Coastal Georgia Getaways (Atlanta, Savannah, Brunswick: vacation home, to buy, college)

[Mrminsky]

Summah-time!! Looking for fun family getaway in coastal GA..... Not secluded!! Resort amenities preferred. Would love pet-friendly. Activities, beach, pool, close proximity for day trips. Any good advice welcome!! Thanks all!

[Iconographer]

Georgia Resort, St. Simons Island Resort | The King and Prince

www.oceanlodgessi.com

[bryantm3]

take the golden isles highway:

http://goo.gl/maps/IJxj

you'll never forget it.

[Mal93]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

take the golden isles highway:

http://goo.gl/maps/IJxj

you'll never forget it.

I agree... The hwy 23 route is very rural, and seems to be from another era. You can also stay on 16 for about 100 mi and take 25 through several small railroad towns with quaint downtowns ( like Claxton) and farms along the way. Both end up merging outside of Brunswick where you can travel over the huge span bridge to Jekyll.

If you need a respite from resortland, saint Mary's is a very charming seaport with several great restaurants...like a mini Pensacola downtown. Cumberland Island is a jewel and worth a day visit at least. Pristine white sand...probably the best shelling on the southeastern coast.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

take the golden isles highway:

Unknown road to Mallery St - Google Maps

you'll never forget it.

Thanks for this suggestion! I go down to Brunswick regularly and never attempted this route. Love back roads...

I think St Simons is great, laid back, upscale island feel. I was down there a couple of weeks ago and was surprised at the bar scene. It was quite the party at Brogens and Redfern Village. Packed til 2 am, and virtually an afterparty on the pier.

[bryantm3]

there's something about it... saint simons and brunswick just isn't the same without taking the golden isles highway.

[mrpanda]

Is Golden Isles a much better vacation destination than Savannah?

[tikigod311]

Depends what you are looking for. I would do both. Savannah is going to be more historic and urban, St Simons and Jekyl has good beaches.

If you have never been to savannah and are in the area, I highly suggest it. Plenty to see, good food, fun on the river at night. I wouldn't bother with the beach there, Tybee Island. Its around 30 mins from downtown savannah. I never found it to be very nice. If you want the beach, go south to Golden Isles.

[mrpanda]

Is golden isles immune from hurricanes? I've read somewhere that the hurricanes do not hit this area. Can you still buy a vacation home near the water at a reasonable price? Do many atlantans own vacation homes there? I like the fact that the winters are 10-15 degrees warmer than Atlanta and you are near the beach. How are the beaches there?

[Iconographer]

Yes, GA is in a much more protected position against hurricanes than its neighbor states thanks to the GA Bight. Northbound storms tend to get pulled out into the Gulfstream and bypass our coast.
Now is as good a time as any to buy here... prices have dropped precipitously since 2008. For example, a college chum of mine bought a gorgeous riverfront home here in West Point that was originally listed for 2.6M...they paid 699K.
Swing a dead cat in any direction and you'll hit an Atlantan.
The beaches here seem to be controversial, at least on CD. We don't have the sugar sands and blue water of the FL Panhandle, but to me they are lovely in their way. My DH and I love to take our pups there at Sunrise with a thermos of coffee (sometimes fortified).