Sea Island Home Tours & St. Simons Weekend

We love going to St. Simons Island, GA and when an opportunity arises to go, we take it! Earlier this month, we went to St. Simons for the 73rd Annual Tour of Homes, “Lifestyles Around the Lodge”, meaning the Sea Island Lodge. I saw it advertised on Facebook the month before and told Mark about it, so we decided to book a place and buy tickets. I’m not that familiar with Sea Island at all, but it’s where the rich build beautiful coastal homes on the barrier islands of Georgia. There’s a golf course which of course stays busy and since I’ve never seen any of the residential areas, I can only speak to the parts we visited on this tour. They were gorgeous, set on the golf course with marsh and water views behind. I had no idea this tour had been going on for so long and we had never caught one of them, but I’m so glad we went this year. It was a lovely way to spend a spring day in St. Simons. The tour benefits children and families in need and it’s hosted by Christ Church, that nostalgic Episcopalian church nestled in the oak trees that I’ve shared before.

We stayed 3 nights this time and also took Daisy with us. We arrived and the air was cool and breezy, not quite ready for summer baking on the beach, but there were plenty of people there that weekend enjoying the beautiful weather. The beach is wide and flat and pretty in late afternoon. It’s a different kind of beach than the Gulf coast, but pretty all the same.

Late afternoon on the beach.

We started Saturday by checking in for the tour at Christ Church and then headed in a bus to Sea Island and walked to where the tour would start. They were all 5 in walking distance of each other so that was nice. I got my steps in that day! This is the ruins of Retreat Plantation, established in 1804 and known for growing Sea Island cotton.

Sea Island Golf Club

More ruins of Retreat Plantation on Sea Island.

Tour stop #1: I only wish they would have let us take pics inside the house. They did not, so you’ll just have to enjoy the extrior and some beautiful backyard views.

Can you imagine this in your backyard?

Tour stop #2: Each house was decorated beautifully and these next 2 were my personal faves, but all were gorgeous. I loved the ones with color and pattern of course.

More pools, golf course and water views. Such a serene place to live.

Tour stop #3: Another beautiful home decorated so gorgeously. I did ask a couple of the docents along the way about the families that owned the house if they lived here all the time. No, I was told, this is their 2nd or 3rd vacation home and they only come here a couple weeks of the year. I really hope they let friends and family use the homes, as they are too beautiful to be sitting empty most of the time.

Tour stop #4

More beautiful marsh and water views.

Loved this flower planter out front.

We were walking and this was another pretty home on the way, not on the tour.

This one wasn’t either, but I loved it.

Another pretty home along the way.

Tour stop #5: This one was gorgeous as well. I can’t even describe how pretty they were, all had some unique furnishings.

Golf course views.

Pool heaven

Backyard with a stunning view.

It’s so pretty there.

The oak alley at Sea Island. This is all I had ever seen of Sea Island until this tour.

Me and Mark

After the tour, the church ladies had a beautiful spread of refreshments in their fellowship hall beside the church. That was so special too and a much needed stop after touring. We walked around the property once more and peeked in the church. I always love visiting this church. The property feels like hallowed grounds.

Old oak trees and blooming azaleas.

Stained glass window of the church.

Blooms on the azaleas were beautiful.

Back to a walk on the beach.

We rode bikes one day too and enjoyed that too. We stayed close to the Village so it was all walkable.

Pretty houses along the way.

I just love how the oak trees create these canopies over the road.

We had a delicious meal one night at Palmer’s. It was our first time there, but I’ll definitely go back. We love to gorge on seafood when we are on the coast.

I had a delicious grouper dish and it was fabulous.

The village pier.

The gnarly trees always capture my eye.

And the lighthouse does as well.

This house was right across the street from our condo complex. We stayed at Sea Gate and here’s the link to the condo we stayed in. It was so clean and perfect for us, a one bedroom. It was in a great location too and right across the street from the beach. A note about the condo. I looked at several and was searching for pet friendly, which St. Simons is. I thought I had booked pet friendly, but when I looked at it more closely before we left, I saw it said No Pets (I had a small panic attack!), so I emailed the host and asked if we could please bring our dog and they said yes, thank goodness. I paid a pet deposit too. So just be aware of that if you’re looking for pet friendly. It had tile floors and was very nice. Daisy did fine when we left her alone.

We went up the the rooftop at Ocean Lodge Resort, where we have stayed before, one evening and listened to music and they have the best views. It’s a nice place to stay too with 2 restaurants on site. When I looked at it this time, it said no pets though.

Here’s the view from Ocean Lodge. They were just a hundred feet from our condo complex.

Everything is walkable or bike rideable in St. Simons.

On the afternoon we rode bikes, we ended up at the Half Shell in the village. We parked our bikes and sat outside and ate lunch and it was perfect. Weather was perfect and so was the meal! I got ceviche and a cup of crab soup.

One evening we went back to King & Prince for dinner and had mahi tacos, which were also delicious. They have a pretty view from the dining room and it’s so close to walk from where we stayed.