accessible by boat or Central of Georgia Railroad passenger train until 1926.

5. Savannah was Georgia’s first capital.

6. In 1912, Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Scouts of the USA, an organization that today serves millions of members. An ardent believer in the potential of all girls and the importance of fostering their individual growth, character, and self-sufficiency, Juliette is credited with establishing and nurturing a global movement that has changed the world.

7. Savannah was the birthplace of the cotton gin.

8. America’s first orphanage is located in Savannah. Founded in 1740 by Reverend George Whitfield.

9. “Jingle Bells” was written in Savannah by James L. Pierpont. Originally from Massachusetts, Pierpont missed the snow while living in the South. The song was inspired by the one-horse open-sleigh races.

History is all well and good, and we certainly wouldn't be here without it, but nothing soothes the soul quite like a jump in the ocean!