Last Minute Getaway to the Coast-Fun in St. Simons Island, GA

Sometimes the best family vacations are the ones you plan at the last minute, and that was certainly the case for my crew when we visited St. Simons Island, GA, recently.

We knew we wanted to get to the coast and, living near Atlanta, we had all kinds of options.

We considered Florida’s Emerald Coast, where we love the turquoise waters of the Gulf.

We also considered visiting Vero Beach on Florida’s East coast, or the Treasure Coast, where my family lives, but didn’t want to make the eight hour drive.

I had recently visited St. Simons Island as a media guest of the King and Prince Resort and really loved the people, so I thought it would be nice to take my family back to that area.  So, a couple days before we were ready for our getaway, I booked a room at the King and Prince, hoping my family would enjoy it as much as I did (like them on Facebook and you might catch some specials like I did, too!)

They loved the resort and all it offered, from its waterfront pools to the clay tennis courts and workout room.  I loved the different options for rooms, from the villas that offer all kinds of space for families to the Tabby House which is more like the traditional beach house rental option…from the various rooms overlooking the pools to the St. Simons Suite situated in the original building featuring the curves reminiscent of beach castles.

The kids really enjoyed the area, too, and the variety of fun things to do, including all the adventure.

The girls liked crabbing the most (you can read all about that here).  The boys liked the ghost tour we took on the trolley owned by local Cap Fendig. I personally enjoyed climbing the lighthouse and the beautiful view from the top.

I think we all loved the food we devoured at Southern Soul Barbecue.  You haven’t lived until you’ve tried their Fried Oreos.  I know, it sounds disgusting, but it’s oh, so yummy!

On previous visits I had tried the incredible seafood available at King and Prince (Chef Jeff knows how to cook up something special–just wait until you try the shrimp and grits!), Halyard’s Restaurant (I couldn’t get enough of their oysters) and Palmer’s Village Cafe (which features breakfast specialties).

During my last visit I had the chance to climb aboard a shrimp boat, The Lady Jane.  We couldn’t squeeze that into this trip, but will another time.  You can watch a video about that here.

We happened to be at St. Simons on the 4^th of July and found a tour of the Christ Church to be ideal on this special holiday, even discovering a few graves for men who served in the Revolutionary War.  That certainly made an impression on all of us.

To be honest, the area is ideal because it offers so much variety…nature, beauty, history, and fun.

And it’s just a few hours from Atlanta, making it perfect for a quick last-minute getaway.

Have you been to the area yet?  If so, what do you like to do the most when you visit?