Packed2Go

Each year my husband and I whiz by the "Golden Isles" of Georgia on our migration from Boston to FLA and back. This year we decided to visit St. Simons Island, a short detour off Rt 95 in southern Georgia, and we absolutely loved it. We'll be making it a routine stopover on our route! Here's why the southern charm of this little island won our hearts.

While many coastal communities have succumb to 'rejuvenation' that blankets their beach-fronts with rows of highrise condo developments, St. Simons Island has preserved its homey, authentic southern living feel. One major road runs the full length of the island, bringing you through a tunnel of ancient oaks spreading their arms across the road in welcome.

The town is charming with lots of restaurants (over 50 in this small community) and cute boutique shops that sell local crafts like hand-woven sweet-grass baskets. Don't miss the opportunity to have breakfast one morning at the Seacastle Cafe with an expansive breakfast buffet with cooked to order eggs and unlimited pancakes & french toast! Be sure famous Southern Soul BBQ is on your list and memorable Italian at TraMici.

We stayed at the historic King and Prince Resort Hotel, right on the beach. This is the only beachfront hotel with the only beachfront dining venue on the island. Although the lobby was dated, the rooms were beautifully re-done and and staff really showed off their southern charm. The new pool pavilion was simply gorgeous - you'll think you're in the Caribbean! Food was excellent - I recommend the Shrimp & Grits.

Here are a few activities to keep you entertained:
Take an Island Trolly Tour with Cap Fendig (Mr. St. Simons in our opinion). The tours are fun and packed with stories and history of the island. The two-hour tours leave the Fishing Pier at 1:30 pm Tues-Sun.

Go fishing off the pier and come by at sunset - entry to the pier is free.
Visit the waterfront Kids Zone - playground, beautiful pool, mini-golf etc.
Climb the historic lighthouse for spectacular views
Visit Christ Church and cemetery for island history
Visit Glynn Arts on Beachview Drive for drop-in art classes
Ride Bikes - there are biking trails that wind around the entire island - bring a picnic.

Play Golf at the newly renovated King and Prince Golf Course. This course is stunning - winding through wild marshes - tons of wildlife. A round is only $75 for guests of the King & Prince Resort. Or come for lunch and use their impressive practice facility.

Go Shrimping! Just over the causeway into Brunswick you'll find the Lady Jane authentic Shrimp Boat. Daily excursions take you out into the tidal waters and you'll learn all about shrimping. A marine biologist is on board and describes all the fish, crustations and sea creatures that come up in the nets. FASCINATING - don't miss it!

Oh....one more thing....don't forget to relax on the beautiful beaches. This is a wonderful destination for a family beach vacation.
Sigh...can't wait to go back again!

Ackislander

I am so glad you liked it! My brother and his wife have lived there for a number of years, and it has all the charm you mentioned.

ekscrunchy

Could not agree more that this is an almost undiscovered paradise, at least undisocvered by hordes of NE-terners.
We spent a night at King and Prince on the way south, and a night each at Jekyll and Sea Island just this past April,cannot wait to return! A big plus was the local food we found nearby, from Darien to Richmond Hil to St Simons..






http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ea-islands.cfm

Packed2Go

Wanted to share the websites for items in my article:

King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort
http://www.kingandprince.com

King and Prince Golf Course
http://www.kingandprince.com/georgia-golf-resort.aspx

Lighthouse Trolley Tours
http://www.capfendig.com/lighthousetrolleytours.html

Sandcastle Cafe & Grill
http://www.glynncounty.com/st-simons...ry-street/117/

Lady Jane Shrimp Boat Excursion
http://www.shrimpcruise.com/

volcanogirl

Thanks so much for posting this. Sounds great.

starrs

Great trip report. SSI is nice. If you want an even slower pace, Jekyll Island next door is my favorite. Nice long beach, no crowds, a few beachfront hotels, none of them fancy. The nicest is the new Hampton Inn. My favorite is the old Oceanside Inn and Suites. A lot of folks from the north and Canada spend Jan-March there. The island is mostly residential with a few hotels on the sea side and the Jekyll Island Club on the marsh side. The historic area is made up by the "cottages" of the country's wealthiest families who spent winter vacations there. The Federal Reserve system was created there and supposedly 1/10 of the world's wealth was represented by that meeting. It was a favorite of northerners for decades and is a favorite of locals since then.

I especially agree with the Lady Jane. One of the best experiences for not very much money. And be sure to go to City Market seafood in Brunswick and load up your coolers. They will pack the wild GA shrimp on ice for you to take back home.

If you want a real treat, take a day trip to Cumberland Island sometime. If you want to splurge a bit, stay overnight at the Greyfield Inn.
http://www.greyfieldinn.com/

Ferry for day trippers/campers via St. Mary's GA =
http://www.nps.gov/cuis/planyourvisi...servations.htm

Ferry for those staying at Greyfield via Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach FL

Packed2Go

There are some nice day trips to neighboring islands - Jekyll, Little St. Simon, Cumberland etc.
http://www.explorestsimonsisland.com/Day_Trips.html

And here's a link to Glynn Art Association where you(and/or your kids) can take "drop-in" classes - like "iPhone Photography".
http://glynnart.org/

ustwo

"bookmarked"

stevews

Good to hear that you guys had a great time there. Hoping to visit St. Simons Island somewhere in near future. I'll surely contact you guys for advice. And your post here is also going to be of great help for me.. Thanks for sharing.....