Tune up your ears with a visit to the annual Savannah Music Festival, more than two weeks of sounds ranging from country to classical and a perfect starting point for celebrating the start of spring along the Georgia coast.

Boogie over to the festival Web site —

www.savannahmusicfestival.org — and look under 2008 schedule to see who's on the agenda that runs from March 20 to April 5. You can browse the entries by artists — Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with Garrick Ohlsson to Christopher Wu — or by genre, ranging from American creations such as bluegrass, jazz, country and rock to African, flamenco, Indian, Latin and even Persian. And if you can only be there for a couple of days, click on the calendar dates to see who's playing. Click on Savannah for links to local motels and inns, although you might have to look outside the city for places to stay during the festival.

The Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau — www.savannahvisit.com/visitors.asp — has a Scenic Tour link at the top of the page to show you a few of the places to see, including parks and historic mansions. Care for a carriage ride, fishing charter, game of golf or tour of historic homes? Look under Attractions. Then browse through Savannah Secrets for must-see spots. And if the accommodations listed at the festival Web site are full, the visitors bureau offers a more extensive directory of inns, hotels and even campgrounds.

Outside the city, check the visitors bureau's Day Trips page. One of the destinations listed is Tybee Island — tybeevisit.com — just east of Savannah, an area of beaches and nature walks and places to eat and shop. Look under Outdoors & Recreation for a place to rent a sea kayak or get a lesson, and links to water-

sports suppliers and bicycle renters. Check out the ocean view from the Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion, listed under Attractions, and click on Visitors Guide for info on the island's 5-mile-long beach. Get a map at Tybee Island Online — www.tybeeisland.com — and pick up more details on charters and motels and shops and galleries.

While you're there, visit the Tybee Island Light Station — www.tybeelighthouse.org — at the entrance to the Savannah River. The photo tour is short but worth a glance, especially the sunset shot.

Next to Tybee Island on Cockspur Island, Fort Pulaski National Monument — www.nps.gov/fopu — preserves a fortification that fell in a key Civil War bombardment. Along with the fort, the island has hiking trails, its own lighthouse and places to fish.

Up the coast a short drive in South Carolina, Hilton Head Island — www.enjoyhiltonhead.com — is a little less nature and a little more resort, golf course and tennis court. Browse through the packages and directories of hotels and resorts. Despite the development, it still has long ocean beaches, bicycle trails and boating and the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina — www.artshhi.com — a showcase for music and drama. Learn more from the visitors guide at the island Chamber of Commerce — www.hiltonheadisland.org — including What to See and Do ideas that include guided tours on land and water.

Pick up more possibilities for enriching your visit to Savannah by going to the regional section of Georgia's official travel Web site — www.georgia.org/travel/discover — and clicking on Coast. There are more beaches and islands to explore, museums and the wild Okefenokee Swamp in the state's southeast corner.