Family Vacation: St. Simons Island edition

Not that I’ve fully recovered from my long journey home, I’m already longing for the humid beaches on St. Simons Island.

If you’re looking for a vacation spot in Georgia, here’s what you need to know before you choose St. Simons.

The Beach

The main reason my family chose this as our vacation spot: the beach. We were lucky enough to be about a block from the sand, so we walked there every day.

There’s several public beaches you can access, and we found ourselves relaxing on the shore all week. We were confused when we first got there…there was a river running through the beach? After walking around, we found when the tide rises and falls, so does this channel of water cutting through the sand.

Two bodies of water at this beach

It was interesting to cut through to get to the water. Little minnows somehow swim around your feet while you make your way closer to the ocean. Because it’s so shallow, and it’s July in Georgia, the water is HOT. So once you reach the ocean, it’s pretty refreshing.

The beach here was shallow as well. It’s not the worst thing in the world for a girl who had a minor case of Thalassophobia. I could still trek out pretty far and the water would only rise to my hips. Still, the undertow was pretty strong. I wasn’t looking to venture out too far from shore.

It makes sense why we saw so many families vacationing here. The beach is within walking distance, the water isn’t too rough and you don’t have to pay. (Something I’m used to when visiting the Jersey Shore)

The Food

One thing that’s abundant on St. Simons Island — fried food.

By day three, I was itching for a fresh veggie. Still – everywhere we ate the food was delicious!

A “salad” I was served…exactly one cucumber and one tomato.

My favorite meal was the at Barrier Island Brewing. It was our first night there, and a miracle happened. My large family got a table without having to wait – at all. It was unheard of!

Their beers were fun and refreshing – I would recommend the Beachview Blonde Ale, if it’s still on tap! The fries were delicious, and it was fun sitting outside while it stormed for a minute. We stayed dry – for the most part.

I loved Southern Soul Barbeque and I 100% recommend eating a meal there if you’re craving some BBQ. I got the pulled pork sandwich and it was heavenly. The meal was everything I pictured when you say “barbeque.”

Honorable mention: Beachcomber BBQ & Grill. We stayed in a little house just a short walk away from this place. Every morning we woke up to the smell of bacon…as they started up their smoker. The brisket sandwich was amazing, but my favorite part was smelling the smoker’s aroma every day.

It's #NationalDonutDay? BRB, we're going to smell a bunch of donuts. 😋🍩 #KUWTK pic.twitter.com/xb0AeC3wTR

— E! Entertainment (@eentertainment) June 1, 2018

This is what I looked like standing outside every morning smelling smoked meats. ^^

The Island

Yes, the beaches are great. Of course the food is great, too. But the Island? It has everything!

Fan of scavenger hunts? Try finding all the Tree Spirits! An artist in the ’80s carved a bunch of faces into several trees around the island. Now, most of them are on private property. Still, there’s a few on public land that makes for a fun trip around the island. You can even find a map at the island welcome center. I’m not giving any hints!

Hi Dad

Plus, there’s history wherever you go. We took a trip to Fort Frederica, the remnants of a fort and town built in the 1800s. Shoutout to my brother Timmy for finding it. We got to walk through the old “town” and of course I was taking the family pictures. I swear I learned something…The buildings were made with “tabby” which is a mixture of water, sand, lime and crushed oyster shells. I simply cannot imagine having the walls of my house be part oyster.

Fort Frederica

I even enjoyed some bike rides around the island. It’s pretty flat, making for an easy and enjoyable ride. Gives you time to take in the beauty of the marsh, or a summer sunset.

Views of St. Simons from a bike

Overall, St. Simons Island was a great spot for my family to unplug for a week. Not only did I get to bother my younger brothers every day, I got to see my grandparents for the first time in over a year. It was some much-needed family time. St. Simons was a great spot to have some laughs, fill each other in on what we’ve missed, and just relax.

Have you been to St. Simons? Anything I missed? Let me know!

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