Heading to St Simons Island, Georgia? Check out this travel guide with some of our favorite places to visit while you’re there. This post is sponsored by the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort and Toyota. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
We recently hit the road for a road trip to St Simons Island, Georgia in the 2020 Toyota Highlander. It’s a relatively small island on the coast of Georgia with beautiful waterfront views and tons of history. This wasn’t our first time there though. We’ve been to the island twice before and every time we find even more things to love about it.
Have you ever visited St Simons Island? If not, it’s definitely a place to add to your bucket list. Here’s a quick rundown of why plus a downloadable travel guide that you can take with you on your trip.
St Simons Island Travel Guide
St Simons Island is such a beautiful island. It’s located on the coast of Georgia which means there’s plenty of beach, sand and sun for it’s visitors. We love visiting as a family but it’s a great destination for a girls trip or even a romantic getaway. The island is quite quiet so if you’re looking for a calm, relaxing place to visit – St Simons is definitely the place.
How to Get to St Simons Island
The trip from Orlando to St Simons Island is a little over 3 hours. It’s not a long drive at all but when you’re road tripping with kids, you’ll want to make sure you have lots of activities and snacks on hand.
There’s no major airport on the island so if you’re traveling from far away you’ll want to fly into Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport and drive from there. It’s a little less than a 2 hour drive.
We drove a brand new 2020 Toyota Highlander to the island and it was quite possibly the smoothest ride we’ve had in a while. The features of the car made our trip a beat easier. The back passenger seat reclined which made a perfect napping space for T. The window shades allowed the sun to be blocked out so that the kids could nap comfortably without having the bright sun shine in their faces. Trevor is a real stickler for that.
The Sirius XM radio and built-in cordless phone charger were probably my two favorite features. I’m always charging my phone or at least it seems like it and having the charger on hand was the best thing ever.
Where to Stay
We stayed at none other than the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort. This was our third time staying at the resort but this time since our family is a bit bigger we chose to stay in a villa rather than our typical oceanside room. I love the spaciousness of the villa plus having a kitchen and laundry is a huge bonus when you’re traveling with kids.
The resort is the only beachfront resort on the island and has tons of amenities to choose from. If you’re wanting a bit of relaxation, I highly suggest a trip to the spa and lounging out on the beach for your trip. The sandbars on the beach are probably my favorite part about the entire beach.
ECHO, the restaurant of the resort has plenty of great dining options and seating for families. The outdoor seating is a must when the weather is great. The decor of the restaurant is as picture worthy as the food.
Our Favorite Historical Sites to Visit
Even though we’ve been to St Simons Island twice before it still feels like we haven’t done everything there is to do on the island. Besides the beach, St Simons Island offers so many historical experiences. In the past we’ve visited Fort Frederica National Monument and The Lighthouse Museum.
Here’s a few places you can visit while on the island:
- WWII Home Front Museum
- St Simons Lighthouse Museum
- Bloody Marsh Site
- Fort Frederica National Monument
- Retreat Plantation House
- Hamilton Plantation Slave Cabins
- Igbo Landing
- Christ Church Historic Site
- Avenue of The Oaks
- Jekyll Island
- Gascoigne Bluff
- Neptune Park Fun Zone
- King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort
- East Beach
On this trip we got the check off a few places on the list above.
Cassina Gardens Slave Cabins
These slave cabins were a sight to see. I was a bit disappointed that we weren’t able to go inside due to COVID but on our next trip back, we definitely plan on visiting again for a tour.
World War II Homefront Museum
This interactive museum is perfect for families with young kids or history lovers. There is an entrance fee (you can find info on that here) but the experience is definitely worth it. It takes you through the role that St Simons Island had in WWII.
Fort Frederica National Monument
Fort Frederica is the perfect outdoor activity. Here you can go on a self guided tour to learn more about how the Fort was used during war times. They even have a scavenger hunt where you can earn a prize at the end too.
Have you ever traveled to St Simons Island? I’d love to hear about your trip. If you’re planning to visit soon, check out this downloadable travel guide plus a packing checklist.
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