Although most of us are familiar with the pleasant languor of the Lowcountry, Georgia’s Golden Isles represent distinctive pace and culture that define them as their own magical destination. A three- hour drive down I-95 to St. Simons Island leads the traveler past historic Georgia towns Savannah, Midway and Darien and across the MacKay Causeway to a haven by the sea where the pace is slow, the seafood is fresh, and “tree spirits” populate live oak groves.

Where to Eat:

You don’t want to miss any opportunities for a meal on the island, so plan to arrive in time for breakfast. Palmer’s Village Café is a St. Simons staple, serving up breakfast and brunch items all day long, like Huevos Rancheros with a poblano oil spiced tortilla or the Tuscan Omelet featuring artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese and all your favorite Italian flavors. Award-winning Banana Pudding Pancakes and Pimento Cheese Grits? Sign us up!

Lunch options abound, but you can’t go wrong with Sandcastle Café and Grill. Tempting menu choices include a Shrimp Salad Stuffed Tomato, a Grilled Salmon and Spinach Salad served with roasted walnuts, blue cheese crumbles, fresh strawberries and orange sesame ginger dressing, plus their Creamy Cucumber Salad as the perfect side dish. The price is right on these fresh options, all between $10 and $15 a plate and leaving you with plenty of cash for shopping in the afternoon.

Del Sur Artisan Eats is another solid pick, with its delightful blend of Argentinian and Italian fare, featuring unique dishes such as a Maine Lobster and Saffron Ravioli — which, paired with a crisp white wine, sounds like the perfect romantic meal to us.

 While enjoying a drive around the island, make a stop at Wake Up Coffee Company in Aviator Plaza. Order a delicious turtle latte and relax in the sunny, inviting

atmosphere of emerald green sofas and huge windows. We also loved the lush plantings and trickling stream outside. 

New on the St. Simons dining scene is Porch, where Southern cuisine is casual and approachable. Featuring fried or roasted chicken, catfish and shrimp, you can order as much or as little as suits your appetite. Plus, they offer delicious sides in quart-size containers, in case you need some for later. Pro tip: Palmer Village Café’s amazing pimento cheese grits are also available at Porch by the quart. The quart, y’all.

Top you rmeal off with a heaping serving of BigDaddy’s Nanner Pudding, or take a pleasantly short walk right next door to Moo Cow Ice Cream, where you can try exotic ice cream flavors like Avocado, Chocolate Pinot Noir and Sweet Corn, all served right along side standards like Cookie Doug hand Sweet Summer Strawberry Or try their mystery flavor — it’s worth the risk.

WHERE TO SHOP

In between meals, you’ll feel the need to do some walking, and St. Simons’ quaint Pier Village is the perfect place to do it. Pick up a special memento of your trip from Golden Isles Bracelet Co., offering hand-carved and hand-cast creations in real silver and gold, or a unique treasure from Moondance Vintage Clothing, where you’ll find vinyl, jewelry and all kinds of kitschy and special vintage items, including the best fashions of days gone by.

Grab breezy, casual décor at Dutchmans Casual Liv- ing, a second location opened after the success of the shop’s initial store in Highlands, North Carolina. Be sure to score one of their Spice Island votives or signature potpourri to bring St. Simons home with you. 

Redfern Village is another popular shopping destina- tion, featuring boutiques like The Planter’s Exchange, Two Friends and Viola’s Market for unique house- wares, beautiful gifts and books, plus divine personal care products and a gorgeous Instagram feed.

One of our very favorites is The Tabby House, the last of eight slave cabins on the Retreat Plantation and now a shop filled with beautiful linens, tabletop accents, gifts and more, plus an attic that owner Judy Shadron describes as “spooky.” Built in 1805 and once home to two families of enslaved workers, the Tabby House has been a retail shop for 65 years, and Shadron has rented it for her wares for over three decades. Stuffed wall-to-wall with more beautiful things than your eyes can take in, you’ll definitely find the perfect card, gift or souvenir here.  Don’t miss the historic character of the house’s plaster walls and timber ceilings, splotched with the remnants of more than two centuries of paint.

WHAT TO DO

Even an island as small as St. Simons has plenty of things to see and do. After visiting The Tabby House, check out another rare example of housing for enslaved laborers on the property of the Cassina Garden Club, which was once part of the Hamilton Plantation. Two cabins, similar in construction to the Tabby House, remind us to consider the complicated history of the plantation economy that built early Georgia.

That mindfulness can be continued at the Harrington School Cultural Center, once the only educational facility for three Black communities in the area and the last segregated school on the island.

Other historical sites, Fort Frederica and the Site of the Battle of Bloody Marsh, harken back to Georgia’s Oglethorpe era. Founder James Oglethorpe established the colony with dreams of making it an egalitarian and utopian city, as well as a buffer between the Spanish in what is now North Florida and wealthy English colonies in South Carolina.

You can get a grand overview of the island with a St. Simons Colonial Island Trolley Tour, ranked the number-one tour activity on TripAdvisor. Tours run daily from Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m. and noon—al- though hours and tour capacities are currently reduced due to social distancing recommendations, so call ahead when you plan your trip.

Other locations you won’t want to miss are the beautiful St. Simons Lighthouse Museum, dating to 1872 and convenient to the pier and village, and the unique WWII Homefront Museum. The Homefront Museum is ded- icated to what life was like for the families of those who went to war in the 1940s — who worked together and sacrificed in support of those on the battlefields during the fight for freedom.

As you crisscross the island, keep your eyes peeled for the beautiful St. Simons tree spirits, carved artwork by Keith Jennings, which are scattered about; to find them, get a scavenger hunt map from the Golden Isles Welcome Center. Chasing the spirits from one end of the island to the other is the perfect way to enjoy all the beautiful outdoor scenery—especially while staying socially distanced.

IF YOU GO

Be sure to call ahead to restaurants and attractions to check on hours of operation, which may be reduced in some cases to accommodate social distancing. Masks are also likely to be required in many places, so be sure to bring one along. Check out itineraries and trip planning assistance at GoldenIsles.com.