Among the oak trees and spanish moss

Nora came down from Atlanta Sat. night and stayed over at my mom's house. Sunday morning we drove to St. Simons Island. For this trip, we stayed at the Village Inn, a really cute B&B with a nice, small pub. Very good location - it's only a short walk to the pier and all of the restaurants and shops in the village.

Sunday we grabbed some sandwiches at the 4th of May and hit the beach in front of the King and Prince. We had a massive fried shrimp dinner at Mullet Bay, where I ran into a few people I went to middle & high school with.

On Monday, a family friend invited us to the Beach Club on Sea Island, so we had lunch and sun there. For dinner we checked out Blackwater Grill. I'd never eaten here before. Though the restaurant serves tasty low country specialties, so I had the crabcakes. Later, we had a beer at Brogen's.

Tuesday we had tacos at Barberito's and drove to Epworth and walked around. It has definitely expanded over the years, but it's still very tranquil. I have so many fond recollections of weeks and weekends spent there for church retreats when I was growing up.

Took in the sun at East Beach. It was practically deserted. It's hard to believe that such rustic beaches still exist. It was a completely different experience than going to Long Island or New Jersey, where strangers are basically on your towel. I was a little too brave and dropped from SPF 30 to 15, so I got red in some places.

Tuesday night we went to the Lodge at Sea Island for sunset drinks on the veranda. I hadn't been here before; it was very cool. The lodge overlooks a channel, so you can see boats going by. Meanwhile, a bagpiper plays on the golf course. It was a bit surreal, like being at a Scottish castle or something. Later, I had shrimp and grits for dinner in the Oak Room. Before leaving, we took a quick tour of the wine cellar.

Overall, it was a relaxing trip. St. Simons truly is a special place. I feel very fortunate to have been able to spend time here when I was little. Being there for the past few days makes me want to go back more often; it doesn't seem like nearly enough to just visit for a night or two every couple of years.