Vacationing In The Time of Coronavirus: St. Simons Island
I used to live here, and still come back regularly to stay in my former condo now owned by my parents, so I know the island well. St. Simons is a unique place, a beautiful barrier island on the coast of Georgia with Spanish moss waving from ancient maritime oak trees, and a lovely salt breeze most every day. If you've ever visited the U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) in Boston, you will be interested to know that the oak was harvested right here on St. Simons Island to build those iron sides.
I'm writing this while visiting SSI in February on a day when the high temperature was 65. I walked on the beach today, shopped in the village, perused an arts and crafts show, all with my faithful beagle companion. SSI is a great place for dog lovers - everyone is out walking their dogs on a day like today.
You'll find SSI midway between Savannah and Jacksonville on the Georgia coast. We make a great stop if you're travelling from Savannah, GA to St. Augustine, Fl. Shoot, we just make a great destination whether you plan to visit those other places or not!
Here are my recommendations for a great trip to St. Simons.
What To Do On St. Simons
Get Out On The Water
Kevin and I have our own kayaks, but when our daughter is with us, we rent another one from Turtle Tides and put in at Gould's Inlet and paddle to Sea Island and back. Turtle Tides offers guided kayak tours as well as kayak rentals. If you've never kayaked here, I highly recommend doing a guided tour. They'll tell you all about the birds and other wildlife you'll see in the marsh, and they know how to deal with the changing tides and the sandbars.
If you like fishing, there are plenty of opportunities for that. We've never chartered a fishing boat, but there are plenty available. There are also dolphin tours and sunset tours. While I've never gone out with him, I've heard lots of good things about Cap Fendig, so check out all of his tours at this page.
We lucked out during spring break of 2021 and happened to be here at the same time as the tall ship Lynx. I was thrilled! I love tall ships, clipper ships, schooners - all those big ships with sails! I love them so much that I have a whole set of dishes from Wedgwood with clipper ships. (I actually bought these before I married a Naval officer.) I love the way they look; I love the feeling of the wind catching the sails; I love the lore and the romance of sailing ships and the sea - I love everything about those old sailing ships! The Lynx is a modern recreation of a privateer ship that fought in the war of 1812. We went out on a sunset sail on the Lynx, and had a fantastic time! The Lynx divides its time between various ports on the Eastern seaboard. Check ahead to see if it will be available while you're in the Golden Isles.
Go To The Beach
We always go to the public beach at the old Coast Guard Station, aka East Beach. There's parking, and a pavilion with restrooms and a snack bar. Normally, you can expect the parking lot to be full by 12 or 1:00 on a summer day, especially on the weekend, so plan accordingly. We try to get there around 10 am and hang out for 2-3 hours. Massengale park is another public beach access with plenty of parking. Barry's Beach Service rents chairs and umbrellas, bikes, kayaks, and will take you out for a sail.
Learn About The History Of The Island
Fort Frederica is a National Park where you can see the remains of a village and a fort established in the 1730s in colonial GA. A decisive battle here in 1742 drove away Spanish invaders from the south and established Georgia as a British colony. Besides the remains of the village, you can see beautiful, ancient live oaks. It's lovely to walk through this site.
Not far from the fort is Christ Church, one of the oldest churches in the country, and an important site for Methodists. John and Charles Wesley, founders of Methodism, preached to the congregation that eventually formed this church. The church and its grounds are beautiful, especially in the spring when the azaleas are blooming. There are Tiffany windows inside, and graves dating to colonial days outside.
While you're on this end of the island, be sure to check out the Wesley Gardens, especially if it's springtime. If you're really into the Wesleys, there's a Wesley museum at Epworth By The Sea Methodist Conference Center.
There's quite a bit of African-American history on St. Simons Island. From slave cabins to a historic school to Ebo landing where a shipload of captured Africans opted for death by drowning rather than a life of slavery, you can visit several sites of historic importance. Visit this webpage for information about the African-American heritage of the island.
The St. Simons Lighthouse and museum is a fun way to learn about some of the island's history. You can climb all of the 129 steps to the top for amazing panaromic views.
One of my favorite historic experiences on the island is the World War II Homefront Museum, housed in the Old Coast Guard Station. SSI played a big role in national defense during WWII, and this is a truly fascinating museum.
One of the best ways to learn about the history of the islands is to take a trolley tour. I've taken friends on these tours twice, and learned something new each time. This one is air-conditioned and handicapped accessible.
Go Shopping
The St. Simons Pier Village has lots of cute shops. My favorite ones are The Savannah Bee Company, Tonya's, and Simon's. Away from the pier village, check out Redfern Village and Island Drugs. In addition to typical pharmacy stuff, it has jewelry, clothes, and gifts. Just around the corner is Island Pearl which has cute clothes and jewelry. B and B Design and Consign is a little off-the-beaten path place that I try to check out when I'm here. There are lots of other places - just visit this website for more!
Eat
Our current favorite restaurants on the Island are Crabdaddy's, Fiddler's, and Southern Soul, but we like lots of other places, too! Check out The Georgia Sea Grill, The Half Shell, Porch, Palmer's Cafe, Mullet Bay, and more here.
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| Southern Soul BBQ |
For breakfast, Palmer's Cafe has unique options and Dulce Dough has the best doughnuts to be found anywhere!
Drink
For a nice experience just hanging out and having a drink, we like The Village Pub.
Visit Jekyll Island
A day trip to Jekyll Island is well worth your trouble! A day's pass for Jekyll costs $8. (You can also buy longer passes.) There is a little village shopping area near the Westin as you come on the island. Our favorite stores are Life is Good, Tonya's, and the Jekyll Market which has just a little bit of everything - food, gifts, Tshirts, fancy gourmet sodas, ice cream, and even wine slushies.
If you've never been to Driftwood Beach, you gotta go. Erosion over the years has left the skeletons of trees uprooted and overturned. Take a hammock, a book, and some snacks and hang out here or a while! It's also a great spot for photography. The best light is at sunrise.
We recommend touring the millionaire's village - the former summer cottages of the Carnegies, Morgans and others. Take a walk through the historic Jekyll Island Club where there are shops and beautiful grounds. Other attractions include Summer Waves waterpark, the Mosaic museum, horseback riding on the beach, and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. If you like golf, there are 4 courses, not to mention the putt putt course.
A favorite activity of ours is to bike around the north end of Jekyll island. You can rent bikes from Beachside Bike Rentals if you don't have your own. From there, bike north along the beach trail to Driftwood beach where you'll want to stop and take pictures or stay and play a while. Continue on to the pier where you'll want to walk out and see what the locals are catching. Keep on going for beautiful views of the salt marsh, the intercoastal waterway, and ancient oak trees. Pedal on around to the millionaire's village where you may way to stop and explore. Finally, head back to the shopping village and reward yourself for all that pedaling with some ice cream.
Where to Stay On SSI
Since I have a family condo to stay in, I'm probably not your best resource. I can confidently recommend The King and Prince as a beachside hotel. If being right on the beach doesn't matter to you, I'd recommend one of the places in the village because of the convenience to restaurants and shopping. Be aware that on the south end of the island, the beach disappears at high tide. So whether you're staying in a hotel or in a rental, the best places for the beach start at about the King And Prince and then north toward East Beach and Gould's Inlet. Ocean Inn and Suites and St. Simons Inn By the Lighthouse are both very convenient to the village, restaurants, The Village Inn and Pub are also conveniently located to the village. For condos and beach cottages, check out a rental through Hodnett Cooper, AirBnB, or VRBO.
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