St. Simons Island, Georgia as been on my bucket list for a while now. I am not sure how I first discovered it, but have browsed hotels, rental homes and activities for a couple years now. We visited early November and it was wonderful! It’s not a far trip for us from New Jersey and was even easier to get to than I expected. It’s a place I would highly recommend for families and could be done in just a few days (like we did) or could definitely be a place to spend a lot more time.

I loved the relaxing vibe of the island. Everyone was kind, helpful and made our trip so enjoyable. It was the first time I flew to a destination with all 4 kids solo, so I was a little nervous. The warm atmosphere combined with how easy it was to get around, made me feel super comfortable to be on St. Simons with the kids. By the end of the first day, we were right at home. 

Here’s a bit more about our trip and visiting St. Simons Island with kids:

St. Simons, Georgia

How to Get to St. Simons:

We flew direct from Newark, NJ to Savannah, GA on Allegiant. It was super inexpensive (roundtrip under $100) and really convenient. Once we got to Savannah airport we rented a car and drove to St. Simons which was less than an hour away and very easy to get to (just take 95). 

Where We Stayed on St. Simons: 

I had browsed cute rental houses on the island but since I would be traveling solo with the kids, I really wanted a resort. After doing some research I found and decided upon The King and Prince Resort. It was amazing. I honestly can’t say enough good things about this location for families and don’t have a single “con” to list after the entire stay. The staff is wonderful and helpful, the pools are fantastic and the location is perfect. 

The room we had at the resort was more of a condo. There were 2 (really big) bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, a kitchen, large balcony and  living room. It also included a washer and dryer. The view from the room was spectacular. We were there just a few days after daylight savings, so my little guys were still getting up WAY too early… which might have been a drag on vacation…. but not with these sunrise views! 

The King and Prince is located right on the beach. There is so much wide open space to run on the beach, making it perfect for kids. 

There is a main pool area that includes a really cute kiddie pool/ splash area. There was also another pool and hot tub right at the condo building we stayed in. We used both pools.

We really enjoyed the food at The King and Prince. I’ll add where we ate at the resort to the “where to eat” below. 

My kids favorite part of The King and Prince: the big swings along the beachfront!

Where to Eat:

Brogen’s: We loved walking around the Pier Village. Close to the playground and waterfront we found Brogen’s. It was a great lunch spot, family friendly with a great staff. Think burgers, sandwiches, etc. 

Bubba Garcia’s Mexican: My kids all love tacos, so we stopped here after our horseback riding adventure and my kids loved it. We have had plenty of restaurant experiences where we leave and I wonder WHAT I paid for because each kid ate about 1 french fry…. Bubba Garcia’s may have been the 1st time ever eating out with my kids that I had to order MORE food because they all loved the tacos so much. I’d highly recommend this spot for lunch or dinner. 

Echo: Echo, which is located at The King and Prince was an excellent spot for family meals. We did breakfast there and also dinner. Both were fantastic. The breakfast menu had things like “crown shaped pancakes” and “unicorn toast” so… a hit with kids.

Things to Do:

Resort Activities

We honestly enjoyed the resort so much it was hard to make ourselves head out an explore the island (don’t worry we still did!). Between the pools and the beach and all the fun things for families to do, we really liked our time there as an activity. 

The Stables at Frederica 

Our day at the stables was one of our most memorable travel days ever. First, the property is absolutely amazing. It’s acres and acres of beautiful trees, a pond, even the barns and offices are lovely. Second the staff is wonderful with kids. They could not possibly have been kinder to my 2 horse loving girls.

We did a lead line ride for both of them which was a nice long ride out along the property. When they came back, they let them try trotting in the ring and then let them lead their horses back to their stalls themselves and even feed them hay, put back the riding gear, etc. It was such a special experience. And for the wild and crazy little brothers? There is a cute area with a toy horse barn and horses to play with. There are also bouncy horses to hop around on.

They were plenty entertained while their sisters were riding the horses. We also spent a lot of time walking the barns and meeting all the horses. They offer other rides (even on the beach) and lots for older kids and adults as well. The Stables at Frederica is a must! 

Lighthouse

The lighthouse on St. Simons Island is beautiful! You can walk to it from Pier Village. My kids loved the whole area around the lighthouse too, including a canon you could check out. You can also get a ticket package that includes both the lighthouse and the World War II Museum which I’d like to do next time. 

Pier Village 

Pier Village is the little center of town on St. Simons Island. We loved walking around, shopping, visiting the candy store, etc. There was a cute little shop that sold shells, shark teeth and other treasures that my kids had a blast in (and there were tons of treasure you could buy for just $1). Pier Village has such a laid back, friendly feel and we visited a few times during our trip. It’s along the waterfront, so where the shops and restaurants end,  a park and playground start. The playground there is SO much fun. My kids spent a lot of time there. 

Rent Bikes

There’s a great bike rental shop right near the entrance to The King and Prince called Ocean Motion Surf Shop. There are lots of great paths on St. Simons to ride with kids. 

Lady Jane Shrimpin’ Excursion 

We didn’t get a chance to do this but it was on my list and was recommended to us. There’s a naturalist on board that uses trawling nets to pull various local sea creatures onto the boat.  Passengers help them sort through the catch, and learn all about the local ecosystems (then everything is returned to the water).

Dolphin Tour

This is another thing that was on our list but I felt like I needed an extra set of hands to take 4 kids on a boat. We’ll do it next time for sure! You take a boat out and they (almost) always spot lots of dolphins. This was the specific dolphin tour that someone at the resort recommended. 

Need a Photographer? Last year I had some photos taken of the kids when we were in Boston and loved them so much they became our holiday card. This year, since we’d be in Georgia in Nov, I thought it would be fun to try and get a holiday photo while traveling again. I browsed Instagram and the web to find a few local photographers. Luck had it that one of them was having mini sessions on St. Simons one of the days we’d be in town. It was super quick (I paid for a 20 min slot) and something we did one night before dinner. The photographer was Rainey Gregg and I would highly recommend her. She was fabulous with the kids and in 20 min somehow miraculously got the exact 5 shots I hoped for (and more): a group shot of the kids for a card, an individual of each kid and one of me and my gang. She’s awesome! You can find her on the web here: Rainey Gregg Photography or check out her Instagram: @raineygreggphotography. 

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