Georgia's Sea Islands

There is Sea Island—the one with the Cloister resort and suites that can run $5,000 a night—and then there are the rest of the sea islands, nuzzled against the Georgia coast and swaddled in soft, windswept beaches. On Tybee Island, just east of Savannah, three miles of sand and dunes see 70-plus-degree days from March through October, and the Crab Shack charges just $6.95 for crab stew and shrimp lunch specials. And who needs the Cloister's full butler service when you can drink in the sunset over the sea from Tybee's Georgianne Inn, a beach house with free bikes and body boards. The seven comfy rooms and suites have wrought-iron headboards, wicker nightstands, and thick quilts; rooms 2 and 3 have the best views of the ocean—a view, incidentally, you can't get from the Cloister.

Fly Buy: AirTran offers round-trip fares from the Northeast into Savannah, Georgia, for less than $200 (800-247-8726; www.airtran.com). From there, it's just 20 minutes to Tybee Island.

Georgianne Inn
Tel: 912 786 8710
Double rooms from $75