Saint Simons: An Island Style Weekend
By Jennifer Taylor
Saturday, February 16, 2008 6:32 PM PST
Looking for a perfect weekend getaway with your friends? Try a vacation to an island on Georgia's hidden coast, where you'll find Saint Simons, a gem of a hideaway nestled against the southeastern shoreline an hour north of Jacksonville, Florida.
As you drive onto the island via the causeway, the immense salt marsh stretches out on either side, and live oak trees draped in whispery scarves of moss stand sentinel as they have for centuries. There are visible traces of history from tree spirits carved by a sculptor in remembrance of long-ago sailors and Native Americans, to the lighthouse, which was built in 1872.
Before you explore the island, you might want to check in at the
King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, a fortress of a hotel. For lunch, head over to
Gnat's Landing, a funky little place owned by a man named Boz who drives an old VW bus. For a light meal, order the autumn salad with grilled chicken. Gnat's is a good place to get into the island groove, where time slows down, and your pace adjusts. After lunch, head over to
Tibi, a local clothing shop whose designs are sold in major department stores across the country. Although the store is small, there are sample sales to look through on the racks and you'll find lots of must-have items.
For evening entertainment, you can walk over to the village. This area is home to several restaurants, a long fishing pier, an assortment of shops, and is referred to as "downtown" Saint Simons. As you browse through shops, remember island time means people might close up before the times listed on the signs.
If you're in the mood for a casual dinner, you can find an assortment of barbecued dishes at
Southern Soul Barbeque, an outdoor restaurant in the courtyard of Palm Coast Coffee Shop (318 Mallory St.; 912.634.7515). There's also a tiny bar connected to the coffee shop with a good selection of wine and microbrews. After your meal, listen to live music under the palm trees outside of the coffee shop, and then walk back to your hotel. Remember to bring bug spray with you for outdoor evenings, because this part of Georgia truly is below the mosquito line.
On Saturday make the most of a lovely day, and sign up for a sea kayaking daytrip with Southeast Adventure. Even if one of your friends hasn't kayaked before, she'll get the hang of it, and the guides will be there to help out if needed. There are plenty of tours to choose from, depending upon whether you'd like to kayak by the salt marsh, or take a longer trip and cross Saint Simons Sound to Jekyll Island where you might see a dolphin or two. Sunscreen and water are the only items you need to bring along since all of the equipment can be rented.
Following your kayaking adventure, you'll feel strong and ravenous. A good place for a quick lunch is Zuzu's old-fashioned restaurant with burgers, fries, hot dogs and fountain drinks (119 Mallory St.; 912.638.8655). After the food and sun, you might be ready for a nap, possibly in a shaded area at the pool. The K&P Resort has several pools to lounge in and cool off from the broiling Georgia sun.
After relaxing, which is mandatory on the island, you can get ready for an upscale dinner. Halyards Restaurant has the finest cuisine on the island, and is well worth the splurge. For an appetizer, you can share the Prince Edward Island mussels. There are a wide variety of seafood entrees from which to choose, such as a local favorite of shrimp and grits, seared sushi grade tuna, and wild striped bass. The meal can be paired with a glass or two of wine from the extensive list. If you have room for dessert, you can split the pecan tart, to top off the evening with a little southern flourish.
After dinner is a good time to walk off the meal, and learn a little more about the history and folklore at the same time. The ghost walk is a good ending to the weekend. The 90-minute tours begin after dark, which adds to the spookiness factor. Your guide will carry a lantern and whisper tales from local legends, such as a ghost haunting the historic lighthouse, or long-dead lovers who still roam the island in search of each other. Some of the stories might even stay with you after the tour has ended.
Although the next day brings a close to the island weekend, you can try to retain the peace and quiet that you soaked in during your stay in the Peach state. You can always return. As a local paraphrased saying goes: Once your feet have touched Saint Simons sand, you are meant to return again.
Jennifer Taylor, MFA, is a writer, editor, and book critic living in Georgia. She leads writing workshops in nonfiction and poetry in Saint Simons Island, GA. For more information, please visit www.jrtaylorweb.com
