Of the two, Beaufort, SC and Savannah, GA, which one would have the better life for a triathlete in terms of training and quality of life? Are there many triathletes in either place? Are there good places to swim, run, and ride? Are there any decent training groups or clubs?
I’ll probably be moving to one of those places in the next four years, but I wanted to get a head start on the different locations.
Thanks,
Adam
Anyone? Beaufort or Savannah? Savannah or Beaufort?
adam, i’ve had family in both places at one time or another and would recommend savannah over beaufort. of course if you could get to charleston…
I love Savannah - read the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - great story (and it’s true!).
Only time I was near S.C was for Perris Island Boot Camp, lots of great running, I remember alot of water nearby and not too many hills. Ya may just love it there!
Adam,
I’ve visited Beaufort, but think Savannah’s likely to have a better tri scene. I met a couple guys at OTM who are from there, and there’s also Gabby Hauck, another triathlete from Savannah. I figure if I live in NC, and know 3 triathletes, there’s probably lots more. My brother used to live in Savannah when in college and liked it.
Alicia
Check out this link for the Savannah Triathlon Club: http://www.savtriteam.com/
When I was in the military, I was stationed in Savannah for a short period of time and on occasion would end up spending time in Beaufort for various reason all related to work. Both towns are along the Atlantic coast and hence very flat. About 10-miles out of Savannah is Tybee Island, a sleepy little vacation beach town with several miles of white sand, Atlantic coast beaches. The place is swarming with tourists from late spring till the end of Summer after which the place turns into somewhat of a ghost town that in addition to open water swims, has a few roads that can be used for running or riding. I have not been to Savannah since I left at the end of 96’ but at the time the highway (sort of a causeway) that connects Tybee Island to the coast was too heavily trafficed to be of any use for cycling not too mention traffic can back up considerably during peak tourist hours. Fortunately there is an old civil war railway that has been converted into a hike and bike trail although I seem to recall it was more suited for mountain biking, runners, and hikers due to the cinderblock surface when it first opened but I think there were plans to eventually lay down asphalt at some point. Savannah proper also offers a lot of places to ride such as Perimeter Road, a 12+ mile loop around Hunter Army Air Field (not that I had much choice actually) as well as the running trail at Lake Mayer park. The local bicycle club holds regular Saturday rides with routes such as the Gump Ride (aka Forest Gump), Skidaway, and Pooler Figure Eight that cover low trafficed roads through the more rural, outlying areas of Chatham county.
I have visited both, and actually spent quite a bit of time vacationing near Beaufort (Fripp Island). I tend to agree with aliciap that Savannah is probably going to have a better-organized tri scene, though Beaufort is a nice sleepy little town and probably has a lot going for it if you’re looking for a quiet place to live.
Thanks for the Tri Club link. It’s good to see that they have a local club that seems to be pretty active.
Adam