{Thank you to Golden Isles and Garden & Gun for having us!  and to Katrina Barrow for the beautiful photos! }

Back in February we were invited to the gorgeous Golden Isles to shoot an article for Garden & Gun.  While I had been to Sea Island before I had never been to Jekyll, Brunswick or St Simon’s Island.  The Golden Isles is as charming as it looks, and I loved that the boys came with us to explore!  Looking back on these photos, given the current state of everything, has me especially grateful we took the trip with them.

I’ve shared lots of pictures on Instagram… how could I not? The area is so beautiful!  But here’s the full run down of our time.

We left after their school Valentine’s Day parties, and made it to Jekyll Island Beach Club by nightfall.  The boys went to bed, and JB and I enjoyed a bottle of the Jekyll Island Clubs Cabernet.  The first night we stayed at the beautiful Jekyll Ocean Club Resort, which was perfectly situated for us as a family of four.  It had a separate sitting room leading to the patio where you could hear the ocean waves crashing and where we enjoyed wine at night and coffee during the morning all while the boys slept.

That morning we had a delicious southern inspired breakfast at Eighty Ocean, the sun was shining, and we were all fueled up to explore the Golden Isles.

First stop!  The historic town of Brunswick.  We enjoyed walking around their adorable downtown with so many cute restaurants and shops like Reid’s Apothecary.  Then we headed over to the river where there was a playground, and a huge pirate ship.  The boys loved running free!

Then we headed over to St Simon’s Island, to meet Katrina Barrow (our wonderful photographer!) and our mutual friend Jennifer, who was the best stylist/friend during the trip.

We had fried chicken sandwiches at The Porch, which is a great spot if you are visiting with kids because there is an outdoor area with corn hole, and they just played with other kids while we chatted.  Then we checked out the historic lighthouse museum.  The downtown area is so family friendly – lots of shops, playgrounds, and with a great view of the river.

SSI also has these tree spirits that are all over the place.  The boys loved spotting them on a little scavenger hunt!

{dress is Draper James }

The Avenue of the Oaks on St Simons is stunning!  Give me all the mossy oak trees, please.

Katrina and Jennifer took me shopping to Two Friends, which had so many great gifts and fun clothing options!

That evening we had dinner back on Jekyll Island at The Wharf.  We shared a Jekyll Boil which was one of my favorite meals of the trip!  This is a great spot to listen to some live music and watch the sun go down along the marsh.

While we stayed at the Jekyll Ocean Club the first night, we moved over to the historic Jekyll Island Club.  I love the rich history that’s preserved throughout this gorgeous property. Crane Cottage is a dream!

{wearing Camilyn Beth }

One of the best ways to see the island is by bike.  The boys biked while we got some shots!  Then came by to say hello (:

{in abbey glass – a Georgia designer}

Afterward I met them over at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.  My boys love Sea Turtles, and we actually saw one released down in Nevis and tracked him throughout the year.  So of course they loved the Sea Turtle Center where they got to learn with hands on activities and a tour.  You can see lots of Sea Turtles rehabbing here and learn how we can protect them, and our marine life.

Later before dinner at Tortuga Jacks we went down to Driftwood Beach.  My boys could have stayed here ALL day long – climbing and looking for sharks teeth.  But we needed some dinner!

Jekyll Island Club has a croquet lawn in front, which my boys LOVED.  We weren’t 100% sure on the rules, and we had to look them up.  But we will definitely be doing it again!

Something that cannot be missed is the Sunday brunch at the Grand Dining Room!  Live Piano music, belle-ini’s, and delicious food!

On the final day, the boys golfed 9 holes, and I had a tour of the property.  The history is incredible!  J.P Morgan and The Vanderbilt’s had a place here!

Our last stop of our trip was grabbing lunch at The Pantry.  If you’re there with kids you may want to try their their sprinkle covered PB&J’s.  The boys were so tickled by it!

The charm of the Golden Isles is apparent everywhere you look – from the friendly residents, to the mossy oaks, to the southern fare.  We had the very best time and can’t wait to visit again!

Thank you Golden Isles and Garden & Gun Magazine.  Can’t wait to grab a copy, on newsstands this week!  I will surely squeal with excitement (: