St. Simons Island, Georgia
Yearly, or twice a year if we’re lucky, we escape Cleveland to take our dogs to the beach. St. Simons is a 12 hour drive for us, but it’s always worth it as soon as the dogs step foot on their very dog friendly beach.
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First off, you’re going to need a place to stay. We recommend:
Located right in the heart of town, Hotel Simone is a great spot if you like trendy boutique hotels and are OK not being on the water.
Your beach front option is The King and Prince.
If you are ready to pay a premium and live it up, Sea Island’s Cloister is your best choice. You can also benefit from what Sea Island has to offer at a cheaper price by staying off-property at their Inn. They’ll shuttle you on property to utilize the amenities.
You’ll have good luck with Airbnb and general vacation rentals in St. Simons as well - just read the reviews! Pro-tip, always check to see if you can connect with the hotel/inn/location directly and you may be able to skip some fees.
You’ll need a car to get to St. Simons Island from the local airports, unless you fly directly into the island by private plane, so we suggest keeping it for your entire time. You’ll be able to do a lot walking or on bikes, but you’ll want a car, too.
Arrive in St. Simons Friday:
Get situated at your hotel and bask in the sunshine at your pool, or take a stroll down to the beach for a walk.
What are you feeling for dinner?
Upscale dining: Georgia Sea Grill
For the Views: Echo, Fiddlers or Coastal Kitchen
Seafood: Catch 228 (best oysters on the island), Crabdaddy's (get the bread pudding)
American: Barrier Island Brewing, Southern Soul Barbeque
Saturday:
Wake up and grab a donut at Dulce Dough.
Breakfast: Grab bagels from Sandy Bottom Bagels, or coffee from Wake Up Coffee Company.
Or Brunch: Palmer's Village Cafe
Head to the beach: the beach is very dog friendly and everyone brings their dogs to hangout. We like to keep our dogs separate from others, but plenty of the people on the beach would love to have the dogs play together. This beach is best for well behaved dogs with great recall, or you should keep them leashed. Note: Memorial Day - Labor Day dogs are not permitted from 9AM-6PM.
Your afternoon:
Hangout at the beach, go golfing, take a trip to see driftwood beach on Jeckyll Island (there is a fee to enter Jeckyll).
Golf:
Sea Island (you have to stay on property to be able to play, but they are public)
Lunch:
Barrier Island Brewing (highly recommend the brussel sprouts)
Your Evening:
Dinner Suggestions:
Sunday:
Grab bagels from Sandy Bottom Bagels.
Head back to the airport or head home and rave on social media about your visit. We’d love it if you’d tag us in your photos!
