The Tybee Island Historical Society was recently awarded two prestigious awards to pay tribute to the restoration of the Lighthouse Complex.

The AASLH, a prestigious organization headquartered in Nashville, TN is making the presentations as part of its annual meeting which will take place in Indianapolis. Indiana. The awards are: The Award of Merit which recognizes excellence for projects, and the WOW Award, an additional honor for Merit winners that reflects a highly inspirational accomplishment. Tybee is one of only four WOW award recipients this year.

The Society’s awards are due in large measure to their director, Cullen Chambers, who has worked tirelessly to accomplish: the lighthouse renovation, the headkeeper’s house renovation, the lst assistant’s cottage renovation, the 2nd assistant’s cottage renovation, as well as the newly completed museum renovation. Under his leadership, the Lighthouse has also increased visitor attendance from 50,000 in 1994 to 170,000 in 2007.

October 7th-9th, 2010

A Swashbuckling Good Time
Weekend Passes for Fri. & Sat.
Children 12 and under are free.

Attention:
Buccaneer Ball 2010 Tickets NOW ON SALE at Eventbrite or call 786-9857

AHOY MATES!
Swashbucklers of all ages converged on Tybee Island to participate in the 5th Annual Tybee Island Pirate Fest! Featuring a Buccaneer Ball (on October 8th), Pirate Victory Parade, Live Entertainment, Costume Contests, Children’s Activities and the Thieves Market filled with treasures, grog, and grub! And despite the rainy parade, it was a smash success!!!!!

EXCLUSIVE: Tybee Vacation Rentals’ own Amy Gaster was named Queen of the Pirates for 2009 event

This years event included FIREWORKS on Friday night coinciding with the Pirate Invasion and a magnificent 10,000 sq. ft. tent under which the bands played.

The Tybee Island Pirate Fest began in 2004 with a small handful of individuals that were looking for a unique event to help boost visitation to the island in the off-season months. The first year was even more successful than the organizers, a non-profit called TybeeFest, even imagined it could be. With the support of many dedicated volunteers, The City of Tybee Island and its elected officials, the Tybee Tourism Council, and local businesses the event has grown in popularity each year. NEXT YEAR’S EVENT WILL BE OCTOBER 7-9, 2010.

TybeeFest is an all volunteer non-profit organization that was created to provide entertainment, events, and festivals on Tybee Island for the enjoyment of Tybee residents and visitors alike. All proceeds from Pirate Fest and the organizations of other events are used to fund future TybeeFest events. TybeeFest events would not be possible without the support of the City of Tybee Island, Tybee Business Sponsors, Corporate Sponsorships, and other volunteer community support.

Tybee Vacation Rentals is proud to be a member of the new Tybee Island Business Alliance. The Alliance will help all businesses on Tybee work together with the Better Hometown Coordinator and city officials to accomplish changes for the betterment of the island.  Some 50 odd businesses are already members, and it is envisioned that all businesses will eventually be represented.

Synergy is the word to describe what this organization will do. With all businesses working together, their impact for visitors AND residents will be more than the whole. The first three “big items” the Alliance will tackle will be restrooms (their cleanliness, availability and ease of use), parking (finding adequate spaces, charging fair fees and working toward a long-term goal of a garage) and trash (having enough trash cans, having trash picked up for a cleaner island and disposing of trash properly).

Tybee Vacation Rentals continues to work towards providing top-notch service to our customers, and working with all entities on the Island to make your Tybee experience the best it can be.

Ahoy, Mateys!

It was a blast!!!! Watch for next year’s event.

AARRRRRRRGGG!

Tybee Island is a bicycle friendly place with marked paths and beautiful trails along the ocean, marshes and rivers. Several places rent bicycles and will deliver and pick-up for your convenience. But do you know the safety rules? Here are some guidelines to help you.

Always wear a helmet. A bad spill can mean an emergency room trip, or worse. Keep your head safe.

Obey all traffic laws and ride with the traffic. Ride on the right with the slowest traffic; at intersections, ride in the right-most lane that goes in your direction of travel.

Scan for traffic; use signals to change lanes or turn.

Be visible at all times. Wear clothing with neon strips at night so that you can be seen.

Be prepared for mechanical emergencies with tools and know-how. Inflate tires to rated pressure listed usually on the sidewall of the tire. Use a pressure gauge to insure proper pressure. Replace damaged tires. Make sure your brakes are in great shape. Have your bike’s cranks, chains and cassette checked periodically for adjustments.

Control your bike! Practice in safe environments such as large parking lots and dead-end streets.

Make sure you have plenty of water with you. Biking is exercise, and you need to replenish lost fluids.