Part of vacationing or living on Tybee is access to some of the most beautiful marshlands, all of the 18 islands that comprise Little Tybee and the waterways that connect to Tybee Creek called by locals as “the back river.” Tybee Creek flows into the Atlantic Ocean on the Southern tip of Tybee Island.
We live on the back river and enjoy boating any time we have an opportunity. Enjoying the sunsets or going fishing to catch and release is a great way to enjoy our area. The back river is on the West side of Tybee Island. AJ’s Dockside overlooks the back river and offers amazing sunsets and wonderful food. You can dolphin watch from their dock while dining.
I recently had the opportunity to enjoy a leisurely afternoon on Tybee Creek with my husband and our friends. We decided to go and enjoy looking at the docks on Richardson Creek. We left our dock and headed West on the back river and turned right on Bull River which is a part of our country’s Intracoastal Waterway. We went under the Bull River Bridge and turned left onto Turner Creek. Just a short ride and then we ventured right into a community that I have long admired, the docks and homes on Richardson Creek. My particular fascination with this creek is the collection of docks that are each so unique. One of my favorites is the one with hand rails and trim made from driftwood. It is a fairly new dock but very much loved by its owner who had the imagination and time to locate these pieces of driftwood and trees to make his dock magical. The roofline is also most interesting.
Some of the docks date back to the 1920s, others have been in the same family since the 30s and 40s. There are new docks and one in particular is owned by a friend of mine that has the Tuna Tower off a fishing boat as her entrance to her dock lit up with hundreds of tiny lights! In our travels, Lannie and I have an interest in docks and this particular stretch of Richardson Creek has the most interesting collections of docks that we have seen. It just reminds you that enjoying the waterways is universal and parts of this area are like looking back in time. I hope you enjoy my pictures.
Stacye C. Jarrell www.oceanfrontcottage.com
