Happy Little Cottages By The Sea

Cottage Charm, Coastal Calm

April 2008

Bird watching from Doodlebug Cottage!

cardinal at bird feeder

Doodlebug Cottage sits right across the street from Horsepen Creek Marsh and Tidal Creek. The bird watching is incredible ranging from herons to song birds. Another great experience is you can hear the oysters clacking during low tide and sometimes hear and see the dolphins when they come back to feed in the marsh. The screened front porch stretches across the entire front of the home with lots of comfortable seating. Sunsets are the daily show- and it’s free!

A special thank you to Dick and Jane who were our “snowbird” winter guests at Doodlebug and took these pictures for us. They’ll be returning again next winter and we’ll look forward to more pictures from Dick!
And here’s a reply from another Doodlebug Cottage regular and bird watcher as well as a Tybee Local AND real estate professional in case you’re ever looking for your own piece of paradise!
“Great photos. I hope they had a visit from the osprey while they were there. It begins when all the little birds start making tons on noise to the point you know something is happening outside. As you go on the porch to inspect the clatter you can see the little song birds dive bombing the osprey as he (maybe she) lights from the top of one pine tree to another looking for food in the creek. The biggest thrill is when you watch long enough to see the dive from the tree top to the water, then out with a big fish and a trip back home to Horse Pen Creek tree tops for dinner or maybe to feed the nest. I think Osprey’s love 12th street. Many times we have been sitting on the beach to see one dive into the ocean and come out of the water with a fish and fly right down 12th street with its dinner dangling from it’s clutch. Ain’t TYBEE grand. ”
Cindy Meyer, CRSSeabolt Brokers/Harry Norman Realtors912 313 4799CMeyer@SeaboltBrokers.com

Tybee Welcomes the Tour de Georgia

Yet again, Tybee’s sights and sounds never cease to amaze me. A quiet Monday morning turned into the kick off event for North America’s premier, professional cycling event – the Tour de Georgia http://www.tourdegeorgia.com/ The start of their 5 day , 660 Mile race across Georgia began on Tybee Island . The race began in downtown Tybee and part of the route included 2nd Ave and Butler Ave which meant that over 100 professional cyclists rode ride past several of our homes including Sea Glass, Nora’s Cottage, Sea Largo, Surf Puppy and M. Paddy Cakes! The street cleaners came first and professionally cleaned these streets ( they are spotless!) and then the police cars led the way, followed by the riders, then all their support crew in cars and motorcycles followed. The route was closed to everyone else so they were driving over 50 mph on our little streets following the riders. TV cameras, Photographers from all over the world, cow bells clanging ( which is how you cheer in professional cycling events!) all lined the street route. What an exciting and spectacular hour!

Susan Kelleher ( one of the owners of two of our homes – Sea Breeze House and Inlet Breeze) and one of the Sea Side Sisters owners and I were both interviewed by the local NBC TV station about the impact of the Tour for Tybee. Click here for the video! Tour de Georgia Economic Impact – News – WSAV.com – Savannah / Hilton Head We’ll keep you posted if this race will kick off on Tybee again next year. What a great way to spend a spring morning!

Google Maps now on mermaidcottages.com

We have just added an incredible new feature to https://mermaidcottages.com/ – Google maps including satelitte mapping! When you go to our website, click on Questions (located at the top of the website ) and then go to Tybee Map. You have a choice of either the newly updated Printable Map ( which has all our homes listed now) or Google Map of Mermaid Cottages. The Google map will show you exactly where your vacation home is located, how to get there from your home and even the actual satelitte view from space! Isn’t technology amazing???

We’re always trying to find ways to make planning your holiday as easy as possible and this should be yet another way to help accomplish this goal!

The Tybee Dog Park needs your help

I know many of you who stay with us are dog lovers and some of you are lucky enough to bring your dogs on vacation. I also know how many of you LOVE the Tybee Dog Park. This wonderful park gives you a chance to exercise your dog(s), socialize with both locals and visitors to the Island and just have some fun! Everyone also knows about how very strict the City of Tybee rules are about dogs on the beach and zero tolerance on barking- both rules which Mermaid Cottages supports. No one likes dogs who bark constantly and not everyone is prepared to accept the responsibility of picking up after their dogs- which is the biggest worry of dogs on the beach. So the off leash dog park has been the perfect solution. Allows you to exercise your dogs and tired dogs don’t bark- which makes everyone happy!

The City Council of Tybee Island just voted during this past week’s session to remove the dog park. They are still working to find a solution for a new location that works for everyone, but nothing is firm yet. If you have any interest in this- click on this link http://www.wtoc.com/global/story.asp?s=8156222 and read this story and view the video. You may also contact Deb with the dog park: tybeedogpark@hotmail.com if you’d like to share your comments or reaction.

The Vintage Trailers are here!

Just when you think you’ve seen everything on this little island, the Sisters on the Fly ( www.sistersonthefly.com) roll into town. If you’re around this weekend, you HAVE to make time to participate in this very unique, very quirky event on Tybee on Saturday from 11AM- 3PM.

This fun loving group of women travel the country in their vintage mini trailers which they have tricked out in various unique themes . They set up camp, drink margaritas and get to be cowgirls and beach bums for the weekend. No husbands or boyfriends allowed, just good old fashioned female bonding!

Susan Kelleher of Sea Side Sisters connected with this fun group last fall and along with the Tybee’s River’s End Campground and the terrific Woody, pulled together a tour of the trailers as a fund raiser for St. Michael’s Elementary School here on Tybee. I went by to visit today and couldn’t believe how cute this little trailers are!!! Check out one of the articles about this event on www.savannahnow.com/node/476240